donaldseadog

Confirm can now select for attack by 'clicking' with mouse on target group in player window. Have started testing detections: Player aircraft seem to be detecting OK by visual, IR and radar of ships, bases and aircraft but seem to have a problem detecting SAM sites (will test specific with smaller scenario). Also AI doesn't seem to be detecting ship groups with all radar burning and close to base but I'll test this further too. Seem to get common crash after cancelling ground attack from aircraft, will test further. Don

confirm explosions are now occurring in correct place. Don

Will the sonar fix go into a new GE version that doesn't have the "sides" multiple group windows? Don

I found that using different versions of the Game Engine (from the beta testing area, latest files) can give very different results in the WWs database games. There has been a lot of work done with close range guns/ cannon. I only wish I could remember which game version I preferred Don

Perhaps I should have been a little more clear that what I observed is a distinct difference between the standard GE (say 2010.06) and the "sides" experimental version (say 2010.12). In the "sides" GE version I've seen player subs and surface ships behaving a bit like AI subs/ aurface ships behave in the standard GE. Don

Has anyone else noticed the game player's surface ships (and subs?) wondering around taking no notice of the plotted course? I've seen it in complex games but it doesn't seem to happen in a simple scenario. Also today I had an AWAC go wacko and fly off the page, I selected it using CTRL B (order of battle?) and ordered it to land which it did but it seemed like it was well off the map. (The AI window is very handy for spotting plane groups you are sneaking in low to a target but forgot to split off the pair of aero-tankers spotted like gangly bits on a bull) Don

The other day (while washing dishes) I wondered about how far back reverse compatibility of Data Bases is necessary. Does a current database need to be reverse compatible to before the last commercial full release? The 'new' (post EC2003) battlesets that use external databses have now been around for quite some time. When a new release appears necessary databases for the older scenarios could perhaps be provided separately in a 'legacy' section or the like. At some stage we might see built in scenarios from the WWs or cold war period so some way of organising multiple databases would need to be built into the setup anyway. If at every commercial release the data base could be 'tidied up' would there be advantages, e.g. more space for loadouts, erasing unwanted items? I seem to remember that the current scenario editor puts hidden code in to the scenario to show what database was used for its writting, could be that future GEs will automatically look for the correct database? Don

So for the recent "sides" game versions we've been kind of chatting with our observations, problems. Should we be trying to give you small game saves (as per the 'normal' feedback system) so as to make for you the problems clearer and finding the solutions quicker? Don

Thanks for the sunshine up the backside folks . It really really helps your cause to hang out on IRC chat with us. Brad was there, asked an innocent question, and it sparked my interest enough to crank out a first effort. Frankly if he'd e-mailed me I would have went to bed like a responsible adult instead of writing code and testing. It isn't fair or democratic but that's how it worked. Plus Brad provided a useable DB mod right then and there. Targeted scens, saves, and DBs help your cause. The information for a selected unit is not displaying due to problems with the code. I hope to fix it for the next build now that I have a better understanding what everyone is going on about. When I log into the harpoon site how can I see if there is IRC chat activity? Do I need to just follow the IRC link from the left mid side of the entry portal? Don.

Oh dear Ralf, its a hard row without the long range ARMs. Don PS if you have one of the early versions, consider a 'victory' if you get to kill the 4 sam barges and 50% damage the port/ airfield that has 'captured' the civilian merchants (this is fixed in last update of scenario). Ideally your amphibious units should be in on the action but of course I can't specify how you do the damage other than having the amphibious units on station. Yeah, I was surprised at how well those mig 21s perform, on a dollar basis they must be a bargain, how would $10 mil of f35s do against $10 mil of Bison???

