IT'S FINALLY HERE
What is DSL 2.2?DSL 2.2 is the long-awaited update to DSL 2.1. I originally started developing it as
DSL3, a stand-alone mod, rebuilt from the ground up, with no backwards compatibility with 2.1. However, in the last phase of development, I decided that the lack of backwards compatibility was a bad idea and "downgraded" it to version 2.2 -- however, it still has all the new DSL3 content (and then some). The only difference is that now you can still use all your old bots in the new version.
What's new?- Lots of new components
--- Versatile extenders and armor plates in a dizzying array of sizes. You've seen them in Ironforge and RWRA2, but they were here first.
--- New "pneumatic" (not really pneumatic) burst motors, including front-hinged burst motors for Firestorm-style flippers.
--- New weapons including heavy spikes and several replica components not previously balanced for standard play.
--- New decorative components including LEDs and assorted backdrops for taking cool bot lab screenshots.
- Most components are rebalanced
--- Batteries and air tanks output max power for their entire life, but once they're empty your bot will stop working!
--- More useful stats included in the description for batteries and air tanks (how many motors can be powered for 3 minutes, for instance).
--- All wheels and extenders are lighter.
--- Wheel grip is partially based on size, so bigger wheels generally make you move faster.
--- Weapon efficiency increases with mass, so razor spam is a less effective strategy (still works, just not as well).
--- Weapons with normals get a 1.2x or 2x efficiency boost depending on how many normals they have.
--- Some heavy weapon motors are slightly more powerful.
- Many replica bots are updated with better looks, better fighting ability, and actual weight classes.
--- Effort focused on Battlebots and RFL bots. Most Robot Wars replicas are not updated. Sorry RW fans. If you want Robot Wars replicas, go check out the RWRA2 mod.
--- The old Robot Wars bots can still be found in your Robot Designs folder along with all the new ones.
- A few new replicas: Alcoholic Stepfather, Moros, Shish-Kabot, Hunter
- Various other minor tweaks and new stuff here and there.
How do I get it?I made two downloads.
Click here for the patch version (25.6 MB). This file is a PATCH that you need to apply to an existing copy of DSL 2.1. It will update your game from 2.1 to 2.2. IT WILL NOT WORK ON ITS OWN. Simply extract the files and cut, paste, and overwrite into your Robot Arena 2 folder. You may want to make a backup of your game in case you want to switch back to version 2.1.
Click here for the foolproof complete game (205.5 MB). This is a stand-alone full game download. Just extract the files anywhere and run the exe.
Transferring old bots to DSL 2.2Bots made in DSL 2.1 should transition seamlessly to 2.2. You don't need to do anything to update your bots; however, you may want to reapply the chassis armor because the 2.2 armor is quite a bit stronger, and there's a good chance you'll have some extra weight to play with due to the lighter wheels and extenders.
Bots made in the DSL3 beta are trickier. I'm working on a program that will automatically update these bots, but in the meantime, here's what you need to do:
- Open the .bot file in Notepad++ or another program that can edit .bot files without corrupting them.
- Replace all instances of "Extenders_X_R" with "Extenders_X_S" where X is A, T, or S.
- Replace all instances of "extenders_x.txt" with "extenders_x_S.txt" where x is alu, tit, or steel.
- Add "mini" to the end of every anchor filename (for instance, anchor1.txt -> anchor1mini.txt).
- Reverse your bot's driving controls (they should go back to the "normal" way you use in stock)
- NPC motors need to be replaced manually in the bot lab.
If you find a bug or think certain components are overpoweredJust make a post here. I found quite a few missing files in my initial testing, so it's possible that something is not there that should be there, which may result in a crash. It's likely that I will need to make a slight update to this, so make sure to post about bugs and balance issues!
Do NOT request any more new components or replicas, however. Any near-future updates will focus on stability and balance.
BioHazardThe new BioHazard uses the Trovaner chassis glitch, which means you need to do some Options trickery to get it to not crash. The RA2.cfg file I included should be set up to work with BioHazard as long as you don't touch the Options menu. If BioHazard starts crashing, though, do this:
1. Set the graphic quality to High.
2. Do a battle or go in the test garage.
3. Go back to the main menu.
4. Change the graphic quality to Low and then IMMEDIATELY quit RA2.
5. BioHazard should work now. The graphic quality is actually High even though it will say Low in the Options menu.
Future plans for DSLThe majority of the work is done, but there's still a few things I'd like to do at some point.
Near future plans:
- Update the stock AI with 2.2 parts and more competitive designs.
Far future plans:
- Update and AI the Robot Wars replicas to the same level as the others.
- Add AW and BW replica bots (Fire Arrow, Slim Pickens, and friends)
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Also, looks f***ing sick and awesome. 
