Next Patch ETA

[Joel Billings]

As you may know, there has been some work going into a new patch for AWD. We had hoped it would be done by now, but as often happens things have come up that have delayed us. The next patch will be released as a Public Beta version and due to the extensive changes made to allow increased modding, old saves will not work with the new game. This means we will suggest that players of PBEM games keep two versions of the game on their computer (the original for exhisting PBEM games and a new install with the next patch applied to it for new games).

We got a version of the new patch yesterday, but found 4 small issues that we'd like to clean up before making the patch publicly available. Unfortunately due to the steps we need to go through to get these fixed, tested and then an official patch version made (and with spring break vacations getting in the way), I'm guessing it will be two weeks before we have a version ready to post. As I've been wrong in the past, it is possible that this could be delayed further. If it were me, I would not wait for the new patch to begin a new PBEM game. I don't think the changes are significant enough to be worth waiting for, but that's just my opinion. Although there are a few bugs fixed with this version, the big changes are in the ability to moddify various game rules. These changes will only be seen in future modded scenarios.

Just to show how other factors can come into play, at the moment we are also working on getting the first build of the Japanese versions of WaW and AWD delivered to Japan. A recent change in the games underlying engine to deal with Japanese fonts just created a small bug with one of the graphics in AWD (this is one of the 4 items to be cleaned up). It's this kind of problem that makes predicting release dates so difficult.

I will try to provide additional information on the pending patch release as I have it. Sorry for the delay.

[Nami Koshino]

I'm patient. What's a few weeks? [:D]

Hope the game does well in Japan.

[Forwarn45]

Thanks for the update, Joel. I was wondering if you could post a list of the bug fixes?

[flintlock]

Take your time and get it right I say. Two weeks or two months, I'm just happy you guys are allotting resources to another patch. Much appreciated!

[:)]

[WanderingHead]

ORIGINAL: Forwarn45
Thanks for the update, Joel. I was wondering if you could post a list of the bug fixes?

Here's a list of changes and bug fixes. I think that this is up to date and complete.

1. Bug fixes

a) Event Log Overflow, caused funky characters at end of line.

b) damaged "elite" units going to factories did not remain "vet"

c) factories in production spiral advanced even if no production was available

d) the inability of Russian units to retreat into frozen zones

e) bug allowing Russian units to starting in a nonfrozen zone to tac-move through frozen zones

f) if non-land units are in Iraq when the coup occurs, they will now be retreated.

g) a couple of load/save file bugs that had unknown effect.

h) a specific (top secret) sequence of events could prevent the first Russian winter penalty from occurring


2. Source Code Game Enhancements
a) more informative Political Event screen

New color coding: RED can happen now (prerequisites satisified), BLACK hasn't happened yet and can't happen right now (could happen later), GREY has already occurred and will not occur again.

Also put in explicit indication of the current probability of events that have region control dependence (e.g. Spanish coup).


b) Event log size increased from 250 lines to 400 lines.


c) mod-ability

There's a whole slew of new things that are possible in scenario design. All political events are now mod-able (and you can create new ones). Political events support some basic surrender concepts, intended for (but not limited to) Russia, India and Australia. Frozen strat move limits are configurable. And more.

3. Rule Changes

a) Greece joining WA event now depends on Greece being Pro-Allied, instead of prior border war.

It is simply easier to implement the events independent of each other, and this change appears to have no practical impact.


b) Iraq coup yields a German militia instead of an Italian militia

It is easier to implement the events so that the primary nation of the player is used for any new unit.

[WanderingHead]

ORIGINAL: flintlock
Take your time and get it right I say. Two weeks or two months, I'm just happy you guys are allotting resources to another patch. Much appreciated!
[:)]

Please be aware that the changes were large, and the tester base is diminished. This actually languished for a while in the private enclosed walls of the dev forum and tester team before a new recent burst of activity. We just don't have much tester support.

I believe that it looks good and is stable, but this will be a beta patch. To some extent you guys will be the testers. I'll be expecting quick feedback on any problems and we'll turn around fixes ASAP (faster than this patch has been).

Not that I actually expect we'll need any fixes.

We do have 1 reported bug (game continuation after AV) that is backburnered right now, but if this really takes two more weeks maybe I'll have a chance to look at that.

[kondor]

Great that you guys are improving the game further. And it looks like that we will have the chance to make some Japanese friends too[;)].
I especially like the bug fix 1.b) (elite to veteran)... Only if you could in some future fix put that in production spiral, damaged units get their nationality flags... (So that I, early in the game, do not waste resources on damaged French FT[:D])
Good job guys, keep it up![:)]

[Forwarn45]

Excellent work. Looking forward to this. I think a couple of the bug fixes will have a subtle - but noticeable - impact on games. [8D]

[Jonathan Pollard]

With the increased mod-ability will it be possible to increase the number of supplies each factory produces from 5 to 10 and also to double the supplies used by armor, artillery and bomber units (and maybe triple the supply usage for heavy bombers)? It's always bothered me that artillery uses the same amount of supply as infantry, and that fighters use the same amount of supply as heavy bombers. It would be nice to have the amount of supplies needed to repair infrastructure to be moddable too.

[schury]

that helps axis, i like it[:D]

[WanderingHead]

ORIGINAL: Jonathan Pollard
With the increased mod-ability will it be possible to increase the number of supplies each factory produces from 5 to 10 and also to double the supplies used by armor, artillery and bomber units (and maybe triple the supply usage for heavy bombers)? It's always bothered me that artillery uses the same amount of supply as infantry, and that fighters use the same amount of supply as heavy bombers. It would be nice to have the amount of supplies needed to repair infrastructure to be moddable too.

No, this won't be mod-able.

The supply system would be rather involved to change. Right now there is "short range" (1 supply) and "long range" (2,3,4,5 total supply, depending on the unit), and that is all.

[schury]

waooooooooo, that's huge. it will change the game vastly[X(]
are planes long range weapeons?

[WanderingHead]

ORIGINAL: schury
waooooooooo, that's huge. it will change the game vastly[X(]
are planes long range weapeons?

I don't understand what you mean.

What I was describing is the way the engine assesses supply costs. It would be very difficult to assign different base supply costs to different units, but it might be easy to allow for a "long range" supply cost for air and have that be unit specific, because this is already done for every unit except air/transport/sub.

I.e.

Armor, long range = 2, cost = 2 (total, including the base cost)
Infantry, long range = 2, cost = 2 (total, including the base cost, only moves 2 across a double border)
Artillery, long range = 2, cost = 2 (only moves 2 across a double border)
Heavy Fleet, long range = 6, cost = 5
Light Fleet, long range = 6, cost = 3

etc.

But really, to make this sort inner working modable would be rather major surgery, it doesn't seem worth the effort and risk.

[schury]

sorry, misunderstand you. i thought there would be a change of consuming supplies[&:]

[GKar]

No, sounds like the old system to me.

[WanderingHead]

ORIGINAL: schury
sorry, misunderstand you. i thought there would be a change of consuming supplies[&:]

There is no change in consumption of supplies in this patch, sorry about any confusion.

I've been pretty reluctant to make mod-ability changes to "core" game rules. I've mostly worked on changes in scenario design, by which I mean setup flexibility, politics, and war preparation of USSR/USA.

[schury]

[/quote]

No, this won't be mod-able.

The supply system would be rather involved to change. Right now there is "short range" (1 supply) and "long range" (2,3,4,5 total supply, depending on the unit), and that is all.
[/quote]
i misunderstand the meaning of "involved"[:'(]