Wildfire Games, an international group of volunteer game developers, proudly announces the release of "0 A.D. Alpha 10 Jhelum", the tenth alpha version of 0 A.D., a free, open-source game of ancient warfare. This alpha features Hellenic factions such as Athens, Macedonia and Sparta; technologies, civilization phases, click-and-drag walls, healing and more!
Easy Download and Install Download and installation instructions are available for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. 0 A.D. is free of charge and always will be. You can redistribute it and modify it as long as you abide by the GPL. You can even use parts of the art and sound for your own projects as long as you abide by CC-BY-SA. No "freemium" model, no in-game advertising, no catch.
Top new gameplay features in this release:
New Hellenic Factions: Athenians, Macedonians and Spartans will now replace the generic Hellenic faction. Each features some unique characteristics along with shared Hellenic units and buildings:
Receiving significant naval bonuses, the Athenians are the rulers of the waves. Special Buildings: Gymnaseion, Prytaneion ("Council Chamber") and Theatron.
Macedonians have a wide selection of units and siege engines, for a combined arms approach. Special buildings (in planning): Lighthouse and library.
The Spartans can't build stone walls, but as their soldiers are top-notch, their men serve as their walls instead. Special Building: Syssiton ("Military Mess Hall").
(Also, along the same lines, we have decided to include more factions in 0 A.D., beginning with the Mauryan Indians! Read on to find out how you can help.)
Basic Technologies: Technologies, or techs, are economic or military bonuses that can be "researched" (bought) for resources at designated buildings. In 0 A.D., technologies come in mutually exclusive pairs: Within each pair, you can either research one tech or the other, but not both in the same game. As researching some technologies depends on having researched others, one should plan ahead carefully. (Importantly, for the meantime, all factions share an identical tech tree, but over the next few releases, different factions will get different tech trees, adding complexity and interest to the game.)
Civilization Phases: Start in Village, upgrade to Town, then to City. Unlock new techs and expand your territory with each upgrade.
Click-and-drag wall building functionality. (Support for gates is due in a future release.)
Healing units from their battle wounds is now possible by a priest conducting a ceremony with special chants within range. Priests can be trained at the Temple.
The Iberians get a pre-built walled settlement as a bonus every game.
Graphics improvements:
New Models/Artwork:
Roman Siege Walls, Prytaneion, Roman Merchant Ship;
Iberian Special Building, Temple and Fortress; Remodeled Iberian Civ Center
Remodeled Hellenic barracks and market
Updated/Remodeled all walls
New hand-drawn Greek unit portraits
Prettier unit/building selection rings
Refactored rendering engine, supports the new specular effect.
New graphics options: Ability to disable particles and unit silhouettes in game, which gives small boost to game's FPS if needed (Thanks, rouge-spectre and mk12)
From top left: 1. Specularity; 2. Celtic walls and revamped selection rings; 3,4. "Drag" (3) and "drop" (4) to build all types of walls, including Roman siege walls pictured. All works CC BY SA Wildfire Games.
9+ New maps, including: Acropolis 5, Laconia 1, and Punjab 3 (scenario maps) and Deep Forest (a random map).
New music tracks: "In the Shadow of Olympus" (Hellenic) and a generic victory track.
Usability Improvements:
Training units with multiple buildings of the same type selected trains that unit in all selected buildings
Several UI changes in bartering and setting units' formation and stance
It is now easier to select multiple control groups (by Shift+N, where N is the control group number, or by shift-clicking the control group icons) (Thanks, mk12)
Shift-clicking a garrisoned unit now ungarrisons all units of that type
Atlas & Random Map Script Improvements:
Terrain eyedropper tool
Several bug fixes improving display and stability
New wall generation tool for random maps (Thanks, FeXoR)
Bug fixes and minor features:
Refactored AI API, setting the groundwork for developers to reduce lag and program faster, smarter computer opponents in the future.
Attack restrictions: Soldiers can't attack stone walls, women can't attack soldiers, animals can't attack buildings, and more. (Thanks, ZsoL)
New "Random" faction option for random maps (Thanks, deebee)
Increased support for Linux and Mac on several accounts (Thanks, ZsoL)
Control groups are now persisted between save/load (Thanks, mk12)
Fixed several gameplay & AI bugs (Thanks, mattlott, Dietger, MattDoerksen)
New data paths on Windows and OS X (Windows: "%appdata%\0ad" and "%localappdata%\0ad"; Mac: "~/Library/Application Support/0ad").
Please contribute! (REPORTERS/BLOGGERS, PLEASE MENTION THIS! We need your help to finish the game. Thanks.) We are especially seeking contributors in sound contribution management and in documentation, and, as always, in programming, art, sound, taking YouTube videos and more. These roles on the 0 A.D. development team are great if you want to brush up on your skills and update your portfolio, if you're seeking a project for school with real-life applications, or if you care about the cause of free culture and software and are willing to work pro bono with a group of dedicated volunteers from all over the world.
