New patches for HPS TSS series

[Rosseau]

For those who bought Tigers Unleashed and Point of Attack 2 back in the day, HPS website has new patches. For the first time (so far) POA2.5+ is playing flawlessly. Combat resolution is very quick on a vanilla i7, but it always pays to lower the FOW setting in Preferences to a realistic distance for your scenario to speed up the game.

The TU beta I had was good to begin with, but like an idiot I somehow overwrote my ORG file and sent many hours worth of modding down the drain. The directory structure of TSS games is a little funky, so be careful during installation of the patch. I had some problems probably due to my own stupidity.

Graphics aside, there is simply nothing out there to compare with these games, and as far as a new Steel Panthers, we will see!

[Red2112]

Please explain "funky", because both games are installed in the same root folder.

If you have to lower the FOW preferences in your scenario on a i7, then what PC do you need to play it at it´s full potential? Or better said, what is Scott using to test/build/play on higher settings [8|]

[E]

ORIGINAL: Red2112
Please explain "funky", because both games are installed in the same root file.

That is one way to install them, yes.

ORIGINAL: Red2112
If you have to lower the FOW preferences in your scenario on a i7, then what PC do you need to play it at it´s full potential? Or better said, what is Scott using to test/build/play on higher settings

Scott uses an aging HAL9000 running the Clarke OS (not sure of the version, probably 68).

With this TU patch, I can and do whole-heartedly recommend Tigers Unleashed (TU)! But only to those who can appreciate depth over eye candy. This game can get VERY VERY deep or can be played at lighter-hearted levels. If you like Tigers on the Prowl (and its ilk), you'll LOVE Tigers Unleashed!

If you haven't got it yet, you may initially be overwhelmed by the depth available to you. Don't worry about the perfect strategy based on wind direction and specific dust levels at the top of that hill being more than down here in the valley... just play it for a bit and that depth will slowly creep in on you, at your speed, as you slow decide how you want to set up the game. (and as you slowly become addicted to the aforementioned depth. For you old farts, TU now runs on Windoze XP with this patch.

I'm heading down the same road for POA2.5 now... I only got it after seing a clean (non-beta) TU really working well on my old XP machine.

These games are retro-gamer approved and even gain the A2-War seal of approval!

If you need pretty, you probably will not like these games... at first.

[budd]

Been keeping an eye on TU for years, its always peeked my interest but there just isn't enough information out on it. By information i mean AAR's, lets play or any videos that are halfway current, a video tutorial would be nice. The info page at HPS really doesn't say much.

[E]

ORIGINAL: budd
Been keeping an eye on TU for years, its always peeked my interest but there just isn't enough information out on it. By information i mean AAR's, lets play or any videos that are halfway current, a video tutorial would be nice. The info page at HPS really doesn't say much.

I bought it based on my love of Tigers on the Prowl, Panthers in the Shadows, Dragons in the Mist, and Broken Alliance. I knew it would be an enhanced descendant of those. And it is. However, there is so much more going on here.

To be fair, the info on the website pretty much matches what you'd find on the back of a computer game in a store. Now that I paused this response to recheck the webpage, I think it has more info and definitely more screenshots than the back of a box would. The info there would've convinced me if I had not owned and played the previous series (and still did, up to buying TU late last year).

So if I had one single large and valid issue with TU it would be that it killed TOP2, PITS, DIM & BA for me!!! (well, maybe not "killed" so much as "seriously maimed." But this is the interblech and hyperbole is required is it not? *grin*)

But I do agree, some example of play videos would've been nice. (AAR's per se', never really seemed much more than "I moved, the opponent moved, we shot, some units were killed, the game ended, and one of us won.")

And a video tutorial would've been nice after purchasing. I only recently bought POA2 and note that it has a screen-show tutorial that I haven't been through yet. I am getting the "feeling" that the learning curve is better via POA2, than for TU. But I've not learned ALL the in's and out's of either as of yet (did I mention these games can get REALLY DEEP?!?), so I can't say for sure that that is the case. (okay, I've owned POA2 for two days and haven't finished my first scenario yet due to real life (which sucks, BTW. But you already knew that or you wouldn't be playing games).

