EDGE 1.29RC#5 available

[andrewj]

I'm very happy to announce that Release Candidate #5 for EDGE 1.29 is now available for testing. The two most significant changes are: (1) replacing the OpenAL sound system with new SDL-based sound code, and (2) much improved BOOM compatibility. Plus of course lots of bug fixing.

Get it at the EDGE website: http://edge.sourceforge.net

What's new since RC#4:

Replaced the OpenAL code with new SDL-based sound code.
Way of making looping sounds has changed.

New -directx, -gdi and -videodriver options, for selecting
what SDL video driver to use. The -videodriver option
requires an extra argument: the name of the SDL driver.

Improved BOOM compatibility:
- handle the ELEVATOR linetypes.
- support for Current/Wind/Push/Pull forces.
- support for Icy/Muddy floors.
- handle BOOM colormaps.
- load the SWITCHES and ANIMATED lumps.
- the EDGE-specific sector numbers have been renumbered
to the range 4400-4499. This may affect old mods, which
can be made to work using the new -ecompat option.

The -warp option and IDCLEV cheat accept a plain number.
Old school: 'Shoot-thru Scenery' option which causes
missiles to pass through scenery (lamps, trees, etc).

Fixed "jerk up/down" when player steps onto a lowering lift.
Fixed rendering glitches on some midmasked textures.

Can use the mouse-wheel for zooming on the automap.

Set Resolution menu: removed 'TEST RESOLUTION' button.

Renamed -debugfile option to -debug, and the filename is now
hardcoded to be "debug.txt" (stored in same place as "edge.log").

EDGE.WAD: removed copyrighted [DOG] sprites.

Screenshots are now placed in a "screenshot" folder.

DeathBots are working again. Also support for 16 players
in a multiplayer game (re-using shirt colours). Fixed
old deathmatch so that weapons stay on the map.
[NOTE: true multiplayer does not work in 1.29RC#5]

Fixed DeHackEd support (-deh option).

Added new -gamma option.

DDF: #VERSION is no longer required to use new features.
DDF: new POWERUP_BARE_BERSERK keyword to get the berserk
powerup without switching to the fist.
DDF: new SPAWN_LIMIT command for ATTACKS.DDF.
DDF: removed LINES/SECTORS 'AMBIENT_SOUND' command.

RTS: new BLOCK_LINES command.
RTS: SPAWN_THING keyword parameters, TAG=xxx.
RTS: THING_EVENT: "ANY" for thing, TAG=xxx parameter.
RTS: DAMAGE_MONSTERS: can use TAG=xxx parameter.

[Lobo]

Just so you know, I've submitted a thread about this in the "submitted news" forum too Andrew.

[entryway]

Some places on boomedit.wad look strange
http://prboom-plus.sourceforge.net/gledge.png

Also Edge has even more glitches (seams) in opengl on ATI than prboom(+). Only gzdoom is free from bugs of this kind. The latest version of prboom+ has no seams between textures (thanks to Graf Zahl), but still has them on corners (precision problems).

[andrewj]

entryway said:

Some places on boomedit.wad look strange

Thanks for these screenshots.

Tree shot: turn off Shadows in the video options menu. It's a very cheesy effect which often looks pretty bad. And the sky can be changed in the 'Sky Stretch' option (I prefer the MIRROR setting myself).

Colourmap room: colourmaps work a bit differently in EDGE, for normal usage (underwater areas) it seems adequate and I'm not sure it's worth emulating the BOOM effect completely.

I haven't figured out how to emulate the "glass floor" effect of linetype 242 yet.

Glitches: yeah I know, and I plan to rewrite the renderer in the future (after 1.29 is released) to remove them.