Game Updates

Comments?

Use the Forum, 'Game Suggestions' category, to suggest new features, changes to current features, or even re-balancing of existing features if you feel they are too strong/weak/etc...

Thank you.
Admin & co.

2023

Balance
1. Ascension bonus now includes personal attack turns. This gives restarting, returning, or newer players the opportunity to quickly ascend and build up a healthy reserve of personal attack turns, and corrects an oversight in the game economy.
Cosmetic
1. Non-relevant information removed from menus to minimise clutter.

2019

Balance
1. On successful attack using 15 Attack Turns: Restored degree of randomness to Naquadah gained; mutual 'war' relation yields returns of 100 percent of available Naquadah; single 'war' relation setting yields returns between 90 and 100 percent of available Naquadah; 'neutral' relation setting yields returns between 75 and 95 percent of available Naquadah. Army size limits to maximum Naquadah stolen per attack apply.
Bug Fixes
1. Style 2017: Fixed erroneous log-out, occurring daily between 00:00 and 01:00 GameTime.
2. Password Reset: Fixed procedural error while resetting passwords.
Convenience
1. Password Reset: Enabled individual password reset feature for GateWars: Ascended. Players are recommended to ensure their password and e-mail combination for Ascended matches their associated account on Main. This feature enables players to arrange this themselves.

2017

Bug fixes
1. Incorrect application of Pergatory Limits (Thanks TJ)
2. Incorrect message on 'Trade Result'
3. Race Change not processed (Thanks Caldrin)
4. Incorrect handling of Alliance PPT vis-à-vis Vacation mode
5. Enabled refusing Alliance PPT
  Feature only on Style 2017 (Preferences) - setting persists regardless of alliance status
New features
1. Alliance rank now decided by a moving average of total power over the last 10 days
2. Covert/AntiCovert ranks separated and individually calculated for total ranking (discussion)
3. Accounts can be manually deleted by their owner after 7 days of inactivity - no attacking, spying, sabotaging, public trading, private brokering, protection or in Bloodwar.
4. On attack: occurrence of checkbox for Blood War now subject to Alliance Attitude. Managed by leadership. For now, attitude has no effects other than manipulating how far an alliance's Bloodmeter has to get before triggering the checkbox.
Backend / Security
- Server optimization in response to (relatively frequent) lag
Convenience
- Market PPT restricted if more than 47 hours of PPT left.
- Full Planet overview available, "View All Planets" in Planet navigation menu.
Natural Progression
- Technology costs rebalanced (12 years of growth)

New Server Location Major update - "Great Migration"

What is happening?
Our second major update in a very short timespan!
The GateWars family, games and forum, is moving to a new server.
From the nostalgic stargatewars.com and the 'MGM-cleaned' gatewars.com we are now making our domain name even shorter: GateWa.rs
GateWa.rs is a portal from where all the games can easily be reached. GateWars: Main can be found at Main.GateWa.rs.
At the same time, the Forum is moving back in (how very '05) with the rest of the GateWars game family, on the new domain: Talk.GateWa.rs
When is this happening?
The Forum will transition on Monday, July 25th, 2017. For this migration the Forum will have 3 hours of downtime.
Main, Ascended and NewGrounds will move - as one - either on Monday, July 25th, 2017 or Friday, July 28th.
GateWars: Origins migrated a week ago. Chaos and Quantum will follow at an unspecified date.
Why is this happening?
The administration has considered moving to a new location with more control over, and better, hardware for a while.
Our game family has changing demands and the future requires a different infrastructure to allow development of new game and more connective platforms. (Yes, your imagination can run pretty wild with that.)
Furthermore, the new domain and IP are 'fresh', which should resolve the leftover issues with some e-mails not passing spam filters.
What will I notice?
With the new server comes a new domain name: GateWa.rs
All your old links to the game will still work, but you will be redirected to the new address.
E-mails from the game and administration will be sent from familiar, yet new addresses.
Admin Jason and Support have been working to make sure this migration will be as smooth as possible.
Minor downtime (announced briefly in advance) is to be expected as the transition is performed.
Tell me more!
This migration has been pre-planned and thoroughly tested. To a large extent, the migration is already complete.
One of our games, GateWars: Origins, was moved several days ago, with the type of redirect in place that will also be applied to other transitioning elements.
Regarding the '.rs' top level domain: the TLD is Serbian ('Republic of Serbia'). This makes our domain name shorter and more modern!
The new server is still located in North America, and a fully Secure Sockets Layer protects your data better than before! (Yes, even the Forum now uses the https:// protocol.)

