Kernel Panic 3.5 released:

- The two new game modes, “Save our Mem” and “Color Wars”, have been improved, on both the technical front and the gameplay front.
- The hacker build anims are back! (requires unit reflectivity to be ticked on)

To celebrate, I made a new video:

Here’s some highlights on recent K.P. additions:

Three AIs, each with their own playstyle:

“Fair KPAI” - The beginner’s AI

This is an AI designed to adapt to your level, so as to ensure you can play at your own pace. For instance, if you’re just discovering Kernel Panic and need a couple minutes at the beginning to look at the build menu and decide what to do, this AI will wait for you. If you’re a little at slow at expanding, this AI will expand at the same rate. Basically, the “Fair KPAI” limits its strength to yours, so as to ensure games are fun and challenging whatever your level is, from total n00b to confirmed KP player.

“Kernel Panic AI” - For regular play

This run the same code as “Fair KPAI”, but without the strength restriction. It knows how to use every unit and special abilities (except mines and walls), so watching one play could be a good way to learn the game. A single one of these is enough to beat me when I’m too relaxed. Pit yourself against two or three “Kernel Panic AI” for a challenge even experienced players may not come out alive.

“Baczek’s KP AI” - When you need a real challenge

This new AI was programmed in C++ by imbaczek specially for Kernel Panic. Unlike the two previous AI, it’ll ignore most special abilities, but has far more advanced grouping and attack strategies. Might be a little more stressing on your CPU, but fight much more intelligently.

Special gamemodes:

“ONS” - Shielded structures

Because rushing is not everyone’s cup of tea, I coded this to have your buildings surrounded by invicible shields. In “Weak ONS”, every building but the extremity of each team’s web are shielded. In “Ultra ONS”, every building but those next to enemies building are shielded. This prevent anyone from attacking directly to the heart, and force games to drag on for longer than they should. True players will of course disable this to keep the action non-stop and allow the game to be full of surprise and intensity. Only “Fair KPAI” and “Kernel Panic AI” handle ONS mode, “Baczek’s KP AI” does not: it may waste attacks on the invulnerable shields.

“Save Our Mem” - Hold your ground

This also may discourage rushing, but in another way. Every lost unit leaves a “Memory Leak”, that stays and keep on draining your “Memory”. Claiming more datavent gives you more “Memory Sectors”, postponing the moment you’ll run out of memory. Running out of memory doesn’t outright kill you, but almost: All your current mobile units will die, and all your buildings will be left with little health left. Since any suicide attack will increase your memory drain, player are forced to be more careful with how they use their unit. However, unlike ONS, the SoM gamemode usually hasten the end of the game instead of delaying it: The penalty for losing any ground or battle stack over time, so any player on a losing stride soon fall stricken by an “Out of Mem!”. None of the three AI handle SoM: they play like usual, ignoring the memory leaks and so usually running out of mem before any human.

“Color Wars” - Fixed time limit

The game plays like usual, except for an ominous count down. When that countdown reaches zero, every unit spawn team colored blocks. Those blocks then proceed to spread and cover the whole map. When they’re done, the player who has the largest area covered by his blocks wins the game. So the net result of “Color Wars” is that, at a predefined time, the game ends, and the player who expanded most is declared winner by a fancy animation.

“Evilless” - Back to simple

This special gamemode removes extra abilities and factions, stripping Kernel Panic down to its early incarnations. Use this if you feel that all the new KP weird stuff only detracts from its good and simple gameplay, and that it was better before.

“Metal To Geo” - Play on any map

You don’t have to worry much about it, leaving it on “auto” means it will turn metal spot into datavent if needed. This ensure even geoless maps becomes playable in KP.

Download links:

http://jobjol.nl/1683 – Complete Installer
http://jobjol.nl/1684 – Zipped Mod, Maps, and Launcher
http://jobjol.nl/1685 – Just the .sd7
http://www.moddb.com/games/kernel-panic – Mod DB profile
http://springrts.com/wiki/Kernel_Panic – Info and unit descriptions