FTJava - Full Thrust PBeM Starship Combat Client

Full Thrust Play-by-E-Mail Starship Combat

News

October 25, 2007

Version 1.3 is now available. Go to the Download page for links.

Space terrain is now available and images of the available planets, stars, and asteroids are accounting for the increase in the size of the download. File sizes for the V1.3 version are about 12 MB. Space terrain blocks line of fire and sensor scans. They also can interfere with movement!

A number of Babylon 5 scenarios have been added with new ship images and ship designs, thanks to Brendan Robertson. He's currently working on the StarBlazers universe. The new scenarios will be on the game signup page shortly.

Conrad Mynett has allowed me to use one of his photographs of a new NSL design for the image logo.

July 17, 2007

A few minor tweaks...

A patch release is available. It's version 1.2.1 and it fixes the weapons dialog for the large space station and other massive ships that a large number of weapons. The target dialog is now resizable and will scroll.

The You Call We Haul scenario has been modified to give the ESU a better chance. Roger should be able to upload the new version shortly.

The server is now running the downgraded version of the UNSC Graser. It no longer gets rerolls.

October 26, 2006

The server now checks after the movement phase if the game can skip the combat phase. This feature will speed up play at the start of most games and during vector movement games.

June 27, 2006

FTJava Version 1.1 is available for download. Please go to the Download page to get the latest version. This version addresses a bug in the Vector plot envelope and ghost plots on the Star map.

June 23, 2006

FTJava Version 1.0 is available for download. Please go to the Download page to get the latest version.

Major changes include:

Fighter launch changes
Fighters have sensors to detect opponents
Fighter morale is available as a Game option (Default is false)
The game area is now bounded and is also a Game option. The map will show a red line at the map border, if active. Any ship or fighter group crossing the border will immediately leave the game.
Multi role fighters can be defined, such as Fast Interceptors or Heavy Attack fighters. Needle fighters have been added but not implemented. Long Range torpedo fighters have two anti ship torpedo attacks, depending on their endurance.
More generic ship icons are available for scenario designers
Wave gun and nova cannon practice scenarios have been added.
The star map may be saved as a PNG image file. It does require a larger memory requirement for the Java virtual machine.

Thanks for playing!

June 3, 2006

Preparations for FTJava release 1.0 are under way. A revamping of the fighter launch procedure is being worked on, allowing fighters to freely move after launched.

Other enhancements include:

Fighters now have sensors and sensor range bands.
An active extent is being prepared. Any ship or fighter group leaving the boundary will be out of the game.
Bug fixes for wave gun and nova cannon templates with Fog of war.
Bug fix for stand alone fighter groups.

February 27, 2006

Life is a little easier now that the Ground Zero Games East Coast Convention IX is over. It's an excellent convention and many FTJava players have attended. We're in the planning phase for the tenth convention. It also means that I'll have more time to fix some of the recent scenario bugs that have appeared.

Peter Thoenen has ported FTJava to the FreeBSD OS. Instructions are available on the Downloads page.

December 18, 2005

FTJava version 0.19 is available for download. The fighter recovery and launch mechanics aren't where we want them for V1.0, but they do work in the client and server. This version also fixes a few minor client UI bugs and a ship roll bug.

Wave gun and nova cannon are now available as weapons options.

December 9, 2005

The fighter group launch and recovery is in testing and our current results look promising. I hope to be able to release Version 1.0 by next weekend.

October 15, 2005

Wave gun and nova cannon screenshots are available.

August 13, 2005

Scenario descriptions have been updated for scenarios available from the Game signup list.

July 28, 2005

FTJava Version 0.18 is available. (I'll make it to V1.0 yet!) Head over to the Downloads page to get it.

This release has minor fighter group changes. The major deliverables in this client release is new user interfaces for the Game, and a Targeting Summary dialog for combat orders review.

The server has deadline management and automated game completion.

July 10, 2005

I've uploaded a new screenshot of what I've been working on. Roger had asked for this capability many, many months ago and it solves a lot of the current problems we're experiencing in larger games.

Go to the screenshot.

June 7, 2005

FTJava V0.17 is available. Click to download.

This release fixes a number of issues identified during the testing of Version 0.16.

Fixes and features include:

Release of the Fleet Book 1 and Fleet Book 2 ships in XML

Accelerator key UI error

The NAC Tuffley class icon for the Encounter at Gliese 876 scenario

The Ship Editor save error

Default fighter movement orders error

Squadron UI Menu for a player's own ships

Kra'Vak scattergun range to enemy fighter error

User scenario submission to the server (password required)

No burning a fighter CEF if the target is in range after the first move

Many new scenarios

Single player Practice scenarios for Human, Kra'Vak, and Phalon ships

Phalon fighter icons

Duplicate Message Reader error for certain systems

Fighter lock on bug

May 28, 2005

FTJava Release V0.16 is now available from the Downloads page.

The significant features of this release includes fighter groups and a new client interface. Two scenarios are available with fighter groups, GZG Universe - Scenario 17 - The Battle for LG-625 and Scenario 28 - Forward Presence.

May 24, 2005

News from Jon Tuffley.

The FULL THRUST Rulebook (2nd Edition), FLEET BOOK 1 (Major Human Powers) and FLEET BOOK 2 (Xeno Files - Alien forces) and now ALL available online as FREE pdf downloads from our website - go to www.gzg.com and look for the "downloads" page!

May 24, 2005

The fighter work continues and an initial release will be ready by the end of the May.

Fighter combat and interactions are difficult to model without making the user interface too complex, so your feedback will be welcome.

May 9, 2005

Work on the initial fighter user interface has been completed. Importing of fighter orders has also been completed.

I need to add the fighter orders logic to the code. For this next release, the fighter groups will be able to move and attack ships and fighter objects. Advanced orders, such as launching and landing, will have to wait for the next release. We can also benefit from user feedback, as always.

April 23, 2005

Say hello to the little friends...

The interface is not functional yet, and the ordering of the fighter panes is not the optimal one. Hopefully, FTJava will have some measure of functioning fighters with the next release. We can always add more fighter features in the weeks ahead.

April 19, 2005

I've completed work on a new client user interface that some folks have been asking for. It will allow for better control of fetching games from your mailbox, load games, and submitting orders. The new client interface will be introduced in the next release, tentatively scheduled for mid-May.

The web pages have been given a new look. Donations can be made for FTJava development and operation via the PayPal button. Thanks for your support.

March 25, 2005

FTJava Version 0.15 is available. This release fixes some user interface bugs, the Phalon ADFC bug, and a few new things.

I'm looking at adding a new client user interface that will be more functional than the pull down menus. Tony Christney will be getting back into the code and hopefully, we can make further Fighter group progress.

July 2, 2004

The FTJava game sign up page is now directly attached to the server for an automated game start. Give it a try and let me know if you have any problems.