Ceres

The 'Credits' and 'Exit' buttons in the main menu get overlapped by text below (happened already in a24). Can this be fixed?

Wishing that I had thought about this earlier (and hoping that it's adequate to post it here), maybe Windows 10 users might find this little (and admittedly stupid) PowerShell script useful: Echo "Backing up mods, replays, saved games, and screenshots (C:\Users\<username>\Documents\My Games\0ad\)." cp "${env:homepath}\Documents\My Games\0ad" "${env:homepath}\Documents\My Games\0ad_bak" -Recurse Echo "Done." Echo "Backing up cache and logs (C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\0ad\)." cp "${env:localappdata}\0ad" "${env:localappdata}\0ad_bak" -Recurse Echo "Done." Echo "Backing up config and possibly other user data (C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\0ad\)." cp "${env:appdata}\0ad" "${env:appdata}\0ad_bak" -Recurse Echo "Done." It copies (i.e. backs up) the three 0 A.D. game paths described there. It has no error handling, nor does it care if folders are already copied, so please use with caution. It works in my environment, though, and is also attached for download. Understanding that this is really nothing fancy, maybe some of you would like to use it as a little support. If you think it's worth to add some further functionality, please let me know, and I will see what I can do. Again, I hope it's ok to post it here in this thread, which should be rather about 0 A.D. RC. If developers/ moderators/ users want to rather not see it here (as it might distract from the original topic), please kindly advice me where it fits better, and I shall move it there. Thank you. 0AD_backup_game_folders_20210617_v01.ps1 PS: If you cannot execute the script, please consider trying this first in PowerShell: Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -scope CurrentUser

So I was wrong thinking that different 0 A.D. versions can be installed in Windows in parallel. Hence, the -writableRoot parameter to store runtime game data in the root data directory is only partially helpful, or isn't it? This is in no way meant as criticism of the developers (I would feel ashamed ). I am just humbly asking if there is anything that could be done in the future about this without too much efforts, e.g. for the next RC, to ease testing it? Anyway, I am looking forward testing and giving feedback on the RC! You all are doing magic!

Sorry, to bother you guys once more about this, but at the moment, I do not understand how I can install RC1 besides a24, when the RC installer asks me to first deinstall the previous (a24) version. Am I the only one with this problem? If yes, the problem is very likely that I do something wrong, but what exactly?

Maybe using the -writableRoot parameter helps as a "workaround" when executing pyrogenesis.exe https://github.com/0ad/0ad/blob/master/binaries/system/readme.txt BTW, would it be possible to add a path to that parameter? Then you could even select different paths for different versions. Just a thought... Oh, now I have this problem (has nothing to do with the -writableRoot parameter): The RC exe file tells me that 0AD is already installed and that I shall deinstall it first. Is it possible to have a "portable" installation that does not care whether 0 A.D. is already installed?

Would a grey scale image of any map help (pretending it could be any biome)? Of course, bioms do not only differ by colours (but rather by many other details applied with lots of love and efforts), that's clear. But maybe this could be a compromise. Leaving it as it is, is also a good solution (at least, I would not bother about it). Thanks to all developers, programmers, artists, historians, translators, testers, and otherwise involved people who make 0 A.D. such an inspiring game!

You mean by resource not available that it has been depleted meanwhile? Why is it a bug if they try finding the same resource then? Would you and others prefer that any other resource is then selected? Any one? The one that is closest? Which side effects could that have? BTW, is it possible to be alerted if units without orders are standing idle? Could units get secondary orders to follow up if the primary order has been fulfilled or is not possible at the moment? (maybe too complicated - oh, and OT)

Thracians More photos - are they helpful at all? Or do you need rather sketches? https://www.google.com/search?q=Thracian+sanctuary&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?q=Thracian+sanctuary+sketch&tbm=isch Dacians https://www.google.com/search?q=Dacian+sanctuary&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?q=Dacian+sanctuary+sketch&tbm=isch Illyrian https://www.google.com/search?q=Illyrian+sanctuary+-cosmetic&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?q=Illyrian+sanctuary+sketch+-cosmetic&tbm=isch PS: As @Genava55 rightfully wrote, some of this could be used as placeholder. I do not know how exactly you arts guys work. Do you use photos, sketches, text, etc. as inspiration to draw something? Because of lack of understanding, my quick links very likely do not meet your expectations.

How about the Thracian sanctuary at Tatul? Sorry, I forgot the links: https://bulgariatravel.org/en/the-thracian-sanctuary-at-tatul-village/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatul

Yes, that makes things much easier. BTW, the reason why I only mentioned Sitalces (of Odrysian origin) was that he was mentioned in another post referring to the Thracian. I just wanted to ask how to proceed with him, not meaning that the others are not worth mentioning. As I said earlier, I am no historian at all but just got to it by sheer chance (or by being kindly asked, I shall say). So if my posts in this regard were not well-grounded, please accept my apologies.

