Author Topic: Release: 21.0.0  (Read 7110 times)

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Offline SirKnightly

  • George or Keira?
  • 211
Another year, another release!

Change log: (chronologically ordered)
  • More OpenGL optimizations
  • Full type information output for Lua documentation. Very useful for writing Lua scripts.
  • A new -weaponspew command-line option for printing MediaVP-style statistics, plus a weapon comparison spreadsheet, to the debug log.
  • Improved ship lookup behavior in SEXPs for improved performance.
  • BPTC/BC7 texture compression support
  • Refactoring and new features for the ship lab.
  • Missile multi-lock. It's finally in an official build!
  • Enhancements to the model code in preparation for cool features in 21.2.
  • IPv6 support for multiplayer
  • A lot of general fixes for multiplayer.

For a summary of changes from a modders point of view, you can check out EatThePaths summary here: https://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=97094.0

Deprecations:
  • Dropped support for Windows XP
  • Scripting:
    • ba.getFrametime(): The parameter value was used incorrectly inside the implementation. To avoid breaking existing scripts and to improve readability this has been split into ba.getMissionFrametime() and ba.getRealFrametime().
    • gr.drawMonochromeImage(): gr.drawImage() got a new parameter for drawing monochrome images and is more flexible in general so the monochrome variant is no longer needed.

Deprecations are a mechanism in FSO where a certain feature or aspect of the engine has changed or is no longer supported. Since this would normally break existing mods we have the mod table feature "$Target Version:" with which a mod can specify what version of FSO it was developed with. The features listed above will be removed or changed when the target version of a mod is at least the version released in this post.

Previous 19.0 Release Thread

Launchers, if you don't have one already:
All platforms: For every day use, we recommend Knossos, an integrated solution for downloading and launching mods.

Hidden Text: Alternative Launchers • Show
Cross-platform: wxLauncher 0.12.x Test Build (ongoing project for a unified launcher, you should upgrade to the latest RC/test build if you have not yet)
Important: For best compatibility with FSO 3.8 and later you should use at least wxLauncher 0.12.

Windows:  Launcher 5.5g (Mirror) (Mirror) Not compatible with Windows 8+, use wxLauncher above
OS X:  Soulstorm's OS X Launcher 3.0
Linux:  YAL or by hand or whatever you can figure out.

Windows (32/64-bit)
Compiled using GitHub Actions on Windows Server 2019 (10.0.17763), Visual Studio Enterprise 2019

64-bit: fs2_open_21_0_0-builds-x64-SSE2.zip

32-bit: fs2_open_21_0_0-builds-Win32-SSE2.zip
This one is based on the SSE2 Optimizations from the MSVC Compiler.

Hidden Text: Alternative builds • Show

64-bit AVX: fs2_open_21_0_0-builds-x64-AVX.zip
This one is based on the AVX Optimizations from the MSVC Compiler (fastest build if your CPU supports AVX instructions).


32-bit AVX: fs2_open_21_0_0-builds-Win32-AVX.zip
This one is based on the AVX Optimizations from the MSVC Compiler.

What are those SSE, SSE2 and AVX builds I keep seeing everywhere?
Your answer is in this topic.
Don't want to deal with that? Use Knossos and it will download the best build specifically for your PC!

Linux 64-bit
Compiled with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 64-bit, GCC 5
fs2_open_21_0_0-builds-Linux.tar.gz

These builds use a mechanism called AppImage which should allow these builds to run on most Linux distributions. However, we recommend that you compile your own builds which will result in less issues.
Alternatively, if there is a package in your software repository then you should use that. If you are the maintainer of such a package for a distribution then let us know and we will include that here.


OS X
Not available We recently lost access to our Mac CI environment which we usually used for compiling these builds so for the time being, there will be no builds for this OS.

Hidden Text: TrackIR Users • Show
Important!!
An external DLL is required for FSO to use TrackIR functions.  The following DLL is simply unpacked in to your main FreeSpace2 root dir.
TrackIR is only supported on Windows.
TrackIR SCP DLL (Mirror) (Mirror)

Known issues:
« Last Edit: January 28, 2021, 01:45:19 am by SirKnightly »

 
Ooh, IPv6 Support!  Not too many sourceports in general support that feature.

 
you know this release is good because it has more phantom hoover content than all previous fso versions combined

(also asteroth communed with mystic forces and made the game actually work properly at 120FPS)
The good Christian should beware of mathematicians, and all those who make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine man in the bonds of Hell.

 
If you're a modder and you want to know what new stuff you can do with this release you should read EatThePath's changelog (half the changes were so that he can continue turning Age of Aquarius into a disco lightshow that would make Axem blush, anyway).
The good Christian should beware of mathematicians, and all those who make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine man in the bonds of Hell.

 

Offline Mobius

  • Back where he started
  • 213
  • Porto l'azzurro Dolce Stil Novo nella fantascienza
    • Skype
    • Twitter
    • The Lightblue Ribbon | Cultural Project
Great news! Downloading now. It's time to set up a new default FSO build in Knossos. :yes:
The Lightblue Ribbon

Inferno: Nostos - Alliance
Series Resurrecta: {{FS Wiki Portal}} -  Gehenna's Gate - The Spirit of Ptah - Serendipity (WIP) - <REDACTED> (WIP)
FreeSpace Campaign Restoration Project
A tribute to FreeSpace in my book: Riflessioni dall'Infinito
My interviews: [ 1 ] - [ 2 ] - [ 3 ]

 

Offline 0rph3u5

  • 211
  • Oceans rise. Empires fall.
"Congratulations" and "Thank you very much" to everyone involved.
"As you sought to steal a kingdom for yourself, so must you do again, a thousand times over. For a theft, a true theft, must be practiced to be earned." - The terms of Nyrissa's curse, Pathfinder: Kingmaker

==================

"I am Curiosity, and I've always wondered what would become of you, here at the end of the world." - The Guide/The Curious Other, Othercide

"When you work with water, you have to know and respect it. When you labour to subdue it, you have to understand that one day it may rise up and turn all your labours into nothing. For what is water, which seeks to make all things level, which has no taste or colour of its own, but a liquid form of Nothing?" - Graham Swift, Waterland

"...because they are not Dragons."

 

Offline Mongoose

  • Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
  • Global Moderator
  • 212
  • This brain for rent.
    • Minecraft
    • Steam
    • Something
I'm only half-aware of a lot of the changes that have been going on based on Knossos Github updates but it feels like you guys have done an absurd amount of work over the past several months. :yes:

 

Offline Rhymes

  • Galactic Mediator
  • 29
  • Fatum Iustum Stultorum
**** yeah new stable.
If you don't have Knossos, you need it.

“There was a button," Holden said. "I pushed it."
"Jesus Christ. That really is how you go through life, isn't it?”

 

Offline m!m

  • 211
If you're a modder and you want to know what new stuff you can do with this release you should read EatThePath's changelog (half the changes were so that he can continue turning Age of Aquarius into a disco lightshow that would make Axem blush, anyway).
I have added the link to the post.