RHS x.7866 plan NOW 7.787 Uploading and Plans

[el cid again]

I have changed the way some multiple ship units are listed device wise. There are two systems and an exception:

a) Small vessels with a durability of 1 per hull lump all weapons of the same type and facing - so when you hit any vessel - you take out all weapons on that facing.

b) Larger vessels with a duribility of 2 or more per hull retain the actual mounting value like a regular naval unit.

Exception: ASW weapons remain as for a normal naval unit, but with twice as many shots - these are always on 2 ship units and the two ships attack submarines separately and alternately.

These changes will retrofit to Levels 5 and 6 if we ever issue updates for any reason (say changing the aircraft in a family - which means all levels must change to the art will still work with all scenarios).

[el cid again]

I have converted type SS landing ships to two ship units. I found that there were four vessels (for which we have no known numbers) building - 3 of them at Hong Kong - and I put all 4 there (because these units now are pairs). IF the war lasts long enough AND IF Hong Kong is not damaged enough - they will eventually appear there. There are a total of 13 possible units in CVO and BBO family scenarios and 22 possible units in EOS family scenarios - all of them IJA naval units.

Levels 5 and 6 will NOT retrofit to use these revised units even if/when updated.

[Buck Beach]

Tough to keep up with you Sid.[:)] Sure wish they would have made the game where OOB and most other changes could be applied to on-going games. That first turn is a mother!!

[el cid again]

It is actually possible to both fix ongoing games or to change some aspects of the databases (e.g. the devices for example) for an ongoing game. Indeed, quoting one programmer on the inside "any competent programmer could do it." It is just not worth the effort - mostly.

In any case - we are going to stop development - probably by Tuesday - and we will focus on support materials and human vs human testing.

[el cid again]

We are going to move three locations - Capetown - Recife and Valparaiso are going to shuffle. There is a hard code associated with various location slots - and the present Recife is too near the "edge" of the permitted zone. It works a bit farther west (and does well in Level 6 as South Atlantic Entry Point). So we will let it be Capetown. Capetown will be the new alternate (for Aden) British entry-exit hex. Tests indicate that Recife no longer moves to hex 0,0 - and Capetown also behaves properly. This change will be called 7.787 - and also will include some new Japanese landing ship classes - pairing of older ones - and conversion of Bangor/Bathurst vessels to a different designation for RAN.

Meanwhile, a slight revision of Levels 5 and 6 wil lbe issued under the x.7866 designation - to imply they are NOT the same as 7.787 - and they will not get the ship changes of 7.787 - except there are some date of entry changes to the IJA LSMs - as eratta - but these remain as single ship units.

These changes mean there will be a new Level 7 Economic Utility set - designated 7.787.

ALL THREE LEVELS will be frozen development wise at these levels. ETA 24-48 hours.

[Buck Beach]

Do you have a feel for an ETA on this update?  From your description of the correcting issue,  it looks to be really one I should wait for before starting anew.

[el cid again]

Tomorrow. This is a wrap up. All that will remain (besides extensive human vs human testing) is to complete EEO.

[Historiker]

Have you thought about a Japanese Base named "Germany" at the channels through the Atlantic? When the Japs get a few short legged VIC-subs (and perhaps even a few planes?) there while the base is non-conquerable by HR or by garrison with supplies coming off map and a big repair yard, it might simulate that there was also a thread by german subs in this route.
As the allied ships have to "drive over" this german subs there, they might be very weak and not to many of them, to simulate the wide ocean...

Just an idea...

[el cid again]

Well yes - and it was rejected. Joe Wilkerson said "I think a reasonable limit for War In The Pacific is - the Atlantic!"
For lots of reasons he is correct.

We lack slots to add locations or units.

We would have to add lots of Allied bases and units to make the contest fair.

Channels are not ideal places to simulate sub war in open oceans. We let ETO be ETO - and only consider what enters PTO. The ship channels Atlantic side are ONLY FOR ALLIED USE to permit shifting of forces "around the backside of the world" to mess up enemy understanding of when what will appear - and maybe to route supplies, resources, etc in ways to enhance the war effort - and maybe be contingency routes if some map edge point is effectively blocked. They are NOT for contesting or even entry by Axis forces.

We have technical problems along the SE map edge area - land units don't work right and even most bases don't work right. Takes great effort to address the latter and the former seems impossible.

[Historiker]

Ok, thx

[el cid again]

I had to revise the alternate entry hex to Oman. [EDIT: I do not like this and want to use Capetown. We will see]

I got the Aussie minesweepers rerated.

I converted T-1 class APDs to two ship units.

All the Army Type SS LSMs are converted to two ship units as well.

[el cid again]

Added Type 101 and 103 landing ships - these being more or less LSMs -

the Navy got 3 pairs of each completed in 1944 - although nominally the 103s were for the Army.
For EOS family I put them back in the Army - because superior planning keeps homogenious groups of vessels
under same organization control.

The Army got rather more of its type - not yet figured out.

Many more units planned but not completed. At the moment I permit completion of another 3 pairs of 101s for the Navy, using all the slots available in the particular series. I added 8 months to the completion dates for the first 3 pairs. This is awfully conservative - all six vessels launched some unknown date in 1944.

EEO does not get Type 101 landing ships - instead these six units complete as Mikura DEs - using the same engines and steel but only half the yard space/labor. About the same weapons though.

[el cid again]

Some base testing issues unresolved.

IJA SB type LSMs not yet added.

Possible plane modifications still to work out.

Going to work now.

[ny59giants]

What about a possible work around for games already in progress??

[el cid again]

What do you wish to work around? It is all a question of details. It can be done - it probably is not worth it.
But the less that needs to be done, the easier it is. There is also the problem of security - so a game in progress needs a mechanism to insure both sides agree to the workaround.

[el cid again]

ETA Thursday Nov 15 (tomorrow)

[el cid again]

7.787 scenarios sent to primary distribution list.

We will do one update only for ship art pointers and eratta - which should not impact games in progress.
We will release EOS air art updates when/if available- but they will plug into games in progress.
We will update after Matrix changes the code (December???) - and/or after human testing indicates a need for it - but
otherwise - development is over. We are error punching now. This is "semi-frozen" - don't look for regular updates any longer.

[el cid again]

All Level 7 Scenarios sent to primary distribution list about 6 hours ago. So were RHSAIO for Levels 5 and 6 (which had a location problem). Will send more now. These will be posted in due course. You also can get direct copies from any member of the RHS team with them - or sending email to trevethans@aol.com.

These should be in a form that do NOT require further updates - updates will be a courtesy for new game starts. Changes in ship art will work with these pointers - even if there are better options bye and bye. Same for air art.
The idea here is to get some feedback from games - so we can find all eratta and technical problems - and fix them in the longer term.

After Matrix next update - which will be a while - we will to a major update to fit it - and work in anything we have learned.

[Historiker]

Have you uploaded EOS?
I recieved nothing!

[Mifune]

RHS EOS v7.787 is up on the RHS web site. Also I just uploaded the RHS EEO v7.787 which was lacking.