I believe it also depends on the bitmap depth. 24-bit bmp's crash whilst 256color(8-bit) bmp's do not. It was something like that.

Update
(I'm also wondering. I remember a .bin (or a .strg?) file somewhere which has all the texture names in it. Perhaps that's the file that decides what .bmp files to load, perhaps it's possible to tweak it so that it accepts .pngs and such? or 24bit bmp's? hmm)

update
Just an idea, but where could it say that it only accepts 8bit bmps? In the model data?

update
Could it be possible to increase the bitmaps to 24bit by editing the models itself? Or is it loaded during a centralized point aka at launch?

Update:
I found something in the extracted .x files.

Things like

Material ID_2668 {
 1.000000, 1.000000, 1.000000, 1.000000;;
 0.000000;
0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000;;
0.00, 0.00, 0.00;;
TextureFilename {
"fafA1_b.BMP";
}

which I found in agf2a35.x in \models\administ\boss\level2. What if we change these to PNG? (We didn't have a way to repack the .x files did we? hm)

Update: Isn't the .bin just a packaged file? If we remove the .bin file but copy back the packaged files in the correct place, doesn't that work?

@Encrypted

I don't think Machines supports the fancy see-through .png files we have nowadays. Don't know for sure though.

@Pisarz I love it. That's really awesome!

@bilal

I just installed/played Machines on my new WIndows 8 pc. It feels slow but no issues whatsoever. Haven't installed patch or .dll files

Edit: Nevermind:

The pink spots are the .bmp files that are going crazy. Normally the pink means 'see-through' but apparently something isn't telling Machines.

New Unit Designs:

1. Wasp with Plasma Sting is now an anti-personell units. It only does 1 damage but fires 10 rounds per second, meaning that these will ignore Armor and go straight to HP.

2. Wasps with Missiles are now anti-construction. They fire two missiles instead of one at a much longer range. They can sit back and pick off turrets this way.

3. The Launcher is cool, but its long reloads make it too vulnerable.. Therefore I cut the reload time and damage dealt. This way, a missed shot doesn't mean the end of the launcher. Also check out the RED smoke. Yep, I did that.

Although I perhaps was a bit too zealous here.

4. APC 1 is now a TANK - 500 Armor, 500 Health. That's more than a Gorilla.

5. APC 2 is now a better flying APC. More speed, armor, turning speed.

6. APC 3 is now a spyplane. 2x as fast as APC2 but same Armor/Health. Less unit capacity though.
   (All three are also much more expensive, 300, 250 and 300)

7. Mule - Is now a very cheap(30->15), fast little machine. Useful in the beginning and when quickly stealing from unmanned mines

8. Ox - Is more expensive, stronger(Armor&HP), Carries more BMU (120->150) and rotates much faster.

9. Bull - Military Grade Transporter. Expensive, but lots of armor & health. Carries 300BMU, up from 260. Slower than Mule & OX though.

10. Rhino - The Motherlode. Very slow, very weak but carries a whopping 2000BMU's, enough to clear out a mine in one single go.

11. Scavenger - Military Upgrades. More armor, more health, higher costs. Now it really pays to have one of these wandering around. And you don't even need to keep an eye out anymore.

12. GEO 1 - Cheap, less range.

13. GEO 2 - Same price, less range, more armor/health

Else:
Beebomb does more damage for 2 sec more reload time
Auto-cannon reaper does much less damage but has much lower reload times (Much like an actual, you know, auto-cannon)

@Mahmoud

A Bipedal Starcraft siegetank comes to mind. But first, let's that that v0.01 rdy.

@Mahmoud

See edits

@bilal

Jep, Doesn't matter if it's a scout or a twin mounted Goliath.

Scout does (In my version of the game at least) 20 damage (normally it's 4 or something) and a Goliath does 2x80.

Against a 2000 Armor and 1000 HP Pod this means 1980 Armor / 999 HP (That's 21DAM total) for the Scout and 1840 / 998 HP(162DAM Total) for the Goliath.

Once the Armor is down to say, 100 Armor, 980 HP, then it goes like 80 / 979 for the scout(21DAM Total) and 0 / 920 for the Goliath. (160DAM Total)

But in all honesty, I think we can think of something better. lol

@Judas

It's 1 per hit as long as the unit/building has Armor. When the Damage depletes the armor all damage goes straight to HP. I tested the weapons of:

Scout
Warrior
Enforcer
Crusader
Goliath
Warlord

And I tested on:
WarFac 5
WarFac3
Pod
Warrior
Enforcer

So the algorithm is pretty darn easy.

Due to this rapid fire is insanely damaging as it rips through armor, because hits always cause 1 damage,