Thanks Brad... But when i google for southeast Asia, the map covers more area than "my" Indochina map.... so it is a question of the zoom factor if i should redo the map covering the larger area and replace the indochina map or if the larger map should be an additinal one.. I'm thinking for the geographically illiterate (me, me ,me) maps like that with the countries noted would be nice to print and sit by the computer for reference. I'm interested where you got the map from, is it freely available (ie open copyright)? Nice area to play with too, gets hard to keep AI from doing silly things with shipping, all those islands make great hiding places and small (stealthy) sam sites. Don

I've attached a simple game save (playing blue) which seems to show that the AI isn't taking opportunity kills (aircraft anyway). Don no_shoot_in_sides.zip

Well that provides an easy solution to the original problem, shame they look pretty cute I reckon... Looks like another updated file needed. ..Should we have some little list of 'things not good practice' for scenario writing, like the multiple subs in a group, I seem to keep goofing up these things? Don

I don't know if the bug is in my head or the game so I thought I'd post here first. I had a scenario which included killing a SAM barge as a victory condition and while my first tests seem to work it later turned out that it didn't. In the scen editor, victory conditions command, I selected "ship" subtype "brg", but when I checked via the 'edit' it listed 'AAA'. Anyone know how I should do this? Don

Just uploaded an upgrade, I had a victory condition problem with sam barges, so switched to mobile ad. (also a red sub with zero initial speed) Hope you have fun, I look forward to comments as some aspects don't seem to go as I expect (nuke attack for one) Don

File Name: hold on Diego Garcia File Submitter: donaldseadog File Submitted: 20 Nov 2010 File Updated: 21 Nov 2010 File Category: IOPG DB Used: HCDB101022 Authors: Don Thomas Battleset-IOPG: .scp - EC2003 - EC2003 Britain and France find them selves facing off with India.... updated to fix a victory condition problem hopefully third time lucky, I hate working at 11pm. Another update, sorry guys, I think I've got the victory conditions sorted out. Don Click here to download this file

Correct, aircraft sent on LR Patrol missions will not attack an airbase, port, etc. They would attack a ship or sub group, and should attack a mobile land unit group. I don't know if there might be some combination of MLUs and fixed bases that would at least make it appear a multi-axis attack was underway. True scenario craftsmanship required there I bet. How 'bout, ring the base with SAM launchers within the same group? I tried a few combinations of different targets within the formation of a land base, and sent out patrols and direct attacks. The patrols will fly right over head and not attack any of the targets so long as they stay in the formation of the land base. If you 'split' any of the targets then the patrols will attack. You can have a base and a MLU group coexist at the exact same location. The MLU group can have its units spread out in its formation. If patroling enemy units detect the MLU group (and are suitably armed) they will likely attack the MLU group, but still won't attack the actual base. So as Tony says you can make it look like a multi directional attack (and you'll have to defend against it) but you will still need a long distance straight line attack of the base as well. I can't work out how the air defences (SAMs & the like) are picking their targets though, so you might need some aircraft defending the base so you can target some of the attackers directly. If you don't mind the restriction, instead of a land base, you can use a FARP (its listed as a ship under 'INTL MISC FARP') and attached other units like buildings, radar and SAM. You'll only have VTOL and helos though. Patrols will go after such a group once detected. One thing to watch is that the AI might change its aircraft load outs and directly attack once the target group has been identified. Don

How many statements are you making here? By display, do you mean the platform display? Any elaboration is appreciated. I initially had the feeling you are talking about the mini report window that should speed, heading, damange,... Sorry I wasn't clear.. From the main screen the platform display can be reached from keyboard short cut "D" or hitting the "Display" button in the Report window. In the platform display select "show active unit". For aircraft it seems to show all aircraft for both sides but for ships it only seems to show the players ships. I'll write a few scenarios and sort out more detail. Don Had another look. Ships and subs behave the same but differently to aircraft. For Ships and subs they appear to get listed in the "active unit" display of the "platform display" only after the player gets a positive ID (a bit hard to tell until the unit window behaves a bit better) but all planes are listed irrespective of whether they've been detected. (maybe it is just that each side already knows what air craft are at a base, so all are listed in the active unit display but for ships and subs they are only listed as they are IDd by the player? so maybe this is correct?) Should the listing of active units be dependant on which sides group window is activated or (as is current) dependant on which side is the player? Maybe it is only a point of interest and not that critical to the game? I wonder though about detection and ID in respect of knowing whether a contact is neutral or enemy. Surely you need to make a positive ID before knowing this yet once you get a full position fix with course and speed you seem to get recognition of 'side' without needing positive ID of vessel / aircraft. Don

