Matrix Games Forums

Hi,
Don't know if this is an old bug, but ... while playing some maps in SPWAW the icons for M3 Halftrack look like infantry units with 2 men. They have correct stats, and have the correct information-screen when right-clicking. I'd like to include a screenshot to show, but printscreen does not do the job properly ...

The game is still fully playable, it's just a bit annoying (and confusing) in the heat of battle to remember that this infantry-unit is actually a half-track!

Is there a fix / hack / updated OOBs for this? I'm using v7.1.

Regards,
Stian

Some of our oob gurus here can give more details abt this but problem, as I see it, is linked to the scenario you're playing.
Probably it has been designed with an old version of spwaw, and oob slots don't match correctly anymore with those of 7.1 you're actually using.
That's why a considerable number of scenarios progressively lose their value and sometimes become absolutely unplayable as time goes by.
So I think only fix could be for the scenario designer (or somebody else) to review and fix it.
Another reason could be that you're using a cusom set of oobs...

I saw this problem once before in Steel Panthers 1. It was on a user designed scenario and the system would not model large # infantry squads (of about 30 men). Caused the unit to display as a PSW 222, until the # of surviving men in the squad dropped down to around 12 IIRC. What scenario were you playing?

At the moment I'm playing a battle in the 'Long long way to freedom' campaign, where I have some AUX british units in a battle. It also happens in some scenarios, for instance St. Aignan - 44, which comes with the game. Both maps use british troops, maybe this is a clue to the issue?

I've included a screenshot of this problem (from St. Aignan), where you can see that it can be quite confusing - all the 2-sized inf. units are actually Halftracks! :rolleyes:

Stian

Aaah yes, the old 'Forgot to include the screenshot'..
Well here ya go... (I hope)

Very odd. Since work won't let me actually PLAY games here, I'll try it tonight when I get home. THe scren shot made it ,BTW.

What are the dates on the oob files within the MatrixGames\SPWAW directory. That way I can tell if the're any newer ones.

Originally posted by gmenfan
What are the dates on the oob files within the MatrixGames\SPWAW directory. That way I can tell if the're any newer ones.

OK,
Here are the OOB files I'm using:

25-03-02 14:35 44,500 Oob15
25-03-02 14:38 44,500 Oob16
25-03-02 14:39 44,500 Oob19
25-03-02 14:42 44,500 Oob20
25-03-02 14:45 44,500 Oob72
25-03-02 14:46 44,500 Oob73
25-03-02 14:47 44,500 Oob74
25-03-02 14:48 44,500 Oob75
25-03-02 14:50 44,500 Oob78
25-03-02 14:50 44,500 Oob79
25-03-02 14:51 44,500 Oob80
25-03-02 14:53 44,500 Oob84
25-03-02 14:54 44,500 Oob85
25-03-02 14:56 44,500 Oob88
25-03-02 14:56 44,500 Oob89
25-03-02 14:57 44,500 Oob90
25-03-02 15:00 44,500 Oob29
25-03-02 15:01 44,500 Oob76
25-03-02 15:03 44,500 Oob91
25-03-02 15:13 44,500 Oob86
25-03-02 15:21 44,500 Oob81
25-03-02 15:22 44,500 Oob71
25-03-02 15:39 44,500 Oob09
25-03-02 15:44 44,500 Oob70
26-03-02 00:28 44,500 Oob77
26-03-02 00:40 44,500 Oob87
26-03-02 12:46 44,500 Oob82
26-03-02 12:47 44,500 Oob83

I think this problem started after upgrading to the last version, with the 7.1 incremental update from 7.0. But not sure about this...

Oh btw, the OS is Win2k, 384MB RAM, 800 Mhz.

NEW: It looks what I stated in the top post about the info-screen being correct was wrong. The unit has the correct name, number of men (2- the crew i guess), speed, and the correct primary weapon (.30 AA), but no armour, extra infantry-weapons with no ammo, and the picture is of british troops.

I examined OOB 77 (UK) and there is no M3 Halftrack in the list at all... could this explain it?

Stian

When I get home, I take a look at that OOB and see if any of the updated ones I have will fix this.

Gmenfan: Since I don't work I looked up his OOB dates and they don't concur with my installed, your new or even Kevins....think he's got a custom set...even missing OOB 9 ????For what it's worth guy:)

Thanks Chief, his dates do coincide with the 7.1 official patch dates though. Most of yours and mine are probably 4/07/2002 which I had posted in the forum. As for OOB 9 I'll look for it at home it's not ringing any bells, and then I'll compare his OOB77 with some others I have.

