Zorkats/G-Diffuser v1.3.0-rc1

G-Diffuser 1.3.0-rc1 - Making G-Net foundations.

on GitHub

Release candidate. This is the first test build of 1.3.0. It adds a lot of new features, and most of them have passed automated checks so far, with them being tested by me personally but NOT all of them. Please report anything that breaks on the issue tracker, with your platform and what you were doing.

Back up before upgrading

Close the game and back up the complete save set (your saves folder), not only the GDD. Keep the GDD, its recovery and snapshot directories, and the course-* files together.
Tracks that use the new wind or CPU aggression settings save a newer settings block that 1.2.x cannot read. Tracks that do not use them stay readable by older builds. Keep your backup if you might go back to 1.2.x.

New: G-Diffuser Companion (Windows and Linux)

The Windows x64, Linux x64 and Linux arm64 downloads now include the Companion, a separate desktop program in the companion folder inside your G-Diffuser folder. It builds the files G-Diffuser loads and checks every input before it builds. It never edits your settings, saves or stores.

• Music: install replacement music. Set the loop on a waveform, let Find loop points suggest one, and hear the loop seam before you install. The Companion measures each song's loudness and writes it into the file, so the game can play it at the stock music level. It keeps the file it replaces.
• Textures: build texture packs from your edited dump.
• Models: build machine model packs.
• Tracks: bring in tracks from other players' disk images.
• Inspect: open a pack someone else made, see what is in it, and unpack it to study it.
• Advanced: native sample, sequence and soundfont packs.

No Python install is needed: the Companion carries its own worker. On Linux, Browse... uses kdialog on KDE and zenity elsewhere; without either, type the paths. The Linux arm64 build has not been tested on a device yet. The macOS download does not include the Companion yet. Guide: docs/COMPANION.md.

Course Edit

• Wind, set per segment. Place the WIND part on a segment and pick Weak, Mid, Strong or Gale, or CLEAR to remove it. Windy segments show chevron plates on the road and cloud streaks, and the compass sets the wind's direction.
• Super (blue) and Brake (red) dash pads, with an adjustable pad width. Super boosts harder and a little longer. Brake cuts your speed. CPUs do not aim for Brake pads.
• CPU aggression per track: Track, Calm, Normal, Fierce or Brutal. Fierce is 1.5x and Brutal doubles it.
• Test drive a track with 0 to 29 CPUs.
• Staff times now survive editing. Keep staff time after editing (Enhancements > Course Edit & Machine) is on by default, and a faster Time Attack run still replaces the staff time. Clear staff time in the Content window lets a slower run replace it.
• Staff ghost: the Time Attack run that sets a staff time keeps its replay, and Edit Cup races show it as a STAFF ghost.
• Staff splits: on tracks paced by their creator, Expert and Master CPUs follow the staff run checkpoint by checkpoint from lap 2.
• The course intro shows BY and the author's name.
• Signed tracks. A track you made here and export is signed with your key. On import, a track whose signature fails is dropped. Signed tracks show SIGNED after the author's name, and the Content window shows the Signed by key line. Signing keys stay on your machine.

Modes and multiplayer

• Death Race (Enhancements > Death Race): Death Race course select opens the course screen, so any course can host it, X Cup and Edit courses included. Death Race laps sets 0 to 99 laps, and each course keeps its own records. The result screen shows WINNER or LOSER.
• Split-screen Grand Prix (Enhancements > Multiplayer, off by default): at Grand Prix machine select, press Start on another controller to add a player, up to four. Each player has their own lives. Split-screen Grand Prix machines sets the field from 2 to 30. Split cups are not saved for Continue Cup.
• VS drop-in: press Start on a free controller at VS machine select to join.
• G-NET: the main menu is now a 3x3 grid with a new G-NET card (art by Heebeejeebees). It leads to the LAN Lobby: host a lobby, search your network or join by IP, with up to 8 players, a Ready check and a chat with a word filter. Racing over the network is not in this build; the Start button says so.

Profiles and content

• Creator profiles (Online > Profile): create, choose, rename and delete profiles, each with its own colour and machine. Your profile name is the author shown on your tracks.
• Export Everything (F1 > Workshop > Tools): writes one zip in exports/ with your tracks and snapshots, profiles, saves, records and ghosts, settings, mods and music. Signing keys are left out unless you turn them on (anyone with the zip could then sign tracks as you). ROMs and game data are never exported.
• Emulator Save Import (F1 > Workshop > Tools, issue #43): bring in a RetroArch .srm save. It is accepted only when its checksums are valid, and it is applied the next time you start the game, after a backup of your current save.
• Save cup progress (Enhancements > Gameplay, on by default): turn it off to stop saving the Grand Prix cup between races. With it off, the CONTINUE row never shows.

Graphics and audio

• Extended draw distance (Enhancements > Visuals, issue #45): lifts the draw distance slider from 200% up to 400%.
• HD texture packs can now match textures that share an image but use different palettes.
• Match custom music loudness (Settings > Audio, on by default): replacement music that carries a loudness tag plays at the stock music level. The Companion writes these tags on install, and tags from other ReplayGain tools work too.
• The music guide (docs/modding/CUSTOM_MUSIC.md) now lists all 30 music slots, and explains that the short jingles cannot be replaced with streamed files.

Fixes

• #62: CPUs now race correctly after Continue Cup.
• #33: fixes crackling audio with the LLE audio option when the KO stars play.
• #60: the macOS race slowdown work is in this build. It has not been tested on a Mac yet, so please report whether races still slow down.
• #42: when the asset extractor fails on a YAML file, its error now names the file. This helps us track the problem down; it is not the fix yet.
• Menu text now draws punctuation correctly.
• Expansion Kit tracks can use up to 8 jumps in a race.

Updating

Extract the download over your current G-Diffuser folder. Your saves/, ROM and game data stay where they are. The new companion folder is added next to them.

Full Changelog: v1.2.3...v1.3.0-rc1