SEIV GOLD Patch #4 Now Available

[Tim Brooks]

The Press Release is here:

Press Release (http://www.shrapnelgames.com/News/pr_01.htm)

The Patch is here:
Patch #4 (http://www.shrapnelgames.com/malfador/SEIVGold/6.htm)

[tesco samoa]

you should add to that press release

Space Empires IV Gold is of course the ultimate space opera turn-based 4X strategy title, having been the recipient of over a dozen industry awards and boasting a perennial legion of global fans. While other games come and go off hard drives, Space Empires IV Gold has stayed, thanks to a combination of addictive and feature rich gameplay and the ease of creating mods. Even years after its release the fanbase continues to give the world new content <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">and increase the hard drives at shrapnel games by at least 1 gig a month. Also in the news we are looking for two system admins to deal with the increase in complelity of running a game forum due to its size :-p

[Makinus]

One new twist provided by the recent patch is the ability to "generate points" that can be added to ships and/or components... if the "points generated" can be research points we can have new "pirate/nomad" races that don't even need planets....

I just wonder if there is some way to create a race that don't start with a planet (maybe with a station)...

[AMF]

hey, with all this support now for "Planet Cloaking" can someone tell me where that comes in? Is that in a mod, or have I just been missing it in the stock game all these years?

thanks,

Alarik

[Combat Wombat]

Planetary Cloaking does not come into play in Stock SE4 but my mod Invasion! uses it and you download it by clicking on the link in my siggy

[Fyron]

The press release page has something about a new scenario for Lock and Load in its title bar. Some new form of subliminal advertising? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

[reverend]

hi!

i have a slight problem with the patch...
it comes up with the message that i have a "wrong Version" of SE4. the message also says it can update Versions 1.60, 1.67 or 1.78. however, my SE4 install says Version 1.84 gold (install plus se4patch 3 from malfador website).

do i really have to reinstall?

[Captain Kwok]

Originally posted by reverend:
do i really have to reinstall? <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I had to.

[Loser]

Originally posted by Captain Kwok:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Originally posted by reverend:
do i really have to reinstall? <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I had to. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I plan on it.

[Intimidator]

I also reinstalled , but mainly because I want to run 1.84 also for the time being. For ongoing games and I don't know yet, how some mods will work on the new patch (maybe someone can tell me)

Frans

[Fyron]

Just install SE4 over your current copy and apply the patch. No need to uninstall or anything.

[Combat Wombat]

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif The more and more I read the changes the happier I get http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[tesco samoa]

DISCLAIMER.

PBW PLAYERS>

Make a back up of your current seiv directory.

Just copy it somewhere else.

As your games will be changed slowly. So for a while you will need 2 Versions.

Failure to do so will cause grief.

[Intimidator]

Happy also http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Was trying for months to get an research lab working on a ship or a base, NOT

And now it can be done, if I understood correctly.

First get rid of my family (why have they come to visit me on the day I got the new patch , AAARRRGGHHHHH)
And then play...........and modding

Intimidator

[Pablo]

Copying SE4Gold directory and applying the patch to THAT (double check it) directory worked for me on my home and work computers without any errors.
Patch scans your computer for se4 installs and usually points to the first one found. On my comps it pointed to the SE4 pre-gold dirs. So double check the directory you want to update.

[Loser]

Aw. New neutrals does not mean new neutral pictures.

[Fyron]

Originally posted by Loser:
Aw. New neutrals does not mean new neutral pictures. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

[Atrocities]

Well hot damn. That was fast. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

[Atrocities]

Originally posted by Loser:
Aw. New neutrals does not mean new neutral pictures. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Thats depressing. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

[Atrocities]

Now I have to update my two web pages. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif I mean http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif that the Patch is out, but http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif that I now have work to do.

Also I hate dial up. It is going to take me an hour to down load this new patch.

Thanks Tim for posting the info about the patch here in the forum.

[Loser]

Hey, why do mods like TDM and FQM have files like Components.txt?

That will override the new Components file that comes with patch 4.

[edit: if it matters to anyone who doesn't already know, the following files in the Data folder have newish dates.

Abilities.txt
Components.txt
Facility.txt
Settings.txt]

[further edit: I looked a bit more and it looks like, other than some logs in the root and, of course, the executable, those four files are the only ones changed. Of course, I could be wrong.

hhmm... Did SE IV always come with the Mod Picker, I didn't look to see if it was there after the reinstall but before the patch. I seem to remmeber that I had to download it before... Maybe it came with one of the other mods I already installed?]

