Hello everybody,

at the moment unfortunately there's no official release of Birth of the Empires since May 2011 (Alpha6.1 V0.81). EDIT: Alpha7 V0.9 has been released at February 2013. However, "Test Versions" is going on ! ....some additional infos: we transferred code to Github, so now we call the test versions by the date. I hope to have updated instructions here sufficiently.

One way to be informed what's going on is here https://github.com/bote-team/bote/commits/master

Another way is "BotE Test Versions"
a) EDIT: no registration is required now (old: it's a requirement to be a registered member of the German forum (registration is free))
b) then see here http://forum.birth-of-the-empires.de/vi ... 238#p29238 - just download the file "Repository Checkout" there (direct link: http://birth-of-the-empires.de/wiki_files/Downloads/BotE-Repository-Checkout(v3.0-Github).doc)
c) through Repository Checkout (first checkout will be around 200 MB, then -at next version- just do only small updates) you get the lastest files (and source code)
d) second requirement is getting a BotE.exe. Latest one is also linked in that post. This exe must be putted into Repository-Download-Folder into ...\BotE Game\trunk (there also this file: botf2.vcproj). Please check if exe-file is really there...Win7 could be here a little bit tricky (use admin rights and please check whether there's also fmodex.dll in the same folder). For a German Game just start BotE from there.

e) for an English BotE test version there is a "Repo_DE_into_EN.bat" - please start this batch file and start BotE from the copied folder.

IMPORTANT for feedbacks and questions is version number of the test version. Best do your private save games like this "2013-10-26_humans...". At next test version=next developement it can be that savegames are not compatibel with previous ones.

AND we also should ensure that there's no misunderstanding about features with are not part of official released BotE - so nobody else should wonder about features we talk about which aren't part of Alpha6.1 yet e.g. the new random events. Please do your feedbacks and questions only in this thread !!! - Thanks

Here http://birth-of-the-empires.de/wiki/ind ... evelopment I listed some new features

...and be assured that we always try to think to you English speaking people even though English parts of the Wiki only grown in slow motion. Improvements of our English are welcomed .

I've been playing on version 77176 as the Omega-Alliance, and I have have a few comments.

1.) Excellent choice of music for the Alliance. It fits as well here as it did in Star Trek Supremacy. I've noticed, however, that it cuts off around the one minute mark and starts over, forcing me to play with the music off as it annoyed me too much. Not having played as any of the other races, I don't know if it's a problem unique to the Alliance or a more general problem. Also, I can't rule out the fact that I don't have 100% of the files as the culprit, although I doubt that's the case.

2.) There needs to be a way to disable random events. Just as in the original BotF, I like certain events, but others are just too game breaking for me to play with them on. With BotF, it was the Borg; here, I've found that the Blizzard-Plasma Entity fills a similar role. A pair of them have appeared in my game, and one of them is about 2 turns away from annihilating one of my starbases along with a sizable fleet. It's just too overpowered, and I can't play on that save file anymore because of it. Unlike BotF, however, there's no option for me to turn random events off, and I confess that I'm unlikely to start any more games in this version until that option becomes available.

3.) I really, really don't like the new Coalition ships. I can tell just by looking at them that some of them aren't finished yet, but I can already tell that I'm not going to like them. I much prefer the original ones, and I hope you'll consider at the very least leaving an option for them to remain in.

That's all I have right now.

1.) well, it's always a problem with the music...it needs download-MBs and however it will start again after a part of time (when playing BotE for hours). One effective way is to turn off BotE-Music and start any music you want to hear with another programm.

2.) we have the same problem as Supremacy...to less programming people. There are plenty of ideas, wishes and plans: one is to make all selectable in GameSettings, also random events. Though in next official BotE will be Aliens, at the moment there are only 3 one and yes, it's not well balanced yet. But it's playable and see it as a challenge. At the moment (r77176) the are only 3 Aliens http://birth-of-the-empires.de/wiki/index.php/Alien implemented:
*Gaballian Plagueship
*Gas Entity
*Isotopospheric Entity
I didn’t checked out yet: Maybe you can easily delete them from Shiplist.data or give them high=14 techlevel requirements (use ShipEditor from original BotE and take care that original shiplist.data is changed...there also Win7 can be tricky. E.g. copy the files into a separat folder, change it and recopy.)

one word: RandomEvents (not Aliens) are listed here http://birth-of-the-empires.de/wiki/ind ... dom_Events or (in English) in Stringtable.txt at “//Randomevents.
e.g.:
*AlienTechFound
*change of government in a system [SYSTEMEVENTMORALBOOST] or [...MALUS]
*Climatic change of a planet [SYSTEMEVENTPLANETMOVEMENT]
I don’t think you have a problem with the random events, but with aliens.

3.) I don’t like them too. You can copy graphic files from 6.1 above the new ones....the difference is that the new ones are original 3D and made to try out 3D-Combat which plotnik began to programm last year.

r77333 is available (only for in German forum registrated users) via http://forum.birth-of-the-empires.de/vi ... 664#p27664 which leads to http://forum.birth-of-the-empires.de/vi ... 490#p28490

Please make a Repository SVN Update to get also newest files...only then:

Some more galaxy shapes are available now (see here http://birth-of-the-empires.de/wiki/ind ... laxy_shape ...expand that). Galaxy Shapes please select via GameSettings.
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IMPORTANT for feedbacks and questions is version number of the test version. Best do your private save games like this "77140_humans...". At next test version=next developement it can be that savegames are not compatibel with previous ones.

