Patch plans

Paul Vebber · Post by **Paul Vebber** » Thu May 25, 2000 6:46 pm

Right now it looks like the first patch will be ready in 2-3 weeks. It will fix as many of the campaign bugs as we can, and add larger maps and more units, as we had intended. We hope to have an initial OOB fix also that will fix some glaring point, icon, sound etc.

Another OOB patch will come 2-3 weeks after that with more substative changes. We will see how the work goes on OOBs.

Many thanks to those who volunteered to help. We have a well sized group now. If anyone who has contacted me about joining the group and has not heard back let me know.

About 2-3 weeks after that, a second game patch will fix another group of bugs and with any luck add the internet code. More OOB fixes will also be included.

That is the plan right now. It may change, for good or ill, depending on how our other projects progress.

At that point (early July-ish) we will be shifting our focus to SP:The Nam, adapting the SP:WaW system to the Indo-China theater from ~45-75. OOBs in that game will be specific to that conflict, but some generics will be included for exploring other conflicts in the period and I'm sure OOBs for other countries in the period will spring up

Larry Holt · Post by **Larry Holt** » Thu May 25, 2000 7:10 pm

Originally posted by Paul Vebber:
[snip] We hope to have an initial OOB fix also that will fix some glaring point, icon, sound etc.

Another OOB patch will come 2-3 weeks after that with more substative changes. We will see how the work goes on OOBs.
[snip]

Thanks for the upadate! I hope that the OOB patches won't mean I have to break off my long campaign but it it does, that's the price of progress. Please just advise us of any incompatabilites of games in progress (as I'm sure you will do).

If I can vote for a programing bug to fix, its that extra crew after fixing dead units that is so frustrating. (the work around to purchase another unit then change back to the orginal works but I loose experience)

Thanks for such quick response to our bug comments.

------------------
An old soldier but not yet a faded one.

WW2'er · Post by **WW2'er** » Thu May 25, 2000 7:22 pm

At that point (early July-ish) we will be shifting our focus to SP:The Nam, adapting the SP:WaW system to the Indo-China theater from ~45-75.
[/B]

Paul,

The plan sounds good. I anxiously await the patches, while I enjoy the game as it is!

One question....Are there any advances in the game engine, options, etc. that we will see in SP NAM, and if so, will these advances ever be "retro-fitted" for SP W@W? I understand that you have to stop developing SP W@W to make SP NAM a great game, so I know I'm asking to have my cake and eat it too, but it doesn't hurt to ask, right?!

WW2'er

Paul Vebber · Post by **Paul Vebber** » Thu May 25, 2000 7:29 pm

I honestly don't know the answer yet WW2'er.

When I know, I'll let everyone know. My instinct is that some will be "easily transferable" (like bug fixes), others won't, and others won't be appropriate to the time frame, so its sort of complicated.

On OOB patches ruining a campaign in progress, between game patches and OOB patches its likely you will have to start again, but I don't know for sure until we are done and someone tries it

WW2'er · Post by **WW2'er** » Thu May 25, 2000 7:56 pm

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Paul Vebber:
I honestly don't know the answer yet WW2'er.

When I know, I'll let everyone know.
[E]

Paul,

Being told once you know is all I could ask for. Thanks for the honesty and the quick response! Have a good one!

WW2'er

Drake666 · Post by **Drake666** » Thu May 25, 2000 10:09 pm

Paul

Just wondering how much larger will the new maps be or do you not now yet?

Paul Vebber · Post by **Paul Vebber** » Fri May 26, 2000 2:39 am

We want to get at least "2-high" (160-100)maybe "3-high" (240-100)...still testing!

Drake666 · Post by **Drake666** » Fri May 26, 2000 2:47 am

You guys are great, just had to say that. Just knowing you guys are trying to get it that large is nice to know.

Dave R · Post by **Dave R** » Fri May 26, 2000 12:23 pm

Originally posted by Paul Vebber:
We want to get at least "2-high" (160-100)maybe "3-high" (240-100)...still testing!

Oh bugger! Now I don't only have to worry about how to do well at this game. I'm going to have to work on the 'other half' to get her to let me get that new computer! (grins)
"Yes dear! I'll start the decorating straight away!!"

Host26 · Post by **Host26** » Fri May 26, 2000 2:58 pm

Thanks for keeping us informed.
Any chance we get some interface tweaks? Surprisingly SPWAW kept the most frustrating (IMHO) SPx interface problems:
1. After a 'load save', the current unit is always A0. There is no way I can play full battle in one sitting, I sometimes have a few days between sitting, and it takes time to remember the hot spot I left the battle in.

2. The message delays. I like to see the damage I do to armor and the inf. casualties. I know it's not realistic, but I need all the psychological help

I can get when using PzIII's in '40. The delays, when not 'XXX', not only affect the time a message is displayed but also the time between messages (and before the first and after the last shot too). This wastes a lot of time. And got forbid I forget to turn message delays off before going into next turn: if an arty barrage starts, it never ends.

3. The 'C' key to fire a selected weapon does not always work, couldn't find a pattern here. I can press 'C' and '2' to have a tank fire only his MG at an inf unit, nothing happens. Then if I press 'F', it fires his main gun then both his MGs.

Paul Vebber · Post by **Paul Vebber** » Fri May 26, 2000 4:26 pm

Understood, ther eis a frustrating tradeoff between communicating details and the time to perform the information transfer.

Not sure how much progress we can make there. We'll look at the "double whammy" time delay though.

AStott · Post by **AStott** » Fri May 26, 2000 5:18 pm

Well, I'll put in my plug here for a solution to the delay problems. First of all, start playing the sound effect when the pre-shot message comes up. That way you don't have to wait for the message delay, then also the sound delay, but you can still get to hear and see both. Then allow a key/mouse click to move onto the next message. This might interrupt a sound, but I don't really see that as a problem...

Host26 · Post by **Host26** » Sun May 28, 2000 2:37 pm

Actually there is a triple delay: before the message, during, then after the message. I wish a keypress or a mouse click would suppress them, if for instance I only want to read the main gun related messages but skip the two MG related messages.

StuNZ · Post by **StuNZ** » Mon May 29, 2000 6:12 am

Originally posted by Paul Vebber:
We want to get at least "2-high" (160-100)maybe "3-high" (240-100)...still testing!

Any chance of more depth to the battlefield as well as breadth? One of the most annoying things in the delay/defend missions is the victory hexes being near the front rather than further back. I know one can counterattack after they're taken the forward locations, but personally I'd rather wear them down before they got there at all

.

Paul Vebber · Post by **Paul Vebber** » Mon May 29, 2000 6:29 am

No, not anytime soon... Scenarios will be able work "North and South" is desired...I'm not sure how the new map sizes will fit into campaigns, but likely they will be limited to traditional East/West arangement.