Changelog:

*** Vendetta 1.8.15
- Mac Updater has been optimized
- Added a 'Super High' mode for rendering backgrounds
- Increased resolution of starfield texture
- Increased maximum number of characters that can be typed
into the console
- Changed text in buddy note entry menu
- Added a special plugin layer to the HUD for plugins
- Added stats at the bottom of PVP tab
- Tweaked group-targeting code to make bots respond more
readily to being shot (even if they are targeting someone
else)

Cantus comparison:

"Highest" background detail:


 
"Super High" background detail:

Goddamn. Good work, Devs. That is delicious.

Holy crap!

Systems with less of the less-noticeable stars won't have as much of a change, but it still looks a lot better. :D

Oooooooh....

It also cuts my fps by 30 when look at open space. But, meh. Can't see anything about 60, anyhow.

Great, now we are talking.

"Highest" detail should look a bit better with zero performance hit for anyone. "Super High" may incur a bit of a performance hit, depending on the video hardware.

The difference is most obvious in locations like Verasi A1, on dimmer stars that are at the edge of the field of view. Those are the most stretched/elongated by the FOV. For those running in very high resolutions, particularly widescreen, the difference over the old backgrounds should be significant.

Additionally, nebulae seem a bit clearer and brighter in "Super High" background mode, since they are not cooked onto a skybox texture and are displayed independently. The actual resolution of the original nebula textures has not increased, but they still look a bit better. This is mostly noticable in areas where the nebulae are more pronounced (ie, not the example above).

YES im going to go buy cake now :D

hmmm now all we need is volume light and shadow!

So, any details on that plugin HUD layer?

plugin layer is just an iup.zbox.

Ok, so... what's the point?

drazed's description of the plugin layer:

"A simple zbox that people (like me) can place their own HUD layers into. This will allow people to insert their own layer and keep them from having to append stuff to HUD elements."

the pluginlayer lets you build your own layer on top of the HUD. It exists above all the other elements and multiple plugins can have simultaneous and independent access to it. To use the pluginlayer build your own iup structure, put it in a vbox-hbox hierarchy making sure to pad around areas you don't want your layer to overlap, and append the entire structure to HUD.pluginlayer

I will be writing a full tutorial on using the pluginlayer when I finish the new targetless (screenshots at http://targetless.com ) which uses it =)

EDIT: opps... I posted from the wrong account...

--drazed

looking good, keep it comming

Am I missing something here? You're going to write a tutorial on how to use zbox?

Edit: Alright, that makes some sense.

lol genka. Yeah, in a way I guess it will be a tutorial about how to use zbox... but the tutorial will be more about how to pad your layout around the normal HUD elements and how to move elements from the HUD into the plugin layer without breaking the layout.

Ow... pretty....

Hey... choppy....
I suppose I'm not surprised by it. A mac mini is not a gamer's dream, to say the least.

A month before I build a new computer...

Nebulae look reachable somehow. anyone able to take up this challenge?

Suns are reachable, are nebulae?