Coder Diary #14 -- Dynamic Day/Night & Visibility

[LoneWulf63]

If you want to see a really elegant set of rules that pertain to mechanized warfare in the 20th and 21st centuries, you should get Fistful of TOWs II. Yes, they are meant for miniatures but they contain a wealth of information that could be applied to JTCS and MW (once it is published). The TO&Es (OOBs) themselves are worth the price of the rules ($39.50 US). Chris.

[LoneWulf63]

Something to ponder. I just did a little test to see how the time/distant scale works in JTCS v1.04. I took a M18 Hellcat and placed it on a paved road. Now, the real Hellcat had a top speed of 97 Kph. That means, in JTCS time/distance scale, that it should be able to traverse a dry, flat, open-paved road 38 hexes (actually 37.79 hexes)in a JTCS six minute game turn. Care to guess how far the JTCS M-18 can travel? I can tell you that it is not 38 hexes, by a long shot. Chris.

[LoneWulf63]

The distance that a M-18 Hellcat can move along a dry, open, paved road is 25 hexes. Now, if the time scale is "set in stone", then the actual top speed of the M-18 (in JTCS terms) is roughly 62.5 KpH. On the other hand, if the speed of the JTCS M-18 is correct (97 KpH) then the time it takes to move 25 hexes (6.25 K) is roughly 4 minutes (actually 3.86 minutes), not six minutes. So, either the speed of the M-18 is wrong or the time scale is wrong. Now some might say that factors like the platoon would not move that fast so as to avoid thrown tracks, or that it reflects the unit starting and stopping each turn, or that the platoon is moving slower to avoid contact with or react to enemy units may have been factored in. What if that platoon was moving strategically and did not have to worry about encountering any enemy units? Chris.

[junk2drive]

Six minutes is one tenth of an hour. 97 kph divided by 10 is 9.7 km. That would be 4 x 9.7 hexes in one turn. I think.

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Otto von Blotto
You wouldn't know until you cleared the rubble of the pillbox to find out until then it would be simultaneously alive and dead, near and far.
I'm going off-line for a few days, will send the Fury at viborg bay turn after boxing day.

A formidable weapon indeed. The only weapon feared more than a Schroedinger's tank, is one having an additional S.E.P. Camo layering on it.

An object with a S.E.P. Camo layer omits light as any other object would, but upon reaching one's eye receptors that particular light wave causes the eye receptors to realise it is Someone Else's Problem and they won't therefore bother sending the signal any further to brain for processing.

[LoneWulf63]

ORIGINAL: junk2drive

Six minutes is one tenth of an hour. 97 kph divided by 10 is 9.7 km. That would be 4 x 9.7 hexes in one turn. I think.

Give that man a Golden Twinkie. In my follow up reply to my own question, I should have stated that the M-18 should be able to move 38 hexes (37.7 actual), not 25. Sorry bout that.[:D]

[TAIL GUNNER]

97 kph for a M-18 seemed a bit high....sources I've seen state 45 mph (72 kph/29 hexes per turn) to 55 mph (89 kph/36 hexes per turn).

Now I'm curious if all other vehicles in the game are out of whack...and if their is a pattern or code that Talonsoft implemented for this reduction of speed.

[LoneWulf63]

From my reference material, all pretty much state that the M-18 had a top-speed of 97 Kph. However, that is probably not its sustainable speed. I don't know if other vehicles in JTCS reflect the same speed error. CB

[TAIL GUNNER]

Looking at the Unit Viewer, the M-18 has '80' listed as Road Speed and '43' as Country Speed. I can only assume this represents kilometers per hour...(roughly 50 mph for road).

I can also only assume two other variables in the platoon file known as Weight and Ground Pressure affect movement rates regarding various terrain types, weather conditions, etc.

[TAIL GUNNER]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

Go for it Ian!

The map should not be an issue with 250m hex scale. The length of the scenario, reinforcements, all that? Now the engine can handle it, if the scenario designer only has the persistence to model it all [8D]

Then, how to test such a monster? With the new automated test feature perhaps: Coder Diary #11

Yes, but there are many other variables in a multi-day battle which our venerable old CS engine simply cannot model without extensive .btl editing. Things like replacements, breakdowns/repair, fatigue, supply variances, changing weather, ad nauseum....[>:]

Now I would never disparage anyone for making such a beast..I used to rather enjoy them myself. Greg Allen's massive Stalingrad scenario is one of my all-time favorites. But scale is scale as is often repeated...and these monster scenarios just don't make the grade in this engine...(my opinion of course.)

A more elegant approach I think would be to break up a large battle into a LCG. I was in fact working on recreating the entire 67.Korps efforts in Wacht am Rhein awhile ago...but decided to wait for this wonderful patch to complete it. The entire Korps would play the role as the player's Core Forces so any losses would matter. Limited objectives for each scenario to allow for proper rewards or penalties based on end of scenario rating, yet based on historical objectives and using historical OOBs.

