2.09 Beta update installer ready for testing.

[Gerry Edwards]

Hello Everyone,

Available in your Members Area is beta update version 2.09. Please let us know of any issues you may encounter. Below is the change list for this update.

Cheers,
Gerry



2 What’s New, Enhanced, or Fixed in 2.09

Here is a list of the items we worked on for this update with a brief summary of the changes. Please use the thread in the Matrix Tech Support Forum to report if there are still problems with any of the listed items below. Thanks and enjoy!

2.1 New – Off­Map Artillery Losses to Counter Battery Fire

We took some time and added back in some missing code that calculates the chance of off­map artillery units taking fire and losses from enemy counter­battery fire. These engagements of off­map units are outside of your command and control and are handled directly by the game AI. If your off map unit suffers an attack and then losses you will get a message window popping up to tell you. If your side hit an off­map enemy, you will get a message popping up to tell you that an attack was made, but no detail on losses. Units hit off map will suffer both readiness and morale losses from a counter­battery attack and then can suffer subunit losses as well. You can order off map units to rest and recover if losses reduce readiness to low levels. Setting any of your artillery units to counter­battery will only engage enemy on­map units. They will not affect enemy off­map units at this time.

2.2 Enhanced – Added Overwatch Role to Scoot Adjustment

Added Overwatch role to scooting group modifiers similar to recon and support units to help AD and other soft units scoot better during game play.

2.3 Enhanced – Adjustments to ICM Mechanics

We made a few tweaks to the percentage chances of units being killed (versus falling out). There is now a slightly higher chance of permanent loss when hit.

2.4 Enhanced – End Game Results

We added additional information about the scenario that was just played in the end game summary. In particular, noting if it was a user modified/created scenario.

2.5 Enhanced – Scooting Chances

We tweaked the numbers to increase the chance of soft units (Recon and support) to scoot when under fire. This should sit more in the middle of too fast or not fast enough to get out of trouble. Not a perfect solution, but we

2.1 will allow for user set SOPs to control this on a case­by­case basis.

2.6 Fixed­ - Allow Browsing of Spotted Enemy Units

If this game option was set on, you could see the movement path and destination of the enemy unit. This has been deemed as “too much” information and is now not visible.

2.7 Fixed – ATGM Hint Spamming

I hope that this is finally fixed. There were still cases were the hint would popup when units were not firing or showing multiple times when units fired once.

2.8 Fixed – Air Strike Combat Hints FoW

WE made a few corrections to the various airstrike hints to have them show information relevant to the correct owning player. If the airstrike is yours, you will be given detailed information as to what it is doing throughout the attack. If you are the targeted player, you will only get information you would know (no more seeing the state of the aircraft after the attack for instance).





2.9 Fixed – Artillery Unit Stuck in Barrage/Resupply Loop

A logic bug with arty units and resupply that could trap units into a non­resupply if barrage orders not fulfilled and ammo goes low. This was mainly seen with MLRS units that could exhaust lots of ammo in one shot.

2.10 Fixed – Better Exit Hex Mechanics

We fixed a couple bugs with the way exit hexes should work. One bug had exit hexes incorrectly assessed by enemy forces as viable VP locations in certain cases. This caused the AI to send units to them and to other VP location in the area instead of dealing with high value VPs on the map. We also changed the way the AI views the exit hex. It now looks at it with an offensive mindset and not a defensive one. The defensive AI wanted to fan out and garrison the exit and the offensive AI wants to run it over and exit the game.

NOTE: This is far from perfect or what we really wanted, but it can work. The exit hexes are seen by the AI as having a 2000 VP value to help it decide to move towards the exit hex. The side exiting only receives VP for the value of the units that actually exits through that hex. As long as any nearby VPs (in range of your force) are less than that in value units will move toward the exit. If you are making a Bypass scenario, I would strongly suggest a few low value breadcrumb VPs for the AI to follow and a few exits to draw the force off the map. Some trial and error will be needed to get a decent result. This one area will be better handled in Southern Storm with a number of the new features we are planning.