[ February 25, 2004, 20:59: Message edited by: Loser ]

[Ed Kolis]

I think anything changed in the data files is just the descriptive text at the top, so the mods are *probably* safe. But I'm not a beta tester and I haven't looked over the new data files that much, so I can't be entirely sure.

Now if only the mousewheel support would work for my laptop touchpad's "edge scrolling"... it doesn't work on Mozilla either without some fiddling with settings that I can't recall... Anyone else had a similar problem and actually remember how to fix it? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

(David Gervais didn't get his name in the credits for the new title screen??? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif )

(Now to get started on my uber-mod... yah right, I'll just tell all my ideas to Fyron and he'll put them in Adamant, less work for me http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif )

[Captain Kwok]

Originally posted by Loser:
Hey, why do mods like TDM and FQM have files like Components.txt?<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">It's probably just a holdover from when you needed all the data files in the mod directory...

[Loser]

Originally posted by Captain Kwok:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Originally posted by Loser:
Hey, why do mods like TDM and FQM have files like Components.txt?<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">It's probably just a holdover from when you needed all the data files in the mod directory... </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">After some reckless monkeying around I've found you don't need most any of them, but you do seem to need RepairPriorities.txt.

[atari_eric]

Has Suicide Junkie been made aware of this? I'm sure we're all itching for that new P&N Version...

[Mephisto]

I have completed the first beta of the latest TDM (at the moment just a maintance update) but I need some space to post it. Can someone help me out?

[Fyron]

I can host it on SpaceEmpires.net. Can you email the file to me? If so, email it to admin spaceempires net (insert @ and .). I have a 50 MB inbox set up currently, so should be able to recieve the file. If you can not email the TDM mod file, we can work out an alternate method of getting it on SE.net.

Some facilities were changed in value. Mineral Scanners and the like now have progressions of 15, 30, 45, so that they are actually useful in the face of cheaper to research Robotoids.

FQM Deluxe actually makes changes to the components. It adds some small RW comps. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[ February 25, 2004, 22:30: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[Bone]

It adds some small RW comps.<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">what are "RW comps"?

[Aiken]

Ring World, I suppose.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

yep. and SW is sphereworld.

want to join the FAAA? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Bone]

Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:
yep. and SW is sphereworld.<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">thanks.

want to join the FAAA? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I'm not even going to ask http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Originally posted by Bone:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">want to join the FAAA? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I'm not even going to ask http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif [/QB]</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">no, no, it's not rude, just humorous.

FAAA = Forumers Against All Acronyms.

which of course, has to be an acronym. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif
currently, there's one member - me! the founding member.

[HEMAN]

WOW the patch is out already http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif .i was hopeing this will be out by april.Thinking, some of Atrocities ideas could get in http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif .

[Atrocities]

Any reviews of the latest Patch? I have not yet installed it. (Fear it will break things)

[Atrocities]

Originally posted by HEMAN:
WOW the patch is out already http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif .i was hopeing this will be out by april.Thinking, some of Atrocities ideas could get in http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif . <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Alas that is not to be. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif But still, damn fine game with awsome support. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[Fyron]

The new splash screen image is overrated. It is nice, but not much of an improvement over the old one IMO.

[ February 26, 2004, 04:17: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[Atrocities]

Um, ok, lets go over this for the sake of arguement.

1. The new patch WILL not install over current Version.
2. One must resinstall SEIV
3. Update to Patch for 1.67 (Whatever patch that is)
4. Install new patch.
5. Copy over old files. (Or install over previous Version.)

Am I missing anything?

[Krsqk]

I did not have to install patch 1 before installing patch 4. A fresh install off the Gold CD works just fine.

[Slick]

FWIW, I successfully installed patch 4 over the 1.84 Version. I was not able to do this with previous patches; had to reinstall first.

Slick.

[Pablo]

Atrocities, check my post a little back in this thread. You just have to copy your se4 dir and apply the patch to that dir. Worked fine for me on 2 different computers.
Edit: patch applied onto v.1.84

[ February 26, 2004, 05:19: Message edited by: Pablo ]

[Captain Kwok]

In the event you cannot install the new patch over 1.84 and have to re-install - you just need to apply the 1.91 patch over the install, it includes all previous patches already. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

[Mephisto]

The installer is just picky about the time stamp on your .exe. We had that problem many times during beta and Aaron cannot do a thing about it since the instller is a stock installer from a big company. The date of your .exe may change due to time zone settings and winter/summer time.

Originally posted by Atrocities:
Um, ok, lets go over this for the sake of arguement.

1. The new patch WILL not install over current Version.
2. One must resinstall SEIV
3. Update to Patch for 1.67 (Whatever patch that is)
4. Install new patch.
5. Copy over old files. (Or install over previous Version.)

