Improvements for SPWAW 5.0 :-)

Alby · Post by **Alby** » Sun Dec 31, 2000 7:23 pm

1.German Wuferman40 rocket battery 100 pts cheaper than 81mm mortars? 200 cheaper than 120s doesnt seem right seeing how lethal those babies are..Only Arty unit that regularly destroys tanks.
2. Elefants waaaaay to cheap, much cheaper than jadgpanther, doesnt seem right either...
3. Snipers and crews that carry only rifle assualting tanks...with ?, I had a sniper destroy a greyhound with one shot from kar rifle...
4. Crewman on OT34 carry flamethrowers, possible i guess if they rip one out of the tank before exiting...
5. After deploying spec ops troops, you can right click on them to see which turn they will arrive, If they have turn99 you know they wont make it, so just cancel mission and redo until you get something other than turn99 allowing ALL spec ops to infiltrate, This needs fixing.
6. why does AA seem to always hit strike aircraft, but misses those big lumbering cargo planes?

rexmonday · Post by **rexmonday** » Sun Dec 31, 2000 10:54 pm

How about a hotkey for save game that can be used during the AI's turn (yeah, I know, I'm a wuss for playing against the machine)? It can be mighty annoying to have an infantry ambush all set up for the oncoming tanks when the doorbell starts to ring...

kao16 · Post by **kao16** » Mon Jan 01, 2001 9:15 am

Given the problems associated with the steel.prf file: How about, when you first start the game have either an overlay dialog box saying "do you wish to delete existing steel.prf yes/ no" - return = yes, or add another button to the menu: "delete existing steel.prf".

About breakdowns and repairs: how about adding options similar to troop quality etc so that individual can customise: Turn it on/off, Designed defaults vs customised values for each side based on user's own valuation (turn them up/down to suit).

FM · Post by FM » Mon Jan 01, 2001 8:50 pm

Could it be possible to have separate "number of kills": one for tank kills and one for other kills?

In that way, it will be possible to really measure the performances of our tankers and compare them to famous "Tank Aces" like Wittmann and others.

------------------
"Qui voit le ciel dans l'eau voit les poissons sur les arbres"

jaro · Post by **jaro** » Mon Jan 01, 2001 10:40 pm

Some ideas:
1.Why Long Campaign ends in March 1945 and not in May 1945?
2.About Victory flags in Long Campaign.Meeting Engagments are very easy.You just stop at middle objectives and shoot everything what AI send at you.(with Tiger's or Panthers it is a Turkey shooting).I had played every Steel Panthers game(I,II,III,WaW),but most interesting meeting engagment i played 29-30.12 2000.Those first batles in Victors hard campaign were most hardest fighting i ever saw.So what about use similar victory flags placement in long campaign meeting engagments too?5.What about make some limitation's in long campaign for Poland in 1939? I want play a Blitzkrieg and game give me a defend misions.
3.Why in WaW isn't enemy Counteratack or continue attacking function like in SPI or SPII?
In ww2 many units never has a original number of tanks.They were in repairs or destroied but in long campaign you fight one battle for a month with complete repaired stuff.

Kharan · Post by **Kharan** » Mon Jan 01, 2001 10:53 pm

You could add a limit for AI's air sections (about 8 sections?). No sane player would use most his points on aircraft, but the AI would.

Armored cars run away from tanks. Can crews be made to automatically run away from *any* combat troops that come closer than 3 hexes? This would solve the tank busting crews-problem and also limit their use as cannon fodder and scouts.

One new (or reintroduced) feature I would like is that the game would randomly add 1-3 turns at the end of each battle.

Charles22 · Post by **Charles22** » Mon Jan 01, 2001 11:26 pm

I definitely agree with jaro when he said:

3.Why in WaW isn't enemy Counteratack or continue attacking function like in SPI or SPII?

I think it would add more decisions (almost always good), and I have played and enjoyed that. It seems to me that SP1 didn't have this, but that it was SP3 instead. I wouldn't know of SP2 had it or not.

