HERCULAN 1.0.0

HERCULAN Engine

The 1.0 release fixes many bugs, improves support for controllers and the Steam Deck, adds new Tweaks, and adds a new Keys reference screen and a new Accessibility menu.

General

• Added music and SFX volume sliders.
• Increased HERCULAN UI font size by 25%.
• Added an accessibility menu.
• Added a menu for reviewing retail key bindings.
• On a controller, the B button can now be used to close the HERCULAN menu bar.
• When saving while using a controller, the save name is now auto-filled (pilot name plus sector and mission number).

Accessibility (a11y)

• Added a setting to further increase the font size.
• Added a setting to disable full-screen heavy-damage flash.
• Added a setting to disable full-screen heavy-damage camera shake.

Fixes

• Fixed mouse emulation right-click not working in shell.
• Fixed cursor not showing while using mouse emulation on Steam Deck.
• The "Backturn = Reverse" setting in keyjoy.cfg no longer affects the Razor (this was a retail bug).
• Target pip now renders in the side panels when widescreen rendering is enabled.
• Fixed heavy-damage screen shake not matching retail.
• Fixed rare case where "Shields Critical" message could play more often than it should.
• Fixed some issues with keyboard bindings not matching retail for foreign keyboards.
• Fixed various issues where AI behavior did not exactly match retail.
• Fixed minor timing inconsistency with retail.
• Implemented missing Alt-P binding to show Preferences panel.
• Squadmate radio message random selection now matches retail bug (a tweak was added to fix the bug, see below).
• Fixed various minor issues where weapon status bars were rendered differently than retail (thanks to user dml! for reporting).
• Fixed MFD showing the wrong name for Arachnitron (thanks to user dml! for reporting).
• Fixed keyboard auto-repeat not working while typing in shell (for pilot/save name).
• The "?" button on the lefthand side of shell's tab bar now opens the On-Line Manual.
• A notification is shown while the On-Line Manual loads, so that HERCULAN doesn't appear to be frozen.
• Opening the manual no longer kicks the game out of fullscreen.

Tweaks

• Added a tweak to enable mouse aiming, as in Metaltech: Earthsiege. While the cursor is in the forward viewport (not over the dashboard), press and hold right mouse button and move the cursor to aim the turret. This works like a virtual joystick, rather than like typical FPS aiming.
• Added a tweak that fixes many Cybrids not moving in the final campaign mission.
• "Change PBW hue" now uses green for PBW2, since that's what Metaltech: Earthsiege's expansion pack used.
• Added a tweak that fixes the squadmate radio message random selection, so that all lines can play.
• Added a tweak to auto-fill save names (pilot name plus sector and mission number) even when not using a controller.
• Added a tweak to auto-save in slot 10 after every campaign mission.

Full Changelog: v0.9.9...v1.0.0

HERCULAN 0.9.9

HERCULAN Engine

Input

• When playing with a controller, input from a stick is ignored for 0.5s after using that stick's radial menu.

Controller menu

• Added a setting to invert the Razor's pitch input.
• Use clearer labels for controller axes.
• Fixed default controller settings not working until the user manually clicked Defaults and then Save (thanks to users dml! and Emo Duck for reporting)

Fixes

• Fixed AI obstacle avoidance behavior divergence from retail.
• Fixed how Turbo Pod is drawn on MFD.
• HERCULAN now supports bare files in install directory overriding VOL files, as retail does.
• Fixed audio desync when watching intro cutscene from a real CD (thanks to user Jammer for reporting).
• AVI files are now streamed, reducing load times from CD.

On-Line Manual

Thanks to user Jammer for reporting these issues:

• Fixed missing font formatting from some pages
• Fixed Structures reference page having misaligned click overlays in Firefox

Tweaks

• Added "Change PBW beam hue".
• "Show correct stats" now shows correct missile warhead damage.

