FIFE 2008.1

The mission of the FIFE project is to create a cross platform 2D game creation framework. Games can be created with combination of editor tools, game specific scripts, engine, and game content (e.g. maps, graphics and sounds).
NOTE: FIFE is licensed and distributed under the terms of the GNU Library or Lesser General Public License (LGPL).

Main features:>
- Games can be created with combination of engine, editor tools, game specific scripts and game content (e.g. maps, graphics and sounds).
- Framework is not tied to any type of game (e.g. RTS, RPG), but instead provides flexible platform for all of them.
- Framework supports different isometric views with addition of pure top-down view.
- Instead of full 3D flexibility, engine focuses mainly on using high quality 2D graphics. This puts less demands on target platforms and also simplifies the framework and game development.
- Purpose of the editor tools is to help to bind the game content with the engine and scripts.

Enhancements:
- Elevations removed (Fallout legacy).
Support for namespaces:
New resource infrastructure migrated into whole engine. This enables:
- uniform pooling for all resources that need to be pooled.
- uniform loading for all resources (model stuff, images, sounds...).
- uniform saving for resources which support saving (model stuff).
- Datasets are now stored in a flat list in model instead of dataset hierarchy.
- Changes in model are now bookkeeped. Observer interfaces provided for change listeners.
- This enables e.g. reacting only to changes instead of polling on every round.
- Also critical enabler for triggers.
- Instances now support initial rotation value.
- Objects support default actions.
- Further model cleanup.
- All resources are now defined with principle 1 file / 1 resource.
- Importing of objects can now be done also based on directories where they are contained.
- Relative paths are now used instead of absolute ones.
- All loading happens now from python (tinyxml dependency removed).
- Improved error reporting.
- Possibility to move instances on map.
- Possibility to rotate instances on map.
- Possibility to zoom the map (OpenGL mode only).
- Painting with currently selected instance (e.g. large ground areas).
- Importing of multiple objects based on given directory.
- Initial map creation wizard (still work in progress).
More assets:
- Graphics, sounds, music...
- Two new maps matching the storyline.
- Rio de hola now conforms to package structure: http://wiki.fifengine.de/Fife_Package_Specification
- Popup menu integration, demonstration of actions (kick, talk).
- Hiding of scrollbars.
- Text wrapping.
- A lot of smaller improvements.
- Pixel perfect instance picking (taking transparency into account).
- Ability to get list of instances from given screen rectangle.
- Distance calculations made easy, exposed to scripts.
- Instance outlining.
- Instance coloring.
- Screenshots are now saved in png format (instead of bmp).
- Stereo sound support in linux (introduced with the help of openal-soft).
- Both renderbackend and separate images can now render graphical primitives (e.g. lines, dots..).
- Each camera now has separate set of renderers. Allows truly adjusting cameras independently.
- Zooming capability (currently properly supported only by OpenGL backend).
- Support for drag cursor definitions.
- OpenGL graphics chunking size is now definable in settings. Should help e.g. with large backgrounds.
- GenericRenderer adding customised rendering capabilities for scripts.
- Initial package structure defined for FIFE clients.
- Updated guichan to the latest release 0.8.1.
- Usage of unittest++ instead of boost unittests.
- Lots of bug fixes.
- Switch from GPL 2.0 to LGPL 2.1 (or newer).