Public Beta 2008.044 uploaded

[Greg Wilcox]

Hi everyone,

We've got a Public Beta (v2008.044) Update available (both incremental and comprehensive) via our Members Club. While we do final testing we figured we'd offer you a change to get it early as well. This is still a beta, but it's stable and solid as far as we can tell.
You can download either the compressive or the incremental as a Registered Download as long as you have registered your Larry Bond's Harpoon Commander's Edition serial number in our Members Club (click on the MEMBERS link in the top nav bar).

WARNING ! The comprehensive patch is quite a large update and weighs in at 284MB!


Here's the change list:
New Features:
• BattleSet Builder - Databases may now be embedded in user BattleSets, to distribute a map, scenarios, and database in one package the user need only distribute two files.
• Split most sounds for the game into individual wav files enabling the user to customize the sounds.
• Split many game graphics for the game into individual bitmap files, enabling the user to customize the look of the game.
• Submarines and ships will now become more noisy on sonar as their level of damage increases.
• When user clicks and sees a distance on the status bar the water depth at the clicked location will also be shown.
• New splash screens upon game startup!
• Added a shell Caribbean Basin BattleSet. We look forward to adding scenarios crafted by users over the next few releases.
• Added a shell South Atlantic BattleSet
• Added a shell South Africa BattleSet
• Added a shell Middle East BattleSet
• Updated HCDB database
Aircraft:
A-50E – India
E-6A Mercury – USA
E-6B Mercury – USA
Eurofighter – Germany
Eurofighter – Italy
Eurofighter – Spain
H-6DU Badger - China
H-6M Badger – China
H-6U Badger – China
HD-5 Beagle – China
Il-78MKI – India
Il-80 Maxdome – Russia
KC-45A – USA
ScanEagle Block D – USA
Su-25SM Frogfoot C – Russia
Typhoon F2 – UK
Y-8EW – China

Ships:
Albion LPD – UK
Atago DDG - Japan
Atago (BMD) DDG - Japan
Bartolomeu (M class) FF - Portugal
Berrio (Rover) AOR – Portugal
Canberra LHD – Australia
Cheng Kung mod FFG – Taiwan
Dajiang ASR – China
Dalang (Type 922) ASR – China
Dolores Chouest ASR – USA
Dongdiao AGI – China
Flyvefisken (C-FLEX) PTM - Denmark
Flyvefisken (Lith) PTM – Lithuania
Fuchi AOR – China
Fuxianhu AFS – China
Gorshkov (22350) FFG – Russia
Hobart (F100) DDG – Australia
Houbei (Type 022) PTM – China
Hsiung Feng III Bty – Taiwan
Hyuga CVH – Japan
Invincible AGM – USA
Juan Carlos I (BPE) LHD – Spain
Kellie Chouest ASR - USA
L'Audacieuse (P400) OPV – France
LNG carrier – Intl
Observation Island AGM – USA
SAM SLAMRAAM-ER Bty – Intl
SAM Starstreak Team – Intl
Seehund MCM – Germany
Stalwart AGOS – USA
Svalbard OPV – Norway
Tug (ocean going) ATF – Intl
Type 143 (Tunisia) PTM – Tunisia
Type 143A Gepard (83) PTM – FRG
Type 352 Ensdorf MCM – Germany
Victorious AGOS – USA
Xiangyanghong AGOR – China
Yuanwang (Type 718) AGM – China
Yuzhao (Type 071) LPD – China
Zumwalt DDG - USA

Submarines:
Trafalgar (UFP) SSN – UK
Trafalgar (1983) SSN – UK
Tridente (Type 209PN) SS – Portugal
Triumph (1991) SSN – UK


Bug Fixes/Workarounds:
• Crash Fixed - Using PicIDs above a certain limit could crash the GE or SE when using the Platform Display. The limits have been lifted and thousands of platform photos should now be possible.
• Crash Fixed - Game will no longer crash when a BattleSet has no scenarios. This would happen with user created BattleSets on occasion.
• Crash Fixed - When going from a BattleSet with 9 scenarios to one with fewer scenarios (say 6), the game could crash. This has been remedied.
• Crash Fixed - Occasionally when a torpedo attack was being resolved the game would crash. This occured if the torpedo annex wasn't loaded when information was requested from the torpedo annex.
• Fix - Planes now will not try to fire cannon when outside one AAM range and within the minimum range of the next AAM. The player is now prompted to close range to the closer AAM or extend range to the longer ranged AAM.
• Fix - For pre-commondb BattleSets, play prop launch sound only when propulsion type == 1. This prevents the E-2 and such from sounding like jets in legacy BattleSets.
• Fix - EC2003 IOPG Scenario 5.0 Victory Conditions fixed, AOE ship type changed to MPS.
• Fix - WestPac 2.0 Blue paths will no longer result in grounded units as long as players stop each group at the end of its path.
• Fix - WestPac 2.0 Victory Conditions are now possible to achieve.
• Fix - The Orders Writer will now prompt the user to put text in each tab if they have not done so. This prevents losing precious work without warning.
• Fix - The BS Builder now does a better job of creating the smaller bitmaps from the large maptif image allowing the use of more varied source TIF files such as CleanTopo2 (http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.ph ... owfile=268)
• Fix - Removed the depth check that prevents submarines from firing missiles at Shallow or higher.
• Fix - Allow more than 255 names per platform in the Platform Editor. This is good for AAA and SAM installations, not to mention other ground units.
• Fix - Calculating distances when two units were in the same location was giving spurious results (like large negative ranges...), fixed.
• Fix - Game could enter an endless loop when an intercept's target unit became undetected or otherwise removed from play.
• Fix - Partial fix for an inability to fire ARMs at child units of a group whose central unit is not radiating. The player can now fire ARMs at the other units in the group that are still radiating.
• Fix - Widened game clock time display in status bar and made the width dependent upon screen DPI.
• Fix - Group icons will no longer run away from the range circles for the group...
• Note - BS Builder BattleSets may now contain 21 scenarios, the previous limit was 12.

