Back in the dim and distant past – or a simultaneous event to right now, depending on which philosophy of time you subscribe to – we were rather enraptured with the concepts powering a real-time strategy game known as Achron . An RTS based around time travel, wherein you could bo
Back in the dim and distant past – or a simultaneous event to right now, depending on which philosophy of time you subscribe to – we were rather enraptured with the concepts powering a real-time strategy game known as Achron. An RTS based around time travel, wherein you could both revisit what had happened in the past and predict what might happen in the future in order to inform your tactics. Sadly the reality wasn’t quite as sweet as the idea. “Achron is a game that deserves to be played… but not an easy one to recommend buying”, reckoned Richard in 2011.
A dev with that kind of design ambition is a dev that deserves to be watched, however, and so it that I was glad to hear that Hazardous Software are back with zTime [official site] – another game about time travel. … [visit site to read more]
I know, I know; a home theater PC barely counts as a gaming PC, but in the case of HardOCP forum member Achron's sexy metal creation I'm willing to make an exception. Warning: machining porn inside. Achron's "Acronym" project began some three years ago, when the then master's stu
I know, I know; a home theater PC barely counts as a gaming PC, but in the case of HardOCP forum member Achron's sexy metal creation I'm willing to make an exception. Warning: machining porn inside.
Achron's "Acronym" project began some three years ago, when the then master's student tried to find a front-end media streamer for the HDTV he didn't possess. He searched around for packaged PCs and didn't find one that struck his fancy. Turns out his fancy was a little too fancy for existing product, so he decided to make his own.
With convenient access to a machine shop, Achron went about making his dream HTPC a reality. There's a painstakingly-detailed log of his endeavor at the Hard Forum, following the process from concept to creation and all points in-between, complete with plenty of juicy machining porn. His shots of coolant splatter are downright filthy.
I need a cigarette.
Flip through our meager gallery for more glamor shots of this gorgeous creature, or hit up the link for all this and much, much more.
Brain-provoking time-travel RTS Achron , which Richard had a good old chat about here , has been out for a couple of months, but it’s been lacking a demo for cautious, interested parties to have a play with before taking any kind of plunge. That all changes today with a demo that
Brain-provoking time-travel RTS Achron, which Richard had a good old chat about here, has been out for a couple of months, but it’s been lacking a demo for cautious, interested parties to have a play with before taking any kind of plunge. That all changes today with a demo that gives you a taste of the linearity-shattering multiplayer. Developers Hazardous say: “The recommended way to download the Achron Demo is via torrent,” but “The demo is also available via direct download.” Hooray!
I’ve also posted a video of some of the multiplayer action below.
Achron version 1.1.0.0 RELEASED 2011/11/6 Summary: This release includes a prehosting multiplayer chat, ability to change game and replay speed, a performance improvement for long games, and numerous bug fixes and balance improvements. Achron changelog: changed hierarchy attack-m
Achron version 1.1.0.0 RELEASED 2011/11/6
Summary: This release includes a prehosting multiplayer chat, ability to change game and replay speed, a performance improvement for long games, and numerous bug fixes and balance improvements.
Achron changelog: changed hierarchy attack-move to break formation if issued order is to a nearby destination added toggle to pre-game lobby: subordinates can chronoport with commander using hierarchy added toggle to pre-game lobby: morphing during rechronport delay added toggle to main menu graphics settings: os-drawn mouse added toggle to in-game settings and main menu gameplay settings: unit gages display values increased range of chronofreeze area of effect from 13 to 17 reduced cost of all comm center/hub/mound buildings by one third reduced cost of Sepi by 3LC and Pharo by 9LC fixed bug: Octo would make RP on edited timeline if given cancel-progen-for-all order in original timeline fixed bug: RPs approaching crates from the diagonal would not move 1 space closer to automatically start processing fixed bug: subordinates continued to stutter-move after arriving at destination if ahead of commander during attack-move fixed bug: chronobombing a research building mid-upgrade would leave the building stuck in upgrade mode fixed bug: reaphs and foundations would attempt to repair TSSd units fixed bug: HELP window keybindings did not update when user changed the key bindings minor fixes to incorrect tooltips and keybindings minor fixes to campaign levels removed weapon damage multipliers for Shin Vir vs Zayin Pulser and Octo vs Zayin Pulser match-ups added built-in community IRC chat for multiplayer added game speed slider to replays and single player added visible placement outline to the move command for mobile buildings included additional maps and tile sets (courtesy of Shadowfury333) Resequence Engine changelog: fixed bug where sound effects would not be set to proper speed on reloading a save or reconnecting to a server added DefaultGlobalTimeRate to configuration.ini, GlobalTimeRate to skin language, and PERFORM SET_GLOBAL_TIME_RATE and GET_GLOBAL_TIME_RATE to Rescript file lists now sorted case insensitively across all platforms (also fixes unsorted issue on Linux) fixed minor memory leak when reloading engine configuration settings fixed bug where overriding the window opacity would not change the color of fonts to white removed redundant command tracking history (no longer needed since replays were introduced) which saves 2-5% basis memory in the server for a typical 20-30 minute game, and accompanying minor performance improvement improved accuracy of core timing code added PERFORM GET_CHRONAL_FIELD and SET_CHRONAL_FIELD to Rescript for 4 global chronal fields (selected via target variable) fixed Rescript compiler bug where chronoenergy retrieval performs were not properly specified as floats (were attempting to set integers instead) Apostrophes in name in Steam are now changed to underscores in multiplayer for compatibility added EngineReady indicator to skin language double-click selection now includes all units that match type, rank, and highlight (instead of only exact class)
Product Update
Achron Updated
Achron version 1.0.2.0 Released 2011/9/26 Summary: This release significantly improves pathfinding performance and improves a few balance and usability issues. Achron changelog: changed Octopod's weapon ranges: vs ground: 15->19, vs air: 18->17 increased Octoligo's anti-air
Achron version 1.0.2.0
Released 2011/9/26
Summary: This release significantly improves pathfinding performance and improves a few balance and usability issues.
