[Update] Silica V0.9 - Unit split

Season's greetings everyone!

In the spirit of Christmas, we want to share our thanks for your glorious support by releasing one massive update to close off the year. It is truly giant, featuring the long-awaited Unit Split, completely differentiating the two human factions, Centauri and Sol. This adds a total of 21 new units and 13 new structures, fully nailing down the distinction between the two.

Performance is also greatly improved thanks to a plethora of optimizations leading to much smoother gameplay, even on older systems.

But that is not all, and so to keep things simple and intuitive, here is a rough rundown of what to expect in the update:

• 21 new units, 13 new structures, completely differentiating the two human factions.

• 2 new maps to play on (Crystal Chasm and Whispering Plains).

• FPS Commanding (using the F key), which allows you to group up with fellow units in the battlefield when playing as boots on the ground infantry and aliens.

• Massive improvements to Sandbox, laying the foundations for custom mission creation soon.

• Vast performance optimizations, boosting the experience overall.

• Numerous configurable options for Strategy, from starting distances to tech tier limits.

• Overhauled main menu to better distinguish the various forms of play.

• Revamped vote screen and role selection UI.

• Deep structure foundations allowing significantly improved structure placement.

• Unlinked structure decay, where structures degrade/die when not connected to a HQ or Nest.

• Balanced structure health, making back and forth exchanges more common and enjoyable.

• Tech tier system now based around the team rather than structure, dropping to 0 if the Research Facility is destroyed but returning to previous level when rebuilt.

• Harvester improvements to prevent them getting stuck on Refineries.
  

With this update live, we now deep-dive entirely into AI and the Campaign, laser-focused on delivering a polished experience for 1.0, which we expect to release sometime next year.

So on that note, enjoy the update — and once more, a giant thank you for supporting us and believing in us. We truly are eternally grateful.

Kind and sincere regards from the dev team!

Silica V0.9.0:

Known Issues:

AI infantry cannot be commanded into vehicle transports yet

AI collision avoidance is still heavily work-in-progress

AI occasionally builds structures with their exit blocked, leading to unit pile-ups

Gameplay:

Added: Structures degrade/die when not linked to a HQ/Nest

Added: Inviting and commanding AI units (up to 8) to your group as FPS player

Added: Deep foundations to all human structures, vastly improving placement

Added: Aim compensation for alien turrets (such as the Scorpion's tail)

Added: Destroy structure button for RTS Commander

Added: All Game Master UI elements are now draggable windows

Added: Refinery ramps are disabled if in the air (only 1 max)

Added: Strategy game mode match variables (starting/map resources, tech tier limits, starting distance)

Changed: Intro to Silica mission is now from the POV of Centauri faction

Improved: Jump/fall speeds of infantry and aliens for a better feel and movement control

Improved: Overhauled starting locations in all maps

Improved: Detach from wall-walking as alien when trying to walk perpendicular to wall surface

Improved: New starting spawn algorithm for Strategy game mode for fairer positions

Optimization:

Added: Texture streaming to terrain surfaces

Fixed: Massive performance loss from turrets performing line of sight checks on complex structures

Improved: Objects and projectiles no longer use light probes, dramatically improving performance

Improved: Projectiles do not show model nor shadows when farther away

Improved: Structures use combined LOD groups for improved performance

Improved: Structure lights optimized by enabling them only if within distance of camera

Improved: Drawing of crystal fields optimized

Improved: Alien structures do not cause navmesh recalculations

Improved: Construction sites do not cause navmesh recalculations

Improved: UI Map icons outside of the view range are no longer calculated

Removed: Custom camera culling of structures which caused stutters

AI:

Added: Aliens will try destroy destructible objects if it blocks them

Fixed: Units would sometimes incorrectly aim with the first shot with arcing projectiles

Fixed: AI would sometimes not shoot at a target when their aim tolerance was low

Fixed: Alien flying creatures getting stuck often

Fixed: If Harvesters are stuck when docking the Refinery, they are teleported

Improved: Alien creature navigation through crystal fields

Improved: Alien creature obstacle avoidance

UI:

Added: Bomb bay view and impact location indication for aircraft with bombs

Added: Pings are visible on the map

Added: Indication that a structure is not linked (alien and human)

Added: Time scale display to bottom right

Added: Clicking the HQ icon shows all construction options

Added: RTS minimap alerts for important events

Added: Pulsing of structure icons on RTS minimap if unlinked

Fixed: Numerous RTS UI issues in Sandbox

Fixed: Menus sometimes getting stuck after repeatedly opening and closing them

Changed: Large FPS minimap shows while TAB is held down

Changed: Small FPS minimap view distance to fixed 350m radius

Changed: Chat is now accessible even when no team is chosen

Improved: Overhauled main menu with better categorization

Technical:

Fixed: Sandbox Game Master can now hear/talk to all players in voice chat

Fixed: Vehicles with scaled wheels incorrectly calculated spin, resulting in incorrect speed

Fixed: Desynch in sleeping wheeled vehicle position versus physics position when nudged

Fixed: Projectiles could hit owner when moving at speed (Dragonfly)

Fixed: Goliath was easy to kill with area damage due to disabled obsolete weak point

Fixed: When a unit was teleported it would sometimes snap back to the previous position

Fixed: When a unit exited a vehicle it would sometimes be inside it and take damage

Fixed: Numerous save/load issues in Strategy

Fixed: When a save was double-clicked in the load menu, it loaded the save incorrectly

Changed: Upgraded to Unity 6000.0.58f2 to utilize numerous improvements and fixes

Multiplayer:

Added: Multiple player teams are now possible in Sandbox

Added: Support for binding server to input IP via XML

Added: Option to cancel joining a server in the popup

Added: ExitServer command for server admins

Added: Unlinked Structures command for server admins to disable structure decay for a given team

Added: Setting of ports via command line args

Optimized: Dedicated Server match will end round and restart after 5 minutes of no players present

Balancing:

Added: Turrets are disabled if their structure is unlinked

Added: Structures pause production if they are unlinked

Added: Structures cannot be repaired if structure is unlinked

Fixed: Build queue is cancelled when structure is destroyed

Fixed: When teleporting via Teleport Station, you could remain concealed

Changed: General rebalance of many human units given the Sol/Centauri split

Changed: Passive repair speed reduced

Changed: Passive repair only to 50% of full health instead of 75%

Changed: Active repair speed reduced

Changed: Reduced cost of active repair

Changed: Tech Tier system no longer based on structure but team

Changed: Tech Tier drops to zero if no Research Facility/Quantum Cortex built, but returns once rebuilt

Changed: Halved all structure health

Changed: Increased accuracy of Heavy infantry rockets

Changed: Removed restriction of building within enemy build radius

Changed: HQ build range increased to 600m

Changed: Shocker accuracy and range increased

"The palms gently rustled in the morning wind as the heat of Baltarus ramped up, the majestic flags of Sol, our home, swaying in the breeze. The warm silence left a certain sense of unease. Not a moment passed before we received the distress call. The Centauri had launched a massive assault. It was our saving grace that a Dropship arrived just before the enemy reached us, taking us to safety. We lost many good men in that defence, their sacrifice will not be in vain." 

• -- Arcturus' Pledge, Battle of the Whispering Plains