TonyE

Hehe, I figured we fixed and expanded the feature, may as well turn it on for newbies or nobody would ever see it

HCE - 2008.021 ============== - Chg:0000 GE Updated credits - Chg:0000 GE Made range rings into range ellipses (see WestPac). - Chg:0000 BB Allow the user to continue working after trying to make a BattleSet with illegal lat/lon (thanks Akula) and installer improvements...

HCE - 2008.021 ============== - Chg:0000 GE Updated credits - Chg:0000 GE Made range rings into range ellipses (see WestPac). - Chg:0000 BB Allow the user to continue working after trying to make a BattleSet with illegal lat/lon (thanks Akula) Brad tested the scenario converter and it worked fine in his attempts. You'll find the range rings sometimes distort (usually with really large ranges), that's just the way it will be for now. 2008.021 has been passed on to AGSI for submission to Matrix for public testing.

I think I have an explanation for this mystery, the new sounds that were supposed to be in 2007.000 weren't, but they are in 2008.004+ and are too big for many computers, some will play, some will play once. What we'll aim for with the 2nd patch is storing the sound files separately and people can swap in their own if they want.

I had wanted to get the patch sent off to Matrix on Monday but I messed up the game enough I had to delay a bit. We've got a good looking build now, so it should get to Matrix this weekend, then I suppose a week or two before they get it posted up for testing.

If someone wants to create the wiki pages for the BS Builder instructions, now would be a good time. Suggested page title - http://www.computerharpoon.com/wiki/main/i...e=HCCE:BB_Guide A prior thread: http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?s...c=2065&st=0 Known limitations (2008.020): Entire world map is not possible, but you can come close Extreme latitudes leads to extreme distortion A BattleSet cannot encompass the 'long way' around the world. An example would be a BattleSet from the West coast of Iceland to the East coast of Iceland, via North America (i.e. Iceland would not be part of that map, if it were possible in the BS Builder). Weather groups map not appear in the BS, the starting locations are hard coded and not yet editable. SOSUS may not work in the BS, the starting locations are hard coded and not yet editable. The .HCBS files store absolute paths to the scenarios which may lead to the scenarios not being included in the BattleSet if the .HCBS file is loaded and the scenarios aren't in those same paths. BattleSet cannot cross 180 deg longitude, same limitation as going 'long way' around the world, except backwards

Okay, the EC2000 BattleSets will be included in the first patch, just without the platform photos they originally had. This will allow use of the scenario converter and playing the scenarios directly in EC2000.

Akula gets the gold star for noticing

HCE - 2008.020 ============== - Chg:0000 DU Fixed up build options of db_utils and map_utils, they were spitting out some bad data when built as a Release build. - Chg:0000 BB Changed to output scenarios in four digit format, res0030.bin instead of the errant res030.bin format. - Chg:0000 BB More properly parse output of map projector program for grabbing the salient map data items in the battleset.res file. - Chg:0000 GE Show build number in title bar, even for release versions. - Chg:0000 SE Hopefully SE will not run without crashing at resolutions > 1600x1200 (thanks Smitty) - Chg:0000 DB HCDB-080122 - Chg:0000 BS Added EC2000 BattleSets, but without the photos.

Okay, I did not fix any installer problems, only game functionality and mainly in the form of the BS Builder and database importing/exporting. HCE - 2008.020 ============== - Chg:0000 DU Fixed up build options of db_utils and map_utils, they were spitting out some bad data when built as a Release build. - Chg:0000 BB Changed to output scenarios in four digit format, res0030.bin instead of the errant res030.bin format. - Chg:0000 BB More properly parse output of map projector program for grabbing the salient map data items in the battleset.res file. - Chg:0000 GE Show build number in title bar, even for release versions. - Chg:0000 SE Hopefully SE will not run without crashing at resolutions > 1600x1200 (thanks Smitty) - Chg:0000 DB HCDB-080122 - Chg:0000 BS Added EC2000 BattleSets, but without the photos.

Outside of building battlesets and databases, how is 2008.004 working? It is the first non-debug build since the release version which could mean strangeness (not that I saw any once I got EC2003 working

Okay, so the BS Builder isn't working right, I think the db_utils are to blame, which suggests that the database import and export may be compromised as well (i.e. a database created in 2008.004 might not work in 2008.003?). Post your findings please.