AND we also should ensure that there's no misunderstanding about features with are not part of official released BotE - so nobody else should wonder about features we talk about which aren't part of Alpha6.1 yet e.g. the new random events. Please do your feedbacks and questions only in this thread !!! - Thanks

r77536 is available (only for in German forum registrated users) via http://forum.birth-of-the-empires.de/vi ... 664#p27664 which leads to http://forum.birth-of-the-empires.de/vi ... 657#p28657

Please make a Repository SVN Update to get also newest files...only then:

new:
- Galaxy Size selectable
- Alien Morlock Raider activated
- Buildings.data taken from Tech14MOD
SAVEGAMES are not compatible to previous versions
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IMPORTANT for feedbacks and questions is version number of the test version. Best do your private save games like this "77536_humans...". At next test version=next developement it can be that savegames are not compatibel with previous ones.

AND we also should ensure that there's no misunderstanding about features with are not part of official released BotE - so nobody else should wonder about features we talk about which aren't part of Alpha6.1 yet e.g. the new random events. Please do your feedbacks and questions only in this thread !!! - Thanks

EDIT 22.12.2012 r77982 is available (only for in German forum registrated users) via deleted

EDIT 02.12.2012 r77772 is available (only for in German forum registrated users) via deleted

new:
- more symbols in build select list (now more colored, but useful)
- colony ships now showing which planet they terraform or colonize (please after insert in a fleet re-order terraform command)


EDIT
r77724 is available (only for in German forum registrated users) via deleted

Please make a Repository SVN Update to get also newest files.

new:
- just re-worked ship handling code
SAVEGAMES are not compatible to previous versions
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IMPORTANT for feedbacks and questions is version number of the test version. Best do your private save games like this "77536_humans...". At next test version=next developement it can be that savegames are not compatibel with previous ones.

AND we also should ensure that there's no misunderstanding about features with are not part of official released BotE - so nobody else should wonder about features we talk about which aren't part of Alpha6.1 yet e.g. the new random events. Please do your feedbacks and questions only in this thread !!! - Thanks

24.12.2012: 78019 is available (only for in German forum registrated users) via http://forum.birth-of-the-empires.de/vi ... 238#p29238

Please make a Repository SVN Update to get also newest files (for this see here viewtopic.php?p=71595#p71595)

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IMPORTANT for feedbacks and questions is version number of the test version. Best do your private save games like this "77536_humans...". At next test version=next developement it can be that savegames are not compatibel with previous ones.

AND we also should ensure that there's no misunderstanding about features with are not part of official released BotE - so nobody else should wonder about features we talk about which aren't part of Alpha6.1 yet e.g. the new random events. Please do your feedbacks and questions only in this thread !!! - Thanks

15.01.2013: 78215 is available (only for in German forum registrated users) via http://forum.birth-of-the-empires.de/vi ... 238#p29238

Please make a Repository SVN Update to get also newest files (for this see here viewtopic.php?p=71595#p71595)

All aliens now have functions

some further info about progress is here http://birth-of-the-empires.de/wiki/ind ... evelopment

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IMPORTANT for feedbacks and questions is version number of the test version. Best do your private save games like this "77536_humans...". At next test version=next developement it can be that savegames are not compatibel with previous ones.

AND we also should ensure that there's no misunderstanding about features with are not part of official released BotE - so nobody else should wonder about features we talk about which aren't part of Alpha6.1 yet e.g. the new random events. Please do your feedbacks and questions only in this thread !!! - Thanks [/quote]

02.02.2013: 78422 is available (only for in German forum registrated users) via http://forum.birth-of-the-empires.de/vi ... 238#p29238

Please make a Repository SVN Update to get also newest files (for this see here viewtopic.php?p=71595#p71595)

It would be fine if some people could test it in english language. For an English BotE test version there is a "Repo_DE_into_EN.bat" - please start this batch file and start BotE from the copied folder.

some further info about progress is here http://birth-of-the-empires.de/wiki/ind ... nt-Changes

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IMPORTANT for feedbacks and questions is version number of the test version. Best do your private save games like this "77536_humans...". At next test version=next developement it can be that savegames are not compatibel with previous ones.

AND we also should ensure that there's no misunderstanding about features with are not part of official released BotE - so nobody else should wonder about features we talk about which aren't part of Alpha6.1 yet e.g. the new random events. Please do your feedbacks and questions only in this thread !!! - Thanks [/quote]

2013-10-27 is available via http://forum.birth-of-the-empires.de/vi ... 238#p29238 if somebody wants to try (it's inside DevBotE2013-10-27cd3efdf.zip)

Please make a Repository Update to get also newest files (for this see here viewtopic.php?p=71595#p71595) or try http://birth-of-the-empires.de/wiki_files/Downloads/BotE-Repository-Checkout(v3.0-Github).doc

Meanwhile we changed from Codeplex to Github so some topics changed too, e.g. release number is now a date.

For an English BotE test version there is a "Repo_DE_into_EN.bat" - please start this batch file and start BotE from the copied folder.

some further info about a new feature "System Manager" is here http://birth-of-the-empires.de/wiki/ind ... em_Manager

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IMPORTANT for feedbacks and questions is the date number of the test version. Best do your private savegames like this "2013-10-27_humans...". At next test version=next developement it can be that savegames are not compatibel with previous ones.

AND we also should ensure that there's no misunderstanding about features with are not part of official released BotE - so nobody else should wonder about features we talk about which aren't part of Alpha7 yet, e.g. the new system manager. Please do your feedbacks and questions only in this thread !!! - Thanks