Matrix Games Forums

People! we're gonna tame this bitch. [8D]

Another attempt at fixing this beast ..... I truly think we're making some headway.
Please refer to R2's thread HERE, the subject matter bounces around a bit, so as to not to confuse things even more, this separate thread is a request for you folks with a multi-core processor to give this "potential solution" a try.



The file can be grabbed HERE

unzip the dxwnd file anywhere, desktop will do for now

double-click on dxwnd.exe
right-click on the SPWaW 2016 entry
left-click on Modify
On the Main tab, change the path to where your install is located.

Depending on the size of your monitor, you might have to adjust the window size. Take a peek again at the Main tab >>>> bottom left, Position.
I have it set for a 1360x1020 window. Change to fit your screen.
click on OK, then File|Save.


The SPWaW 2016 entry should now have A Green button.
Double-click on SPWaW 2016 and the game should begin.

Try out the Artillery tutorial and see how she flies.
It's set up for a quad-core.

You might very well have to adjust a parameter, every processor is different .... there is no stock setting at this time.

If there is still issues, get out of the game, and right-click on the SPWaW 2016, left-click on Modify.

click on the Timing tab
look at top right >>>> System speed
the ratio is set at 1:20
change it up or down, lets say by 5, then click on the Try... button (bottom left) and see the results.
When you find a good setting, click OK, then File | Save.

Then, let us know what your processor is and the settings you have.

Thank you Gamers.


If you are interested, this link DxWnd discussion will take you to correspondence with the Dev of the DxWnd program. The dude has taken up the cause, and has spent a tonne of effort helping us.

I can't thank him and R2 enough.



Cheers

Major Mess


EDIT: My apologies, the wrong files we uploaded. This has now been corrected, as of May 24th, 2016.
I ask that you intrepid souls give this another try, using the correct version, you can grab it from the same link above.
I have NO idea as to what I was doing here, but I do know I dropped the ball.
Sorry for the bother, and thanks again.

MM

Hmm I got best result as I chose x1 value in DXWnd and set 3 % in BES. Only couple seconds delay[:)] in artillery menu. Works better than ever[:D]!

Update!

This attempt at a fix will work better with the proper files.

That has now been done.
Sooooo, it's time to ask again.


Let's have some testers reviews.


thks

MM

edit (already [:o] ) the correct files can be accessed from the first post.

Vanilla SPWAW with Win7 colour fix has worked mostly fine for me. Biggest nuisance is mouse cursor drawing some artifacts. I've got Core i5-2500K, 8 GB of RAM, GeForce GTX 580, and 64-bit Windows 7.

ORIGINAL: Matti Kuokkanen

Vanilla SPWAW with Win7 colour fix has worked mostly fine for me. Biggest nuisance is mouse cursor drawing some artifacts. I've got Core i5-2500K, 8 GB of RAM, GeForce GTX 580, and 64-bit Windows 7.

Dxwnd should fix that mouse cursor issue. I suggest you give it a try.

The old win7 color fix that the Camo Workshop also supplies with their WinSPMBT & WinSPWW2 is really obsolete and crude. It works by just killing explorer.exe.

This fix has worked for me although I have to double click sometimes to get a response in the artillery screen, huge improvement over having to click 20 times. I am running Windows 10 on an Intel I5 quad core laptop and changed the timing to 1:10.
Thanks for the hard work on finding a fix and hope that my feedback helps.

ORIGINAL: Macabre

This fix has worked for me although I have to double click sometimes to get a response in the artillery screen, huge improvement over having to click 20 times. I am running Windows 10 on an Intel I5 quad core laptop and changed the timing to 1:10.
Thanks for the hard work on finding a fix and hope that my feedback helps.

Yes it does, thanks for trying it and reporting back.


MM

WE could still use a few folks with i7 processors to give this a try.


Thanks again.


MM

Major Mess, what do you think is this DXWnd (and BES too) enough good way to fix problem? Any other way exist? I use both programs and they make clicking target hexes faster then ever[:'(]... At least I have i5 Intel processor (not sure how good it works with i7).

ORIGINAL: sami heimola

Major Mess, what do you think is this DXWnd (and BES too) enough good way to fix problem? Any other way exist? I use both programs and they make clicking target hexes faster then ever[:'(]... At least I have i5 Intel processor (not sure how good it works with i7).