Achron changelog:
changed Octopod's weapon ranges: vs ground: 15->19, vs air: 18->17
increased Octoligo's anti-air weapon strength by a factor of 2.67
increased Octoligo's price by 16.7%
lowered cost of Reaph from 7LC to 2LC
changed chronobombs to ignore units during their rechronoport delay
changed Reaphs and Foundations to repair units of any species
added behavior: commanders will slow down when in front, until at least half of subordinates move ahead of them
changed behavior of grounded air units to auto-rise up when attacking an enemy
fixed bug: Octos would not attack foundation-based buildings unless manually moved closer
fixed bug: commjammed and frozen teleporters were not ignored when trying to teleport
fixed bug: damage multiplier between shin tercrher and sepiligo
fixed bug: Level Editor crash when switching between opening files of different types
fixed bug: 0-hp vecgir vehicles could jump into Depot to be repaired instead of blowing up
marines and SOPs now exit a tank and join in battle if the tank fires an attack
numerous campaign fixes and improvements
Resequence Engine changelog:
significant improvement in pathfinding efficiency
improvements to pathfinding heuristics
fixed bug where could sometimes see enemy units' objectives, etc.
increased number of achronal fields in Rescript to 4096
added unit->ClosestPosition to Rescript
improved random number source for rendering effects (eliminates patterns sometimes observable on large units' active camo)
improved double-click unit selection logic (only counts as double-click if on same unit, and less stringint criteria on selecting units outside of hierarchy)
changed cursor clipping code to attempt to reduce situations where cursor can move outside of window
mouseover now shows unit highlight
added ignore_collision_with_unit to Rescript
added WindowOpacity and WindowColoredByPlayer to skin language
removed dependency on ALUT for Windows and Linux platforms
improved edge of fog of war rendering for slopes
Product Update
Achron Update Released
added cinematic volume toggle to volume settings added toggle to enable/disable autosaves for single player levels disabled quick (radial) controls by default changed guards to be a little looser (campaign 3) improved scrimmage AI start game logic fixed bug: Clone Challenge would
added cinematic volume toggle to volume settings
added toggle to enable/disable autosaves for single player levels
disabled quick (radial) controls by default
changed guards to be a little looser (campaign 3)
improved scrimmage AI start game logic
fixed bug: Clone Challenge would not unlock Achievement when condition was met
fixed bug: in main menu, immediately changing profile post menu load would return to active profile the first time
fixed bug: Loading save games would play start-level cinematic
fixed bug: moving Slingshot did not stop properly
fixed bug: tooltip for weapon strengths for Incepter and Carrier
fixed bug: Incepter creation would not account for missing foundation Power amount
fixed bug: teleporting Vecgir RPs long distances would not work via Slipgates
fixed bug: exploding Vecgir air vehicles could get stuck in permanent explosion if pilot failed to eject out
fixed bug: performance degredation on some C3 levels when controlling a lot of units in proximity of main character
fixed bug: incorrect unit is created in a progen triad where one of the triad is low on energy
fixed bug: autohierarchy would create circular heirarchies
fixed bug: skip torpedo could get stuck perma-teleporting if it couldn't get to destination
fixed bug: grekim units would ignore initial arcticus dispatch after setting the arcticus as commander
fixed bug: Incepters would not attack air units directly above them
fixed bug: RPs wouldn't auto-process large QP crates when approaching from certain directions
fixed bug: Incorrect logic to set speed key bindings for Steam install
numerous campaign improvements
Resequence Engine changelog:
major performance and behavioral increase on pathfinding
added AdditionalParameters 3 & 4 to Rescript
stop action step now clears target's current action
fixed bug where private game servers would frequently say that files are mismatched
added goal_distance to Rescript for BESTMOVE queries
BESTMOVE query now sets perf_ret to goal position as packed position
Meet the time-travelling RTS that should be impossible. It’s called Achron , and we asked Richard to pull off the equally impossible feat of not calling it ‘Archon’ even once. That’s a completely different game. But we digress. Here’s Wot He Thought. (more…)
Meet the time-travelling RTS that should be impossible. It’s called Achron, and we asked Richard to pull off the equally impossible feat of not calling it ‘Archon’ even once. That’s a completely different game. But we digress. Here’s Wot He Thought.
New Release: Achron - Buy now and get the Original Soundtrack Free!
Achron is now on available on Steam! Buy now and get the Original Soundtrack DLC free until September 5th, 10AM Pacific Time! How would you command your forces if you stood outside of time? Send your units forward and backward through time to the very moment when they're needed m
Achron is now on available on Steam! Buy now and get the Original Soundtrack DLC free until September 5th, 10AM Pacific Time!
How would you command your forces if you stood outside of time? Send your units forward and backward through time to the very moment when they're needed most? Double your forces by sending them back to fight side by side with their past selves? Would you execute a feint by executing an attack on their resources, and then change your original orders to target their production facilities? Or would you go deeper...
Achron is the world's first meta-time strategy game, allowing you to dynamically alter your past and future actions, send your units back and forth through time, even engineer temporal paradoxes that work to your advantage. Play through four single player campaigns, or then go online to face off against your friends in a fully dynamic temporal environment!
