Dark Planet: Battle for Natrolis

english version 1.001f

company: Edgies (www.edgies.com) /
         Ubi Soft (www.ubisoft.com)

homesite: darkplanet.ubi.com

This patch updates certain game features based on user feedback in 
the official Dark Planet forum. All of the changes have been 
detailed below in the following sections.

1. Notes on installation
2. Installer
3. Keys and control
4. Minimap
5. Networking
6. Scrolling
7. Miscellaneous

==========
1. Notes on installation
==========
Running this patch brings up a menu of available actions. Clicking 
on 'Run Patch' will take you to the patch application screen - this 
searches your hard drive for an installed version of Dark Planet, 
which will be listed in the main window when it has been found.

Click on 'Apply' to apply the patch to your installation. There is 
no need to reboot your machine after applying the patch.

Some of the new features add extra key shortcuts to Dark Planet, for 
example the keys 7,8,9 and 0 are used for new features (see below). 
If you have previously changed the assignment of keys in Dark Planet 
you will still be able to use your user defined keys, but you will 
not be able to use the new features until you have remapped their 
key assignments to an unused setting.

==========
2. Installer
==========
A small number of people whose windows font size was set to 'large' 
may have encountered problems with Installer operation. This issue 
can be addressed by either using the 'Install Game' option in the 
patch, or by changing the Windows font size to the default 'small' 
setting. Once the game has been installed the font size can be 
returned to the users preference.

==========
3. Keys and control
==========
ATTACK AREA functionality has been improved, this feature was 
undocumented in Dark Planet Version 1.0, but was available to the 
player. Select units, then with the right mouse button (default) 
click+drag a selection box to create an ATTACK AREA that will have 
priority over all other targets.

SELECT GROUP and CENTRE ON GROUP functions have now been separated. 
Previously, if the player selected a group by pressing a group key, 
the camera would centre on the group. This has been changed so that 
pressing a group key will select the group, pressing the key of a 
group which is already selected will centre the camera on that group 
and holding down the group key will, after a short pause, cause the 
camera to follow the group.

The player can now save 4 camera positions in the game, and jump to 
them at any time. The default keys to set the camera positions are 
Ctrl+7,8,9 and 0. Pressing the number on it's own will take the 
camera to the stored position. This can be used to set a camera 
point on an enemy base that you wish to keep an eye on or a 
forthcoming attack point, where you have targeted your units.

New hotkeys have been added for -
Stop (LeftCtrl)(Q)
Dump resources (LeftCtrl)(D)
Drop Bomb (LeftCtrl)(R)
Create Slime Trail (LeftCtrl)(S)
Burrow (LeftCtrl)(B)
Destruct (LeftCtrl)(X)
Designate Target (LeftCtrl)(T)
Ego Special Move (LeftCtrl)(E)
Patrol (LeftCtrl)(P)
Repair (LeftCtrl)(A)
Dismantle (LeftCtrl)(I)
Unload (LeftCtrl)(U)
Prevent Magic Spell (RightCtrl)(1)
Heal Area Spell (RightCtrl)(2)
Raise Dead Spell (RightCtrl)(3)
Fire Rain Spell (RightCtrl)(4)
Torch Area Spell (RightCtrl)(5)
Ice Blast Spell (RightCtrl)(6)
Fertilise Land (RightCtrl)(7)
Protect Area Spell (RightCtrl)(8)
Summon Dex Worm (RightCtrl)(9)
Summon Collector Worm (RightCtrl)(0)
Build a population house (RightCtrl)(H)
Build Protective Building (RightCtrl)(W)
Aggressive Mode (Y)
Normal Mode (U)
Stand Ground (I)
Retreat (O)

==========
4. Minimap
==========
Units and buildings are now shown more clearly on the minimap.

The minimap functionality has been enhanced so that it is always 
Active when visible, i.e. you don't need to press 'TAB' to target 
units with the minimap, as was previously the case.

The in-game player Scores are now displayed on the left hand side of 
the screen so they don't overlap the minimap.

==========
5. Networking
==========
Changes to the lobby code have improved connection reliability. It 
is now far more likely to succeed on slower connections such as 
dial-up.

The host computer no longer sends 'has left' messages when heading 
back from the start net-game screen.

In lobby launched games, the host can now only select maps that will 
accommodate the players launched from the lobby.

Changes to the mouse cursor code have removed 'lag' on the net game 
screen.

==========
6. Scrolling
==========
The default scroll method has been changed to 'edge' scrolling to 
match the preference of the majority of users. This scrolling method 
is the genre default where holding the mouse on the edge of the 
screen will Auto-Scroll in that direction.

The Auto-Scroll feature has also been improved to make the scrolling 
smoother and more consistent.

==========
7. Miscellaneous
==========
On loading a game, the resources no longer double.

The settings panel buttons now operate reliably when the panel is 
activated at level start.

Game font graphics updated.

Bombs, ego effects and spells can now destroy resources. This allows 
for wars of attrition

Dreil Digin and Dex Worms burrowed icons no longer occasionally 
disappear.

Colonist Health bars appear on buildings that start on the level.

Collector worms now properly update the score with the amount of 
energy collected.

The way other teams overhead icons are seen by the Dreil team has 
been changed so it performs as originally intended.

Objects now darken down better at the edge of the map.

Statistics for partially completed levels are now stored with save 
games.

Loading bars now appear when retrying a level, when going back to 
the front end, and when loading a game.

The Dark Planet icon is now displayed in the taskbar when the player 
presses ALT-TAB.

Power bars are now shown for damaged Colonist walls.

A small bug has been fixed where the player had to click twice to 
rebuild a building they had partially dismantled.

Ego unit effects have been changed so that they no longer disrupt 
water areas.
