RHS x.751 files uploaded/to upload

[el cid again]

It appears that ship art issues were pretty much addressed - but there are at least two pointers which are not right. [HMS Albatross starts with the right art, but the upgrade isn't right, for example - it still points at a US seaplane carrier - the original temporary art]

These file sets all have a leader file debugged by Blitzk.

There are a small but irritating number of other eratta - probably the worst of which are duplicated leaders.

I have yet to create the aircraft files for x.75. When I do so I will also update any other file that has identified eratta - so x.75 will correct everything. It does not yet appear we have the final Japanese aircraft art, but we do have an updated version of the revised RHS ship art - which I am not yet in a position to confirm but which I assume resolves most of those issues (other than the two pointers described above).

It is a good time to report eratta - as it can also be folded in. I probably will release x.75 tomorrow. If aircraft art is not yet done, it will take the form of x.744 - with an x.75 aircraft file microupdate to be applied after the planes are out.

I also need to update Level 5 and 6 pwhex files in some minor respects - and those will the final releases.

[witpqs]

The latest EOS (7.743), USN 16th Naval District HQ located in Manila, is assigned to US Western Command.

[witpqs]

Two issues noted with Pwhex.dat (latest for version 7), plus one suggestion:

- Calcutta (29,23) and all points upriver are now land-locked. In Calcutta (29,23) the Left-side of the hex should be white, but is green (no ships can pass).

- The river in Burma that runs from Bhamo through Mandalay and other bases to Rangoon is blocked from the sea at the Rangoon/Bassein end. Results is that all ships along the river are blocked from the sea.

A suggestion: As you have added an invisible railway between Durban and Cape Town, you might also consider adding an invisible railway between New Orleans and San Diego or Salt Lake City.

[Buck Beach]

The river systems mentioned as being land locked (and well as almost all the others) is not a new issue, they have been that way going back to when the river ports and ships were built into RHS.

[el cid again]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Two issues noted with Pwhex.dat (latest for version 7), plus one suggestion:

- Calcutta (29,23) and all points upriver are now land-locked. In Calcutta (29,23) the Left-side of the hex should be white, but is green (no ships can pass).

EDIT: This is deliberate. In come cases it is completey correct: the Mekong River has TWO "interior river systems" - divided by a real waterfall and rapids in Cambodia - and ships and river craft are restricted to operating above an below it. The Yangtze has two river systems - an "exterior" one running from the sea to Wuhan - and an "interior" one running from Wuhan to Chunking - and also far to the South. IRL then and now, ocean ships can pass as far as Wuhan, but not above it. The "interior" systems are intended to be for small craft only - craft not entirely suitable for ocean navigation. Now the triple river system of India is a compromise. Today it is not passabile to ocean ships, but some ships could pass in WWII - and smaller steamer service did exist part way up the river system. We made this lower area an external river system - and got many objections that battleships could not really operate effectively in it. When we added river vessels, we had to isolate the entire system to simulate the river traffic between upper and lower systems. These work well IF you do NOT permit the AI to control the Allies - and since AI can NOT run the Allies in any case - it is not a problem IMHO. However, we may do a version without these craft and interior rivers at all. I think they are wonderful chrome - and sometimes they permit significant rapid flanking of the enemy as IRL - but they are definitely not something the AI understands. On the other hand - if you bother to look at AI controlled task forces - you will soon realize it is horrible most of the time at sea - and rarely it does something sensible in the interior river systems.

- The river in Burma that runs from Bhamo through Mandalay and other bases to Rangoon is blocked from the sea at the Rangoon/Bassein end. Results is that all ships along the river are blocked from the sea.

REPLY: This is deliberate. River ships will not run to sea - nor will ocean ships run up shallow rivers. It is not entirely right - but it is more right than wrong - and a reasonable compromise. You CAN make minor vessels appear on interior rivers if you wish.

A suggestion: As you have added an invisible railway between Durban and Cape Town, you might also consider adding an invisible railway between New Orleans and San Diego or Salt Lake City.

REPLY: I cannot. The AI would then defeat a significant RHS economic mechanism. It would import oil and resources to from these points. Right now - IF the Allies send resources to New Orleans - (or the South Atlantic Entry point in Level 6) they will get MORE supplies than if they do not. It is a reward for exporting resources - something that was done in a big way IRL from India and Australia.

[witpqs]

Thanks, Sid. I missed when they were introduced and didn't realize that was intentional.

[witpqs]

EOS 7.743 (??? latest anyway)

RIN Naval HQ located in Bombay at game start, is attached to India Command, is an Indian unit, but plays as Japanese!

[el cid again]

What does that mean = plays as Japanese???

[el cid again]

There is a new leader file by Blitzk - he says some leaders needed date of appearence corrections.

Cobra says we will have some aircraft filmstrips about tomorrow.

So I will redo the few eratta (including two ship art pointers), the leader file, and the aircraft file (changing two pointers),
and the few eratta - and issue x.75. We may make it comprehensive for convenience.

Up and running on a new laptop in Seattle.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: el cid again

What does that mean = plays as Japanese???

It means that when you start the game it is a Japanese unit, not an Allied unit.

[el cid again]

We have a report (BLITZK investigated first) that this must be a hard code issue. I will move it to a different slot.

[el cid again]

I have finally been able to get a set of art that works - for EOS - and also to fold every sort of detected eratta for RHSEOS (all levels) -
so they are uploading now. This is final for human testing and frozen at this point.

I have a problem with a single plane in RHS standard (the other five scenarios). I think my files are perfect and we need to change a bitmap. IF Cobra confirms that, we will issue the rest of the files. They will also be frozen when released.

We now have revised standardized Japanese ship art. I think we need a revised standard plane art filmstrip for Japan - and if so - expect to get that from Cobra. This is the only loose end for standard RHS left.

I will proceed to revise Level 5 and Level 6 pwhex file sets to the same technical standard as Level 7. These are technical changes and pose no risk to games in progress.

[el cid again]

While there appear to be some aircraf art issues, these do not seem to require any changes of pointers in data files - so all scenarios will be released to the current level - which is x.751. The EOS files released at x.75 will also be updated to this level.

x.751 differs in two ways from x.75 level:

a) There are about four location eratta worked in

b) A number of small transport subs are replaced by larger transport subs in IJN but ONLY in the BBO type
scenarios (including RPO and PPO) - because that was the original plan.

CVO and BBO already have uploaded to this standard. The rest will follow as time permits.

It appears that we can freeze at this point - so we will do so tentatively.