Specifically, we invite contributors to guide us in ancient Indian history and architecture as we collaboratively design the Mauryan Indian faction in 0 A.D.
Why "Jhelum"? We name our releases according to development status ("Alpha" or "Beta"), successive release number (1, 2, 3, ...) and a word relating to the ancient world, in alphabetical order ("Argonaut" for A, "Bellerophon" for B, ...).
"Jhelum" is the Indian name for the Hydaspes River in the Punjab region, and the site of a major battle between Alexander the Great against King Porus of the Hindu Paurava kingdom in 326 BC, located in modern-day Pakistan. Alexander victored, but at a heavy cost, and the bravery, war skills and princely attitude of Porus so impressed Alexander, he allowed him to rule Hydaspes in Alexander's name.
In honor of the decision to include Mauryan Indians in 0 A.D., we decided to dub Alpha 10 "Jhelum". (Thanks for the name idea, zaphzaph!) The setting for the battle of Jhelum is represented in the "Punjab 3" map included with Alpha 10. For the meantime, Persians replace the Mauryan Indians on this map, but this will be corrected as we include the Mauryans in 0 A.D. within the next few alphas.
For the next alpha, we welcome fan suggestions for words relating to the ancient world beginning with the letter K. Keep it original and within the 0 A.D. time-frame (appx. 500 BC - 1 BC)!
Long Time, No Siege Wildfire Games will keep releasing new versions of 0 A.D. from time to time. Watch our news feed to get updates, or follow us by e-mail, RSS, Facebook or Twitter. And you're always welcome to join the 0 A.D. community on our forums.
Contact info for press, bloggers, etc.: aviv@wildfireHYDASPESgames.com without the Greek name of this alpha version written in all caps.
While we wrap up things to be able to release Alpha 10 we want to highlight a few new open positions where you can help out. Read on to see if you have the relevant skills, if so follow the instructions below the job descriptions on how to apply.
Sound Lead Sounds like a fun challenge to us: The 0 A.D. development team seeks a volunteer to oversee sound contributions. You should have
A solid understanding of sound creation/editing so you can guide other contributors, and edit sound clips yourself. Preferably documented.
Previous game development experience is a huge plus
Any teamwork experience, especially in a leading position, is advantageous
Other tasks may include
Keeping documentation up-to-date
Putting the sounds into the game via XML editing
Interacting with the programmers to make sure that sound is implemented in a way that makes the most sense.
You are most encouraged to make original sound contributions of your own to 0 A.D., and that is, of course, a huge plus.
Documentation manager Want to help document an ambitious open source strategy game? The 0 A.D. development team seeks one or two volunteer contributors to oversee maintainance of user & developer documentation on the Trac system. We're looking for someone with:
Very good written English skills are needed
Very good expression skills are also needed
Technical knowledge is a plus
Previous experience with documentation of open source or other software is also a big advantage
Familiarity with the game is not a big issue and can be learned as you go along, though of course an advantage if you have it. Please provide expository writing examples.
Later today, Wildfire Games will be performing an upgrade to it's forum software. The upgrade will start around 7pm GMT. During this time, the forum will be unavailable. The wiki, Trac, and all of our other applications will still be running normally. We expect for the upgrade to take only a few hours. If you spot any issues after the upgrade, feel free to stop on by and file a ticket.
Wildfire Games, an international group of volunteer game developers, proudly announces the release of "0 A.D. Alpha 9 Ides of March", the ninth alpha version of 0 A.D., a free, open-source game of ancient warfare. This alpha debuts the Roman faction, new combat and trade systems and more.
Easy Download and Install Download and installation instructions are available for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. 0 A.D. is free of charge and always will be. You can redistribute it and modify it as long as you abide by the GPL. You can even use parts of the art and sound for your own projects as long as you abide by CC-BY-SA. No "freemium" model, no in-game advertising, no catch.
Top new features in this release:
The Roman Republic faction, playable on custom scenarios and random map scripts--in single player and multiplayer, complete with a new art set, including new buildings, units, and ships.
A new combat system that adds bonuses and weaknesses to each unit, like rock-paper-scissors (e.g. spearmen defeat melee cavalry, but are countered by skirmishers and cavalry archers).
A brand new trading system, over land with traders trained from markets, and over sea with merchant ships built at the dock. Establish a trade route between two markets or docks, and your traders will gain resources for every trip made. You can choose which resource will be gained by a trader.
Over a dozen new random map scripts by Spahbod, wraitii, and mmayfield45.
New animations: Rowing oars for ships, rams, some catapults, traders, some animals.
AI improvements: 0 A.D.'s default AI, qBot, has had a performance increase and had a serious bug fixed with the attack code.
All works CC BY SA Wildfire Games.
Music and Sound: Four new tracks and one re-made track, all composed and directed by Omri Lahav, featuring Marta Mc'cave on the flute and Shir-Ran Yinon on the viola. Two of the tracks celebrate the Roman faction with a very Italian mandolin.
