FreeOrion

It's been suggested, and I'm inclined to agree, that we should do another release soon. Presumably this will be v0.4.3

The only thing I'm aware of that needs fixing first is the appearance of the toolbar icons which are still unaddressed and quite unattractive. Anyone more skilled than I is encouraged to make some better icons.

Is there anything else in the latest test builds that seems like it needs fixing before we could do a release? (There will still be at least one round of release candidate builds as well, to check for issues...)

Geoff the Medio wrote:Is there anything else in the latest test builds that seems like it needs fixing before we could do a release?

Not fixes but as I mentioned in IRC I have a backlog of patches that I would like to see in upstream before the release preparations begin. It's around 6 independent changes, some janitorial changes of the code itself and some CMake/general build system related changes. Also I would like to know if I should give the dynamic libraries for common and parse on windows a try before the release.

adrian_broher wrote:...if I should give the dynamic libraries for common and parse on windows a try before the release.

Sure. Seems likely to only take you a day to get working anyway, given recent history...

As far as I'm concerned you can start with the release preparations. Unfortunately I wasn't able to implement the shared libraries under Windows in time, but I will take a look at that again after v0.4.3.

It's going to be a week at least due to some art that still needs updating and the stuff about the save file formats, so feel free to continue working on this a bit longer if so inclined.

What's the current status on 0.4.3? How close are we to putting out release candidates? I'm asking because I'm considering to make some adjustments to shields and armor and wanted to know if I should try to get that done for 0.4.3 or postpone until after the release.

I'd still like some more icons updated, so expect to wait a few days at least for that. Adjustments that aren't dramatic overhauls are probably fine...

Geoff the Medio wrote:I'd still like some more icons updated, so expect to wait a few days at least for that...

Can I ask if you yourself are working on new icons you expect to finish in a few days or so, or perhaps did I overlook someone else indicating they were? It's been almost a month and a half since you asked for new icons, and over a month since you said you'd like to have them for 4.3. Andrew put in a fair bit of effort coming up with possibilities, but it seems like eleazar pretty soundly rejected the current proposals for the icons you're most interested in replacing. For all that's apparent to me, it might be easily another month or more until we have new icons. Eleazar did just now improve some of the effects associated with the current main icons -- could you be content with that for now?

Dilvish wrote:...are [you] working on new icons...

No. Any icons I made would be unsuitable. I could probably do better than the previous versions, but not much so.

...it might be easily another month or more until we have new icons. Eleazar did just now improve some of the effects associated with the current main icons -- could you be content with that for now?

He did more than improve effects... several were completely redone.

http://sourceforge.net/p/freeorion/code/6234/
http://sourceforge.net/p/freeorion/code/6235/

But the worst of them - the design icon - is unchanged and needs replacing:


The objects list icon could also do with replacement, but it's not as offensive as design, so I could live with it as is, or with just updated mouseover effects.

Geoff the Medio wrote:But the worst of them - the design icon - is unchanged and needs replacing

That statement as it stands I'd agree with, along with the many other things that we need to do at some point; it's the part left out "before we can release 0.4.3." that I don't understand as a requirement. I wish we could choose a date and say "we'll go to 0.4.3 with the best design icon we have as of date X". In the meantime I guess I'll cross my fingers and hope that Eleazar has time or that Andrew comes up with something you and Eleazar like.

Dilvish wrote:That statement as it stands I'd agree with, along with the many other things that we need to do at some point; it's the part left out "before we can release 0.4.3." that I don't understand as a requirement. I wish we could choose a date and say "we'll go to 0.4.3 with the best design icon we have as of date X". In the meantime I guess I'll cross my fingers and hope that Eleazar has time or that Andrew comes up with something you and Eleazar like.

I put up what I came up with. If anyone has any other suggestions for them feel free to offer them (though should go over in the other thread).

Geoff the Medio wrote:I'd still like some more icons updated, so expect to wait a few days at least for that. Adjustments that aren't dramatic overhauls are probably fine...

Hm, I wouldn't call the adjustments I have in mind "dramatic overhauls", but they are certainly more than just "minor". I intend to substantially decrease overall shield part strength, tech and build costs, and to noticeably increase build costs for armor parts. I'm fairly certain that Dilvish will have to adjust the AI to deal properly with these changes, so I'd expect at least two weeks to get everything done and play-tested properly (depending of course how fast Dilvish can adjust the AI - Dilvish, any estimates on that?).

If that's fine, I'd try to come up with and commit the new numbers this weekend.

Vezzra wrote:Hm, I wouldn't call the adjustments I have in mind "dramatic overhauls", but they are certainly more than just "minor".

I suppose there is something between those levels... Perhaps it would be better to wait then.

Vezzra wrote:(depending of course how fast Dilvish can adjust the AI - Dilvish, any estimates on that?)

It's really hard to say without seeing the actual changes. Out of the next six weeks, though, I'm off vacationing for ~two, and extra busy with things before and after, so any FO work during this period would take extra long. Sounds like it's already been decided to let that wait until after 0.4.3 and I think that's the right call.

When we do do it, perhaps you could first post a patch that I could download and try out, to see if I can come up with an initial set of AI adjustments that could be put into SVN at the same time as your patch, so the AI wouldn't be totally handicapped, and then I could continue refining and catch up as able.

Dilvish wrote:Out of the next six weeks, though, I'm off vacationing for ~two, and extra busy with things before and after, so any FO work during this period would take extra long. Sounds like it's already been decided to let that wait until after 0.4.3 and I think that's the right call.

Yep, agreed. As eleazar has just committed the final batch of icons, I guess we'll be putting out RCs soon.

@Geoff: The upcoming monday builds could be RC1 already, if you want. Is there anything else you want to get done before? The only thing I can think of pending is the patch for the random seed button from Marc - do you want to incorporate that into 0.4.3? What has to be done however pre RC1 is the changelog, AFAIK this hasn't been updated since 0.4.2.