WitpDecoder; Now providing some overview

[scout1]

OK, so I'm slow, is this tool destined for AI play ONLY ? Or will us poor ole pbem gamers ever get to benefit from it as well, you know, those of us with "complex" passwords".

[Woos]

ORIGINAL: Helpless
Now I'm getting the error:

java.sql.SQLException: Integrity constraint violation - no parent SYS_FK_162 tab
le: ShipClasses
at org.hsqldb.jdbc.Util.sqlException(Unknown Source)
at org.hsqldb.jdbc.jdbcStatement.fetchResult(Unknown Source)

OK, Problem is ca. 3/4 of WitpDecoder and ca. 1/4 by CHS. It is caused by the upgrade relationship in the ship classes. Stock always upgrades upwards but in CHS "Ballard" class (1356) upgrades downwards to Manley class (1325). Since this never happens in stock I didn't put the reordering SELECTs in I added for the aircraft classes (which do some downward upgrading even in stock). Will work in the next version. Now lets see what other errors I get with the files Helpless sent.

In general I would like to ask scenario designers to try to avoid downward upgrading. witpDecoder needs the ship classes (and also aircraft classes and devices) ordered according to a partial order on the upgrade relationship. I can do some limited reordering but since SQL does not support recursion arbitrary levels of downward upgrading can not be supported (example: If 1356 upgraded to 1325 which then upgraded to 1326 which again upgraded to 1327,3 levels of reordering would be needed. So it doesn't even have to look like downward upgrading to cause problems.). Also not doing downward upgrading is an automatic safeguard against forming upgrade cycles


Concerning the complaint that PBEM players are currently not able to use the tool:
This is an early release of a not yet ready program (because some guys in the War room wanted to have it). Bugs were to be expected (especially for features I don't use). The password issue is fixed locally so you will be able to use the next version I release. But as can be seen in this thread even AI players have several problems when using this tool. Unless these are fixed I see no good reason in releasing a new version just to get more reports on the same bugs. If you want more reasons why you can't use it, see V0.1 as a beta test phase from which all PBEM players have been excluded.

[Ron Saueracker]

Pretty noble effort! Hope you keep plugging away.[&o]

[ny59giants]

Six months from now when the "learning curve" (bugs) have been mostly worked out, most Japanese players will wonder how they ever played the game without it. [:D][:D]
Hopefully, you will also have an Allied version out....Wink, Wink, Nod, Nod

Anything that cuts back on paper trail and spread sheets to decrease the micro-managing is appreciated.

Many of these will lifted in your name.

[6971grunt]

WOW - this is amazing[X(] It certainly is long overdue Woos. I have a few questions if you don't mind:

1. Will it run with Windows ?
2. On the "Leaders" tab, have you considered posting information about the commander being best suited for a Carrier TF, Surface TF, Assault HQ, Air HQ, etc?
3. Does this work for commander [i.e., Admiral to LCmdr]?
4. Where will I be able to get this when its ready for PBEM?

Something like this can only help - great job - waiting for the small print.

[scout1]

Woos, my apologies if I came across as complaining ... your previous postings lead this dumb ole Hillybilly to think that pbem was to be excluded forever on purpose. My bad read. Yes, I know about beta's and bugs. I helped (in a small way) with Bodhi's tool in the early day as a "know nothing monkey". If I couldn't break it, it was good to go ;>
If there is ever any way I can help (I don't know shit about programing), just let me know......

[FeurerKrieg]

Same here Woos. My comments were not negative at all, I just wasn't clear on if you were planning to make PBEM work in the future. I can wait as long as it takes (I'll be playing most of my PBEM's a few years I'm sure).

THanks for all your efforts!

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: michaelm

Does it work for PBEM?
And if so, does it only show the data for the player that has entered the correct password?

[I haven't installed it so I can't read README.]

Michael I was wondering about same thing as well...

Any response on this (I searched this thread but didn't find full answer)?


Leo "Apollo11"


P.S.
How is it going in new role Michael (Congrats!)?

[Oliver Heindorf]

ORIGINAL: Apollo11

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: michaelm

Does it work for PBEM?
And if so, does it only show the data for the player that has entered the correct password?

[I haven't installed it so I can't read README.]

Michael I was wondering about same thing as well...

Any response on this (I searched this thread but didn't find full answer)?

ORIGINAL: Woos

Concerning the complaint that PBEM players are currently not able to use the tool:
This is an early release of a not yet ready program (because some guys in the War room wanted to have it). Bugs were to be expected (especially for features I don't use). The password issue is fixed locally so you will be able to use the next version I release. But as can be seen in this thread even AI players have several problems when using this tool. Unless these are fixed I see no good reason in releasing a new version just to get more reports on the same bugs. If you want more reasons why you can't use it, see V0.1 as a beta test phase from which all PBEM players have been excluded.

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: Oliver Heindorf

ORIGINAL: Woos

Concerning the complaint that PBEM players are currently not able to use the tool:
This is an early release of a not yet ready program (because some guys in the War room wanted to have it). Bugs were to be expected (especially for features I don't use). The password issue is fixed locally so you will be able to use the next version I release. But as can be seen in this thread even AI players have several problems when using this tool. Unless these are fixed I see no good reason in releasing a new version just to get more reports on the same bugs. If you want more reasons why you can't use it, see V0.1 as a beta test phase from which all PBEM players have been excluded.

Thanks for info!