HercWorks CSharp

• Added an editor for INI_*.DAT files, which define HERC's default loadouts (used in Practice missions)

Full Changelog: v0.9.8...v0.9.9

HERCULAN 0.9.8

HERCULAN Engine

General

• The shell (menus), gameplay, and Editor now all are contained within the same window. The loading screen is visible when a mission is loading.
• Settings menu: Added "Check for updates" button and "Auto check for updates" checkbox (off by default).
• Controller menu: Added mouse emulation settings.

Fixes

• Fixed terrain shape sometimes not matching retail underneath animated buildings.
• Fixed AI behavior when LOS is blocked sometimes diverging from retail.

Tweaks

• High-resolution rendering is now a tweak, and can be turned off for 640x480 gameplay.
• Added a description to the Tweaks menu.

Full Changelog: v0.9.7...v0.9.8

HERCULAN 0.9.7

HERCULAN Engine

New features

Mission Editor (preview)

The Mission Editor is currently a read-only preview. You can load any mission in the game and navigate around the mission environment with the camera. View objectives, groups, triggers, actions, timers, routes, buildings, spawn points, and more. The Editor can be accessed through the HERCULAN menu bar (shift-Esc).

Enhanced controller support

• HERCULAN's UI can be navigated with gamepads.
• Add "Radar Toggle" as a custom binding in the Controller menu.
• During gameplay, hold the left stick to display a radial menu for selecting squadmate orders.
• During gameplay, hold the right stick to display a radial for selecting MFD/HDD screens.
• In the shell (menus) and Editor, the left stick can be used to move the cursor and right-trigger to click.

Experimental Linux support

• Add Linux build to this and future releases.

Fixes

• Fix squadmate portraits not being clipped to MFD.

Tweaks

• "Show correct stats" now shows more accurate energy usage and recharge rate for energy weapons.

HercWorks CSharp

New features

• Add Compare Weapons screen and Compare HERCs screen

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Full Changelog: v0.9.6...v0.9.7

HERCULAN 0.9.6

New features

• Add experimental controller support, with default bindings for Xbox-style controllers.

Fixes

Thanks to user Jammer for reporting many of these.

• Logs are now stored in Local instead of Roaming on Windows.
• Cockpit HUD: Frame and slot number are not shown for hardpoints with no weapon (Jammer).
• Add missing sound effect when selecting weapon with number key (Jammer).
• Improve weapon convergence (Jammer).
• Fix a palette issue that caused green pixels at the bottom of a specific fire effect.
• Match a retail quirk where a second Turbo Pod can be activated but gives no boost.

MFD

• F5 TARGET menu: Use high-res paper doll for Cybrid Landskimmer (Jammer).
• F2 STATUS/F5 TARGET: Fix scaling issues at some screen resolutions (Jammer).

Tweaks

• Add "Play all music tracks".
• Add "Shuffle mission music".

Full Changelog: v0.9.5...v0.9.6

HERCULAN 0.9.5

Fixes

General

• Add a welcome dialog which explains how to open the HERCULAN menu bar.
• Add an About window with version number and license information.
• Esc key no longer opens the HERCULAN menu bar.
• Fix Shift-Esc conflicting with retail functionality for Esc
• Fix a potential crash during installation, caused by a race condition (thanks to users dml! and Emo Duck for submitting crash logs)

Gameplay

• Fix many minor bugs and discrepancies on the Heads Down Display F7 map screen (thanks to user dml! for reporting most of these).
• Fix some bugs with keyboard input (keys not repeating, or conflicting)

New tweaks

• Fix mission flags not resetting when we replay a mission after dying.
• Adjust Delta Sector mission 5 to prevent a critical Stingray from potentially loitering in a hard-to-find location.

Full Changelog: v0.9.4...v0.9.5

HERCULAN 0.9.4

Fixes

Many thanks to user dml! for reporting almost all of the issues fixed below.

