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@node "tech_negative"
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Existing negative effects in this Frontier update:
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Frontier, like most games, uses pseudorandom generators, but unlike most of
them it is dependent on repeatably generating highly random long sequences,
given 'seed numbers' with very small variation.  Even single-bit changes of
a seed number need to generate appx 48 bit sequences without any visible
pattern, as this is how 'untabled' planetary systems must be defined.

The normal methods of multiplication and division (which Frontier also uses)
are not really sufficient for this purpose, which is why remote star systems
were so stereotype in the original game.

New advanced pseudorandom generators have been designed for this update, but
they carry an inevitable price tag.  The code that generates star systems is
now slower than before.  This will mainly be noticeable in the 'Star Map'
mode, when used to view a remote area, as every star within the 9x9 sector
grid visible will be generated by the new routines then.


The original game used 32 bit arithmetic to handle calculation of hyperdrive
trip time.  This was insufficient to allow the new drive types defined for
the update, and therefore a speed-optimized set of floating point routines
has been added.  But this too costs time, and again this affects "Star Map"
mode as trip calculations are made for each targeted system.


There is an original bug still left in the current update, which affects
the display of some of the largest star types, and especially contact
binary stars.  Occasionally you may get a system crash when attempting
to view system data for such a star, or when attempting to hyperspace to
it without first viewing its data.  As I have still not found all code
involved in this phenomenon it remains unfixed.  This means it is safest
to save game before viewing data of such a star the first time. Once you
have tried it for a given star you need not worry about it, as the error
is consistent when it occurs at all.  Those few stars that it does occur
for are effectively 'off-limits'.  You can't ever 'go there', or ever see
their data.  Sorry, but as I already said this is an original bug...


Commander files are not 100% compatible with those of the old Frontier.

New files should never be loaded into the old Frontier engine, and old
ones should only be loaded into the new engine if the commander uses some
hydrogen-fueled drive, and no non-standard equipment such as can be found
in a few commander file editors.  If you break these rules you can expect
weird effects and possibly even a system crash.

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