4.6 issue date ...

David F. Wall · Post by **David F. Wall** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 2:50 am

There was a rumor on Fabio's site, not long before the Matrix server went wonky, of what the big thing was.

DFW

Wild Bill · Post by **Wild Bill** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 3:02 am

It's all good

, and this will be too

Wild Bill

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In Arduis Fidelis
Wild Bill Wilder
Coordinator, Scenario Design
Matrix Games

Alby · Post by **Alby** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 5:04 am

Bumping this up from ammo sgt>

Ok let me get this right...
NO version 4.6
approximately 3 months untill version 5.0 ??
therefore NO changes anticipated for a while ???

troopie · Post by **troopie** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 5:19 am

Re: only paras should be able to paradrop. Not special forces, who were usually parachute trained? IMHO non-paras/specforces should be able to parachute only with a penalty. They should take casualties and have very high suppression. After all run a man through a quick and dirty paradropping course, and although he may know in his head what to do, he still hasn't learned it in his hands and belly. He will make mistakes and there will be broken bones.

troopie

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Pamwe Chete

Supervisor · Post by **Supervisor** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 5:50 am

That is not a bug, it is part of C & C. When an objective has been set for a unit. The movweement only shows the forward radius if it is poined towards the objective. You need to change the objective or C &C off to not have the movment radius limited.

Originally posted by Fuerte:
Speaking about bugs, the very first one I noticed in SPWAW back in 2.x days (when learning using the tutorial scenario) is still around:

If C&C is on, and you click on a recon vehicle, the movement radius is not displayed correctly, unless you then click some other unit and back the first unit (or just double-click the recon unit). This bug has caused me to miss moving recon units many times, because it seems that it has moved already or is unable to move.

The same thing does not happen if you use N and P keys to move between units. In this case the radius is always displayed correctly.

And of course the 20 MB replay buffer allocation should be smaller (if that is the reason for the memory problems in some machines).

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Grenadier
Matrix Games Technical Writer

Alby · Post by **Alby** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 6:11 am

Originally posted by Alby:
Bumping this up from ammo sgt>

Ok let me get this right...
NO version 4.6
approximately 3 months untill version 5.0 ??
therefore NO changes anticipated for a while ???

Was this answered?? If so I cant tell...LOL
Alby

Charles22 · Post by **Charles22** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 6:28 am

Fuerte: This is a theory mind you, but I think the recon units will show it's move radius IF you don't give them objectives as you do the rest of the units while using C&C. I've been doing this for some time and I think it works, though it's a bit hard to adjust to not giving all platoons objectives. One other problem you may be encountering, is that you have the units so zoomed in, that though the movement radius is being shown, you do not see it because the entire screen is it's movement radius, therefore it doesn't look like a movement radius when it is; it would only show up at the most zoomed out view. I think if you combine both of these ideas the problem will no longer exist.

JimY · Post by **JimY** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 6:34 am

I love SPWAW. I would like to express my appreciation to all the folks at Matrix Games. You take great pride in your work. which is why SPWAW is so good. I play mostly soltaire. I do have one suggestion. Since this game may always be a work in progress, I wonder if the version 4.6 or a beta could be released with the fixes and changes that have been accomplished. I am especially anxious to receive the fixes on vehicle and weapon breakdown and repair, which fascinate me. Those who play be email now know that the version will eventually be suberseeded.

Larry Holt · Post by **Larry Holt** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 8:33 am

"big thing/blast from the past"

aircraft in my core?
more terrain levels?

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An old soldier but not yet a faded one.
OK, maybe just a bit faded.

jorlando · Post by **jorlando** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 8:49 am

about the PBEM feature: it is used as secure (with password) to get sure that it is the correct file from another player?

I'm asking cause I didn't played this way (yet).

So a workaround to the problem with passwords when a new version is released is to play WITHOUT passwords and when you send your files to your opponent you can zip them with password...

Am I correct?

Fuerte2 · Post by **Fuerte2** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 11:27 am

Originally posted by Brent:
That is not a bug, it is part of C & C. When an objective has been set for a unit. The movweement only shows the forward radius if it is poined towards the objective. You need to change the objective or C &C off to not have the movment radius limited.

No, IT IS A BUG! I am speaking about RECON units! They can move anywhere, no need to set the objective. And the movement radius is not displayed correctly ONLY WHEN CLICKING THE RECON UNIT FOR THE FIRST TIME! If you click if for the second time, or if you set the focus to it with the N or P keys, then it works.

Got it? Try it with the tutorial scenario if you wish, C&C on.

Fuerte2 · Post by **Fuerte2** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 11:38 am

Originally posted by jorlando:
So a workaround to the problem with passwords when a new version is released is to play WITHOUT passwords and when you send your files to your opponent you can zip them with password...

Not a solution. The idea in secure PBEM is to make sure that the other player does not (even accidentally) see your turn.

SPWAW has gone further... it even checks that the EXE and OOBs are the same. This is a problem, because it prevents upgrading to a newer version. PBEM games can take very long (even several months) to complete. That's why I didn't start PBEM games with 4.5 because 4.6 was supposed to be released a week ago. Now the release date has slipped to 5.0, two months further.

