Details:
Balancing, Refinements and Bugs
The whole team has worked on thousands of bug fixes, refinements, and balancing improvements in this build that couldn't be applied as a simple patch to Beta 1. This covers most weapons, items, tools, vehicles, deployables, and the user interface, including fixes for uncapped frame-rates, improved server administration functions, interaction with objectives, better weapon spread modifiers, vehicle firing rates, better sniper scopes, more consistency between weapons and their UI components, better fire support, improved deployables, and smaller tweaks like time-stamping for messages from friends, and tweaked special effects.
Improved Bots
id Software's John Dean is making great progress with the Bot code, and our Level Designers have added full support to Valley - You can now play through the map while off-line against Bots, co-operatively with friends, against friends each using Bots, or simply flood the empty slots on a server with them. Even at this early stage, they are the most advanced implementation of multiplayer combat AI that I've ever seen. They understand player level tactics and priorities, and team-level strategy. Sure, there are some bugs (else it wouldn't be a Beta!) but I'm positive you'll be impressed by them.
Improved Prediction and Player Physics
Our Physics Programmer Tristan 'Fearog' Williams has developed the new Anti-Lag feature, so we're finally nearing the point where the goal of 'what you shoot is what you hit' will be realized, despite a player perhaps being on a higher latency connection. There are improvements to the collision system, player knock-back, player speed, hitting targets that are jumping, interacting with the world while going prone – it's a big list.
Improved Vehicle Physics and Controls
Tristan has been working hard on this stuff too, with the Husky Quad Bike, Armadillo Truck, and Trojan Amphibious Personnel Carrier in particular feeling much more dynamic (as a test of this, power-sliding now works properly). It's easier to aim as a Gunner when in vehicles now too.
Improved Interface
You'll see masses of refinements across the whole User Interface, but our primary focus has been on accessibility. Gordon "digibob" Biggans' work on the Mission System makes seeing, choosing, and accepting missions much slicker, while class-specific mini-map markers and damaged vehicle indicators make finding the team-mate or vehicle that you need a lot easier. Jared "jRAD" Hefty has been overhauling the Server Browser too, with more detailed information on servers (such as which map of a campaign it's on, and whether the server is in warm-up, the time left, etc), while 'friends filters' list only those servers with buddies or clan mates on them. You can now tweak many more options in the Game Settings Menu, including much more control over graphics settings, and even a color picker to make customizing your alias and clan tag much easier.
Improved Audio
Lots of attention has been given to the GDF handheld weapons in particular, but improvements across the board have been made based on your feedback.
Improved Game Performance
Beta 2 comes with a slew of performance optimisations and tweaks. There are also several new menu options allowing you to tweak the visuals of the game even further. Compared to Beta 1, we've seen performance increase as much as 30% - we're keen to get all the feedback we can in this area, so please keep your performance reports coming.
PunkBuster
The latest PunkBuster revision is included with Beta 2 and should alleviate any remaining problems people are having. The PunkBuster folks have also revised their manual updater and it works correctly now across all versions of Windows, should you ever have to use it.
Unranked Server Support
Beta 2 will include everything you need to put up your own unranked ETQW multiplayer server. There's been a lot of demand for this and we're eager to get the server out there for you to test and play around with. It's worth noting that the unranked server code offers a wide variety of tweakable options; for example, you'll be able to turn ETQW into a fast and frantic game, or a slower, more tactical experience, depending on your preference.