I looked at the official 7.1 OOB's and my newer ones and the only M3's are variants, one is a M3 75mm GMC & M3 HT (which is 3inch mortar), Try these newer ones and see if it helps, make backups of your first. Extract them into the MatrixGames\SPWAW directory allowing to overwrite only after made backups of your current ones. Was this a custom scenario you got somewhere? Looking at your list again you do have OOB 09 Communist China included.

Thanks for the help I've received so far - very nice of you to try and help me out people!

Now, I installed the updated OOB's dated 7 April 02, but the problem is still there. Like resisti said, maybe this is caused by the designer using an old version of SPWaW. Could you guys try the St.Aignan scenario and see if you get the same result? Also, the campaign-map I get this on is 'Boiselles' (Campaigns\c004s018.dat).

The game I have has been upgraded and overwritten all the way from version 5.0. I downloaded it when Matrixgames only had the complete installer for 5.01. I then installed all the incremental upgrades (5.01-5.2-5.3-6.0-6.1-7.0-7.1). I wish I could d'l the latest complete, but I'm on 56k dialup, so that's out of the question... just gotta wait until I get something faster.

So... anyone has any other clues to what might solve this? I don't mind whipping out my trusty hex-editor and changing stuff if that's what it takes...

best regards,
Stian

Gmen: he's absolutely unequivicly CORRECT, I just ran that Scenario and The halftrack is presented as a squad of 3.. I believe its an old scene and was never updated by author.
Resp Chief:(

Thanks for checking it out chief:
That clears things up a good deal! If everyone is getting the same bug, then there's not much to do about it I guess... until a new version is out (if ever). It only happens on a couple of maps, so it's really no big deal, I just wanted to see if my install was flawed in any way.

Of course, if there is a way to fix this, I'd really like to try it, so if anyone has an idea ...

Other than that, thanks a lot, guys!

Stian

stian:
Oh my god you used the dirty word BUG the powers that be at MATRIX frown on that word... Now the author may have made a perfectly good scenario at the time it was published but alas and alack someone changed the OOB's so instead of a BU? I guess we could call it a time lag problem. I have been trying to checkout all the canned scenarios but time is a factor, I have plenty of it and the scenes take it all, so far I've completed the first page and a couple of the second. Thanks to you I won't have to check St. Aignan.

In all seriousness Your Welcome have a good day or is it night now down under :

Gmenfan:
I just found the missing HT's, all kidding aside, they are at Pelau in the Scenario by Wild Bill Wilder "A Marine Ordeal" they've replaced a 30 cal squad, and I know Wild Bill updated all his scenarios to reflect original OOBs'. In the opening scene there they are. HTH

Originally posted by chief
In all seriousness Your Welcome have a good day or is it night now down under :

Oops - sorry about using the b-word. I certainly didn't mean to upset the big'uns at Matrix. :p

It's actually about 2pm here in oz, a grey rainy winter day. I don't need to go to work, so it's a perfect day for playing some more SP...

Cheers,
Stian

The old way to fix it when things become out dated is to open the scenario editor load the scenario and go in like you are going to edit it but don't just resave it. This used to work when trying to associate old scenarios with new OOB changes. I haven't tried it but it's worth a shot. If not I look when I get a chance and see what minor corrections can be made.

Originally posted by stian
Thanks for checking it out chief:
That clears things up a good deal! If everyone is getting the same bug, then there's not much to do about it I guess... until a new version is out (if ever). It only happens on a couple of maps, so it's really no big deal, I just wanted to see if my install was flawed in any way.

Of course, if there is a way to fix this, I'd really like to try it, so if anyone has an idea ...

Other than that, thanks a lot, guys!

Stian

You can fix it the same way the author would have to, load the scenario into the scenario editor, unload the passengers and delete the m3 and rebuy as M5 (which is as close as the current UK oob comes, then redeploy them and reload the passengers.

If you really want to you could use the nationality screen and buy m3 from the US list, or change the M5 to a .30 aamg. Assuming that it really needs to be an M3 and not an M5.

Looking at the hq it shows SPWAW 1.0 so no telling when the scenario broke between v1.0 and v7.1.
thanks, John.