In addition to my primary Windows 7 development system, I have
[*]a dual-boot Windows 7/Windows 8 test system (which, incidentally, also runs a virtual Linux web server -- three systems in one!)
[*]a dual-boot Windows XP/OpenSUSE Linux test system (backup web server under Linux; boot into Windows XP for -- so far unsuccessful -- CS tests)
I must confess that I haven't yet tried running recent CS builds on the Windows 8 test system.
Although other members of the dev team report no problems running recent CS builds on Windows XP, I am unable to run those recent builds on
my Windows XP test system.
You may or may not know that
Microsoft is finally, no reprieve, pulling the plug on Windows XP support next spring. (Windows XP end of extended support is April 8, 2014. See
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/lifecycle.)
This makes iffy future formal, guaranteed support on Windows XP for CS 1.05+, Modern Wars, and all future games in the Campaign Series. Might work, might not, hit or miss -- on Windows XP.
Sorry to break the bad news to you, folks, but there it is. If Microsoft will no longer (extended) support their own obsoleted OS version, how much less can we provide (guaranteed, formal) support on same?
When I recently rebuilt the above Windows XP system, I was unable to access Windows Update for the normal, post-install patching procedure. Instead, I had to hunt down an obscure Microsoft web page with special patching files and procedures. Since then, I discovered a new site, Microsoft Update, where the normal Windows update procedures -- for XP -- have again been made available. But why don't recent builds run on my XP system? Can't really say. Must be an XP patch or driver issue. (And wouldn't you know it, the error message on failed game launch is cryptic and basically useless for diagnostic purposes.)
The point being: If the Campaign Series Lead Programmer can't (yet) run new CS builds on his Windows XP test system, how can he provide adequate support for CS on XP? (Again, this appears to be an XP patching/support issue, not an issue with the builds themselves, since other dev team members report successful use on older, not-recently-rebuilt XP systems.)
Of course, Campaign Series 1.04 and before will continue to run just fine on Windows XP, 7 & 8.
Bottom line,
for future updates and games in the Campaign Series:
[*]Windows XP -- questionable support; the game may or may not run, will try to make it work for me personally (so that I can support it), but no guarantees
[*]Windows 7 -- fully supported
[*]Windows 8 -- fully supported
[*]future Windows versions -- fully supported
Oh, and if anybody is wondering:
[*]Linux -- under WINE, maybe (as a Linux devoteee, I will spend some time to addressing the compatibility issue, but it's far from highest priority)
[*]Mac OS X -- nope! [:'(]
[*]iOS, Android, etc. -- fat chance! [:D]
