Bastogne scenario

[El Savior]

Hello guys!

I've been working last months with my Seven Roads to Hell scenario. It is almost finished, but I have encountered some serious problems. For some reason it will crash second before showing final score. I have changed many reinforcements and it seems there are the problem. But still it could work one time and crash another time with the same reinforcement. I have try to solve the problem and made dozens of test games with different reinforcement settings. Still can't make it work. I have already made totally new scenario from a scratch and copied all the information there (OOB's by hand - not copy with excel) and it didn't help.

What should I do?

I could release this and maybe someone is able to solve the problem. I have been making this scenario about three months and used so many hours for it. I don't want to totally waste that time. Getting little desperate here.... [8|]

[Golf33]

Have you been able to identify a specific unit on the reinforcement schedule that causes the crash? Is there any chance that one of your reinforcements is scheduled to arrive after the scenario ends?

Regards
33

[Golf33]

El Savior,

I've spoken to Dave and since we're pretty flat-out trying to put together a build of COTA for the testers, we won't be able to install the HTTR debugging tools to have a proper look at what's happening in your scenario for a couple of weeks. If, in a fortnight, you are still having the problem please zip up the scenario and map files and email them to us and we'll install the debugging tools and see if we can track down the problem.

Regards
33

[El Savior]

Problems seems to be in XLVII Korps HQ unit. It's working if this unit is off the map. But sometimes it's working with this unit too. Then the problem seems to be with 26th HQ unit or artillery units under it. Pretty confusing, because it sometimes could work with these same reinforcements. I make some more tests today. Now example one test scenario is working (without XLVII Korps).

[loyalcitizen]

I hope that by the time Panther's own Bulge game comes out they will have had a chance to make the scenario builder way more user friendly. I've made 1 scenario and it took forever. I'd really like to be able to pick forces by category, not name. I personally don't care if I'm playing with the actual units that were historically there or their sister division that was 5km away at the time.

Categories could be: Armored Division, Mechanized Company, Infantry Battalion, etc.
You just click on the size and type of unit you want, then the computer finds that type of unit from the historical OOBs that have been painstakingly modeled by Panther. If there are some attached units in that unit that you don't want present, just delete them. Let the computer handle attaching X to Y to Z.

I'm sure Panther already have some ideas, but it pains me to see such a dedicated scenario designer have so many problems for so many months. I bet Panther would sell a lot more games if visitors to internet scenario depots saw a huge list of scenarios.

Thanks, Matt

[El Savior]

If Panther Games will included OOB's for divisions it's a major task to do. Divisions were changed during the war many times and rarely division was fighting 100% full TOE. There are dozens of divisions and researching all of them takes time. Hmm... This would be great opportinity for modders to make ready divisions for scenario makers. I'm sure it will make scenario making easier and hopefully bring more people to create own scenarios. HTTR deserve creative community. I'm one volunteer for that OOB-task. Maybe Panther Games can host that OOB for download or even add it to the game after patchs. [:)]

Actually I personally like researching and building OOB's. For me it's the most fun part in scenario making. And I see scenario editor easy to use too. No scripts and interface is much like any other Windows program. If I could choose ready division from the list, it would surely be helpful. And for those who don't want to spend hours researching OOB's even more helpful. Still you usually need to check units one-by-one and change leaders, skill levels, condition, etc. Scenario making is time consuming, but so rewarding afterwards to see units in battle first time. They are your boys out there. [8D]

I'm sure my problems with reinforcements are because I just didn't get it one feature. Arjuna ja Steve knows exatly how scenario editor works, they don't do mistakes because of that. It's basic of coding I think. Coder can't beta test his own programs, coz' he know how it works and subconsciously avoid making things that would go wrong. I just need to know how this feature works and avoid it. Or there really is something wrong with my unit and I have missed it. Anyway, we will see.

Arjuna and Steve. I had made couple tests during last few days and was able to make reinforcement that work. Only problem is that now it's missing some artillery units. These four field arty units are quite important for the Germany. It's hard task to achieve victory even with them. Even minor change will crash the scenario, so I will leave it like this now. I will send my scenario to you today. Hope you have some time to check it. Thanks.

[Arjuna]

El Savior,

I will run your scenario overnight and see if we can get to the bottom of your problem.

[Arjuna]

El Savior,

It's not yet 0730 and I've come down to the office to check on the progress of your scenario. Sure enough as you said it was stopped one minute before the end. You will be pleased to know that it is not related to reinforcements at all. The problem is the game is about to end but a particular force has decided to replan. In doing so, it tries to determine the next weather state. Alas, because the scenario ends at midnight, none is specified for the next minute ( it being a new and "non-existent" day ). Hence the assert fires to protect the code from accessing dud data.

This has never fired before, because IIRC we have never set the end of a scenario to be midnight. The simple work around is to end your scenario prior to midnight ( 2358 should be fine ). I will make sure that the code is modified to avoid this in our next game COTA. This will then get retro-fitted back into HTTR when we do the update for it after COTA's release.

[El Savior]

That's it? Very good news!

I can't believe it is finally solved. Thank you very much! [&o]
It never occured my mind to change time. Well, actuallu I did notest that if I surrender before end it will show score.

I can now inform, that release day for Seven Roads to Hell is closing. Be ready guys!

[The_MadMan]

Cool, can't wait to play it!