An Old Warhorse Goes to Pasture - An Iberian early peace track
Juno Protect You - A Roman early peace track
Elysian Fields - A Roman peace track
Highland Mist - A Celtic early peace track
The Road Ahead - A remade, neutral (not faction-specific) peace track
Bug fixes and minor features:
Outposts available for all factions. These are cheap and can be built quickly anywhere on the map except on enemy territory, but are weak and easily destroyed.
Minimap colors have been adjusted to see player units more clearly
Hunters now automatically continue hunting after they finish gathering from one animal
Military-only bandboxing (Thanks, gerbilOFdoom)
Improved Atlas selection behavior
Garrisoning now has a range check (no more teleporting)
Allies are now placed near each other in random maps
Fixed OS X fullscreen mode (Thanks, Echelon9)
Improved FreeBSD support
Improved COLLADA importer
Replaced most old 3D models with COLLADA versions
Experimental Android/GLES/GLSL support. To be sure, 0 A.D. is not designed to run on smartphones.
Please contribute! (REPORTERS/BLOGGERS, PLEASE MENTION THIS! We need your help to finish the game. Thanks.) We are seeking contributors in programming, art, sound, web design, taking YouTube videos and more. These roles on the 0 A.D. development team are great if you want to brush up on your skills and update your portfolio, if you're seeking a project for school with real-life applications, or if you care about the cause of free culture and software and are willing to work pro bono with a group of dedicated volunteers from all over the world.
Who were the Romans? The Romans controlled the largest empire of the ancient world. Rising from a group of villages to controlling an empire stretching from southern Scotland to the Sahara Desert, Rome remained one of the strongest nations on earth for almost 800 years, controlling over 60 million inhabitants, one quarter of the Earth's population at that time.
Rome's regime changed over time from a republican system to an autocratic empire. While the politicians seemed to be in control, the real power lay with the army. Indeed, war was the heart and soul of the Roman political system, affecting everything that the government did. In fact, Romans reveled in combat and war so much so that one of their favorite forms of entertainment was gladiatorial combat. This resulted in a population that was eager to fight and support their military efforts.
Rome produced not only effective generals but formidable engineers. Today we owe many technological advances to the Romans, who were the supreme builders of the ancient world. Roads, massive buildings, and large mining and water movement projects were common. These inventions and more served to spread the Roman legacy that endures to this day, from language to medicine, from literature to government, and from legal codes to art, architecture and beyond.
The timeframe of 0 A.D., 500 B.C. - 1 B.C., coincides with Rome's rise to power from a small city-state to one of the greatest empires on earth. In following centuries, however, this massive empire soon became too large to control, and foreign peoples began swarming into the Empire. For centuries, Rome fought an ever-increasing flood of migrant "barbarians", until the western half of the empire fell in 476 A.D. The eastern half, however, lived on and evolved into a very different empire, called Byzantium. The Byzantines' religion was Christian, their language was Greek and their capital was in Constantinople, which is modern-day Istanbul. Rome's eastern successor, Byzantium, continued to be a powerhouse well into the middle ages.
In 0 A.D. the Romans will have many bonuses that match their historic strengths. These include:
Powerful infantry,
Incredible siege equipment,
Superior defensive construction and mining,
And an excellent navy.
While the Romans may not specialize extremely well in specific areas, they are one of the most well-rounded civilizations in 0 A.D.
Why "Ides of March"? We name our releases according to development status ("Alpha" or "Beta"), successive release number (1, 2, 3, ...) and a word relating to the ancient world, in alphabetical order ("Argonaut" for A, "Bellerophon" for B, ...). In honor of the release of the Roman faction, we decided to dub Alpha 9 "Ides of March".
The ides was a day in the Roman calendar that marked the approximate middle of the month, deriving from the Latin word "Idus" which means "half division". The ides was the 13th day of most months, but the 15th day of March, May, July, and October. The Ides of March was a festive day dedicated to the god Mars, and a military parade was usually held. In modern times, the term Ides of March is best known as the date on which Julius Caesar was killed in 44 B.C. (Sources: English Wikipedia articles Roman calendar and Ides of March)
For the next alpha, we welcome fan suggestions for words relating to the ancient world beginning with the letter J. Keep it original and within the 0 A.D. time-frame (appx. 500 BC - 1 BC)!
Long Time, No Siege Wildfire Games will keep releasing new versions of 0 A.D. from time to time. Watch our news feed to get updates, or follow us by e-mail, RSS, Facebook or Twitter. And you're always welcome to join the 0 A.D. community on our forums.
Contact info for press, bloggers, etc.: aviv@wildfireROMULUSgames.com without the name of Rome's legendary founder written in all caps.
• Free and Open Source Software • Cross-platform • Historically based • 6 unique civilizations • Provinces and territories • Realistic maps/terrain • Realistic naval warfare • Comprehensive editor • Several multiplayer modes
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