The NS2 Alpha Build 152 is now live on Steam! This patch represented a large engineering effort, to make the physics, networking and hit registration work much better.

Here's a summary of the changes:

• Fixed hit registration problems
• Fixed various "hitching" problems
• New commander minimap, with "blips"
• New dedicated server web interface
• A dozen or so new view model animations
• Added alien "Crag" structure
• Added sound occlusion so sounds behind walls/objects sound muffled
• New marine Commander "Replicate" ability - instantly duplicates a built marine structure
• Context-sensitive mouse cursors
• Commander alerts
• Marine squads, order giving and waypoints
• Hive sight
• Much better Lerk flight
• Bullet spread like NS1
• Drifter "flare" ability that blinds marines (will require research)
• Soundscape filters when you are hurt, spectating, etc.
• Low health screen effects
• Marine power grid - Power nodes on walls power lights and marine structures. Damaging power nodes causes lights to flicker, hurting them a lot causes lights to power cycle ominously and killing them makes the lights go out for a bit, before switching to aux. power and coming back on to limited usage. Marine structures power down and stop working when power node is destroyed, and come back online when repaired.
• Added marine flamethrower
• Bullet tracers
• Skulk bite now connects more often (capsule trace instead of line)
• Reworked ns2_tram expansion, vents and lots of polish

For the exhaustive change list (there are hundreds of entries), go here.

We'll see you on the servers for a bit, then it's back to working on the next release! We have tons more in the works for you and we're planning on releasing our patches much more often from now on.