Am I missing anything? <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">

[narf poit chez BOOM]

so, mess with your computers clock until it like the new date?

[Paul1980au]

About to go offline and play - just downloaded patch so comments tomorrow good playing all.

[Ruatha]

Originally posted by reverend:
hi!

i have a slight problem with the patch...
it comes up with the message that i have a "wrong Version" of SE4. the message also says it can update Versions 1.60, 1.67 or 1.78. however, my SE4 install says Version 1.84 gold (install plus se4patch 3 from malfador website).

do i really have to reinstall? <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">This has been known in earlier patches aswell.
As stated it's due to the timestamp on the exe.
for some (as me) the upgrade works perfect, but for some a reinstall i s required.
And as already stated, if you reinstall you only have to apply the current patch.
If you wish to keep any extra shipsets you can install over your old copy before upgrading if the upgrade doesn't work on your current exe.
(I had to do this with 1.84)

[HEMAN]

Hi everyone i just downloaded the patch 1.91 from my current 1.84v, everything downloaded was processed fine (self extracting zip). Next i went to my SE4 launcher mode, Selected my current mode which is Gold-D-2 mode.Looks fine,No problems playing game,played 10 turns in turnbase game.What i see in the mode that are different are:
(1) New entro screen..
(2) Waypoint tab > New screens,1st one shows vehicles enroute to waypoints/ 2nd shows spaceyards with automatic moveto screen http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif ..Note: i didnt know players wanted/thought of this, but im very glad whoever suggested this to MM.
(3) Transferr population > added extra tab 100 population.
(4) Scrap button > Extra tabs ,,order by name/ order by Class.
(5) Planets Tab > Shows more info on allies colonies,top left.
(6) In game, Help Icon ? symbol > most/any game details selections,you can get a printout email to etc.Once your mouse pointer is over a designer window.Blue Outlined displays.Never new this, if this is new or not.
So far this is all i know.
Just letting you new /interested players know, so can be prepared.

[ February 26, 2004, 08:06: Message edited by: HEMAN ]

[David E. Gervais]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
The new splash screen image is overrated. It is nice, but not much of an improvement over the old one IMO. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">What did I do to deserve this? And Fyron, how can it be overrated when there was only one comment on it looking good? Was this one comment "I like the new Splash Screen" too generous in it's praise?

Well, I think I owe you a great big apology for not making a new intro pic that is up to your particular, precise, phenomenal, perfecting standards. The good news is I have a solution,.. just create a new .bmp with a black canvas and use that instead. Seriously, eye-candy is for dim-witted, pea-brain, casual gamers only. Besides REAL gamers prefer ASCII right?

Muahahahahahahaha

David E. Gervais
One Voice, One Mind, Many Thoughts and Always Kind. (Also a proud member of the dim-witted pea-brain casual gamers society.)

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[geoschmo]

Aww David, don't worry about it. You know that in art there is no accounting for taste. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Fyron is entitled to his opinion, but I agree that I'm not sure where he gets that it's "overrated". I must have missed where it got "rated". http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

[Fyron]

Well if you visited #se4 regularly, you would notice that there were people talking about it in there. That, combined with that one post, created a general sense of it being great. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif Then, that other thread that was created recently about it goes right along with this general sense of it being great... Again, it is overrated. "Overrated" does not require it to have been given a specific rating on some arbitrary numbering scale or anything like that. But really, the image does not IMO live up to the hype spoken (typed) to me about it by a certain set of beta testers... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

And yes David, eye candy is for the meek. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[ February 26, 2004, 17:53: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[parabolize]

Call me meek then http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif
If there was more eye candy in seiv it would be the only game I play.

[atari_eric]

Originally posted by David E. Gervais:
What did I do to deserve this? And Fyron, how can it be overrated when there was only one comment on it looking good? Was this one comment "I like the new Splash Screen" too generous in it's praise?

Well, I think I owe you a great big apology for not making a new intro pic that is up to your particular, precise, phenomenal, perfecting standards. The good news is I have a solution,.. just create a new .bmp with a black canvas and use that instead. Seriously, eye-candy is for dim-witted, pea-brain, casual gamers only. Besides REAL gamers prefer ASCII right?

Muahahahahahahaha

David E. Gervais
<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I Like the new screen - much more vibrant and colorful. My only misgiving is seeing the EEE attacking a Human base - I always thought the EEE to be peaceful... Eh. Maybe it's a counterattack to Human Aggression... Definitely credible nowadays.

[AMF]

No, No, no...I've been told that they're EEEvil....