Installation and audio

• Installation options now include a checkbox to copy the movies, voiceover and manual into the install folder.
• CD music: all tracks are cached from the CD automatically, and the CD no longer spins up to look for a track that’s already cached.

Controls

• The HERCULAN menu bar now opens with Shift+Esc (needs a little more improvement in the next update).
• Cockpit keys now repeat while held, as in the original game.
• Automatic Turret Tracking is no longer available in the Razor (it wasn't functional anyway)

Visual fixes

• HUD circles are now drawn the same way the original game draws them.
• The Master Energy Pool bar looks correct.
• Waypoint diamonds and arrows are drawn at the correct size.
• Map icons on the Heads-Down Display’s F7 map are no longer too small.
• The Razor’s sky no longer draws incorrectly when rolled past 90 degrees or at the maximum flight ceiling.
• The Ogre’s slot-10 weapon now reads “0”, as in the original game, instead of “10”.

Gameplay fixes

• Shots fired from the Razor now inherit the Razor's velocity on top of their own velocity.

Stability

• Fixed a possible crash when exiting a demo.
• The last 10 log files are now saved, to make reporting crashes easier.
• Platform support
• Groundwork for Linux: Windows-only code is marked, and install folders are found correctly on Linux, where file names are case-sensitive.
• New scripts for building, testing and running HERCULAN on Linux under WSL.

New tweaks

• Fix Raptor II perspective: moves the Raptor II’s cockpit view down into its cockpit. Thanks to Jammer for the values.
• Faster keyboard aiming tweak.
• "Show correct stats" tweak now also corrects every HERC’s top speed. Thanks to Jammer for the values.

Full Changelog: v0.9.3...v0.9.4

HERCULAN 0.9.3

General

• HERCULAN UI tooltips are now word-wrapped.
• Tweaks and Settings menus are now re-centered when toggling fullscreen with Alt-Enter

Shell

• Briefing map buttons now repeat when held down.
• Button labels shift down slightly when pressed.
• Add a tweak that fixes the torso sides being swapped in the Repair menu.

Gameplay

• Fix Arachnitrons never moving.
• Fix Arachnitrons not disappearing upon death.
• Fix Arachnitron ramming attacks not moving straight.
• Fix how joystick throttle behaves with Razor (now treated as absolute throttle position, like retail).
• Implement audio system recovery after device loss (e.g. when unplugging headphones).
• Fix AI timing jitter discrepancy.
• Allow Alt-Enter during movies and startup animation.
• Fix loss of intro movie audio during context switch.
• Minor AI corrections to match retail.
• Fix various render issues with buildings (shadows, decals, shading).
• Use retail v1.10's MFD F5 target range behavior when playing from a 1.10 install
• Fix a terrain raycast issue and use retail's alternate v1.10 behavior when playing from a 1.10 install. Also add a tweak which is better than what either retail version ships.
• Remove free-move camera (previously activated by pressing C), a non-retail feature.
• Don't display message ticker or play alert tone while in external view.
• Fix various rendering discrepancies with EO missile cam.
• Add missing key mappings (numpad keys, +/- for Razor throttle)
• Implement retail bug where Cybrid flyer speed is affected by player joystick settings; add a tweak to turn the bug back off.
• Fix minor animation issues.

Full Changelog: v0.9.2...v0.9.3

HERCULAN 0.9.2

• Fixed Razor speed readout
• Added a tweak that rounds shield balance to nearest multiple of 20
• Fixed the previously non-functional "Show accurate speed" tweak
• Fixed some parts of Tweaks Menu not being localized
• Other minor fixes

Full Changelog: v0.9.1...v0.9.2

HERCULAN 0.9.1

HERCULAN Engine

• HERCULAN's own UI now respects Windows display scale settings.
• No longer runs as a console application.
• Added French and German translations for HERCULAN's own UI; Language selection is now available in the first-time start dialog.
• Window starts centered.

Full Changelog: v0.9.0...v0.9.1