If you are not in the credits or think something different should be said about you in the credits, don't be shy.

HCE - 2008.004 ============== - Chg:0000 GE Don't tell planes to drop to Low altitude when returning to base - Chg:0000 GE If an air group is out of weapons range when their target is destroyed, find them another target in the same group instead of saying their task is finished. (thanks theCase) http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=1677672 - Chg:0000 GE Fixed bug in uncertainty zone adjustment that resulted in some contacts not being localized as quickly as they should have been localized. - Chg:0000 GE BOL weapons will not go active at a reasonable position instead of immediately after launch. The point you click on the map is where the target unit is expected, the GE calculates the activation point to be somewhat short of that. - Chg:0000 GE Stopped making ExportDLLs folders all over. - Chg:0000 GE Changes to the project file to allow a release build to work in EC2003. _USE_32bit_time_t - Chg:0000 GE Fixed buffer overflow in gun code when reporting type of damage applied, string was too short. - Chg:0000 GE Fixed another buffer overflow, prior to throwing up a Staff message box. - Chg:0000 GE Fixed a number of improper typecasts in Annex loading. They were casted to short and should have been ushort. - Chg:0000 GE Updated Credits screen. - Chg:0000 GE Changed the user-made battleset to hdsu.res (.SCz, .hpz) and added code for the intervening BattleSets. - Chg:0000 SE Changed the user-made battleset to hdsu.res (.SCz, .hpz) and added code for the intervening BattleSets. - Chg:0000 BB Changed the user-made battleset to hdsu.res (.SCz, .hpz) and added code for the intervening BattleSets. - Chg:0000 BB Copy the battleset.res file from the BS Builder into the HC dir if possible and rename hdsu.res - Chg:0000 Expanded db_utils to use 4 digits, up from 3, in case people want to add a ton of photos. - Chg:0000 DB HCDB-080117

This will in all likelyhood be the build that goes out as the public beta for the first patch. It is not a debug build so if you see message log messages that should not be there, report it. Show All, auto play, and iterative saving should still work. We're also looking for difficulties with the install process. NOTE: For those editing databases, please be cautious doing so until you know it is working well with this release, changing the db_utils always brings some risk and I made multiple changes to them for this build. HCE - 2008.004 ============== - Chg:0000 GE Don't tell planes to drop to Low altitude when returning to base - Chg:0000 GE If an air group is out of weapons range when their target is destroyed, find them another target in the same group instead of saying their task is finished. (thanks theCase) http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=1677672 - Chg:0000 GE Fixed bug in uncertainty zone adjustment that resulted in some contacts not being localized as quickly as they should have been localized. - Chg:0000 GE BOL weapons will not go active at a reasonable position instead of immediately after launch. The point you click on the map is where the target unit is expected, the GE calculates the activation point to be somewhat short of that. - Chg:0000 GE Stopped making ExportDLLs folders all over. - Chg:0000 GE Changes to the project file to allow a release build to work in EC2003. _USE_32bit_time_t - Chg:0000 GE Fixed buffer overflow in gun code when reporting type of damage applied, string was too short. - Chg:0000 GE Fixed another buffer overflow, prior to throwing up a Staff message box. - Chg:0000 GE Fixed a number of improper typecasts in Annex loading. They were casted to short and should have been ushort. - Chg:0000 GE Updated Credits screen. - Chg:0000 GE Changed the user-made battleset to hdsu.res (.SCz, .hpz) and added code for the intervening BattleSets. - Chg:0000 SE Changed the user-made battleset to hdsu.res (.SCz, .hpz) and added code for the intervening BattleSets. - Chg:0000 BB Changed the user-made battleset to hdsu.res (.SCz, .hpz) and added code for the intervening BattleSets. - Chg:0000 BB Copy the battleset.res file from the BS Builder into the HC dir if possible and rename hdsu.res - Chg:0000 Expanded db_utils to use 4 digits, up from 3, in case people want to add a ton of photos. - Chg:0000 DB HCDB-080117

Thanks everyone for your input, I am surprised that everyone appeared to be so bullish. When I wasn't working today I was cranking away on the installer, it will probably go to Cameron @ AGSI tonight, then we wait.