Pave · Post by **Pave** » Tue Jan 02, 2001 4:30 am

-Weight limits for bridges
-Ice (can be braken with arty)
-Triggered events ("a bridge blows up at turn X", "if you enter this hex Y, a bunch of Tigers appear at hex Z",...) Commandoes could place time bombs/booby traps/mines in places. I have had a couple of situations were I could have used these.
-You can make a smoke screen in desert by moving a vehicle and undoing it (repeat this). Remove this bug (maybe no undo?)
-Right camouflage in different environment. Now I have yellow/green tanks in winter.
-Maybe you could link the train cars (like a linked list). Only the engine can be moved, but moving it will cause that the car linked to it will move to hex were the engine was before. The second car linked to the first car moves to hex were #1 car was and so on. The engine (and thus train cars) can move only on hexes with railway and no shell holes (rail broken). Destroying a car/engine breaks one link.

Those new icons and pics for units in 4.5 are nice (many thanks for that). Unfortunately, very little was done to the errors in unit information. My first wish is that please could someone check all the units in every OOB and fix the pictures and errors. Things like an aircraft with 20 guns and no ammo or Jackson with useless APCR ammo are nasty.

Anyway, the game is already great and much better that I ever imagined SP series game could be. Thanks.

rexmonday · Post by **rexmonday** » Tue Jan 02, 2001 6:24 am

Re. the message above about long campaigns ending in March 1945 - I haven't got this far in SPWAW, but seem to remember that in SP1 the same happened - what about the fight against the Japanese... does this finish for VE day as well, instead of going on to VJ day? I know this would be easy to check with a simple test, but I don't have SPWAW on this machine.

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Tue Jan 02, 2001 4:24 pm

This one came to my mind reading the "Infantery Assault" Topic and some own eyperience in PBEMs:

I have HIT a tank five times 15 hexes away with a 50 cal HMG. The status still reads "ready" not "buttoned". Ok button up should be based on experience but 5 times of hitting ?
So what about making button up not based on suppresion points?
And then the crew should not open up in the next turn. Lets say after the get hit there has to be a timeperiod in wich they are not fired on, then they open up. But if you then regulary spray them with MG-fire. They will stay buttoned.

Kluckenbill · Post by **Kluckenbill** » Tue Jan 02, 2001 7:16 pm

I'd like to see a "Delay" option for PBEM games. The defending unit would fire at attackers until they returned fire, then it would retreat. The current method of fighting until destroyed is realistic for the Main Line of Resistance, but not for a delaying force.

I'd also still like to see improvements in the Op FIre routine for PBEM. I know this has been addressed before and is unlikely to happen, but hey, I tried.

I'd also like to reduce the effectiveness of infantry close-assaulting tanks. I think their effectiveness should be based on their organic AT weapons, not some mysterious close assault capability.

I too like the idea of a "Pause" capability during the AI's move. My wife and kids always have issues that need to be addressed immediately, right when I spring the big ambush and I have to make Op Fire decisions.

Finally, thanks for a truly amazing game. I play SPWAW far more than any other computer game. Rest assured that when you guys start selling stuff I'll be buying.

------------------
Target, Cease Fire !

Charles22 · Post by **Charles22** » Tue Jan 02, 2001 8:42 pm

One thing that this close-assault on tanks brings to mind, is that one of the factors of tanks surviving is it's speed when attacked. The problem here is that tanks don't retain their speed. So if you would wish to somewhat simulate an overrun attack, you would need to back up a few hexes to get a head of steam, whether the previous turn you were at full speed or not. I guess it's a difficult concept. If the prior turn tha tank were going fast, and it's statinoary on the turn, wouldn't it have to be zooming around the hex, to actually be going that fast and continue in that hex? If that were so, then surely the tank will be exposing some of it's flank and rear at times to enemy fire.

Cona · Post by **Cona** » Wed Jan 03, 2001 5:38 am

What about re-thinking Command & Control ? I like the option and never played without it, but "no step back" once an objective is set is a bit drastic.
Other problem of C&C deals with transport type units who which objetives usually aren´t VH but move troops and vehicles and have to wait several turns to build up enough orders points.
Of course, remains the frequently mentioned problem of the squads that being isolated cannot move in no way, even being experienced troops.