[Rosseau]

I don't need to lower the FOW to play it, but why have 7,000 meters in a 3,000 meter battle anyway?

Compared to the new Desert War, the game is easy to get into. Create new scenario, choose existing map, choose OOB for you and the AI, and I usually deploy the AI myself. For me, it is an incredible sandbox/simulator more than a nail-biting tactical challenge all the time. So maybe not for everyone.

I would recommend TU first, only because it has tons of units in the OOBs compared to POA2.5. You can also change all the units/weapons data with TU only, if you are into that.

[Red2112]

I meant to say "Root Folder", my bad although my mistakes are cheap!

Don´t want to sound like a dramaqueen, but I did my share of supporting the TSS system. Scott or any of you could have done the same in this sence, but yeah let me feel folish by seeing reality, and not having a egotrip about my thoughts! Both on my modest YT channel...

Overview video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnNpyk5RUuQ&t=12s

Tutorial video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4v17f37l28&t=43s

A year later since I bought both, there seems to be a fix, but nothing can replace the year lost folks! Take it as you like! I simply don´t think it´s fair for those who bought PoA2.5 many years ago, and who spent those years withought what they paid for! As well as it´s not fair to those who never got support because they didnt´s know were to look and/or didn´t have Scott´s personal mail!

As I see it, revise your business model, update your webpage to todays standards, give a good discription of what the game is about and what resources it need´s (to say "XP or above" is not quite clear on what to expect), support the people who buy your games ALWAYS, via forum or mail. These are just some issues in todays world! Again see them as you wish, or not!


It´s quite easy to have your own forum now days, and even easier to creat a mailing list and inform/support your customers, like most companies do. If this was a tailored game, and/or it was stated "somewhere on there site" that both games are in Beta, then maybe I would understand some things. If the game had the price tag of most Betas, I would understand that too. But as it is, I have to say it´s the wrong path, again, and a VERY late one! PoA2.5 update page (TSS) stated that it was almost done and would likely be out of beta in the following month (nothing stated in the product page with regards to its Beta state). Well, that was a year ago!

As for changeing FOW (mts.), I´ll let the "pros" advice you about that. Just another thing that´s "vouge" to understand or know about, same goes for all that info in the turn resolution screen, very fancy but do you know what it ALL means? It´s not in the manual... It´s a good 500 page manual, but alot of things are just barely explained or not even that, it´s also dated!

To end, I´ll add that last time I played TU with it´s (secret beta patch) four months ago, a 30 turn scenario took me 7hrs. to complet with full FOW/level 3. I felt like a real fool looking at the PC screen every turn for 20min. I told Scott, he said to lower settings and that the game was doing calculations in the background. Never heard from him again...

Good luck!

--

[Mobeer]

ORIGINAL: Rosseau
...For the first time (so far) POA2.5+ is playing flawlessly. Combat resolution is very quick on a vanilla i7, but it always pays to lower the FOW setting...

Yet the HPS Simulations web site says:

Requirements

2.5 GHz Pentium/equivalent
Windows XP or greater
1 GB MB of RAM
500 MB free space on hard drive

There seems to be a big difference between the requirements and what is actually needed.

[Rosseau]

They should update the specs for sure. The system above won't run anything modern these days. 1 gig of RAM [8|]

[E]

ORIGINAL: Red2112
I meant to say "Root Folder", my bad although my mistakes are cheap!

Yes, that is one way to install them (mine are in completely separate root folders).

ORIGINAL: Red2112
Don´t want to sound like a dramaqueen, but...

Did you read what you wrote? *grin*

ORIGINAL: Red2112
I simply don´t think it´s fair

What exactly did you want them to do? ...Not fix it?!! (*grin?*)

ORIGINAL: Red2112
It´s quite easy to have your own forum now days, and even easier to creat a mailing list and inform/support your customers, like most companies do.