I agree on those three, but I would consider Seuthes III as well. Maybe instead of Sitalces. Over there I posted a list of historically important personalities being entirely or partly of Thracian ancestry. Bolding below is from me to indicate which to probaby select/ further discuss. The others seem to have some connection with Thrace but since we search for names for kings and heroes that might not really qulify for these. Orpheus, mythological figure considered chief among poets and musicians; king of the Thracian tribe of Cicones Spartacus, Thracian gladiator who led a large slave uprising in Southern Italy in 73–71 BC and defeated several Roman legions in what is known as the Third Servile War Amadocus, Thracian King, the Amadok Point was named after him Teres I, Thracian King who united many tribes of Thrace under the banner of the Odrysian state Sitalces, King of the Odrysian state; an ally of the Athenians during the Peloponnesian War Burebista, King of Dacia Decebalus, King of Dacia Maximinus Thrax, Roman Emperor from 235 to 238.[80] Aureolus, Roman military commander Galerius, Roman Emperor from 305 to 311; born to a Thracian father and Dacian mother Licinius, Roman Emperor from 308 to 324 Maximinus Daia or Maximinus Daza, Roman Emperor from 308 to 313 Justin I, Eastern Roman Emperor and founder of the Justinian dynasty Justinian the Great, Eastern Roman Emperor; either Illyrian or Thracian, born in Dardania Belisarius, Eastern Roman general of reputed Illyrian or Thracian origin Marcian, Eastern Roman Emperor from 450 to 457; either Illyrian or Thracian Leo I the Thracian, Eastern Roman Emperor from 457 to 474 Bouzes or Buzes, Eastern Roman general active during the reign of Justinian the Great (r. 527–565) Coutzes or Cutzes, general of the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Emperor Justinian I Orpheus is told to be of Thracian origin, but on the other hand a mythological figure. Do we (in general) exclude or include such? Furthermore, I am not sure about the famous Spartacus. Appian says he was "a Thracian by birth, who had once served as a soldier with the Romans, but had since been a prisoner and sold for a gladiator".[6] Do you think he should be selected as a Thracian hero? Sitalces was, according to Wikipedia, king of the Odrysian state. If we want to differentiate this from Thracians, then we should save this figure for later use? If somebody else with better historic background would like to share her/his thoughts, please let me know. Thank you so much.

But that could happen with any random map, too, correct? If yes, maybe there could be some checks when creating random maps to have a minimum free space between those sources? Or would this lead to undesired side effects? And for map builders: If wood bushes and berry bushes look very similar, should the appearance be adjusted for better differentiation? Would this be enough? Or would it help to make these objects larger? I mean keeping the outward visible appearance and size but with some extra and transparent "surrouding", so they cannot get too close to each other. Sorry if this does not make sense to you - then it's rather due to my lack of knowledge how objects etc. work in 0 A.D.

@Yekaterina Is there anything further I could help with?

Oh my bad, I should have remember this! Thank you - both! https://github.com/0ad/0ad/blob/master/binaries/system/readme.txt

What do you guys do before installing the new a25 pre-release in parallel to the a24 version? I mean in regards to existing a24 game data paths. Which of these should be backed up? Is there a way to keep both working separately for both a24 and a25? I do no mean sharing (assuming that this would cause trouble) but keeping separate game data paths for a24 and a25, respectively.

Thank you, @Stan` I have not yet tested the last bundled pre-release a25 but will do so and report back (in the other thread for that purpose).

Years later... @Stan` @wraitii As you know, I have no programming skills, but somehow I arrived here and now wonder if the topics in this thread are still open. Do you guys still think that optimization of the pathfinder (short, long range) is possible? And it's multithreading still a topic? Finally, would you consider what was written above about steering? Or is the (now available?) pushing its "replacement"? Sorry about these technical questions from a technical noob that I am.

How does this difference in a25 affect congestion of ships? I have frequently the problem that I cannot maneuver a selected ship, even if it is on the outer rim of the "ship swarm", because they cannot go backwards and cannot turn due to hitting with their fronts other ships when trying to turn. In my case, maybe the problem is myself, or we could argue that in real life, ships also need more space, of course. What do you think about this?

Amazing concealing skills!

I had already compiled successfully with VS a few weeks ago, but it always is a hassle (for me ). EDIT: What is your recommendation in a25 about healers in the sense of stance, formation, and moving orders? Should they have the same as the battling unit(s) they are accompanying? Is there a way to kind of "glue" them to these other units, so they always stand/walk/run with them irrespective of stance, formation, and moving orders? Or do you keep the healers in the second (or third) line, awaiting hurt units? Is there a command/stance that sends hurt units away from the foes? If yes, in which direction - just opposide or anywhere, where there is room? Or even back to healers (if available)? I understand that all this might be too fancy (and too much automatism - the human player should still have the power to decide), but maybe this is just a small idea for future discussions.