[cpdeyoung]

Greg,
 
I can get to the download link on the Member's page, but the FTP server fusses at me, and asks for a userID and password.
 
Chuck

[Greg Wilcox]

Looks like we've got something odd going on. I'll have to contact our web guy and we should have it working soon. I'll post as soon as we get it fixed.

-Greg

[Greg Wilcox]

We've got it working again sorry about the glitch.

-Greg

[cpdeyoung]

Downloaded fine, thanks.  Can't wait to try it.
 
Chuck

[RA5C]

[font=tahoma]Obviously I am missing something.  I registered for the members page (which appears to be a different registration then the Marix Forums) but cannot find the download.  Perhaps I missed something?..[/font]

[RA5C]

[font="Tahoma"]Disregard... I finally got it to take (7th try) and am downloading now. Is it just me or is this sort of a slow download?..[/font]

[cpdeyoung]

I really like what you have done with the opening photo montage.  Very attractive.
 
Chuck

[TonyE]

ORIGINAL: cpdeyoung

I really like what you have done with the opening photo montage.  Very attractive.

Chuck

The artist under contract to AGSI whipped those out. Rather than picking one I decided I liked them all [:)]. You can replace some of the game graphics in 2008.044 if you so choose ((sounds as well), see the Graphics and Sounds folders for info and the existing resources).

[RA5C]

[font="Tahoma"]For those platforms missing images, may we submit images (assume they would be included in future updates/releases)?..[/font]

[TonyE]

Rabbit, yes, users can submit images as long as there is some proof that there is permission to distribute them in the game without royalties.  Perhaps you want to head up the project since you are a beta tester
 
 

[NefariousKoel]

ORIGINAL: TonyE

Rabbit, yes, users can submit images as long as there is some proof that there is permission to distribute them in the game without royalties. Perhaps you want to head up the project since you are a beta tester

OOoooo! Somebody just got "volunteered". [:D]

[RedMike]

I just downloaded the game, installed it, and registered my copy in the members area but I can't dl the beta patch. Times out on me. I'd like to get the incremental patch asap, thanks!!

RedMike...out

[TonyE]

RedMike, I suggest you write support@matrixgames.com since there hasn't been a reply here.  I did a download of both the comprehensive and incremental patch last night (Wireless connected to DSL) using IE7 with no issues.
 
If your download is starting and stalling part-way into the download, you might try using a 'real' FTP client like FileZilla that can continue the download from wheren it left off.
 
 

[RedMike]

TonyE,

Thanks for responding. I did write support@matrixgames.com but no response as of yet.

I use firefox, I'll try it with IE and see if that works. I get an error immediately stating the connection was reset.

[erict]

Is anyone having issues with torpedos? Playing as Russia it seems like the SET-80s don't guide or lockon to any targets. Not sure if it's a game or database issue.

[CV32]

ORIGINAL: erict
Is anyone having issues with torpedos? Playing as Russia it seems like the SET-80s don't guide or lockon to any targets. Not sure if it's a game or database issue.

Would you mind starting a new thread, please? (So we can avoid clogging this one and so discussion on the issue is easier to locate). I'll respond to your post there. Thanks in advance. [:)]

[RedMike]

I STILL have no resolution of this problem. The d/l links in registered downloads in the members area are broken. I can't start either the incremental or full patch downloads.

I submitted a report to Matrix but no resolution yet.

HELP!!

[CV32]

ORIGINAL: RedMike
I STILL have no resolution of this problem. The d/l links in registered downloads in the members area are broken. I can't start either the incremental or full patch downloads. I submitted a report to Matrix but no resolution yet. HELP!!

Bummer. I'll send along a request of my own, RedMike, on your behalf. Hopefully we can get some attention to the issue.

[Greg Wilcox]

Sorry for the cross up in someone getting in touch with you.

I'm currently not seeing any problem with the links. I just tried to download one and it downloaded just fine, are you getting an error message of any kind?


-Greg