Platform
A major overhaul to the graphics engine of the Entropia Universe client is featured in this release. DirectX 11 has been implemented, please see below for associated changes and features.
While many areas and scenes will show major improvement with regard to lighting and realism, some content has not yet been optimized for the new system, particularly Planet Partner content. Upcoming Version Updates will build upon the additions and capabilities introduced in this release
These changes to the graphics engine may cause certain textures, items and areas to look slightly different or introduce unexpected graphical issues. Please report any graphics-related issues by submitting a support case under the Technical → Video and Graphics category.
[ul]
[li] The rendering API now uses Microsoft DirectX 11, which requires Windows Vista or later. Windows XP is no longer supported. [/li][li] Physically based rendering is now used throughout Entropia Universe. [/li][li] Physically accurate falloff from light sources. [/li][li] Gamma corrected output. [/li][li] Filmic tonemapping. [/li][li] Overhaul of the glow and bloom systems. [/li][li] Reworked camera auto exposure. [/li][li] Improved shading for vegetation, water, glass, skin and hair. [/li][li] Brightness slider now applies brightness before tonemapping. [/li][li] Contrast slider has been removed from the options menu. [/li][li] Fullscreen mode is now always windowed fullscreen. [/li][li] A new VR action has been added to the Action Library, which launches Virtual Reality for Oculus Rift. (Note that this system is still experimental and not fully supported). [/li][li] To avoid any issues the graphics settings are reset to default during the update, make sure to select your prefered settings after logging in.[/li][/ul]
New Features
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[li] Enhancers inserted into (L)imited items will now break much less often. [/li][li] 100% of the Trade Terminal value of enhancers is now returned in the form of Shrapnel when an enhancer breaks. [/li][li] Increasing the Tier Level of an item during the Tier Upgrade process is no longer dependent on the Tier Upgrader profession. All tiering attempts will now automatically succeed. [/li][li] 100% of the Trade Terminal value of the ingredients required to increase the Tier Level of an item is now always returned, in the form of Shrapnel (none of the required ingredients are returned). [/li][li] A second decimal place has been added to item Tier Levels. All existing items have had a 9 added in the second decimal place. For example, an item that had a Tier Level of 3.9 will now have a Tier Level of 3.99.! [/li][li] It is no longer necessary to drag items from inventory to the Tier Upgrade interface. Items from your avatar’s Inventory as well as from an open Storage Terminal will automatically be used in the Tier Upgrade interface. Items in storage containers, vehicle inventories, etc. will however not be used. [/li][li] It is now possible to increase the Tier Level of an item in storage. [/li][li] Destructible environmental items now provide loot in the form of Shrapnel. Destructible explosive items that cause damage to nearby creatures transfer their loot to the damaged creatures. [/li][li] The current Trade Terminal value of attached attachments is now displayed in the base item’s tooltip info. [/li][li] For better visibility, common warning messages are now displayed in the middle of the screen rather than in the chat window. [/li][li] It is now possible to “protect” equippable items and attachments, preventing them from being traded, dropped, placed on auction, exchanged with NPCs, or sold to the Trade Terminal. To protect an item, toggle “Protect Item” icon in the Item Info panel. Items that are protected will show a “P” on the item icon status bar. [/li][li] It is now possible to attach and remove attachments and enhancers to/from items without unequipping the base item. [/li][li] The name of equipped weapons and tools with a condition below 10% is now displayed in yellow text in the dashboard. [/li][li] The currently viewing avatar’s name is highlighted in orange text when viewing scoreboards. [/li][li] Added Buy orders to the Entropia Exchange (previously “Share Center”). Buy orders always match the lowest available price first. Buy orders will match older Sell orders first if there are multiple Sell orders with the same price. Buy orders can match qualifying Sell orders regardless of remaining Sell order quantity. [/li][li] Added market history graphs to the Entropia Exchange [/li][li] Added a Transactions tab to the Entropia Exchange → Holdings view that displays a history of share transactions and revenue payouts. Double click on the company name to view history. [/li][/ul]
Changes
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[li] The Share Center has been renamed to the Entropia Exchange and can be accessed by right-clicking on the PED Card or via the Action Library. [/li][li] Global and Hall of Fame loot values no longer display decimals. [/li][li] It is now possible to toggle the display of private messages in the Main chat tab. [/li][li] Smoke trails have been removed from spaceships. [/li][li] Creatures killed by automated turrets, drowned, or despawned by the system will return loot in the form of Shrapnel, when appropriate. [/li][li] The Tier Upgrade icon is now only displayed in the Item Info panel if an item can be tiered. [/li][li] It is now possible to deal and receive damage of values less than 1. [/li][li] Added visual and sound effects to the Codex when gaining a new rank. [/li][li] Improved the display of information in the Global Events List. [/li][li] Added icons for and improved the display of Codex notifications. [/li][li] Improved the tooltip information provided for Action Library icons. [/li][li] Prices and markup are now displayed in the tooltip when hovering the mouse over items in a shop or shopkeeper. [/li][li] Damage over time effects no longer cause creatures or the targeting reticule to flash. [/li][li] Tier Upgrader skills are no longer gained when increasing the Tier Level of an item. [/li][li] The arrival safe animation has been removed. [/li][/ul]
Fixed Issues
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[li] Fixed an issue causing unexpected results when using sorting options in the Codex. [/li][li] Fixed an issue causing message tabs to not reliably highlight when receiving a private message. [/li][li] Fixed an issue preventing crosshairs from updating properly after entering a mothership. [/li][li] Fixed an issue causing avatars to be unexpectedly removed from dynamic Mayhem instances in certain situations. [/li][/ul]
Known Issues
[ul]
[li] Avatars will sometimes glow unexpectedly after receiving a skill boost. Going into first person mode and back to third person will fix this. [/li][li] Certain modeled terrain features, such as the roof of the second Gauntlet, display unexpected bright borders between detail textures. [/li][li] The Polished Chrome Texture does not display correctly. [/li][li] Codex rewards can only be chosen when opening the Codex interface via the Codex action icon. [/li][li] The effect of “Tier increase rates” is currently not working as intended with the tiering changes. [/li][li] When adding an attachment to an equipped item with another attachment on it (e.g scope + laser sight), the effect of the secondary attachment (laser) is not applied until the item is re-equipped.[/li][li]Codex rewards cannot be claimed, but progress is not lost.[/li][/ul]
MindArk and the Planet Partners strive to ensure a smooth and problem-free Version Update. Nevertheless, even after extensive testing some issues may arise after release. Such issues are often addressed via mini-patches directly after a release and in subsequent patches. If you feel that the possibility of encountering minor issues or bugs directly after a Version Update affects your gameplay to an extent that Entropia Universe is not enjoyable, please wait until the mini-patches have been released and any last minute issues have been resolved.