Oh, that's wonderful news - thank you all! Then I shall be patient and wait.

How do you test a25? Do you compile the latest available code, or do you use the latest available automated builds (for Windows)? If the latter, how do you fetch the complete package? Where could I find more hints about these questions? I had a look there but am unsure how to proceed: https://trac.wildfiregames.com/browser/ps/trunk?rev=25719 How would I DL all the files that I need? (want to install/use them in parallel to my a24 installation, hopefully without any side effects, e.g. about the profile etc.) (I am a bit reluctant to build, understanding that I might miss some late-breaking changes.) Thank you!

And I find this a gem (lots of photos and inspiration - I am so sorry that I lack the skills to create something myself for 0 A.D. from it): http://etheses.bham.ac.uk/7749/1/Mangum17PhD_size_reduced.pdf More photos of historically accurate (it reads) Thracian and Dacian weapons: https://fi.pinterest.com/siresasa/ancient-thracian-dacian-weapons-only-historically-/ And you will find nice photos with text about Odrysian Cavalry Arms, Equipment, and Tactics there: https://www.academia.edu/744900/Odrysian_Cavalry_Arms_Equipment_and_Tactics And last but not least, here is some maybe useful info about the Thracian horseman, an abstract figure in Thracian religion as protector of life and health of the people: https://legio-iiii-scythica.com/index.php/en/history-and-artifacts/anniversary-events/thracian-cohorts-and-la-in-the-roman-invasion-of-britain.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thracian_horseman

Another post before the previous gets too long (source also Wikipedia): We could use (some of) them as leaders or heroes maybe? (Thracians, Dacians)

See there: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thracian_warfare#Infantry_and_Cavalry And about tactics/special wepons: And about a dreaded weapon called rhomphaia: I find it interesting to learn that this weapon even led to a change of Romans' armour. BTW, does 0 A.D. consider maluses and bonuses when specific weapons/armour hit each other? Sorry about my ignorance of this topic. If it does, then maybe Romans on the lowest rank do not yet have the reinforced armour, leading to more damage when hit by the Thracians' rhomphaia? (if this is too complicated, please ignore my idea) While referring only to Wikipedia so far, their webpage might bring more inspiration for the civ of Thracians in 0 A.D. If I find more, I will post it here. Is there anything else that you are interested in, or more details? E.g. what exactly about cavalry? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thracian_warfare The falx, a weapon with a curved blade that was sharp on the inside edge used by the Thracians and Dacians – and, later, a siege hook used by the Romans, is described there: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falx For more photos, see there: https://stock.adobe.com/de/images/archaeological-finds-ancient-tool-of-the-5th-century-gladiator-weapons-sickle-thracian-and-dacian-falx-siege-hook/231262599 https://www.everypixel.com/image-9211900458387117226 The sica was a short sword or large dagger of ancient Thracians, Dacians and Illyrians, used in Ancient Rome too, originating in the Halstatt culture. It was originally depicted as a curved sword (see the Zliten mosaic as well as numerous oil lamps) and many examples have been found in what are today Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania. It is also depicted on Trajan's Column; notably the Dacian king Decebalus is depicted committing suicide with one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sica Uniform of a Thracian - that weblink might contain more stuff for inspiration, though I have no idea how authentic that all is: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/811773901558874784/ A publication titled "THE FORTIFICATIONS OF THE EARLY HELLENISTIC THRACIAN CITY OF SEUTHOPOLIS: BREAKING THE MOLD" (you need to register to download the PDF, but you can read content without registration). There are sketches of a reconstruction of a fortification wall - maybe useful, too. https://www.academia.edu/424819/THE_FORTIFICATIONS_OF_THE_EARLY_HELLENISTIC_THRACIAN_CITY_OF_SEUTHOPOLIS_BREAKING_THE_MOLD Info about Helis, the capital of the Getae: https://bnt.bg/news/archaeological-discoveries-about-the-ancient-thracian-city-of-helis-the-capital-of-the-getae-126683news.html The Getae (/ˈdʒiːtiː, ˈɡiːtiː/ JEE-tee, GHEE-tee) or Gets (/dʒɛts, ɡɛts/ JETS, GHETS; Ancient Greek: Γέται, singular Γέτης) were several Thracian-related[1] tribes that once inhabited the regions to either side of the Lower Danube, in what is today northern Bulgaria and southern Romania. Both the singular form Get and plural Getae may be derived from a Greek exonym: the area was the hinterland of Greek colonies on the Black Sea coast, bringing the Getae into contact with the ancient Greeks from an early date. Although it is believed that the Getae were related to their westward neighbours, the Dacians, several scholars, especially in the Romanian historiography, posit that the Getae and the Dacians were the same people. Herodot is told to have written (see also there, though restricted access) about the Thracians: