TonyE

unfixed for 2009.007

Please test in 2009.007, the undesired torpedoing of artillery should be gone.

Please re-test with 2009.007, the unwanted double-prompting should be gone.

We of HC3 (TonyE, Akula, CV32) would like to welcome all of the beta testers and thank you for your time. I played Harpoon for a decade before I came a beta tester for HC2002, and have since alpha tested and programmed many creations. Each of us has been there and realize most of the frustrations and opportunities the testing brings. We ask that you make an effort to contribute to the process and help to make the game better. Over time we will be able to distinguish those who are just downloading the betas from those who are aiding the process. You can be sure those putting in long hard hours will be rewarded with more resources from those of us towards the top of the heap. Also see: http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?showtopic=3582 for more helpful hints. Good things to do: Make useful issue reports at the Issue Tracker. If possible include a test scenario with as few units as possible that shows the behavior. Include a saved game just before the behavior occurs. Detail the process of recreating the behavior. As appropriate note the scenario, database, battleset, game versions used to experience the situation. Include system specs if they may be relevant. Post to the Pipe Dreams forum here in the Beta Area. Bad things to do: Use the Issue Tracker to ask questions about game mechanics. That is a discussion question for the General forums. Make 'ditto' or 'me too' posts. If you must pile on add meaningful comments and expand upon any established ideas. Expect the betas to run as well as the released patches. We have a history of betas that run as well or better than the released game but that will not always be the case. Let's get to it Please see the attached expansion on these ideas and tips for beta testing. HC_Beta_Tester_Manual.pdf

Sometime tomorrow the beta testing process will be opened to all HCE players. See http://forum.computerharpoon.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=227 for the flowery words. If there is anything you think needs to be hidden before then, please make it known immediately.

I'm unpinning the topic due to inactivity and the upcoming potential move to the Issue Tracker for everything when the open beta starts.

but to people use the F# keys or the CTRL - # keys? I find the function keys much quicker to access and do not use the Ctrl - # key combinations at all.

Ooh, I'm liking both approaches, the second looks cooler but I suppose the first is more useable. On the second it would be great to add the row of funtion keys (F1-F12 above the 1 2 3 4 5 6 ... +). Actually same for both cards. A minor nitpick, spacebar should probably say "Next Group/Unit" It cycles North to South then rolls over to North. Any volunteers to make sure the listed keys actually do something (even what they say they should do?)? Ideal during that process would be to expound a little upon what each one does as keycard descriptions are neccessarily short but if someone eventually builds an interactive keyboard chart, longer descriptions would be very handy. The we can dig thru the code and find any as yet undocumented keyboard commands and add them.

The tinfoil hats were needed as soon as high power radio stations came into existence. We're just plain cooking ourselves now

It is a common quirk.

HCE - 2009.007 ============== - Chg:0000 GE This build is the code reverted to the original 2008.068 plus a number of tweaks. That means a number of issues are now unfixed. This was done since the fixes presented more challenges than the original issues. This returns the game to a stable state from which we can move forward. HCE - 2008.068 ============== - Chg:0000 GE The aircraft speed/altitude dialog works as designed again. It will show the proper speed for the altitude and speed selected. If you manually enter a speed outside of the range of the band or aircraft capability, the aircraft will go to an altitude band and speed less than or equal to the manually entered speed. (thanks Herman) http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?showtopic=2335 - Chg:0000 GE Added hotkey O to show any On Station rectangles for the player's side. Press O to show them, O again to hide them. In debug builds, Alt-F5 will show on station rectangles once for all sides (the ones for Blue will be blue color, Red will be red, etc.) - Chg:0000 GE New escort jamming model. The player won't see as many phantom shoot-downs anymore. The old model was flawed. - Chg:0000 GE Logging will really work in Release builds this time around, no kidding, unlike the previous however many times! - Chg:2419 GE More properly split aircraft groups (the newly created group wasn't having its mission zeroed out properly). (thanks Herman) http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?showtopic=2325 - Chg:2433 GE Change to speed/altitude dialog for off by one bug. http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?showtopic=2474 - Chg:0000 GE Status bar "you clicked here, range, bearing between clicks, and water depth" information is no longer truncated due to a buffer overflow. In other words you now see water depth down there in Release Builds. - Chg:0000 GE Enabled water depth display in status bar for the Unit window. - Chg:0000 SE Allow the designer to add a ship/sub of the same name multiple times in a single scenario. (thanks Fred)