New Graphics / Layout Major release - "Style 2017"

What is this?
A new, mobile-friendly (try it!), more-ready-for-the-future layout to use with GateWars.
Where are my buttons?
Take some time to get used to it, everything that was there, is there. In most cases, easier to reach too.
When can I use it?
Available to all players as of 18-6-2017
How do I get this?
Select "Style 2017" in the 'Theme' option on the Preferences page
Tell me more!
This new layout has been thoroughly tested during a 9 month development process.
(With an absolutely invaluable crack team supporting the testing. Individual credits to follow.)
Should you inadvertently happen across something we missed either to notice or to fix, please e-mail support@gatewa.rs with the page name and some information on how you got to where you ran into the issue.
"This is another step for the future of GateWars... a nice balance between nostalgia and ease of use."

2016

Backend: set up continuous evaluation of game stability
Requesting a refund of a rejected broker now checks whether the refund would break limits on Units or Turns. The rejected trade remains available for refund for 720 minutes after rejection; if the initiator cannot make room for the Units or Turns, the traded goods will be lost. The same principle now applies to trades on the Public Market
Black Market rates revised
Planet Conquest: limits on constructing defence on newly conquered planets
Planet Creation: automatic naming based on a pool of names
Battlefield: alignment
Marketplace: revision
Forgot Password changed to 'Request Password Reset'
Duplicate use of e-mail address now accepted for Regular / NG-source accounts
Planet Conquest: dual/triple limits no longer apply to planets being taken back by their previous owner within a week after being taken
Bank Captcha added

Per May 6th, 2 new ascension levels become available
Honour for the person who first ascends to level 25
Market inflation correction
Glory and Reputation revised: acquisition ranks amended
Current Ascension level effect:
- Level 0-9: 2.5x regular Glory and Reputation
- Level 10-19: 1.5x regular Glory and Reputation
- Level 20-25: 1x regular Glory and Reputation
Glory and Reputation per Rank (current 31-12-16):
- 1: 15 Glory and Reputation
- 2 - 18: 5 Glory and Reputation
- 19 - 62: 2 Glory and Reputation
- 63 - 320: 1 Glory and Reputation
Max Glory and Reputation/turn Pergatory: 1

2015

July 27

Backend Security updates.

June 29

Alliance PPT oddity: Fixed an inconspicuous anomaly with the cumulative nature of alliance PPTs. Alliance PPTs now stack properly. In the same fix, regulated vacation mode entry effect to enforce 24 hours off PPT prior to vacationing. All PPT is treated in the same way: alliance, ascension, market and bonus.

January 10

Introducing Player-to-Player market: anonymous market where players can post sell orders and buy select amounts from those orders. A trade history is available where you can see how much your sell orders have earned you. The Public Market is region-locked, you can trade with your fellow inhabitants of either Pergatory or Normal, but not with both at the same time, or when travelling. Average trade ratios are presented to give an idea of what a fair trade would be. This is to assist people new to the system. Other than that, Free Capitalism For Everyone. Go get rich. As a non-Supporter your daily number of Market operations is limited to one. Buyer: When buying Attack Turns, you are limited to the cap. Seller: When receiving Attack Turns, you receive Personal Attack Turns. When receiving Untrained Soldiers, you receive Miners. When receiving Naquadah, you receive this in your Bank.
Introducing 'Alliance Tax': Set a tax rate on banking operations for your alliance members. 50% of the tax is collected into the alliance bank, 50% is lost to corrupt banking officials. This should add some means for people to re-fill their alliance banks, making the Blood War an interesting option (if your enemy has a big bank, steal the big bucks!), as well as give starting alliances a chance to make a running start. Tax rate is default 0%, so your alliance leader will have to actively set the rate. Good luck!

2014

November 20

To prevent abuse login is restricted to one session at a time.

