Advantages making trunk/2.1 the main release over 2.0 branch:
* It is increasingly difficult to maintain 2.0 branch.
* The split between trunk and 2.0 branch adds some confusion and may even be turning off new developers
* Trunk is receiving more testing and is already setup on the dedicated server
* Far better economy and production system (seems to be heavily requested in the forums)
* Nice touches like animated models (cows/palm trees), JPG/PNG saves, mission loading screens etc
* Trunk's reaction-fire system is probably better than 2.0 branch
* Random map assembly in trunk is known to work quite well... not sure how well it works in branch and what should be merged to make it work better if it doesn't work properly in branch.
Critical fixes if current trunk is to be released instead of an updated 2.0 branch:
1. Release-stopping bugs:
* Verfiy white-textures are truly gone in latest trunk. If not, add code to allow font gl texture cache to be disabled.
2. Weapons & Balance:
* Fix new heavy laser texture to remove transparent areas
* Fix shotguns: The modern and old looking ones are currently identical in damage/TU costs etc; also swap the models for Flechette shells/buckshots or fix models? Should one of the shotguns be disabled for singleplayer?
* Get a texture for the machine pistol (and rename it: it is currently labelled as a "shotgun"). If no texture available before release, temporarily comment it out of the weapons*.ufo file for release.
* Implement/refine the behavior of smoke grenades and flash-bangs or temporarily comment them out of the weapons*.ufo file for release. If flashbangs work ok, add them to multiplayer equipment list too.
* General trivial balance fixes (e.g. lower damages and higher TU cost for grenades, fix range of some weapons etc).
* Stat system... revert to total stats out of 255 (or maybe a compromise like 150 or 200). This is needed so soldiers can be further enhanced to super-human levels via bionic implants eventually. Re-label stat descriptions to remove "pathetic" etc and make it more positive overall (Winterslice already has a list to use).
3. Fix "trivial" stuff or disable it for release:
* Buy/Sell aircraft menu (currently it is buggy)
* Transfer menu
* Get lobby working a bit better?
4. Some more multiplayer enhancements
* Make sure recent changes work on the dedicated server
* More testing of error conditions (disconnects/reconnects) and maybe some popups or similar to inform the players of these sort of events
(note: currently a server quit will leave other clients with a black geoscape... we should inform them the server has quit/died and bring them back to the multiplayer menu)
* If time permits implement the harder enhancements like roles for team assignment & a point system for equipment
5. Research
* verify new research system and topics are ok
* ensure Nano armour is researchable (it currently depends on collecting alien armour which doesn't happen currently, either fix or work around this or temporarily remove this requirement)
6. Storyline
* This could be the only big argument against releasing trunk now... if the storyline isn't fully implemented (I know the event/"email" system is not yet done). But 2.0 branch has no storyline so even if not complete it is better maybe than 2.0?
7. Some more campaign missions:
* Make use of random map assembly for a handful of new missions?
* Fix stadium map basketball hoop and add it as a mission
* Maybe a bridge map mission??
Other "almost" done things which might be considered: basic hospital healing stuff & alien containment, although I think these can wait for later releases.