2.11 Fixed – Custom Map Dived by Zero Error

We corrected calculations that allowed for some custom maps, when loading, to generate a divide by zero error.

2.12 Fixed – Enemy Announcements at Game End

In certain Sudden Death game endings, the player would receive enemy radio messages generated at the end of the turn. These messages are no longer displayed and the game goes into the End Game screens as intended.

2.13 Fixed – Errors in VCR replay.

The following VCR related items are fixed:

• Pressing Fast­Forward multiple times could cause replay and game corruption.

• Replay shows enemy unit counters arriving on the map when they should be hidden.

• Hints for enemy reinforcements are showing as they arrive.

• Turning on “Show all friendly movement paths” would show enemy pathing.



2.14 Fixed – Game Timing Glitch

We found and fixed a bug where extra messages introduced into the games timing chain caused orders and the turn cycle to corrupt in certain cases. This would lead to Zero minute or in odd cases negative minute turn cycles. This bug is also thought to be the cause of lost/skipped orders (unit fails to resupply or move and the time to act has passed on the game clock).

2.15 Fixed – Minor Data Edits

A handful of minor data edits from various sources. This includes a bad sensor callout for UK Warriors, removing some errant commas in UK sensor data (should not have had any game effect, but needed to get out just in case), removed claymore from M113 ACAV (does not belong there), and corrections to Soviet Arty Max ranges on a few systems.





2.16 Fixed – OOB Tree Crash

In certain cases, it was possible to have the game crash/lock up if a certain type of resubordination attempt was made in the OOB tree. Internally the game made a change to part of the structure even though the structure was not changed change in the tree. This led to a crash when other operation were attempted.

2.17 Fixed – PBEM Items

The following PBEM/PBEM++ related items are fixed:

• Logging into Steam PBEM++ account generated an error. We made more changes and hope this is fixed. If not, we will continue to track this down and issue a hotfix.

• Corrupted game file prevented reload of turn from server.

• The wrong side could see air strike cancellation messages.

• Password query window could get “lost” behind other windows on the screen.

• Pressing the Cancel button during the sending of a PBEM++ turn stops the complete transmission of data.

• Incorrect game options text shown in game setup summary. Removed “Show Movement” option was still showing and new options were missing in the text. Did not affect game play selections.



2.18 Fixed – Update Notes in Staff Dairy Revamped

All of the update information in this tab was replaced with a reference to this Compilation document. There is a good chance this tab will be deleted in the future.

[Catgh_MatrixForum]

I am prompted for a user name and password for the ftp site. I am assuming this beta isn't open and only for beta testers.

[CapnDarwin]

Should be open off of the Members area. I will email Matrix and see what is going on. In the mean time, you can use the links on the other post to the zip files on the OTS website to get the same open beta files. With no ftp login issues. [:D]

[ivanov]

ORIGINAL: Catgh

I am prompted for a user name and password for the ftp site. I am assuming this beta isn't open and only for beta testers.

Don't bother - I got them from the OTS site in less than 15 seconds [X(]

[CapnDarwin]

I sent an email to Matrix. Waiting on a reply. But yes, the OTS website should work fine.

[Catgh_MatrixForum]

I got them off the OTS website myself. Looking forward to brewing up some tanks.

[Rosseau]

Hi Capn,

My issue is pre-beta, I believe. When I try to edit the "ate up" scenario, for example, it says "Could not find supporting data...xls files are missing or have been modified." However, they are the clean 1/17/15 xls files I downloaded with the update. It then loads the scenario.

When I try to create a brand new scenario, I am good. Also, scenarios like Blackhorse are blocked. I assume that is WAD, as we can't edit the vanilla scenarios.

Man, -16F in CLE last night. Good gaming weather.

[CapnDarwin]

rosseau, check out this thread for a possible fix. data file editor fix

[Rosseau]

I bet it will work. But when I try to download, I get the raw text files, not a single file to download.

EDIT:
Okay, used my brain for a change and copy/pasted the stuff into the file. It works. Nice!