This document describes API changes in 1.7 Beta 3.

Continuous Beams

API 32 introduces a new weapon type, type="continuousBeam":

<Weapon
   type="continuousBeam"
   ...
   />

Continuous beam weapons have the following unique features:

  • They can travel at any speed (even greater than lightspeed) and still hit-test appropriately.
  • When used in repeating weapons, repeated shots add to the length of the beam.
  • By default, these beams travel at lightspeed, but you can set relativisticSpeed="true" to have the travel at the recommended speed for beams (currently 10x lightspeed). Alternatively, you can set missileSpeed= to any value.
  • Continuous beams work best with the <Ray> effect. Other effect types do not currently handle long beams properly.

Station Types

  • When a <StationType> element is used to create a ship encounter (e.g., a CSC) we now call <OnCreate> on the station type after creation (in addition to <OnCreate> for the ship). We define the following arguments:
    • gSource: This is Nil since we don't have a station.
    • aObj: This is the ship created (may be Nil if something went wrong).
    • aOrbit: This is the orbit for the ship.
    • aEncounterType:: This is the UNID of the encounter.
  • Added buildReinforcements parameter to <Ships> element on station type. If set to true, it specifies that reinforcements should be built by the station instead of being brought in from the nearest stargate. See also: https://ministry.kronosaur.com/record.hexm?id=61472.

Star Systems

  • Added systemType:unid as a special attribute for criteria. For example, you can specify that a given station type only shows up in a specific system type by adding it to the location criteria.

Missions

  • Added noDecline="true" option. Mission doesn't offer chance to decline. At the end of Briefing, we automatically accept the mission and undock.
  • Added canBeDeclined property to mission objects.
  • If an object that offers a mission is ascended, the mission no longer fails.

Miscellaneous

  • sysCreateWeaponFire now optionally takes an item as the first parameter (instead of just an item type). This allows us to pass in a scaled item.
  • The value= and levelValue= parameters on item tables now accept non-credit currencies.

TLisp

  • Added (make 'sequence ...) function to generate a list of monotonically incrementing numbers. This is very useful for doing loops in a functional way (i.e., with map).
  • Added (sysIncData [nodeID] attrib increment).

VFX

ParticleSystem

  • Added brownian style, which randomly creates particles inside a radius and moves them in random directions.
  • Added wakePotential=, which causes particles to react when ships/objects move through them.
  • Added radius= parameter, which is used by brownian style.
  • Added cohesion=, which controls the speed that the system reforms its shape after being disturbed. Applies to brownian style.
  • Added emitChance=, which determines that chance that the system will emit particles on a given tick.