Originally posted by atari_eric:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Originally posted by David E. Gervais:
What did I do to deserve this? And Fyron, how can it be overrated when there was only one comment on it looking good? Was this one comment "I like the new Splash Screen" too generous in it's praise?

Well, I think I owe you a great big apology for not making a new intro pic that is up to your particular, precise, phenomenal, perfecting standards. The good news is I have a solution,.. just create a new .bmp with a black canvas and use that instead. Seriously, eye-candy is for dim-witted, pea-brain, casual gamers only. Besides REAL gamers prefer ASCII right?

Muahahahahahahaha

David E. Gervais
<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I Like the new screen - much more vibrant and colorful. My only misgiving is seeing the EEE attacking a Human base - I always thought the EEE to be peaceful... Eh. Maybe it's a counterattack to Human Aggression... Definitely credible nowadays. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">

[PvK]

EEEvil are red.

That's a Jraenar base.

Humans are evil, anyway.

PvK

[Aiken]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
But really, the image does not IMO live up to the hype spoken (typed) to me about it by a certain set of beta testers... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

And yes David, eye candy is for the meek. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I suspect, there was another, Fyron's title screen image, which was sent to MM, but they didn't evaluate it much http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

[President_Elect_Shang]

Has anyone else installed the patch and had it access the music saved to your hard drive when the game is started? It took me off guard the first time as I thought I was going nuts, I have yet to stick a music CD or even the SE4G game CD in and see what happens. Was this a planned feature? Up till this patch the music never played from the CD when I ran the game so with no other reason to I just took it out and put it away for safe keeping.

[Fyron]

Originally posted by aiken:
I suspect, there was another, Fyron's title screen image, which was sent to MM, but they didn't evaluate it much http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Nope. I am no artist. I can copy paste and resize fine, but that is about it.

[Pablo]

The game plays the CD music from my drive but only if it is an audio cd (not mp3, at least at the moment). And yes, the songs do change with different screens http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Edit: IIRC it also did the same before the latest patch...

[ February 26, 2004, 21:06: Message edited by: Pablo ]

[President_Elect_Shang]

Originally posted by Pablo:
The game plays the CD music from my drive but only if it is an audio cd (not mp3, at least at the moment). And yes, the songs do change with different screens http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Edit: IIRC it also did the same before the latest patch... <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">So it is playing off of your HD? The music it is playing is in another directory for me (not program files).

[Fyron]

Do you perchance have any virtual CD drives running?

[Pablo]

President Elect Shang,
the music plays from a CD ROM drive (virtual or physical) not HDD. At least for me it never did.

[President_Elect_Shang]

Ok, my oldest slipped a CD into the computer. Well I think that I will just keep it in, I am alright with this! At least now that feature is working for me, the earlier Versions and patches it never ran. I can finally hear the music that came with the CD game!

[Fyron]

Maybe you had the play music setting in Settings.txt set to False?

[gregebowman]

How about mp3's? Can't you just cut or d/l some songs, and then play those while you're playing the game?

[President_Elect_Shang]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Maybe you had the play music setting in Settings.txt set to False? <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif Come on Fyron, a little more credit than that please!

[Rollo]

*Rollo rolls up a newspaper and spanks Fyron with it.

"Bad Fyron!"

[Captain Kwok]

It's really his gamma - it's out of control. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

[bearclaw]

My oldest once put in one of her game CD-ROM's in and when I started playing SEIV, it took me a while to figure out why each time a combat started, I could hear a duck singing....

[gregebowman]

I installed the patch over my current copy of the game. I then started a new stock game, and got the new splash screen. Good work, btw, David. But then I had a problem with the races missing certain sections from the settings and fleet files. It took me awhile to realize that I need to update the extra races I put into my race folder. I got out of that game, and tried the ST Mod I've been playing lately. To tell you the truth, I didn't see any new changes. Especially these points we're supposed to be getting. I think I'll re-install my SE4 and then try the patch again.

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by bearclaw:
My oldest once put in one of her game CD-ROM's in and when I started playing SEIV, it took me a while to figure out why each time a combat started, I could hear a duck singing.... <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">ROFL!

I love you, you love me...BOOM!!!

[Atrocities]

Thanks You mephisto for the info.

[Kamog]

With this new patch, ships are supposed to gain experience from kills by seekers, right? Well, it doesn't seem to be doing that. Playing the Jraenar, I destroyed enemy ships with missiles but my ship didn't gain experience. Has anybody tried this?

[Desert Fox]

This is the sort of news that helps make a rather depressing day turn into a very happy one indeed. Many thanks to Arron, he is the greatest, and his whole team of course. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

I do hope it does not stop Mods from working totally, like the excellent AST Mod. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif