New C-Script compiler

That's a hot burning feature! It claims to make scripting easier and faster for beginners, while offering more powerful features for experienced programmers. The scripts can also be compiled with a normal C development system like VC++ 6.0 or VC++ NET. The new compiler can access DLLs, supports COM, so it can also be used for writing almost any windows application. You won't see it too soon in action, but a functional version of it has made it into the beta already. Here's a typical "Hello, world!" program that is run by the Acknex engine.

window_focus

Determines whether the engine window is in the foreground or not. That's a useful feature if you want to do some specific tasks when your game is running in the background, or maybe pause it.

starter pause_game()
{
    while (1)
    {
       if (window_focus == 0)
       {
            freeze_mode = 1;
       }
       else
       {
            freeze_mode = 0;
       }
       wait (1);
    }
}

Map Compiler: Cancel

That's a life saver! The map compiler now asks for confirmation if the "Cancel" button was clicked while compiling. This way your chances to stop the compiler by mistake are lowered considerably.