Interface problems

[Chris21wen]

I'm obviously missing something but sometimes I'm not see the cursor that I should be seeing according to the Manual. I can't post a pic due to the problem being popups.

For instance I'm following the tutorial and plotted an attack. It then went on to tell me about the Attack Planning Window saying hovering over an enemy unit shows crosshairs then right clicking displays the Plan of Attack window. It didn't, or more precisely I never got a cross hairs. What I was seeing was the small flashing cursor with little arrow, I assume it has something to do with moving into an occupied hex. Righting clicking gave me a menu with cancel attack options only.

No amount of clicking, reading the manual ever produced a crosshair for any unit?? Perplexed I went to the forum. Nothing. By this time I extremely frustrated as it has to be me so I went back to try again but it now works. Experimenting it seems that having an artillery selected causes the problem but I still cannot reproduce the error for other type of unit. Any idea what I was doing wrong, is it a bug or what?

[Lobster]

An artillery unit will produce a crosshair when the artillery unit is selected and the cursor is placed over an enemy unit that is within the artillery unit's range. Won't do that if the enemy unit is out of range of the artillery unit. If the artillery unit already has orders to bombard or directly support an attack you won't get a crosshair. Neither will you be able to give the artillery unit another attack order unless you cancel the attack which is why you only got the cancel options.

That's about all I have without seeing what's going on and/or drinking a cup or two more coffee.

Forgot, if the artillery unit is attacking an enemy unit, selecting that artillery unit will display the crosshair on the enemy unit it's supposed to attack.

[Chris21wen]

ORIGINAL: Lobster

An artillery unit will produce a crosshair when the artillery unit is selected and the cursor is placed over an enemy unit that is within the artillery unit's range. Won't do that if the enemy unit is out of range of the artillery unit. If the artillery unit already has orders to bombard or directly support an attack you won't get a crosshair. Neither will you be able to give the artillery unit another attack order unless you cancel the attack which is why you only got the cancel options.

That's about all I have without seeing what's going on and/or drinking a cup or two more coffee.

Forgot, if the artillery unit is attacking an enemy unit, selecting that artillery unit will display the crosshair on the enemy unit it's supposed to attack.

Nothing to see pic wise, it's the opening move of the tutorial.

Bolds type is the relevant bit. I've tried everthing here and it all works. Problem is I can't reproduce the original problem were it just displayed the two cancel attack options. It might have been me but there might also be a spurious bug.

Thanks

[Oberst_Klink]

ORIGINAL: Chris H

ORIGINAL: Lobster

An artillery unit will produce a crosshair when the artillery unit is selected and the cursor is placed over an enemy unit that is within the artillery unit's range. Won't do that if the enemy unit is out of range of the artillery unit. If the artillery unit already has orders to bombard or directly support an attack you won't get a crosshair. Neither will you be able to give the artillery unit another attack order unless you cancel the attack which is why you only got the cancel options.

That's about all I have without seeing what's going on and/or drinking a cup or two more coffee.

Forgot, if the artillery unit is attacking an enemy unit, selecting that artillery unit will display the crosshair on the enemy unit it's supposed to attack.

Nothing to see pic wise, it's the opening move of the tutorial.

Bolds type is the relevant bit. I've tried everthing here and it all works. Problem is I can't reproduce the original problem were it just displayed the two cancel attack options. It might have been me but there might also be a spurious bug.

Thanks

Chris

could you dump your Opart4.ini and the dxdiag here? Will have a look asap.

Klink, Oberst

[Chris21wen]

Been unable to do anything for the past few days but I'm still having problems with this interface.

It's turn two, nothing has moved or attacked. With the division selected hovering over the enemy units produces two options

to the SE and SW I get:-
.......
Left click to change group order. Right click to order assault.

to the unit to the south all I get is
...
Right click to order assault.

Why????


To further complicate my confusion. If I right click on an enemy unit I get different effects. The unit to the -

• SE I always get the full right click context menu which includes the plan an attack.
• S I mostly get the same. However occasionally the division just attacks immediately
• SW the division nearly always just attacks immediately. Very, very occasionally I get the contest menu.

What the heck is going on. It hacking me off and that's the polite version.

[Chris21wen]

Here the ini.

[Options]
ShowVersionWarning=Y
BackgroundIsOpaque=Y
GroupBackgroundAlpha=255
InnerBackgroundAlpha=255
OuterBackgroundAlpha=255
ElmerHandicap=2
ElmerIntelligence=2
basicDefaults=Y
userIcon5=N
userIcon42=4
userIcon41=1
userIcon32=4
userIcon31=1
userIcon22=4
userIcon21=1
userIcon12=4
userIcon11=1
email=
password=
circleColorMaxRange=0xFFFFFE
circleColorNavalSpotting=0x00FF00
circleColorAA=0x00FFFF
circleColorAir=0xFFFF00
circleColorInactiveArtillery=0x000001
circleColorArtillery=0xFF0000
circleColorCurrentUnit=0xFFFFFF
visibleAI=N
experimentalAIP2=Y
experimentalAIP1=Y
nointro=N
stringdump=N
allowMouseWheelZoom=Y
nosound=N
multicpu=N
oldsound=N
noupdate=N
PORandomSeed=0
animationMovementTimer=10
animationCombatTimer=25
nodelay=N
toolTipPosition=-1
MacroTerrain=N
AllFormationLines=N
OneFormationLine=N
AllCropCircles=N
OneCropCircle=N
doubleClickComposition=N
doubleclickplanner=Y
contrast=0
brightness=0
menuDelay=0
toolTipHideDelay=4
toolTipShowDelay=500
effectsVolume=100
backgroundVolume=100
JPegQuality=100
hexagonalCropCircles=Y
condensedSituationReport=N
movingSelectsNextUnit=Y
showPOOptions=Y
PNGSupport=Y
hugeMapEnabled=Y
autoSaveLargeMovies=N
movies=N
polog=N
unitpolog=N
uberdude=N
toawlog=Y
sitrepLogs=N
airAssistant=Y
combatReporting=N