Leo "Apollo11"

[Woos]

I wrote:
In general I would like to ask scenario designers to try to avoid downward upgrading.

*cough* CHS needs 5 levels of reordering for the aircraft classes. *cough*
OK, now aircraft classes are read in in a way which allows arbitrary levels of reordering (and uses quite a bit more time than before). So scenario designers can ignore the above request.

Also there seems to be another problem with CHS or with WitP. In a first turn save with no actions done, the captain assigned to the Shinano (leaderID=6720) has vanished from the save file although Shinano still references him. In the .csv files generated by witpload everything looks normal. Looks like a WitP bug to me. Further inquiries on the circumstanced of that bug (version, etc.) to Helpless. WitpDecoder is now working around such things also and assigns Mr. "I.ComeFromUsnavy" also to ships/TFs/LCUs which have no existing leader.

And now for the good news. An update to witpDecoder is available from http://extweb.retsiemuab.de/witp/witpDecoder2.jar . Overwrite the existing jar with it. "Complex" passwords should work now as well as CHS and leaderbug-infected games. A full .zip release (with new version number, the above still claims to be V0.1) will be done, once Ship History is working and the documentation is a bit updated. Then I will probably have to go for support of Allies if I want to avoid to be tared and feathered. So JFB, relish the next ca. 2 weeks where only you have the tool

Other questions:

• Yes, no password, no game access.
• It runs everywhere (OK, maybe not everywhere, SWT seems to have some minor problems on MacOS X).
• Instead of using the predefined "best suited for XXXX" categories of WitP (which IMHO are not very useful) you can query Leaders according to your preferences with the "good at" Query.
• I don't understand the "Does this work for commander [i.e., Admiral to LCmdr]" question.
• The fine print? Ah, you mean the contract to be signed with your blood requiring you to say "Java good! C## bad!" everytime you start the tool? And on Sundays of course an additional "Linux good! Windows bad!" might be in order

[scout1]

Woos,

You rule .....


Now for the silly questions .....

The original WitpDecoder zip file had 12 files contained within it, 3 of which were *.jar extensions. The WitpDecoder2 zip file has alot of files, all but one is a *.class extension with the loner being a *.mf file. I haven't loaded the original one yet and was wondering as to the proper method to get it and the update running ......

[Woos]

ORIGINAL: scout1
The original WitpDecoder zip file had 12 files contained within it, 3 of which were *.jar extensions. The WitpDecoder2 zip file has alot of files, all but one is a *.class extension with the loner being a *.mf file. I haven't loaded the original one yet and was wondering as to the proper method to get it and the update running ......

There is no WitpDecoder2.zip file, the update is a witpDecoder2.jar which replaces the witpDecoder2.jar from the original distribution.

[Helpless]

Now it works on my CHS game as well. Great work Woos! [&o]

And as been said now the program checks for the lost leaders, which is very handy.During the test Shinano's cpt vanished just after the first save, nothing been done before. I got 3 vanished leaders in my 7 turn-old game [X(].

[scout1]

No WitpDecoder2.zip .... Interesting as this is how it came in when I downloaded and saved. Has lots of files *.class and 1 *.mf. Perhaps my system automatically assigned it a *.zip ? When I place my curor over the file, it does have a "Comment : ProGuard version 3.6".

Any insight would be appreciated. Dying to try this out.

[scout1]

bump ... Hasn't this happened to anyone else ? *.zip instead of *.jar ?

[Thilo]

ORIGINAL: scout1

bump ... Hasn't this happened to anyone else ? *.zip instead of *.jar ?

Yes, happened to me as well. Renamed that file as *.jar and it's working - at least to the point where I get lots of error windows popping up. But this will be a great tool within a short time I think. Looking forward to further developments.

[Woos]

ORIGINAL: scout1
Hasn't this happened to anyone else ? *.zip instead of *.jar ?

As can be clearly seen from the URL (http://extweb.retsiemuab.de/witp/witpDecoder2.jar) what you download is a .jar file. Now your browser might think he is smarter than he should be and apply WinZip (or whatever) to the download since in the end .jar-files are a special kind of .zip-files. Then there are three possibilities: 1) Don't use Internet Explorer. 2) Do a RMB-Click and then "Save to disk" 3) Do what Thilo recommended.

BTW, Thilo, if the error windows contain Exceptions (recognizeable by the long list of java classes listed in the window) they are caused by a program problem. They will not go away until fixed. Best possibility to get them fixed is posting the exception here.

ORIGINAL: Helpless
I got 3 vanished leaders in my 7 turn-old game

Note that the save game reader of witpDecoder can not distinguish between leaders that are completely missing and leaders that have the wrong nationality (both trigger the same integrity constraint). So the 3 leaders have not necessarily vanished. You might be suffering from an acute attack of Allied leaders deserting to the Japanese. You can distinguish it in-game. If the leader is vanished, it will only show "WO". Otherwise some english sounding leader name should be visible.

[Helpless]

yes, you are right. by "vanished" i meant replaced by USN captains.

[scout1]

ok, making progress (i think ...)

Renamed the file back to *.jar and copied it over the previous one.

Created a new sub-drirectory (witp/save/myanal005) and ran witpload for s015. Waxed all the 015 designators and but these in this subdirectory. Edited *.bat file to add my password. Fired up *.bat and got windows/tabs, but no data whatsoever. I'm sure I've missed something. But what ?