Matrix Games Forums

If I wanted to change the effectiveness of the 40MM Bofers types (reduce) in the middle of a PBEM game,
and if both players changed the necessary devices, would it take effect in the current game?

No, changes will not take effect during a current game. It keeps players honest.

That's not completely true, oldman45.

If it was one of the 'Official Slot' scenarios (#1-25), then you can't make your own edits, though official updates to those scenarios can be done (same way as below).

If however, it is a 'custom' scenario (anything apart from the above), then you can make and install edits easily. However, it should be noted that certain types of edits will play much nicer than others - device values are one of the simplest, so if thats all your changing you should be good.

The way to do this is as follows (after making the edits in the scenario files, and making sure the IJ player has those versions);

After running the combat resolution, the Japanese player will have this at the bottom of the Preferences page;

(The 'NOT END OF TURN EMAIL SAVE' will not show if you've come here without saving/loading after the combat resolution)

Clicking this will flip the text to the following;


Alternatively, if you save the turn before ending it, upon loading the turn again from the main menu, after entering the password, you will be asked to upgrade;


Once this is done, you can just finish the turn normally, end it and pass it to the allied player.

The allied player can watch the combat replay as normal (as any changes take effect after it was generated).

Upon loading the turn itself, the allied player receives the following notification;


At the bottom of the Preferences page, it will also show;


As said, be cautious with large changes (ship class data, locations, etc.). Device values (ie editing existing devices, not adding new ones) is rather easy, some of the others are not. Make sure to keep a backup save just incase.

Also, you probably already know this, but be careful with the tweaks themselves - there's generally rather good reasons for the values being what they are (especially in DBB or some of the updated scenarios), so change them at your own risk.

Juan

Thanks, I never knew that!

It is true that the official scenarios can be updated while in progress, but what can be updated is limited and it will only work with officially stamped scenarios. The editor shouldn't allow you to save to the official scenario slots and the only scenarios that can be loaded from that scenario range need a special code put in there by the developers.

Unless you have figured out how to hack that, which Matrix would consider uncool, there is no way a non-developer player can update a game in progress. As oldman45 pointed out, this is to prevent people from cheating. I know it can be annoying when you find something that just doesn't work right, but it's what you have to live with.

Bill

ORIGINAL: wdolson

It is true that the official scenarios can be updated while in progress, but what can be updated is limited and it will only work with officially stamped scenarios. The editor shouldn't allow you to save to the official scenario slots and the only scenarios that can be loaded from that scenario range need a special code put in there by the developers.

Unless you have figured out how to hack that, which Matrix would consider uncool, there is no way a non-developer player can update a game in progress. As oldman45 pointed out, this is to prevent people from cheating. I know it can be annoying when you find something that just doesn't work right, but it's what you have to live with.

Bill

My post was mostly directed at custom scenarios, because as said you cannot save over the scenario 1-25 slots and hence it won't show/prompt for the update in game. I just included the mention of the official scens for completeness and because I know there have been some data updates for them earlier.

I do think its a useful functionality for custom scenarios, particularly when testing/developing them. Technically you can't 'cheat' with it, as the other player is notified, though the notification could be a little more intrusive (sort of like the pwhex data difference notification).

ORIGINAL: JuanG

ORIGINAL: wdolson

It is true that the official scenarios can be updated while in progress, but what can be updated is limited and it will only work with officially stamped scenarios. The editor shouldn't allow you to save to the official scenario slots and the only scenarios that can be loaded from that scenario range need a special code put in there by the developers.

Unless you have figured out how to hack that, which Matrix would consider uncool, there is no way a non-developer player can update a game in progress. As oldman45 pointed out, this is to prevent people from cheating. I know it can be annoying when you find something that just doesn't work right, but it's what you have to live with.

Bill

My post was mostly directed at custom scenarios, because as said you cannot save over the scenario 1-25 slots and hence it won't show/prompt for the update in game. I just included the mention of the official scens for completeness and because I know there have been some data updates for them earlier.

I do think its a useful functionality for custom scenarios, particularly when testing/developing them. Technically you can't 'cheat' with it, as the other player is notified, though the notification could be a little more intrusive (sort of like the pwhex data difference notification).

I agree that it's good to have, because mods almost always get corrected after release. Not having the ability to update the things that can be updated now would send many a turn-hour into oblivion. And both players are notified, as you point out.

Thanks everyone.

This is a custom enhanced Empire scenario in Aug 44, and I am allies. We dont want to fool with standard scenarios, but we would like to give the empire just a little edge in the form of late model 40MM bofer effectiveness reduction of about 20% and test the effectiveness improvement with the kami's through playing it out to an invasion of Japan proper.

In our mod, the American AA has performed well past historical effectiveness (perhaps because how I put these TF's together), and we want to swing it back some without restarting the whole shooting match.

Nothing nefarious here until I lament my decision due to later losses. But that will be another day!

ORIGINAL: topeverest
In our mod, the American AA has performed well past historical effectiveness (perhaps because how I put these TF's together), and we want to swing it back some without restarting the whole shooting match.

Please be aware that there are three different things happening in the AA algorithm. There's the base (stock) AA Eff and Acc, then there's the "Sec" AA Eff and Acc, and then there's the code driven changeover, sometime in '43 or some such, I forget.

It's a cliff function, so if you want to get smooth with AA values, you must replicate every single gun, for every single nation, at least twice, in the database. Some will step a lot (because of VT and director technology), some will step much (because of director technology), some won't do jack. There's a lot of stuff going on within this algorithm. Obviously can't tell you what happens on changeover day, but can help with suggestions and an inditation of who gets whacked, and when and why. The code is universally applied, so changes must be applied indivually and universally, in data. Little thingies you want to do for the Allies, need to be unified within the overall system.

No onsey, twosey gun nonsense.[8D] Ciao. John

ORIGINAL: Symon

It's a cliff function, so if you want to get smooth with AA values, you must replicate every single gun, for every single nation, at least twice, in the database. Some will step a lot (because of VT and director technology), some will step much (because of director technology), some won't do jack. There's a lot of stuff going on within this algorithm.

John,

Want to be sure I understand this so I don't make a mistake and screw things up in my mod (again). [;)]

So, there is a code change that happens in the 43/44 timeframe that will account for the director/VT improvements that happen during the war. Now, is this code hard wired to certain device numbers, meaning I can't move/change/add AA device locations or does it look to certain properties on all AA devices and then adjust. EX: Does the change only happen to device #810 OR does a change happen to all US AA guns with an effect greater than 40 because that will be at least a 10cm gun and those guns got updated director technology and better VT's in mid-43?

Thanks for clarifying what you can and keeping up nitwits between the navigational buoys! [:D]

Hard wired. Happens to all Allied AA guns and DP guns firing in AA phase.

ORIGINAL: Symon

Hard wired. Happens to all Allied AA guns and DP guns firing in AA phase.

Whew! Good news. I've added some allied guns and worried that they wouldn't see the upgrades. THANKS!