AT v1.20 public beta

[Vic]

INTRODUCTION

The public beta in v120 does mainly two things. Changes have been made to the engine that will allow smooth multi-scenario campaigns to be designed.

Second it gives some extra options when playing random games. Some of these options for random games are quite experimental, we will evaluate before making this patch a gold version. I am going on holiday in a week or so, so it might be after GenCon that this patch will become gold.

If there are any buggy things report immediatly so i can fix them before i go.

Get it here:
ftp://ftp.matrixgames.com/pub/AdvancedT ... 20beta.zip

CHANGELIST

Added the following options to random games. (using a new masterfile advanced.ptmaster instead of generic.ptmaster)

-Option: Seasons: If this option is activated. There will be 8 rounds of clear wheater. Followed by 2 rounds of mud. Followed by 4 rounds of winter. Followed by 2 rounds of mud. Then the cycle repeats. Mud halves movement of mechanized land troops and stops movement of air forces. Giving a small break to players with no air supriority. Winter halves the offensive strength of all land troops, but not of air or navy forces.

-Option: Rebellions: If this option is activated there is a 2% chance per town per round that rebels will appear near a town in question. If they do the rebels arrive in forces of on avergage 50 power points, with up to level III tech.

-Option: Factories: If enabled you will be able to build factories on plain,light forest and heavy forest hexes. Factories must be build at least 3 hexes appart from eachother. AI will not use this option.

-Option: Hardcore Logistics: If enabled then trucks will be double the price they normally are. Trains will be available. They are equal to trucks but they can carry only 5 troops themselves (trucks=20), they offer the same landcap though. Naval movement speed will be doubled. And most importantly your production can only arrive in the hex where it is produced. This means you will have to build HQs in every producing town. And do a lot of manual transferring. Supply still flows for free from HQ to HQ. (AI is not affected by this rule)

Option Nuclear: Allows you to research and build nuclear bombers and tactical nukes. Nuclear Bomber will waste any location except nuclear bunkers and underground factories. Nuclear bombers do not directly attack troops. Bombers will destroy infrastructure (almost always) completly and leave fallout. Tactical nukes will target troops and do relativly limited infrastructural dammage. Fallout spreads out every round. The radiation level on a hex is equal to the troops you will lose. Radiation levels drop 1 every round. The only protection from radiation is having your troops in the same hex as a nuclear bunker or an underground factory. However those locationtypes are expensive to build. The AI will not use nukes. It is advisable to also play with factories on if you play with the nuclear variant.

Option Diplomatics: More multiplayer random fun. Game starts with every player at war. But with this option turned on you can offer and make peace. Also there are cards to give PP grants to other players. All statistics which are normally hidden about casualties, kills and production are visible for everybody. Also you can share your recon with your allies if you feel like it.

-changed AS of ScoutIII + ScoutIV to 60ap so it works in Generic + Advanced masterfile.

-itemtype graphics through event pictures

-some 10 extra execs + 1 check

CheckResearch(reg,field)

ExecSetResearch(reg,res,0/1)

ExecLoad_UnitTransfer(reg,areaslot,maxperhex)ExecLoad_ResearchTransfer(reg)

ExecLocTypeBuildable(loctype#,0/1)

ExecAreaSpreadOut(areaslot,divideby)

ExecSetLoctypeDestruct(loctype#,landscapetype#,sprite#)

ExecSetResearchCostResearchfield#,peoplegroup#,cost in pp)"

ExecSetItemByPeopleGroup(ItemType#,peoplegroup#,1/0)

ExecCopyActionCard (+Set Name)(From#,Too#)

ExecSetActionCard (+Set Text)(Card#,TempVar0,TempVar1,EventPic#)

ExecGetReconFrom(From#)

-in russia41 =>43 event gives russian ss is fixed

-If FOW is OFF you can now add text to the historybook (done through the prefs menu), this way it is possible to create tactical and strategic tutorials.

-Transfer units in campaign possible (call the exec before you call load new scenario)

You can specify the areaslot which should be used for placement on the next map for the old units. 0= no placement on hex. Furthermore the higher numbers are filled first, then the lower numbers. Air and Navy units are transferred first. You can also specify the max per hex units to be transferred.

-Transfer research in campaign possible (call this exec before you call load new scenario)

All research settings for regime in question are transferred to the next map.

-Dont re-request passwords in campaign game

Same regime numbers are expected to have the same player and AI, prod bonus setting and passwords are copied.

-Import events from other scenario button added in editor (all or only group X or only event X)

-execload is executed immediatly if played through an action card. passwords, pbem, screenshots and terror settings are copied. rest is taken from scenario setting.

-Fixed an obscure but real security issue concerning pbem play. no further info given on purpose.

(upgrading to this new version will cause security warnings in running games)

kind regards,

VIC

[R.E.LEE]

Very nice Vic,i am pc and modding retarded,but i cant wait to see what the modding gods here make out of these changes,Vic i own 12 Matrix games and this one is by far the best and only BUG FREE game they have sold me,thanks alot Vic.[:)]

[Barthheart]

Hi Vic,

Cooool changes![8D]

But maybe a bug: playing random game, got to first turn of winter, got message that infantry,armour,landmobile units offensive reduced 50%. Love the new indications on the graphics! (See pic.) But some infantry seems to be not affected also trucks only down by 38%.[&:] All other infantry on map down by 50%, armour too.

Have a save if you need it.




ARRRGGHHH!!!! They reduced the picture size allowed from 500 KB to 200KB! Crappy res only!!!!! Matrix PLEASE fix!!!!![:@]

[Barthheart]

Ok, it seems to be newly built stuff isn't getting the winter penalty.

