New v4.2.248 Public Beta Update Now Available!

[Erik Rutins]

Hello All,

We have a new update for Command Ops: Battles from the Bulge in the Members Club. It has a large number of fixes and changes, the original list is here, plus the ones below.

Please remember this is a Beta, and any feedback is appreciated.

[b]Change List V4.2.248 – December 5, 2011[/b][ul]
• Ensure Estab Wpn display updates for Intel enemy forces.
• Ensure timings of gameTasks are not incorrectly overwritten by playerTask. It now only
  updates the gameTask if the playerTask has been updated within the last minute (due to
  AI slippage) and provided the gameTask itself has not been changed. This fixes the
  problem with bombardment duration changes not sticking.
• Cater for historical schedule types when generating the end game messages. Addresses
  Assert at GameDocument line 879.
• Ignore supply requests that don't require fuel where the only available transport is bulk
  fuel vehicles. Addresses assert at ScenDepot line 1640.
• Ensure FinalReorg tasks are slipped properly when the assault task slips beyond their
  original start time. This address assert at ScenMissionPlan line4168.
• Fix crash bug (Access Violation) caused when the non-existent Subject of a task was
  being accessed inside TaskAttack::ObjectiveReached().
• Fix Formation Lockup issue
• Revise Fatigue Rates
• Modified Scenarios.

[/ul]


4.2.245 and 4.2.246 Changes

[canuck64]

sweet. Thanks Erik

(skulks away)[8D]

[wodin]

Thanks

[Genghis Khan]

It seems a little odd that we wait weeks and weeks for the new patch to be released, then just before it's
"supposed" to come out we find ourselves in the Beta testing phase. It would seem that the cart is way ahead of
the horse here. What happens next, we regress to a re-release of the previous patch of 2010? Can we expect the
actual patch (not a Beta) to be released any-time soon? An actual date would be nice, I'm pretty much fed up
with the "really soon" routine.

[wodin]

This is the patch, knowing Dave he has put BETA infront of it just incase we come across any bugs he missed. All other developers wouldn't bother saying BETA and just put it out.

So really we do have the full patch...which will be updated if we come across any bugs..as per all patches released for all games, just they don't have the honesty to call them beta patches.

[Genghis Khan]

Well that's Fantastic and I'm sure the software development community, world wide, is going to be aghast to find out they've been doing it wrong all these years.

[Lieste]

You are moaning about the 'name' Public Beta?? Or that Dave is actively listening to the user reports and fixing concerns (some of which are late problems arising from 11th hour changes to fix other issues).

[Genghis Khan]

Oh, I didn't realize we could still recommend changes, I was waiting until after the patch was released before I proposed any changes. I guess I'll get my list together and see if I can get them in on
this patch release then. I asked a legitimate question and if all I get in response is some lame attempt at an excuse then you're fortunate I only "moaned" a little. Someone tries to tell me a production
release is called a "Beta", then I can only think that I'm being regraded with a great deal of contempt and now my concerns are considered "moaning". I'm totally impressed.

[planetbrain]

How can there reasonably be a complaint about a patching process that actively involves the community?
Things are moving forward most acceptably, in my opinion.

[MorningDew]

I agree. Of course, if one paid attention, they would realize that one cycle of finding issues/releasing an new patch has already occurred. Maybe if it had been called RC and not beta all would have been fine. Of course, nothing would have changed, but it would have somehow been better

[wodin]

Genghis all I'm saying is really you have an issue with the word Beta. If Dave had released the patch and not put BETA you'd be happier I understand...but what difference does it make? Most game release patches...does that mean the previous patches where all beta? Who knows?

All I'm saying is you should really consider the Patch as released as of now. Forget the word BETA. It's as stable and fully fledged patch your likely to get from any other game...infact even more so. Take a look a Skyrim...they keep releaseing patches and they break the game more...but they don't say there BETA patches...yet really they are far more BETA than this games patch.

Dave has released a patch. He is a perfectionist so as a precaution and to send out a message to us all that if we find a bug he will fix it quickly he has said it is a BETA...but hey it's no more a BETA than any full patch you've installed for any of your other games.

Finally you need to curb your attitude...I'd tried to explain the best I could how Panther work compared to others..if thats lame so be it. Your replies drip with sarcasm. Which isn't a great way to reply to someone who was trying to explain something.

It's a great little community here. Te more the merrier but lets try and get on and have no flame wars.

[Arjuna]

It's Matrix policy now to first release a beta of the patch before going final. If nothing untoward is reported it becomes a final. In development parlance these are really "final candidates" but hey that's just splitting hairs.

The current Build 4.2.248 is looking very robust and no one has reported anything untoward with it. So it will probably go final next week. If anyone is perturbed by the term beta, so be it, wait until it goes final.

The bottom line is we are providing the fixes requested and more. Yes it has taken a long time and I appreciate that this causes some frustration. But I make no apologies for taking the time to ensure we get these changes done right. This is a very complex piece of software and it takes a lot of time to get things right throughout the many subsystems. We could have rushed these out the door and claimed they were a final patch and then we would have been criticised for releasing a final with serious deficiencies. It's our view that such an approach neither serves our interests nor those of our customers.

[gabeeg]

I whole heartedly support the Matrix method of beta before release. Devs and QA cannot catch everything, there is always situations that were not anticipated, configurations untested, etc. It is a good idea.

[kipanderson]

Hi,

Just a quick note...

The beta is so far looking very good. My problem with the original, and going back to previous versions, has always been that the units moved around more like squads or platoons than “operational units...”.

Happily they now do move more as I would expect operational units might. If being monitored on some mythical, WWII computer screen.

A very fine and complex wargame that does take some getting used to but with every tweak looks better and better from an original very good start many years go....

Congratulations... .

Hugely looking forward to the Eastern Front version....!

All the best,
Kip.

[Pawsy]

Keep up the good work and Im happy to play the beta and wait for the full patch.

[wodin]

ORIGINAL: kipanderson



Hugely looking forward to the Eastern Front version....!

All the best,
Kip.

Me to. The Panthers East Front and Combat Mission East front are the two titles I'm looking forward to more than any other games yet and I've been playing games on a computer since '83

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Hello All,

We have a new update for Command Ops: Battles from the Bulge in the Members Club. It has a large number of fixes and changes, the original list is here, plus the ones below.

Please remember this is a Beta, and any feedback is appreciated.

[b]Change List V4.2.248 – December 5, 2011[/b][ul] ...

That's odd: I only have the 4.2.246 update installed, yet my Members Club account doesn't show the latest .248 version.

Any explanations?

[Arjuna]

Can you please try flushing your browser cache?

[Tzar007]

Well, I just downloaded the patch today.

After installing it and firing BFTB (which I haven't played since some time and it's like getting reacquainted with a good old friend !), I then noticed today is December 16. This means that exactly 67 years ago, the Wacht am Rhein offensive officially started what would become known later as the Battle of the Bulge.

How fitting is that to get into BFTB again this very day? Can't ask for a better time for the patch [:D]

[decaro]

OK, I found it in the latest downloads link; it's just not appearing under the updates for My Games.