Takes a lot more foresight and work....but a much more rewarding experience.

Regards,
ChadG

[berto]

ORIGINAL: Juggalo

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

Go for it Ian!

The map should not be an issue with 250m hex scale. The length of the scenario, reinforcements, all that? Now the engine can handle it, if the scenario designer only has the persistence to model it all [8D]

Then, how to test such a monster? With the new automated test feature perhaps: Coder Diary #11

Yes, but there are many other variables in a multi-day battle which our venerable old CS engine simply cannot model without extensive .btl editing. Things like replacements, breakdowns/repair, fatigue, supply variances, changing weather, ad nauseum....[>:]

I tend to agree with you. Battles lasting just a few days are fine, but beyond that...

OTOH, not for the immediate next update but beyond, we still have a few (many?) tricks up our sleeves, including ... an event editor. [:)]

[TAIL GUNNER]

An Event Editor...nice.

I had to search the forum, but I made that request in a past thread that is now 5 and a half years old! Jason responded it was #1 on his personal wish list.[8D]

berto, if no one's told you lately....you're pretty damn awesome.

[Jason Petho]

Beyond awesome... way, way, way beyond awesome!

Jason Petho

[MrRoadrunner]

ORIGINAL: resinslinger

ORIGINAL: junk2drive

Six minutes is one tenth of an hour. 97 kph divided by 10 is 9.7 km. That would be 4 x 9.7 hexes in one turn. I think.

In my follow up reply to my own question, I should have stated that the M-18 should be able to move 38 hexes (37.7 actual), not 25.

So, how many hexes would it be able to go at your 30 minutes per turn?
Four seems closer to six than thirty.
I can accept that someone who put the M-18 in, confused KPM and MPH ... or did not have rock solid data ... or wanted to reflect combat speed ... or wanted the vehicle to be less powerful. But, I do know they were not looking at thirty minute turns or a shorter/longer distance in the hex.

And, if you want to "play" with the distance of a hex you will get into gun ranges too?

RR

[MrRoadrunner]

ORIGINAL: Jason Petho

Beyond awesome... way, way, way beyond awesome!

Jason Petho

+1

RR

[LoneWulf63]

Okay, I give up. To hell with it.

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Juggalo

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

Go for it Ian!

The map should not be an issue with 250m hex scale. The length of the scenario, reinforcements, all that? Now the engine can handle it, if the scenario designer only has the persistence to model it all [8D]

Then, how to test such a monster? With the new automated test feature perhaps: Coder Diary #11

Yes, but there are many other variables in a multi-day battle which our venerable old CS engine simply cannot model without extensive .btl editing. Things like replacements, breakdowns/repair, fatigue, supply variances, changing weather, ad nauseum....[>:]

Now I would never disparage anyone for making such a beast..I used to rather enjoy them myself. Greg Allen's massive Stalingrad scenario is one of my all-time favorites. But scale is scale as is often repeated...and these monster scenarios just don't make the grade in this engine...(my opinion of course.)

A more elegant approach I think would be to break up a large battle into a LCG. I was in fact working on recreating the entire 67.Korps efforts in Wacht am Rhein awhile ago...but decided to wait for this wonderful patch to complete it. The entire Korps would play the role as the player's Core Forces so any losses would matter. Limited objectives for each scenario to allow for proper rewards or penalties based on end of scenario rating, yet based on historical objectives and using historical OOBs.

Takes a lot more foresight and work....but a much more rewarding experience.

Regards,
ChadG

Yes, I was thinking LCG too as perhaps the most natural implementation. Too bad they can't be enjoyed via PBEM though...

[MrRoadrunner]

ORIGINAL: resinslinger
Okay, I give up. To hell with it.

If you wish you can give up. You cannot argue with time or distance. They are mathematical concepts that are set in stone.
You can discuss if the early/current developers and designers may have made mistakes, wanted to give the Germans a "boost", had wrong data, confused scale, made intentional changes not within scale.

You can find "gottcha" units that do not fit. Which support an argument against scale.
But, you found a "gottcha" that proved much shorter time than 30 minutes (even 6 minutes)per turn. Right?

A more gracious concession may have helped for any future discussions?

And, please, no more of your e-mail will be accepted, or read. I have other more important things to do with my time.

RR

[LoneWulf63]

RR. What I am giving up on is arguing with people such as you. As you said, I have better things to do with my time. Don't worry, I won't send you anymore emails or PMs. Again, not worth the effort.

To the other members of the forum and my friends, I apologize. This won't happen again.

Chris.

[LoneWulf63]

Back to the thread as originally posted. This is an excellent idea for all of the games in the series. Not all will like it, but there are those of us (that includes your's truly) that do. We have to remember that the dev team is working on the patch and the MW games for the majority of the players, not the few. Berto, you are simply a wizard when it comes to pushing this old lady even further as are the other members of the team. [&o] Chris.