Matrix Games Forums

Hi,
I want clear response if there is a chance for following feature in next (1.5) patch

Feature: Info screen export into text file (eg. CSV)
simple button on each 'List all...' info screen for bases, ships, task forces, airgoups to dump data into game directory in plain text format as comma separated values...

And maybe add this feature to pilots in airgroups screen and Industry/Resource pool screen

It can look like this




thanks
Arkady

I want clear response if there is a chance for following feature in next (1.5) patch

No.

ORIGINAL: Mr.Frag

I want clear response if there is a chance for following feature in next (1.5) patch

No.

thank you, it is clear [:D]

and any chance in some future patch (1.6 etc) ?

ORIGINAL: Mr.Frag

I want clear response if there is a chance for following feature in next (1.5) patch

No.

Well, that IS clear![:D]

What's the point of this feature anyway?

any chance in some future patch (1.6 etc) ?

My crystal ball is cracked. 3 months ago, I would have told you airgroup choices were fantasy.

ORIGINAL: Ron Saueracker

What's the point of this feature anyway?

If you can get info in a text file, you can keep track of it, search it, graph it, etc. As things stand now, you can either flip though screen saves (about ten thousand of them as you scroll through stuff) or try writing it down with paper and pen/cil. A major pain. This would be great for trying to track bugs, not to mention your supplies, repairs, production, etc.

EDIT: Yeah, Ron, i know you want to be a CEO not a accountant -but something like this would give someone like Bodhi a chance to develop a software assist that can act as an accountant.

do you play as japanese ?

if you need transfer oil and resource points, you need to know where is a surplus and where is a demand

if you know resource and oil need in each base you can transfer materials just in time

I'm using Mogami's training method and this can help with checking airgroups for reinforcement

etc.

Arkady

Damn! That would be very useful indeed. Pardon my ignorance of software apps.[;)] So, it officially sucks that the players administrative headaches can't be lessened and perhaps made enjoyable. I like the logistic side of the game...would be nice if was not so darn much of a chore, and a needlessly confusing one at that.

Dear Ron,
Just a question not a jibe or dig!

Question:
"Do you ever not complain in a post?"

ORIGINAL: Mr.Frag

any chance in some future patch (1.6 etc) ?

My crystal ball is cracked. 3 months ago, I would have told you airgroup choices were fantasy.

My crystal ball tells me Frag is a chicken and will never face the might that is me in glorious combat. Can Canada bear the shame???!!!!!!

[:'(]

EDIT: Yeah, Ron, i know you want to be a CEO not a accountant -but something like this would give someone like Bodhi a chance to develop a software assist that can act as an accountant.

For the record, that was me who made the CEO/account statement. Let not violate copyright [;)]. But I suspect that it holds true for many of us. The logistics side of the game could be greatly streamlined with access to the equivalent of the 11 or so database files. Access to these files would quickly result in a summary listing (call it a morning briefing) that could be highly personalized to whatever the player wants. A report (or reports) could provide a summary of where everything is at, etc ..... Doesn't take any of the micromanagement part away from the players that live for this. It would however, provide the information necessary to do this with a WHOLE lot less time/pain etc ....

(I didn't start this one Frag [;)])

My crystal ball tells me Frag is a chicken and will never face the might that is me in glorious combat. Can Canada bear the shame???!!!!!!

Do I need to point you to the thread where I said send me your turn #1 ... I just don't have the time to play as Japan right now, Kid donating more work to me didn't help the situation. [:D]

For the record, that was me who made the CEO/account statement. Let not violate copyright .

Whoops! Sorry - you are right! I had it in my brain that it was Ron.
(c) 2005 to scout1[&o]

And yes, i would ALSO rather be the CEO/Admiral/General than the bean counter!

I would see the software assist working something like this:

WITPAssistant program loaded before WITP - you load WITP and your turn, then switch to and activate the WITPassistant program. It would go through and automatically activate the "Export to CSV" on the main data screens (or maybe those selected in the utility) - it automatically then collates the information in the utility, maybe graphing the data you want on demand.

This would preserve the encrypted nature of the turns, yet allow easy access to the info.

I'm drooling!! (and probably dreaming...)

Frag,

Just thinking out loud, but there is one thing that confuses me about the level of effort involved for the feature that is being requested (by me/others). The current save game file (which is encrypted) contains ALL the game state data for both the Allied and Japanese player. It also has some type of software flag that identifies whether the information should be available to the Japanese or the Allies (so we don't see info from the other side). Obviously I haven't a clue as to the format of the save game file (for obvious reasons) and that's OK. However, what's the effort involved in dumping out one side or the other to a csv formatted file(s). Is the entire effort a format conversion ? Or is their a bunch of gremlins in the structure that's too tough to un-tangle. Don't mean to be a burr under the saddle (at least not a big one anyways), but don't see the monumental effort here other than when sorting the to do list, it falls on the "new feature side" instead of the" need to fix bug" side of things.[&:]

BTW,

This would be a nice addition to the WPO add-on as well. Not like it wouldn't have a new home as well ![:D]

The current save game file (which is encrypted) contains ALL the game state data for both the Allied and Japanese player.

It is also encrypted ... and therein lies the problem. To dump it requires decryption. Once decrypted, ALL data is available. It is not side specific. The game engine itself determines what you see, not the save file. For an export to work and be side specific, it has to come from *inside* the game as only the game knows what you should and should not see.

I know some folks will say ... well, whats the problem ... yet at the same time I have a in box full of notes asking me to look at a save and see if player xyz is cheating ... breaking that trust factor means the end of pbem'ing. It is a very fine line. People play the game on the assumption that what they do is not known by the other side. Remove that and whats the point of playing?

ORIGINAL: Tophat

Dear Ron,
Just a question not a jibe or dig!

Question:
"Do you ever not complain in a post?"

yes he does !!! [;)]

The game engine itself determines what you see, not the save file.

That strikes me a bit odd since a base can change hands often. It's got to be in the save game file that informs the game code that I have the base or he has it. [&:]

The units (LCU, LBA, TF's, stc ... would be easy ..... Can only belong to one side)

ORIGINAL: Mr.Frag

The current save game file (which is encrypted) contains ALL the game state data for both the Allied and Japanese player.

It is also encrypted ... and therein lies the problem. To dump it requires decryption. Once decrypted, ALL data is available. It is not side specific. The game engine itself determines what you see, not the save file. For an export to work and be side specific, it has to come from *inside* the game as only the game knows what you should and should not see.

I know some folks will say ... well, whats the problem ... yet at the same time I have a in box full of notes asking me to look at a save and see if player xyz is cheating ... breaking that trust factor means the end of pbem'ing. It is a very fine line. People play the game on the assumption that what they do is not known by the other side. Remove that and whats the point of playing?

I fully agree here with Ray ( which is not common [:D] ) . Where it start this decrypting and where does it ends ? It will end up that EVERY one is able to cheat and to look at the others position. and there is no 'little looking' once you break the line, its broekn, end of story.

Look what happend to Counter Strike !!! The way it is handled here in WitP it the right way. I have been an online player since 10 years and belive me : is there a way to cheat, ppl will do. the encrypting made here is the correct way, but I am sure it can be broken... but thats another story.