Hi sami

DxWnd works OK I guess for i5 systems, it seems to be the best (easiest to set up) way to get around the problem. There are other workarounds available, but their success rate is spotty at best. Not to mention the tech skills required ........ grognards don't want to fart around with that sh*t, they wanna play!!!!!


The problem as I see it is - we don't know what we're doing.
Without knowing whats going on inside the mech.exe when it's running, we're just guessing.

I think that the discovery that multi-cores are the problem was one such lucky guess. But is it the complete answer.

I don't think so.

Why is it just one screen, one facet of this game that refuses to behave?
If multi-cores are the root of the problem, why does the rest of the game function?


What is coded differently in the arty node * of the game?
Why do ALL the other screens work?

I have No Idea how this game was built, and only have a laymans knowledge on how software is created, but if I had to guess I'd say that the arty part was coded by someone other than the primary dude.
Just using a different method than the rest of the package to achieve whatever ...... it wasn't noticed at the time, cuz it worked.
Now it doesn't.

That's my uneducated guess. [:'(]


Now, as I see it * we/someone have to tear into the guts of the mech.exe file.
Attach some sort of look-at-the-inner-workings-of-a-program program ..... if such a thing exists. I dunno. I think there's software like that.
Monitor the 1's and 0's, see what they do.
She what they do differently during Arty time.

Nail down why this one part of the program doesn't function, then dive into the code and re-wire the bitch.


But ........ That not only requires the OK from Matrix-S, which I don't see coming in my lifetime, it also needs the time and knowledge and application of skills from someone wise in the ways of coding *, or whatever you want to call it.

Another bigger but .... IF we were somehow able to develop a stable version of this game, IMO the graphics will always hold it back.
I've always tried to look past the visuals as presented. I could easily rationalize it as basic icons representing the markers used in ASL.
"It's the Gameplay that Counts!!!!"
And it does ... it really does!!!


However

I recently upgraded to a larger monitor, the Game looks like ASS.
It's rubbish.
That's another reason why I now play the game in DxWnd all the time, my big shiny monitor does me no favours. (I used to only use DxWnd for Editing and creating and whatnot, I played the game fullscreen)

My Samsung phone FFS can run about a skadillion games on its tiny screen that all look better.


Soooooo, I really wonder if any more time and effort should be put into this animal.
Without the eye-candy getting improved, we ain't gonna get anyone new to play.
The True Believers will be onboard, but .....
The game will die out no matter what steps we take.

No modern graphics, no future.


Having stated that, a quick look at the Depot tells me that we've had approximately 4,500 D/L's of the SPWaW 2016 game in the 6 months or so that it has been available.
No advertising, just a shout out on two forums.
Since then I know it has been linked on more than a few sites.

Not too shabby.

I dunno, I try not to get cynical about it.
Whatever!


Major Mess

* Please keep in mind at all times that I have No Idea what I'm talking about.

^^^^^^^ ha ha ha, I should just use this as my signature ^^^^^^^


PS: Please don't mention to me the new and improved whatever they want to call it game (Steel Tigers???) that Matrix-S are developing.
I've been looking at my Inbox ever since Mr. Rutins advised us that we would be invited to be involved with the development of the New Game.
They just had to get a few more items sorted out and then ......
That was back ..... lemme look, one second ...... Ok, I can't find the quote but it was sometime in 2015 (Feb / March??).
This is the last I could find on the subject

ORIGINAL: RE: What would you like to see in a new Steel Panthers? - 6/26/2015 8:47:21 AM

Erik Rutins

The way to look at this is that it's a full court, full company press. We are giving this our all and giving Gary and Joel every bit of support we can to make this as great as we possibly can. IMHO that's great news for all SP fans. [8D]

Regards,

- Erik

You notice the date?? That was over a year ago.
Not a peep since.

IMHO, I think it's vaporware.

Erik, tell me differently.

ORIGINAL: Macabre

This fix has worked for me although I have to double click sometimes to get a response in the artillery screen, huge improvement over having to click 20 times. I am running Windows 10 on an Intel I5 quad core laptop and changed the timing to 1:10.
Thanks for the hard work on finding a fix and hope that my feedback helps.

Thank you for the feedback!

Finding the correct slow down value can be difficult. I had to test many different values to find the sweet spot. Even an increment of 1 can make a difference. And ofcourse the best value depends on the cpu and there are lots of different cpu's out there so there is no single correct value that works for all.

Thanks for the tip on adjustments of 1 point making a difference Riitaoja2. I tested a number of different values and finally settled on 9 as the best value setting.