Simple fix needed

[Scud]

Jason and Berto,

I'm playing a teamgame, quite large. The victory requirements are 7000-10000-16000 and 20000, but the text boxes are too small and the 1s are getting cut off (see below - victory values). I joined the game late and was thoroughly confused. I'm told the SP Losses will do the same thing when the reach 5 characters.

I know with web/javascript this is a quick simple fix. Not sure with C++. Is there any way the text boxes could be made larger to fit 5 characters and maybe have a patch pushed out or is that a big deal?



Dave

[berto]

Is there any way the text boxes could be made larger to fit 5 characters and maybe have a patch pushed out or is that a big deal?

This is for JTCS, right?  If so, yes, a big deal in the sense that there will no more updates to JTCS ever (or at least not that the CSL would ever provide).  Sorry about that.

The text boxes are already larger in CSME, I believe.

[Herr Straße Laufer]

LOL! Not so simple a fix?

Maybe it can be modded by Mike or someone willing to help out with the abandoned game?



HSL

[Big Ivan]

Wow Ed,

Abandoned Game! 


Why don't you come into 2019 and get on board with where the Campaign Series is going? Instead of living back in the 1990's?

The old game is freaking dead. Died a slow death through the years especially after CSME was released. Why stick with old coding and the old graphics just so you can toot your horn and be heard amongst the Blitz veterans who are dwindling every month we go on. 

Brings me to another point BTW my friend, the blitz is dying if you haven't figured that one out yet. Anymore heated discussions on the forum? Anymore tournaments? Any more friendly posts where newbies or novices ask for guidance, support, any friendly discussions? 


Nope don't see any of that in the last few years. 
BTW where is Jim Mayes? Haven't seen him in the forums for years. Maybe he has given up on it or for other reasons doesn't want to be a part of it anymore. But with that having been said its interesting because he is the controlling interest and he is currently invisible.

I know why you don't want to go forward and keep yammering time and time and time again about my poor old precious JTCS. You have an axe to grind with Matrix and Jason and IMHO opinion that's what I think. Don't know the details, don't care.

If you don't like it, sorry but that's life my friend!

If you don't like it, OK, then do something about it. Sit your fanny down, work on the old code and old graphics and turn out something you want and then market and sell it!


For me I am moving forward with the system because I love what Jason and Matrix have done with it!!!
 
Bottom line the world is not going to change based on your bitching Ed and I am telling you that as a friend. The wheels are in motion with you or without you...OK? Sorry don't want to hurt your feeling but that's the real universe.

Bottom line my friend, I'm tired of hearing about your tearing down the CS Legion and where they are taking this absolutely wonderful game system. All your bitching is not going to change the world and where its going. You can't handle the fact that the Campaign Series will go on long after your dead and gone without significant imput from you. 

I know your going to come back with some rebuttal crucifying me and the Legion and I expect it. In fact I want it! 
This forum is dead and its needs a big fire!! Haven't seen that around here in a while.

For me, under the current CS Legion/Matrix leadership I want, no I pray, this game engine known as the Campaign Series moves on for generations to come. The hell with JTCS, I'm moving forward, sorry Ed.

Ed, nothing personal with you. I just needed to vent about my camp and where I stand. Bourbon makes that easy.

Regards,
John

[Deturk]

[Herr Straße Laufer]

Who's bitching?

A question and a simple statement of fact cause such consternation?

The team said they were no longer going to support the game. Old or not. That is a fact Jack.

Dave asked for help. I thought he did not know about the abandonment until I saw Berto's post. Struck me funny. The answer could have been, "Hey, I spent two seconds and here is a code to put into your folder to enlarge the field." Instead it was something else.

And, no I am not bitching.

"LOL! Not so simple a fix?

Maybe it can be modded by Mike or someone willing to help out with the abandoned game?"

This brought about your diatribe? C,mon John. You are better than that.

You used CSME as a positive? I would not.
You held up the Team (that I did not disparage in the above comments). I would not.
Though, as I stated above, Mike is part of the team and I thought I asked for his help?
The programmer was obviously not willing?

You state the club is dying. Yup, from the amount of posts and reported games. No dispute here.
But, remember that is with CSME as part of the games reported? Though, I have not looked at the ratio of CSME to regular CS game reports. I have better things to do with my time.

I'm not going to get back into the everything that happened before. All things would be just a repeat and waste of everyone's time. They can search the forum for those posts?

Did I purchase CSME and give it away? Yes.
Is my CS life less for it? No.

Will I purchase CS Vietnam? Maybe.
If I say yes, to keep it, it will depend on how balanced and fun the scenarios are to play. And, if they messed with line of sight more or the helos are still messed up. I have some interest.

Will I purchase the next in the series? If I live that long, maybe.

Your strawman arguments make no sense.
I stated one question and one sentence. You went off like I slapped your baby.  