June 20

Reworked/streamlined registration process. Newly registering players can now choose between 4 basic race configurations (which they can change to suit their wishes in-game), hopefully easing the registration for those unfamiliar with GateWars. In addition changes were made to the activation process. The Administration was informed that e-mails regularly were either not sent, or not received. In so far as the issue lies with us (sending) the changes implemented should prevent this from happening to you. You are still encouraged to check your Spam folder should you not receive your e-mail, contact GateWars Support with -at least- your username.
Security update in regards to 'multiple accounts per user' rules.

May 28

House management: Leaving a house (voluntarily or involuntarily) means you are excluded from joining a House for the next 6 days. (thanks Mathlord for pointing out loopholes within the mechanics)
House elections: Voting for a House Leader can be done after 6 days of changing the vote. While the House bureaucracy is processing your vote, you are protected from being kicked from the house for a single day.
Alliance management: required checkbox added on the 'Disband Alliance' button. (thanks several butterfingered alliance-wreckers)
Planets: Subtle and limited automatic obscenity filtering to planet names. (thanks Panis Rahl for pointing out the increasing need for enforcement)
House elections: Changing House no longer affects time to next vote. Upon entering a new house, you automatically vote for yourself.
House elections: You can no longer 'reset' your vote by voting for the same alliance. (thanks Clockwork for testing repeatedly)
House elections: You can now vote once every 3 days. This tweak was required to allow the taking of a house by a new alliance before being kicked by the current house leader.

March 21

Planet Conquest Limits: Triple, Dual 'possession limit' corrected after conquering any Triple or Dual planets degrading on conquest.

March 10

Planet Degradation: Triples/Duals degrade to Duals/Singles. Triple->Dual degradation after 2 conquests, Dual->Single degradation after 5.

March 4

House Private Messaging functionality restored. Leader of House-Leading Alliance can send messages to House members or Leaders of House alliances. (thanks [DC]D34th)
Announcement system revised and modernised. (thanks Fury of Icarus)
Blood War: can un-train miners in pre-war stage.
Blood War: Individual Military Experience now properly documents kills on both attack AND defence troops.
Blood War: Alliance Military Experience - general rewrite.
Blood War: (past) Blood War Records now publicly available - (through Galactic Wars)
Lifer Suicide: Now properly documented. (no longer grouped as 'Anti-Covert' kills/losses, but divided properly across Attack Mercenaries/Soldiers/Supers/Anti-Covert Units)
Lifer Suicide: Further changes/balancing topic of discussion until March 11th. Go here to discuss your views on lifer kill rates, and make your voice heard.
~~Private Broker: Trade Maximums updated in response to broker abuse.~~

January 13

Fixed 'Daimon Catch-22' -> Market PPT gives 1 Race Change point. FSS/USS give 3 Race Change points. If you find yourself trapped as a Daimon, change your Race Personality Type. (thanks Tanoth)
Merlin cancellation -> allow cancelling active planet cloak. No refund on cancellation. (thanks zach obourn)
Several tiny changes/spelling fixes.

2013

October 30

Can't join/accept invite or quit an alliance in (pre-)Blood War -- No 'outside' reinforcements, no running away
Alliance leader(1/2/3) can't kick/invite players in (pre-)Blood War -- No 'outside' reinforcements, no mercy killing
Only active alliance members at the start of Blood War count towards Pop (those who drop from vacation into BW are prey -extra kills- for the enemy -> communicate!) -- 'inside' reinforcements; added firepower with the weakness of also providing your opponent with more to kill
Ante for Blood War is 10% of both alliance banks (down from bug 100%) -- Might go up if this proves to be insufficient incentive
Emergency Temporal Shift (GloryPhase) and Double Strike (GloryStrike) cannot be renewed during the actual Blood War -- Soldiers don't understand new realm, can't use 'advanced' tech (AB remains, for now)

Read more detailed explanations here (on the Forums) !

October 28->ongoing

Small fixes:

Alliance Message -> 1-,2-,3ic sender now given properly
Ascended Blessing tech displays when you have bought, instead of always
'the' -> Double Dormant/Descended -> naming rules changed
Unread messages -> coloured display in inbox
Alert on new messages on base page
Realm alert levels renamed
'Mark ALL read' button (thanks Doc Holliday)