Version 1.2.3 is now live – get it while it’s hot!

In addition to the amusing version number (well, I’m amused) this update introduces a new feature and fixes a number of bugs and annoyances. It is compatible with savefiles from versions 1.2.1 and 1.2.2 (but not from version 1.2.0 or earlier). Similarly, version 1.2.3 clients can play on version 1.2.2/1.2.1 servers and vice versa, although some features will be unavailable when playing on older servers.

New/changed features

• Private chat. To send a private chat message to a player called Bob, type /msg bob Hi Bob!. Names can be abbreviated. /whisper or /tell can be used instead of /msg.
• The message log on the information bar (click the button at the top-left or press Tab) now features improved formatting and scroll buttons.
• Chat box will now stay open permanently during the multiplayer pre-game settings screen. If it’s empty when the game starts, then it closes itself automatically.
• Chat messages now have a partially-transparent black background to aid readability.
• You can now see your own ping.
• If only AIs are left in a multiplayer game (including if all human players are in disconnected state), end the game.

Bugs fixed

• Fixed: Rifts sometimes weren’t visible to remote clients.
• Fixed: Observers were being assigned starting planets on custom maps, and could attempt to send orders to the ships on those planets (without success).
• Fixed: Players in disconnected state didn’t get sent to newly-connecting observers.
• Fixed: /ban command was crashing server in presence of non-networked players.
• Fixed: /kick command could be used on oneself.
• Fixed: Removed ghostly grey “e” near End Turn button.
• Fixed: A mistyped console command showed up as chat.
• Fixed: Some bugs in internationalisation support.
• Fixed: Invalid map errors no longer crash the game.

Bugs fixed (Steam edition)

• Fixed: mayhemig.exe would sometimes hang around using 100% of the CPU after game exit.

Steam customers will receive the update automatically. All other customers are encouraged to upgrade for free. The demo has been updated, etc. etc. You get the idea.

This, believe it or not, makes 3 updates in as many weeks, each with a fairly substantial list of changes. I think that’s a record! Getting a surge of newcomers to the game does wonders for my motivation and productivity.

On that note, I’d like to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for playing Mayhem Intergalactic, and for all the suggestions that you’ve sent my way in the three weeks (has it really only been that long?) since the game was released on Steam. A game is worthless if it isn’t played, and I couldn’t ask for a better bunch of players. You rock.

Good morrow, citizens of Mayhemsville! I have been instructed to congratulate you on the excellence of your stonework! Or... something like that.

Mayhem Intergalactic 1.2.1 will be released tomorrow (fingers crossed). Before it hits the virtual stands, I thought I’d post a list of the achievements which it will feature, to follow up on the earlier achievements post.

Let me know if there’s a particular achievement you were hoping for that didn’t make the cut, and I’ll see about adding to the list in a future update!

Without further ado, here they are:

The achievements screen, displaying an example set of achieved achievements. Achieved achievements are colourful, and unachieved achievements are grey. And yes, fitting this many occurrences of the word achievement into one caption is quite an achievement.

• First Blood: Win a Quick Start singleplayer game.
• Natural Intelligence: Win a Quick Start singleplayer game with the AI difficulty set to Highest.
• Perfect!: Same as Natural Intelligence, but additionally don’t lose any battles.
• Things Fall Apart: Destroy 1000 enemy ships in a single game.
• The Center Cannot Hold: Destroy 2500 enemy ships in a single game.
• The Blood-Dimmed Tide is Loosed: Destroy 5000 enemy ships in a single game.
• Maker of Multiplayer Mayhem: Win a multiplayer game.
• Master of Multiplayer Mayhem: Win 10 multiplayer games.
• Maestro of Multiplayer Mayhem: Win 100 multiplayer games.
• Vindictive: Destroy 1000 native ships, over multiple games.
• Bully: Destroy 2500 native ships, over multiple games.
• Slaver: Destroy 5000 native ships, over multiple games.
• Freebie: Conquer an undefended enemy planet.
• Mechanized Intelligence: Use rally points to connect all planets in a Quick Start game into a single network.
• Prime Directive: Win a game without destroying any native ships.
• Red Ones Go Faster: Win a game as the red player, taking no more turns than there are planets.
• There’s No Place Like Home: Keep control of your home world for an entire multiplayer game.
• Swapsies: Conquer an opponent’s home world, but lose your own home world to that opponent.
• Famous Last Stand: Defend your last planet from an invader.
• Am I talking to Miranda now?: Conquer a planet named Miranda.
• Avalanche: Conquer 5 planets in a single turn.

Check out the awesome icons by Fernando Yi in the screenshot! My personal favourite is the alien wearing a monocle. Fittingly, it’s also the most difficult achievement of the lot.

"I say! Could you spare a moment to direct me to your leader, old chap?"

Achievements. If you’re a regular gamer you’ve undoubtedly heard of them, and have probably already earned some. Sometimes they go under a different name, like trophies or badges or accomplishments; but whatever they’re called, they’re essentially the same thing. You complete some specified task in a particular game, and then you get bragging rights in the form of a shiny little graphic with a catchy title.

Well, now that Mayhem Intergalactic is coming to Steam, and since achievements are the Done Thing for Steam games, it’s expected that I add achievements to the game. So I have!

Those of you who didn’t buy the game via Steam will still get the achievements feature. You just won’t be able to show it off on a Steam profile page. But you can still invite your real-life friends over to your house to show them your achievements list and gloat.

Photographic evidence follows:

The title screen now has an Achievements button. Clicking it takes you to...

...the Achievements screen, which lists all of the available achievements and indicates whether you've completed them or not. (Work-in-progress screenshot.)

The Achievements screen as seen above is still a work in progress. I’ll need to hire an artist soon so that the achievements all have spiffy icons next to them instead of boring coloured squares, and – more importantly – I haven’t yet finalised the list of achievements.

This is where you come in!

I’d like your ideas and feedback on what achievements should be available in the next version of Mayhem Intergalactic.

Here are my current 15 ideas, as seen in the above screenshot:

• First Blood: Win a Quick Start singleplayer game.
• Natural Intelligence: Win a Quick Start singleplayer game with the AI difficulty set to Highest.
• Perfect!: Win a Quick Start singleplayer game with the AI difficulty set to Highest, and without losing any battles. [Editor's note: Yes, this is possible; I've done it. It merely requires patience and a little luck. Or patience plus abuse of the saved game feature.]
• Things Fall Apart: Destroy 1000 enemy ships in a single game.
• The Center Cannot Hold: Destroy 2500 enemy ships in a single game.
• The Blood-Dimmed Tide is Loosed: Destroy 5000 enemy ships in a single game.
• Maker of Multiplayer Mayhem: Win a multiplayer game.
• Master of Multiplayer Mayhem: Win 10 multiplayer games.
• Maestro of Multiplayer Mayhem: Win 25 multiplayer games.
• Vindictive: Destroy 500 native ships. Cumulative over multiple games.
• Bully: Destroy 1000 native ships. Cumulative over multiple games.
• Slaver: Destroy 2000 native ships. Cumulative over multiple games.
• Freebie: Conquer an undefended enemy planet. Then win the game.
• Mechanized Intelligence: Use rally points to connect all planets in a Quick Start game into a single network.
• Prime Directive: Win a game without conquering any native planets.

I’m not especially attached to keeping these the way they are, and some of them are admittedly a little bit boring. I’m sure that if we all put our heads together, we can come up with some much more interesting ones.

Feedback? Suggestions? Please feel free to leave a comment. I take all suggestions seriously, and if your idea is good then it has a better-than-even chance of making it into the game. There’s no limit on how many achievements there can be, so the more the merrier!