I am not going to be bullied into going along with the crowd. On numerous occasions I've been threatened with expulsion from the club by simply stating and defending my opinions.
But, mostly because of the strawmen that make my opinion look like attacks on others.
In the past have I attacked others? Yes. Especially when they deserved it.
Am I attacking you now? No.
I've always been an independent thinker and will continue to do so.



HSL

[PawelM]

I like the fact the game is evolving and I can fully understand Matrix is not planning any further updates to JTCS if they have new releases in the pipeline.
Take a big guys like Microsoft. There is no product in the world with eternal support. So, why approach CS differently.

If things were not evolving we would still be using 56k dial up to send game files.

I have not bought CSME and will not buy Vietnam. I am stuck in WW2. However based on screenshots, I am excited to get my hands on EF3.

[Scud]

Dave asked for help. I thought he did not know about the abandonment until I saw Berto's post. Struck me funny. The answer could have been, "Hey, I spent two seconds and here is a code to put into your folder to enlarge the field." 

HSL

Actually, I did know, I'd just forgotten. My problem isn't that the developers want to concentrate on the future, it's that there is currently no replacement, good or bad, for the past (which is, ~ahem, still current). When Adobe or Microsoft drop support for a product that continues to evolve, it's because they want you to buy the new version. Forget that the new version often just fixes the bugs prevalent in the earlier version, that's an argument for another day, but my point is they have an alternative, "like Acrobat?, buy version Acrobat 2045".

I have Matrix's JTCS that Jason Petho brought back to life and marketed until he became focused on a new game Middle East and now Viet Nam. There is no EFIII or WFIII or RSIII. (At the moment no VN either). So no replacement at all for JTCS which is still sold in Matrix list of current games. It's not, I believe, sold in the legacy section.

My question "...or is this a big deal?" was a bit loaded. It was based on my knowledge of web programming languages and programming in general, not C++, so I can't be 100% assured, more like 95%, so I politely asked. Berto's comment was unexpectedly different. Instead of saying it will take months of coding and testing he basically said, no, I don't want to. Politely. I can't with argue with that. If he had said yes it's time-consuming and difficult and you're a moron for even bringing the matter up, I could call him out, since I know it isn't and I'm not. I don't want to is completely different. Shut me up. 

I like the evolution the game has taken with ME, and soon, VN...but I prefer the history of WWII. So JTCS is most relevant with players like me and I don't care that it doesn't have the bells and whistles the new versions will have. I don't want to have to wait many years, I suspect, for CSIII to make fixes and updates to the current game, still being sold. So, yes, I don't mind saying I'm disappointed and I sincerely hope a little second-thought reasoning can come into play. Keep your customers happy. Listen to them and cater to their needs and desires and you'll have a customer for life. Jeez. It's just a simple text box change. 

...but, no worries, I'll live.

Dave

PS: The Blitz isn't dying, maybe these style of games are, maybe not. New members are still being logged, not just for CS but our other gaming ladder forums as well. I suspect it's no different at other clubs, though the Blitz is my one and only. There will always be members who will step up and help with the day-to-day management of the site. We're a community. Jim Mays has been dealing with the transition from military life to civilian and, while not around anymore, continues to financially back the club. I communicate with him from time-to-time. He responds in emergencies, not so much for simple greetings. Usually, I just leave him alone and pray he's well. Several site officers have stated they will take over the site should Jim wish to let it go. I'm one of them. Plan for a fight.   

Maybe Big Ivan is right, though, about tournaments. We haven't had one in ages. I've never run one. Kinda hoping someone else would do it, but what the hell, stay tuned.

[Big Ivan]

Dave, Thank you!

Ed, Forgive me, I was out of line and I took it out on you. I apologize for that! 


Sorry but I get so frustrated sometimes about my passion for this game system reading across all the stuff on the forums everywhere that I sometimes over look others opinions. Please forgive me. I did not mean it to be a personal attack on you Ed. At the end of the day your opinion counts just like mine and everyone else's.

I truly truly hope this game engine goes forward for the better of the generations to come. At my age if I get to see EFIII through 1945 I will be thoroughly happy! I love CSME way more than JTCS. Not because its a different war period but because the operating engine that controls CSME is way better than JTCS IMHO. My first love will always be WW II! I was weened on so many board games in the '70's and 80's and beyond that wargaming WW II became a integral part of my life. Still is! I love WW II but its electronic now for me. But when EF hit in 1998 on the computer, I was amazed, almost breathless. I whole heartedly embraced this new electric wonder that I put my board games away forever. Good by ASL, Panzerblitz, Panzer Leader, Fortress Europe, The Russian Campaign and Fire in the East to name a few.
I want so much for this electric wonder known as the Campaign Series to succeed. I don't believe it can or ever will with the old JTCS coding. I believe I have to move on. Hope you all understand.