Yes all those things are easy for larger companies. HPS is not a large company. As for their web style, welcome to the 90s! *grin*. I like it. Straight forward. No bells, no whistles. No need to allow 500 other third parties to have access to your system via javascript just to see a page. Those web pages are compatible with every browser out there with no modifications. I LOVE them!! But to be fair, I am old school in that I don't need pretty or bells or whistles, and yet I can understand younger generations needing them. So I think this whole thing falls under subjective opinions at best. *grin*

ORIGINAL: Red2112
A year later since I bought both, there seems to be a fix, but nothing can replace the year lost folks!

What does that mean? How did you lose a year of your life? Did you spend an entire year staring at your screen and suddenly realize the 30 day money back guarantee period was over by 335 days? *grin* (So why didn't you ask for the 30 day money back guarantee if the programs were nothing but a waste of your life?)

ORIGINAL: Red2112
I told Scott, he said to lower settings and that the game was doing calculations. Never heard from him again...

What did you expect him to do? FWIW, I'm running it on a 15 year old, dual core pentium 3.00 under XP and 3.5gb memory with no problems.

[Red2112]

I don´t need to justify myself to you or anybody. You have your thoughts and I have mine, live with it!

Sad to have to talk about this here, on Matrix´s forum AGAIN! But Iam sure you have a argument for that too and can be all anal about it...

Seems like your waiting for me to post, Incredible! But Iam sure your the kind that spends his life correcting others [:D]

[Asid2]

ORIGINAL: E

ORIGINAL: Red2112
It´s quite easy to have your own forum now days, and even easier to creat a mailing list and inform/support your customers, like most companies do.

Yes all those things are easy for larger companies. HPS is not a large company. As for their web style, welcome to the 90s! *grin*. I like it. Straight forward. No bells, no whistles. No need to allow 500 other third parties to have access to your system via javascript just to see a page. Those web pages are compatible with every browser out there with no modifications. I LOVE them!! But to be fair, I am old school in that I don't need pretty or bells or whistles, and yet I can understand younger generations needing them. So I think this whole thing falls under subjective opinions at best. *grin*

[E]

ORIGINAL: Red2112
I don´t need to justify myself to you or anybody.

You really don't know what "grin" means do you?

[Rosseau]

Still experiencing random crashes with POA 2.5. TU should be better though.

[wodin]

Known for awhile spotting needed some serious looking into. Well it's it's turn under SCotts attention and he has found and is fixing some big issues, like in some cases units are being spotted cos the spotter has about a thousand times more chance of spotting than it should do!!!!

I've asked for another patch to be released as soon as this is all sorted. Should make a big difference.

[Rosseau]

The GeoBuilder map builder seems to have some problems here and there. However, there seems to be more maps available now, and they are interchangeable between both games. Also, it is possible to add a percentage of various terrain types during scenario editing, which can dramatically change things (more cities, woods, etc.) Also, seems they have filled out the "Leader" roster pretty well.

For newcomers, imo, I'd say the games are worth a look. There are just so many cool features included (but sometimes not easily noticed) in the games, they really are unique.

Hopefully, the super-spotting unit is on my side [;)]

[bazjak]

Am i correct in thinking this POA wont play on win10?
And if so what resolutions will it support?
My laptop is 1600x900

[E]

ORIGINAL: bazjak
Am i correct in thinking this POA wont play on win10?

No idea (sorry)

ORIGINAL: bazjakAnd if so what resolutions will it support?
My laptop is 1600x900

It now runs fine in 1024 x 768 and appeared to take any other resolution I threw at it while Scott tweaked some 1024 x768 irritations. However, I just did a quick retest at 1600 x 900... it did FAR FAR better than my XP desktop did!

[bazjak]

Thank you
Have now bought it and patched it and it seems to be fine
Yet to play anything yet so can't comment on how it plays

[sanderson_slith]

Is TSS still under active development?