SPWaW - problems with upgrading - help!

[m200]

Hi

(1) I've just got my own copy of SPWaW and installed it in the folder "e:\Steel Panthers World At War" on my HD. I got it from the Armor Site and I think it is v5.01. Then I upgraded it with a patch to ver 5.2, and then with another patch from v 5.2 to ver 6.1. But, when I run it, the number at the bottom of the main screen still says it is ver 5.01. Should it be like this or did I do something wrong?


(2) Also, if I wanted to further upgrade from ver 6.1 to 7.1, is it enough to only use the latest 7.1 patch, or do I have to first use Patch 6.1-7.0, and then Patch 7.1?

Help


m200

[Warrior]

Well, first of all, the main game folder is MatrixGames. The Steel Panthers World at War folder is under that, and everything else under SPWaW. So your upgrades are looking for the MatrixGames folder (if they're install routines - if not, the various files, like mech.exe, can just be copied into the proper folders).

Look for another SPWaW folder "nested" in your main game SPWaW folder. If it's there, copy the files into your regular game folders. Incidentally, when I do upgrades, I think it's a good idea to make a copy of the mech.exe file and save it outside the game somewhere, then delete it from the SPWaW folder, and also delete the steel.prf file from the SAVE folder, then run the upgrade. When you've upgraded successfully, the correct version number will be at the bottom of the first menu page.

To get from v6.1 to v7.1, you need to do 6.1 to 7 first. And beware the v7.1 patch, it will want to unload into "Matrix Games." Notice the space between Matrix and Games, it ain't supposed to be there, so before you hit the install button for 7.1, take that space out of there.

[m200]

Why do you make a copy of the mech.exe file and save it outside the game folder, and delete it from the SPWaW folder? And why do you delete the steel.prf file from the SAVE folder? Do they pose any problems? And when you've finished upgrading, do you copy them back into their folders?

m200

[Supervisor]

You make a copy of the mech.exe file and save it elsewhere if there is the possibility that you need to revert back to the older version such you don't like the way the new version plays compared to the previous version or to continue old saved games that you have started for instance either with a friend (PBEM or online)or in tournament ladder. You would have to finish the save games with the same game engine (mech.exe) that they started with or you would encounter corrupted files with your opponents. Deleting it from the MatrixGames\SPWAW folder ensures that when the update is applied it installs the newest version of this file, on some occasions during the update its see this file and ignores it leaving you with an older version than you thought. Which leads to problems such as I just updated to ver 7.1 but may game still says version 7.0. The reason we delete the steel.prf file in the save folder is becuase these are the rules in which the game is going to control all of your preferences. When the game engine changes, the way the in which the game perceives them may also have change causing a confilct within the game leading to strange enomolies and even worse, crashes to the desktop. Every time you delete the steel.prf file and restart the game any time you change a game preference the game will automatically recreate this file based on the current game engine.

[m200]

Everything seems to be OK now.

Thanks



m200

[Supervisor]

Anytime!