There is a simple solution: Add an option to 5.0 to ignore EXE/OOB check when loading a turn. This would take about 1 hour to implement (compare it to the BIG feature which takes two months). If Matrix would do it, then I could finally start playing again, no need to worry about versions.

Compare this with the Combat Mission. We played two PBEM games while the version was updated several times, even beta versions. The problem is that SPWAW does a bit too much.

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 11:42 am

A "Blast from the past" That could mean WWI
stuff! Or, maybe the game will revert back to a board game!? Whatever it is, I'm sure it will be good!!!
Semper Fi
Randy

Charles22 · Post by **Charles22** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 7:58 pm

Fuerte2: I wrote to "Fuerte" earlier and apparently you're the same person, so please refer to my post addressed to "Fuerte", which describes this recon problem. As well, from what I mentioned earlier I thought of a couple of things, one of them quite basic, in that the unit must not be in a defensive status, but also one a little more tricky, in that if you now pick a light tank platoon for the Germans, there is a mixture of units, unlike before, and perhaps other nations have this problem as well. What I refer to, is if you buy the German light tank platoon, you will notice it's a recon formation, but the problem comes when the tanks aren't all one type, in other words, all the tanks aren't recon. The PZIIC is NOT recon, for some reason, even though it was before, so if you buy a platoon with a lead PZIIC and PZIB subordinates, you end up with the goofy dilemma of when the units are in attack status, with no objective selected, that the lead tank shows no movement radius, while the subordinates do. If you did select objectives and are in attack status, with such a mixed bunch, the lead will show an objective (since it currently non-recon type) while the subordinates will not. So, when you're faced with such a situation, you HAVE TO give the platoon an objective so that the PZIIC can go anywhere without using orders. Ever since this tank has taken on the loss of the recon status, I've made my platoon nothing but PZIBs, so that I don't have to keep dealing with the conflict between non-recon and recon in the same platoon. For pure recon platoons, such as commandos or scouts, I've never had a problem with the loss of movement radius, as long as I didn't put them in defend status and made sure to also not give them objectives.

Oh, I see now that you DO understand this, as I indeed do scroll through units with the N and P keys. Do you regularly play all your units by clicking instead of scrolling through? I hope not, it would seem a bit tedious, but then again I know how you have to play that way when things start getting in a confined area. Maybe the game should have an option to scroll with the N and P sort of thing, with recon units specifically, so you could get them out of the way easily, if the single-click method isn't going to work?

Of course, if that's a good idea, I would like an Alt-N and Alt-P sort of thing, to scroll through all foot units and sso on. Maybe shift-N and shift-P for self-propelled units.

[This message has been edited by Charles22 (edited February 01, 2001).]

Fuerte · Post by **Fuerte** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 9:59 pm

Originally posted by Charles22:
Maybe the game should have an option to scroll with the N and P sort of thing, with recon units specifically, so you could get them out of the way easily, if the single-click method isn't going to work?

It would be easier to fix the bug. If someone is still wondering what I am talking about

do the following test:

1) Start SPWAW
2) Make sure that C&C is on
3) Solitaire play
4) Start (Tutorial)
5) Continue
6) Start turn
7) The focus is on the headquarter unit A0. The movement radius for that unit is displayed correctly, because it is a recon unit too (even if it does NOT have an objective).
8) Now click on the recon unit D0 on the right. Nothing happens. It does not display the movement radius. It should.
9) Now click D0 for the second time. Now the radius is displayed correctly.

Paul Vebber · Post by **Paul Vebber** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 9:59 pm

OK - the idea allow a player to "igonore secutity" to shift to a new version is a good idea...

I will see if we can at least do that

Fuerte · Post by **Fuerte** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 11:47 pm

Originally posted by Paul Vebber:
OK - the idea allow a player to "igonore secutity" to shift to a new version is a good idea...

I will see if we can at least do that

Thanks...

Have my fingers crossed!

Nikademus · Post by **Nikademus** » Sat Feb 03, 2001 8:06 am

Zecret planning eh?

would it maybe include a graphical enhancement? say....a dimmed battlefield to reflect night-time engagements??

Bing · Post by **Bing** » Sat Feb 03, 2001 8:10 am

Over at Tankhead's site I see that ver 5.0 will be a "big" download. Can anyone tell us just how big? Less than 100 Megs? I hope not, but understand a lot of changes are being incorporated. I'll live to tell about it either way, would like to know however.

Thanks,

Bing

Tankhead · Post by **Tankhead** » Sat Feb 03, 2001 8:30 am

Hello Bing!

Where do you see this on my site I posted the stuff and I don't see

anything about the size of the download. The rest of the news as not been confirm yet. Just want to make sure unless I mist something about the size of the download. It is going to be 700megs

LOL Just kidding.

Tankhead

Originally posted by Bing:
Over at Tankhead's site I see that ver 5.0 will be a "big" download. Can anyone tell us just how big? Less than 100 Megs? I hope not, but understand a lot of changes are being incorporated. I'll live to tell about it either way, would like to know however.
Thanks,
Bing

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Rick Cloutier rcclout@telusplanet.net
Coordinator: Tankhead's SPWAW Resources
http://members.tripod.com/tankhead__1