This build is reverted back to the status of 2008.068 and then selected fixes from later builds were applied. Please retest all of the items in this post even though many were already verified. I'll work thru marking previously fixed and now unfixed items as such over the coming week. HCE - 2009.007 ============== - Chg:0000 GE This build is the code reverted to the original 2008.068 plus a number of tweaks. That means a number of issues are now unfixed. This was done since the fixes presented more challenges than the original issues. This returns the game to a stable state from which we can move forward. HCE - 2008.068 ============== - Chg:0000 GE The aircraft speed/altitude dialog works as designed again. It will show the proper speed for the altitude and speed selected. If you manually enter a speed outside of the range of the band or aircraft capability, the aircraft will go to an altitude band and speed less than or equal to the manually entered speed. (thanks Herman) http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?showtopic=2335 - Chg:0000 GE Added hotkey O to show any On Station rectangles for the player's side. Press O to show them, O again to hide them. In debug builds, Alt-F5 will show on station rectangles once for all sides (the ones for Blue will be blue color, Red will be red, etc.) - Chg:0000 GE New escort jamming model. The player won't see as many phantom shoot-downs anymore. The old model was flawed. - Chg:0000 GE Logging will really work in Release builds this time around, no kidding, unlike the previous however many times! - Chg:2419 GE More properly split aircraft groups (the newly created group wasn't having its mission zeroed out properly). (thanks Herman) http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?showtopic=2325 - Chg:2433 GE Change to speed/altitude dialog for off by one bug. http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?showtopic=2474 - Chg:0000 GE Status bar "you clicked here, range, bearing between clicks, and water depth" information is no longer truncated due to a buffer overflow. In other words you now see water depth down there in Release Builds. - Chg:0000 GE Enabled water depth display in status bar for the Unit window. - Chg:0000 SE Allow the designer to add a ship/sub of the same name multiple times in a single scenario. (thanks Fred)

Or there is VMWare, not cumbersome at all moving files, if you move them at all

Hi Jim, Indeed I've tried HCE on Windows 7 beta but I used the 64-bit version which has no 16-bit emulator so no scenario editor. Did you use a 64-bit version of the Win7 beta as well? If you are running the 32-bit version, I'd be interested in knowing what error you are getting.

my 2 additional cents The different displays are not purely due to sonar in actual conditions vs db values but also due to the tweaking of the sonar model during HC Gold development. It is a combination of both that results in the different display (pure DB vs model+environment). As Brad said, there is no moderation queue here in the beta area like there is in the other areas of HarpGamer. The Preview is not making the difference, moderation just isn't required here.

Don, thank you for going to the trouble. It gets easier after the first time . On the screenshot topic, you don't have to include one, they just make your entry look more attractive.

my 2 cents is that doesn't seem at all outrageous. I don't think that when working with known structural materials there is anything more that can be accomplished in 5 years than 1, given proper funding of course. Development of new aircraft will stumble on software and stealth coverings, neither of which need be present in a flyable plane even if the end result contains nifty software and stealth aiding materials.

My 2 cents is that ASW work is difficult to do solo as I find it difficult to not bias myself during the maneuvering and TMA process. Pretty much everything else I can keep my thoughts for each side to myself.

unmarked as fixed

Come to a consensus please

If they have started saying synergistic then it is all down hill from here for Russian military aviation.

In the game (HCE) there is no distinction between dogfight range and not dogfight range, as a result there is no point at which Ph is halved (or doubled).

Test it and find out As for dogfight range (I don't know off-hand the range, I assume about 3nm since that is the gun range), what difference does it make? On to grander questions, what prompts you to ask all of these questions? Are you writing a manual in which case you should join the beta team, or writing a clone in which case you should just buy the paper rules and get permission to build the game, or???

The demo expiration has been extended to February 15, 2009 if you download anew. Change Log: HCE - 2008.068 ============== - Chg:0000 GE The aircraft speed/altitude dialog works as designed again. It will show the proper speed for the altitude and speed selected. If you manually enter a speed outside of the range of the band or aircraft capability, the aircraft will go to an altitude band and speed less than or equal to the manually entered speed. (thanks Herman) http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?showtopic=2335 - Chg:0000 GE Added hotkey O to show any On Station rectangles for the player's side. Press O to show them, O again to hide them. In debug builds, Alt-F5 will show on station rectangles once for all sides (the ones for Blue will be blue color, Red will be red, etc.) - Chg:0000 GE New escort jamming model. The player won't see as many phantom shoot-downs anymore. The old model was flawed. - Chg:0000 GE Logging will really work in Release builds this time around, no kidding, unlike the previous however many times! HCE - 2008.067 ============== - Chg:B047 GE Limited how the AI will execute BOL air to surface and Surface to Surface missile launches. If the axis of the uncertainty zone as seen by the firing unit to the target is greater than 50nm (uncertainty zone width when drawing a line from attacker to target), the AI will not fire. The AI will also not fire if the weapon range/5 is less than the uncertainty zone width. If the uncertainty zone is range ASMs). (thanks Herman) http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?a...&showbug=47 - Chg:B054 GE No longer show the correct count of land units and damaged land units at a base if those units are not currently detected. (thanks Herman) http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?a...&showbug=54 - Chg:B048 GE Don't prompt the player to use air-to-air cannon fire against subs. Do prompt player to close range to launch depth charges. (thanks Herman) http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?a...&showbug=48

Nice article, thanks for sharing.