The "display" command for "active units" only seems to display units for the player only, even if you activate a window for AI. Also as oponent units are detected they aren't listed in the display for active units. Don Thomas

If patrols are sent out towards the desired initial points, what is the likely hood of the AI using the patrolling aircraft to launch an attack? (any?) Does AI launch attacks on already known objects, ie bases, only on specific "launch/attack" commands from the scenario? Will it initiate attacks of its own accord when it detects aircraft/ ships/ mobile land units? I can never really understand how this works. Don Thomas

Thanks for the reminder to the release note. I'll double check re the 'case', from memory one of my tries was in HCWW db using the stock Baka 250 launched from a ship using my new mount. I'll double check. Has anyone else tried to get it to work? You guys are more experienced than me especially with DBs. <edit1> I was using a Baka with upper case 'B', in fact as I thought I used the HCWW db and used the actual Baka 250 for some tests. Used other Baka self made weapons too. I tried using the merchant ship (HCDB-) with the suitcase nuke but had problems: when ship is player it is very hard to get within range, when ship is AI it only seems to fire machine gun. Also the suitcase nuke isn't 'ship target', so I modified for 'ship target' but still didn't do much good until I increased the range. (also to use the nuke nuclear release must be given, why did that take me so long to work out?? ) Don

So if I said Tomcats are "old fat and 'a big blip on a radar screen'" you'd be a bit insulted? OK I won't say it. Sometimes a couple of brave (and I stress brave) pilots in something like a hornet (most recent the better) cruising in vlow and getting in close can reek significant damage before they're detected. I wouldn't use it as first course of action but someone has to win those medals when the cautious approach isn't working. In more recent scenarios there are even better choices of course, Rafales, Lightnings etc often pop up right where you've lost a fist full of 'front line fighters' with no warning! Re 100% missile kill rate, you often only see the ones that kill, you might think AI is getting 100% but there are probably plenty that you aren't even seeing. Don

I've tried editing my hcww db to launch the baka 250 from a v2 launcher pad mounted on a small troop carrier. I can hit and sink ships but my troopie stays intack. There is a suitcase nuke mount in the hcdb (and weapon) but I mount it on a luxury yacht and can't fire it, it looks like its all there (I modified the suit case for ship as well as existing land targets). (funny this one, when I close the game the closure box is titled "no weapon' - I've never seen this before.) Meantwhile I'll look harder for the ship already loaded up with suitcase nuke (I haven't found it yet). Depth charges only work against subs, correct? I don't know why they had actually destroyed launching ship so I don't know where to go from there. Now I think this idea is a goer. These days suicide attacks of different sorts are becoming the biggest threat in some theatres. Was it five years back a US frigate in the middle east got hit by a rubber duckie or outboard skiff packed with explosives and a couple of years ago a refugee boat off the Australian coast apparently tried to scuttle by explosion of fuel as a boarding party approached. What do others think, I can easily bodge up something for myself but if I can do a decent job of it then I can share it around. Don

I was wanting to include a suicide ship attack in a custom database and used a copy of the baka... missile from the kamikaze loadouts of the hcww database. While I can get the missile to destroy the target I can't get it to destroy the suicide ship. I assume the magic code is specific to air launched weapons (somehow) or there is some trick I've missed. Anyway my question is whether there is a general desire for suicide ship attacks eg fast launch loaded with explosives? You could do a fair bit of damage in a shared commercial/naval harbour with the right setup. Don Thomas