[Chris21wen]

Here's my dxdiag dump.

[Chris21wen]

Further complication.
 
If I select the Division the NW of the one selected and right click on the enemy unit to its south then it always attacks immediately.
 
Unfortunately I'm finding the game unplayable as nothing seems constant.

[Oberst_Klink]

ORIGINAL: Chris21wen

Further complication.

If I select the Division the NW of the one selected and right click on the enemy unit to its south then it always attacks immediately.

Unfortunately I'm finding the game unplayable as nothing seems constant.

Before you get too frustrated... have a look at my Tutorial 'XX series that explains most of your questions in a jolly good manner. It also explains overrun attacks (when units simply overrun others without the combat dialogue), logistics, weather, well, nearly everything in easy digestible bits.

So, why not give'em a go? I am more than happy to answer any question(s) that might arise, aye?

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tm.asp?m=4397183

Klink, Oberst

[Meyer1]

Been unable to do anything for the past few days but I'm still having problems with this interface.

It's turn two, nothing has moved or attacked. With the division selected hovering over the enemy units produces two options

to the SE and SW I get:-
.......
Left click to change group order. Right click to order assault.

to the unit to the south all I get is
...
Right click to order assault.

Why????

Looks like you are looking to the status panel (the one in the bottom) What is telling you is that when you hover you mouse over an enemy hex that has more than one unit, like the one in the SW, you could use the left click to cycle the view through the different units.

[DanNeely]

ORIGINAL: Chris21wen


[*] SW the division nearly always just attacks immediately. Very, very occasionally I get the contest menu.

Overrun/Retreat Before Combat. When the attacking unit is much stronger than the defending unit the latter may run away without attempting to fight. This becomes more likely as the disparity in strength grows higher until it becomes almost guaranteed like what you're seeing.

[Chris21wen]

Overrun/retreat before combat, I understand that. Some thoughts on this.

Why doesn't the popup or the status panel say 'Weak unit, possible retreat before combat likely'. I would have thought 'How's that work in the game and looked it up and found everything I needed to know.


Thanks

[Oberst_Klink]

ORIGINAL: Chris21wen

Overrun/retreat before combat, I understand that. Some thoughts on this.

Why doesn't the popup or the status panel say 'Weak unit, possible retreat before combat likely'. I would have thought 'How's that work in the game and looked it up and found everything I needed to know.


Thanks

A good question indeed. I am afraid I can't supply the answer to it. It would be a good thing to get some kind of estimate if there might be an overrun attack imminent, true.

Klink, Oberst

[Lobster]

ORIGINAL: Chris21wen

Overrun/retreat before combat, I understand that. Some thoughts on this.

Why doesn't the popup or the status panel say 'Weak unit, possible retreat before combat likely'. I would have thought 'How's that work in the game and looked it up and found everything I needed to know.


Thanks

Too much intel.

[Meyer1]

And if you don't like the overrun, there's always the "undo" button [:D]

[Chris21wen]

ORIGINAL: Lobster

ORIGINAL: Chris21wen

Overrun/retreat before combat, I understand that. Some thoughts on this.

Why doesn't the popup or the status panel say 'Weak unit, possible retreat before combat likely'. I would have thought 'How's that work in the game and looked it up and found everything I needed to know.


Thanks

Too much intel.

If that is the case then the normal attack options should be available and only when the attack is attempted should the overrun attack be evident.

[JPJ]

Retreat before combat can be confusing if you don't know it.

To avoid retreat if desired, there are the "Double click opens planner" = On (for left click) and the P key options to remember, page 12.

But if you right-click with the intention to plan an attack, under some conditions there is a chance the enemy immediately retreats, even several times in a row. In that case they retreat before battles are resolved, still in my movement phase, supposedly because they see my coming and starting planning to attack. But the retreat before combat is audiovisually rendered with a combat effect (explosion visual and sound) and it leaves a battlefield timestamp, which can make it appear to be a battle result before I have actually attempted/attacked/resolved a battle, so that can be confusing.

ORIGINAL: Chris21wen

If that is the case then the normal attack options should be available and only when the attack is attempted should the overrun attack be evident.

So you mean to plan as usual and see them retreat when you resolve combats? I think there is something to say also for that approach. Ignoring the inner technicals of TOAW, it may depend on whether you see retreat as movement phase or as (fought or unfought) battle result. Currently it has something of both.

Edit: quote added