I voted yes to both questions, hesitantly on the refueling. For me refueling works much better than in the 2007.000 release, mainly in that I can properly force refueling to happen. For that reason it just barely seems 'good enough' to me. What I don't like about the refueling is how some combinations of ranges result in little or no actual transfer of fuel. As for the patch being ready, I don't think anything is worth holding up the patch outside of refueling and I just typed how I feel about that

you can't yet

Please vote, the key one in my mind is the refueling question. I really want to release the patch to Matrix today for public testing (okay, I really want to skip public testing but it is how we get the patch in the hands of the players, sooner). Anyway, your votes and opinions will help decide whether to delay further or not. The Patch 1 goals status thread... http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?showtopic=2398 The 2008.004 Release Notes so far to help you make decisions... HCE - 2008.004 ============== - Chg:0000 GE Don't tell planes to drop to Low altitude when returning to base - Chg:0000 GE If an air group is out of weapons range when their target is destroyed, find them another target in the same group instead of saying their task is finished. (thanks theCase) http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=1677672 - Chg:0000 GE Fixed bug in uncertainty zone adjustment that resulted in some contacts not being localized as quickly as they should have been localized. - Chg:0000 GE BOL weapons will not go active at a reasonable position instead of immediately after launch. The point you click on the map is where the target unit is expected, the GE calculates the activation point to be somewhat short of that. - Chg:0000 GE Stopped making ExportDLLs folders all over. - Chg:0000 GE Changes to the project file to allow a release build to work in EC2003. _USE_32bit_time_t - Chg:0000 GE Fixed buffer overflow in gun code when reporting type of damage applied, string was too short. - Chg:0000 GE Fixed another buffer overflow, prior to throwing up a Staff message box. - Chg:0000 GE Fixed a number of improper typecasts in Annex loading. They were casted to short and should have been ushort. - Chg:0000 GE Changed the user-made battleset to hdsu.res (.SCz, .hpz) and added code for the intervening BattleSets. - Chg:0000 SE Changed the user-made battleset to hdsu.res (.SCz, .hpz) and added code for the intervening BattleSets. - Chg:0000 BB Changed the user-made battleset to hdsu.res (.SCz, .hpz) and added code for the intervening BattleSets. - Chg:0000 BB Copy the battleset.res file from the BS Builder into the HC dir if possible and rename hdsu.res - Chg:0000 DB HCDB-080117

Please rename your Falklands to hdsm.res, no crashes here with that. Using the EC2003 names was only when we didn't have the facility for a new battleset.

I think one has to believe in the idea of the LCS, not the ships and designs that exist. Once gutted and properly managed, the LCS almost has to be workhorse of the fleet, or the US cannot expect to do anything but hold control of a few large swaths of open ocean with a few under-escorted carriers.

Tonight I played 90 of my 60 alotted minutes of time on the scenario, more death and destruction upon the Soviets. Just because they were bugging me (and in unrefueled range of my Hornets), I took out the LR-SAM emplacements near Keflavik and began picking away at the others within range. Meanwhile, towards winning the scenario I decided to knock out Lerwick as the other UK base seemed much better defended by SAMs. The tanker supported A-6 strike went in and did some nice damage, taking out all SAMs and radars as well as doing 29% damage on the airbase itself, for the sad but bearable loss of 3 x A-6E. The bad news of today's efforts is that a Soviet sub took out two of my 688I boats without even being localized. To be fair I totally missed the new contact report on the offending enemy and in so doing reduced whatever chance my subs had of surviving. S-3 have not been able to localize the attacker, another SSN is on the way to help out if possible. Still, the Soviets have lost 15 subs + 1 damaged to my 3 lost subs.

Early testing here shows extreme detection but not without merit. The Akulas being detected are doing 30kts. That the detection may be thru Iceland is just something that has to be lived with, as Brad said, like every other energy, in some circumstances sound in water will do strange things. I don't consider a dandy towed array detecting a cavitating nuke boat, even an Akula, to be all that improbable.

I'm forever battling the range ellipses, I think you'll find them nice and elliptical in the first patch, except when they are super wide and short, in error.

Here ya'll had me worried