[serg3d1]

ORIGINAL: Vic

-Option: Hardcore Logistics: If enabled then trucks will be double the price they normally are. Trains will be available. They are equal to trucks but they can carry only 5 troops themselves (trucks=20), they offer the same landcap though. Naval movement speed will be doubled. And most importantly your production can only arrive in the hex where it is produced. This means you will have to build HQs in every producing town. And do a lot of manual transferring. Supply still flows for free from HQ to HQ. (AI is not affected by this rule)

Can we have option for hardcore logistic, but with automatic production forwarding ? Either divide this option in two - one train/tracks another forwarding, or give HQ ability forward everything (with exception of trains) to other HQ. Too many manual actions is never good...

[Vic]

hi everyone,
 
i will try to adress all feedback on v1.20 and do a new public beta upload just before i go on holiday. (soon)
 
then there will be a month of pause.
 
though maybe i will meet some of you on GenCon 2008 in Indianapolis!
 
kind reg,
vic

[Vic]

Ohh .. i guess i should mention that playing v.120 versus lower verions causes constant cheat messages.

so best play v120 vs other v120s if your allergic to those messages.

i actually just figured i have been causing some "wipe" messages myself in Iron Age 3 game

I am planning to add a text box pop up in lower versions after v120 went gold.

kind regards,
Vic

[Vic]

I'll be away untill after GenCon.
I hope in the meantime some playing (and testing) will be done on the new v1.20 so i can upgrade it to gold status in end of August.
 
Enjoy the holidays!
 
And maybe i'll see you on GenCon.
 
kind regards,
Vic

[Vic]

Ok i uploaded a hotfix of the advanced ptmaster file. this should stop the destruction of cities in nuclear is off.
http://www.advancedtactics.org/advanced.ptmaster
kind regards,
vic

[serg3d1]

Some bugs in 1.20
No mini icon for train in the production window. Empty square is not clickable, as result production couldn't be switched from the train.
Another nitpick - during winter turns hexes available for movement is difficult to see.

As I've posted before hardcore logistic hardly playable -  supply have to be moved manually between HQ's

Some thought about rebellion:
It could be made more tactical and more fun if -
1. rebel unit could appear only in the pocket of uncontrolled territory. The more pocket the more chance of appearing of rebel unit.
2. If there is no pocket in the vicinity of the city first empty pocket appear. It grow and chance of rebel unit appearance grow. There is some chance that unit and pocket appear on the same turn, but not big. That way it's more like real anti-guerrilla warfare - weak units policing the territory, and if situation turning hot regular units deal with it.

[Vic]

Hi Serg,
 
Interesting suggestion about the rebels.
 
@all,
 
i will continue work on v1.20 after GenCon!

[panzers]

Why is it asking too much to have a WWII campaign agaiinst the AI? I don't understand that for the life of me. I don't know how to use the pbem no matter how many people try and teach me how to use it, Talk about computer retarded. If I only knew how I would play forever. In the meantime, is it really too much to ask to have one against the AI. I don't buy, for a minute, it wouldn't work. If all the other games can do it, then I'm sure you fine folks can come up with some creative work to make it happen

[laska2k8]

Why is it asking too much to have a WWII campaign agaiinst the AI?

I totally agree with panzer, I don't want pbem, I ask for a solid game to play solitaire.

[Grymme]

Panzer:  

1) First. The title of the game is advanced TACTICS. The title alone pretty much say that yes, it is not something that could be demanded. Grand strategy scenarios are a bonus.
2) You can play the AI in a campaign game in World War II (delyn locksmith made a scenario for example, called third reich i think). The AI needs a little tweaking. But thats the case with many games. With the solid crowd playing this game i am quite sure it will be even better. There is also an AI scenario for World War I.
3) Do you know how to save your games? Do you know how to send an email? Then i promise you i can teach you how to play PBEM. It really doesnt have anything to do with computer skills and even a computer illitirate can learn. 

Laskar2k4: Dont you think you got a solid game? I can only speak for myself that i think this is the best and most versatile game since civilization and europa universalis.

[laska2k8]

Laskar2k4: Dont you think you got a solid game?

Yes I think that is a pretty solid engine and this game is among my favourites (CotA, Opart III, SSG games), but as stated by Vic:

"A few roles dont work yet because the AI does not know how to use them. These are: Paradrop, AA, Transporter and Bomber strategic."

It seems that some adjustments have priority before all...

max

[theonlystd]

Some of my first impressions of this..

I love the seasons.. But if we could get winters color darkened a bit or something. Its pretty hard to see the movement sphere with the current background.

Rebels.. Hate em.. Spawning next to my towns with tanks that i couldnt even build doesnt make much sence.. I liked the suggestion of them spawning in pockets. Maybe out of out of supply enemy pockets you hadnt taken control of. Would be like partisans and would give yea reason to hit those areas instead of just keep on cruising down the road to the next town..


I wont be messing with the logistics thing.. To much work..

And havnt got far enough to play with nukes yet.

[Widell]

ORIGINAL: theonlystd
Rebels.... Spawning next to my towns with tanks that i couldnt even build doesnt make much sence..

Are the rebels possible to edit in terms of what SF_Types they have access to? If that's the case it should be an easy fix to make sure they are not "overtech" for the particular scenario.... Have to admit I haven't looked at the 1.20 due to summer vacation, so the question may be redundant...

[theonlystd]

ai likes attacking in the winter entirely to much.. It makes it even easier to beat em if they throw all there troops at yea with a 50% penalty..

[Vic]

Thanks for all the feedback.

The gold v1.20 should be uploaded soon. I just send it to Matrix.

I fixed bugs with winter penalties, the lacking of a picture of a train/nuke to click on, colour of highlight in winter, and overpowered rebel units. As well as some other small stuff nobody noticed.

It should be up within a few days.

kind regards,
Vic

[Widell]

Looking forward to it. Keep up the good work Vic!