Saludos a todos,
Cona.

kao16 · Post by **kao16** » Wed Jan 03, 2001 8:06 am

Let player fire smoke dischargers in Op-fire.

e.g. Puma armoured cars in cover when T34/85s (lots of them) suddenly appear and start shooting at them - I'm pretty sure the chance of penetrating with the 50mm L60 on front armour isn't good, and when I'm out numbered 7 - 2, discretion is the better part of valour. I want to be able to pop smoke to protect my vehicles ratehr than get into a fire-fight with people I can't hurt but can blow me away.

Anzac · Post by **Anzac** » Wed Jan 03, 2001 9:04 am

Gidday folks.

I love all these ideas but I particularly like the previous one abt being able to pop smoke as opportunity fire. That's a hell cool idea. It's like a featherweight taking on a heavyweight when you have a tank vs. a/c situation.

So getting out of it would be cool.

I also like the idea of different icons for tank/infantry kills.

Anyway I know that whatever improvements the dudes at Matrix make will just make the game even better. Can anyone remember ver. 1.0? How far SPWAW has come! Long live SPWAW!

------------------
Anzac

"Lest We Forget"

heintz28 · Post by **heintz28** » Wed Jan 03, 2001 11:58 pm

I really like that defensive smoke idea...

also I'd like to see the addition of infantry
casualties and unitID to the scrolling messages in the bottom right corner.

[This message has been edited by heintz28 (edited January 03, 2001).]

Kharan · Post by **Kharan** » Thu Jan 04, 2001 12:00 am

Originally posted by Kharan:

-Surrendering player shouldn't get points for his victory hexes.

This is important in league SPWAW where the points are the only thing that matters. A player can rush to the vhexes and surrender, getting a few thousand points while his opponent gets nothing.

By the by, is it intentional that non-moving units with advance stance go "In cover"?

Beetlecat · Post by **Beetlecat** » Thu Jan 04, 2001 1:02 am

Originally posted by Anzac:
Gidday folks.

I love all these ideas but I particularly like the previous one abt being able to pop smoke as opportunity fire. That's a hell cool idea. It's like a featherweight taking on a heavyweight when you have a tank vs. a/c situation. So getting out of it would be cool.

I also like the idea of different icons for tank/infantry kills.

Anyway I know that whatever improvements the dudes at Matrix make will just make the game even better. Can anyone remember ver. 1.0? How far SPWAW has come! Long live SPWAW!

Yes indeed! SPWaW has to be one of the greatest stories of the last 1000 years.

Regarding the popping of smoke, am I on drugs, or did this happen quite frequently in SP1?

I remember moving an AFV forward and ending my turn only to see tank after tank appear and start firing back. The only thing that saved it was the fact that either it or an adjacent vehicle popped smoke in the line of sight of the opposing vehicles.

This happened quite often and probably doesn't appear now due to the fact that SP3 may not have had this type of op fire..

As for tank/inf/gun/truck kills being indicated... It would be nice but not crucial

-layne

Kharan · Post by **Kharan** » Sun Jan 07, 2001 12:15 am

-Make reinforcement hexes stick. You can't even set them in an empty map without battle generator resetting them.

-Why isn't there more breakdowns in forests? Or is the text just missing in terrain.txt?

-Add "D - Fire smoke grenades" in gamehelp.txt.

[This message has been edited by Kharan (edited January 06, 2001).]

Reg · Post by **Reg** » Sun Jan 07, 2001 12:04 pm

Originally posted by Cona:

When I play PBEM (and I have not played a lot) I can always see (in the version 4.5) the exchanges of shots between my units and the enemy, but I cannot see the enemy units moving it faces of mine neither to know that they made it although they have been seen by several of my units if they begin and they finish their movement in some hexagon where they are hidden to the eyes of my troops. Do you understand me? It is for this reason that I think that the VCR should be improved.

I agree that VCR should include movement because if an opposing unit quickly passes across a gap in the trees without firing (and generating an event), you will never know he passed that way.

However, by generating and recording more events we could end up with a huge VCR file situation like we had with v4.4 (and memory allocation probs of v4.5). I'm afraid we may have to live with the programmers technicial advice on this one.

Reg.