Thanks for hearing me out!!

John

[berto]

My question "...or is this a big deal?" was a bit loaded. It was based on my knowledge of web programming languages and programming in general, not C++, so I can't be 100% assured, more like 95%, so I politely asked. Berto's comment was unexpectedly different. Instead of saying it will take months of coding and testing he basically said, no, I don't want to. Politely. I can't with argue with that. If he had said yes it's time-consuming and difficult and you're a moron for even bringing the matter up, I could call him out, since I know it isn't and I'm not. I don't want to is completely different. Shut me up. 

I like the evolution the game has taken with ME, and soon, VN...but I prefer the history of WWII. So JTCS is most relevant with players like me and I don't care that it doesn't have the bells and whistles the new versions will have. I don't want to have to wait many years, I suspect, for CSIII to make fixes and updates to the current game, still being sold. So, yes, I don't mind saying I'm disappointed and I sincerely hope a little second-thought reasoning can come into play. Keep your customers happy. Listen to them and cater to their needs and desires and you'll have a customer for life. Jeez. It's just a simple text box change. 

What would have been a "simple" fix in 2014 -- the last year of JTCS' active development and JTCS' 2.02 release -- what would have been "simple" then is not so simple now.  In order to release a "quick fix" release now in 2019, the Dev Team and I would have to:

-- Retrieve the JTCS codebase from archive.  The modern, currently maintained CS(ME) codebase is quite distinct and changed from the 2014-and-before JTCS codebase.  In no way is it possible to make a "simple fix" in the current, active codebase and crank out a JTCS 2.03 EXE.

-- Reconfigure the JTCS Visual Studio (VS) project files to the latest version.  JTCS 2.02 was built with VS 2008.  Since then, I had migrated to VS 2015 (belatedly!), then VS 2017, then now currently VS 2019.  This too is no trivial task.

-- Apply the core, admittedly simple, fix.  Then rebuild the EXE (also push-button easy).  Note:  The Victory Dialog is embedded within the EXE, is not a stand-alone, external BMP.  [edit: Or maybe not so "push-button easy".  Every time Microsoft released a new version of Visual Studio, each time I had to wrestle with making changes in the code to achieve successful EXE rebuilds.  From VS 2008 to VS 2019 -- that's 11 years of change and potential pitfalls.]

-- Test and QA the "quick fix" patch.

-- Coordinate final packaging and release with Matrix/Slitherine (M/S).  We ourselves don't digitally sign the EXEs; M/S does.

(In early 2018, around the time of CSME's 2.0* releases, I had the foresight to invest in VMware and set up a virtual machine with a snapshot of the CSME development environment from that time.  It would be relatively simple to fire up that virtual machine and crank out CSME "quick fixes".  Unfortunately, I have no virtual or way-back machine to take me back to the last used JTCS development environment.  As I suggested, attempting to recreate the 2014-era JTCS dev environment would be a major hassle.)

All of that for the "simple" fix.

And for what?  Due to legacy licensing and royalty arrangements among Slitherine (before that, Matrix), JT, and the Campaign Series Legion (CSL), the early members of the CSL -- among which I am not one -- get a mere pittance for every copy of JTCS sold.  "Your customers"?  Don't confuse the publisher, M/S, with the developer, CSL.  The publisher (the license owner) gets the lion's share of the revenue.  After other subtractions, for JTCS, some members of the CSL development team get close to nothing.

And what do I get?  Because I was late to the JTCS party, as the coder I get:  Not a dime, zilch, nada!

When I first joined the CSL in 2013, we made the decision to gift the player base one final, unplanned (not in the business plan) and free (no charge) JTCS release, the JTCS 2.0* releases.  This delayed CSME's development and release by over two years.  That is two years of my life laboring on JTCS for which I personally gained nothing.  (Except satisfaction etc., I suppose.)

Now, five years later, I am to devote time and effort to support a product we had officially end-of-lifed?  From which I personally profit nothing?

For just one simple fix?  One thing leads to another.  If this one "simple" fix, why not another?  Then another?  It's a slippery slope.  The further we slide down that slope, the more and more delayed the already quite delayed CSVN becomes.  And the more delayed CSEF III etc. (also CSME updates) will be.

I have to say I am dismayed that my brief, "polite" response has elicited so much snark bordering on outright animosity.  What have I/we done to deserve that?

Seriously, with so little reward we get from slaving over the games, then the hostility we experience from some quarters (some; most players are appreciative), I sometimes wonder:  Why bother?  Do I really need this (devoting the time and effort, the expense, the grief)?

It also makes me think:  What do we get for being so open and honest and actively involved with the player community?  I can see the wisdom where some developers hide away and decline to participate in player fora, never responding to player questions.  I regret now answering the OP question.  I will probably regret making this latest post right here.