Feedback needed for Red Victory

[Ozgur Budak]

Guys,
I am compiling a list for data and parameter tweaks for a possible RV update. I already have a check list. Just wanted to hear your voices here about the problems in dats and parameters.

Former posts pointed out a couple of issues:
- Soviet M37 illumination round has no indirect fire flag
- Soviet Fog41 Flamethrower has 0 range.

Anything else?
Oz

[Rabbit]

Hi Oz,

I don't know if this is an issue for others, but I have noticed that some of the BMP images for the tree, town and village hexes seem harder to see than I remember them being in previous titles. If you look at the screenshot below, the solid black arrows point to tree, town and village hexes that are easy to recognize. The green arrows indicate tree hexes which are hard to distinguish from field hexes and the red arrows point to town and village hexes that look like just the outlines of buildings.

It's mostly an aesthetics thing; though distinguishing trees from fields can slightly affect gameplay due to differences the terrain protection and line of site.

Best,
Bill

[Compass Rose]

Oz,

You created such a great and very solid game, that it appears that this very popular game would be hard to improve!

I have only one complaint and I'm am not sure if others are having it happen to them also.

Numerous times after calling for artillery support and it becomes available for my side, and after I select a target and the fire mission start to arrive I get a white box that appears on the screen. After the white box appears, only the first shell is shown hitting the ground and the red flashing hex indicator freezes up. None of the other artillery shells are shown hitting or exploding on the ground and no causalities are shown. To me, it appears as if the game/computer is freezing up. Once the fire mission is finished, the white box disappears, and the red flashing hex indicator starts to flash again.

This is an example of the white box I see.



I already talked to HPS Support about this. I was told that it is a "obscure problem that comes & goes...no real fix has been found to date, as it happens on some systems and not others. The fire resolution still takes place, you just aren't seeing the display updated. So, for the time being not much that can be done"

I don't have this white box problem appearing in any of the other 8-10 SB games I own.

Hopefully this problem can be fixed sometime in the future.

Thanks

[tallin]

Another one hundred well crafted scenarios such as the ones you have already provided us.

Thanks!

[keif149]

I agree with tallin, a new scenario pack :-)

[fastphil]

Hi Oz,

I don't know if this is an issue for others, but I have noticed that some of the BMP images for the tree, town and village hexes seem harder to see than I remember them being in previous titles. If you look at the screenshot below, the solid black arrows point to tree, town and village hexes that are easy to recognize. The green arrows indicate tree hexes which are hard to distinguish from field hexes and the red arrows point to town and village hexes that look like just the outlines of buildings.

It's mostly an aesthetics thing; though distinguishing trees from fields can slightly affect gameplay due to differences the terrain protection and line of site.

Best,
Bill

I think if you check the coding for these different hexes you will see why they are different. This I think was meant as an enhancement to the game and the map-not an error. The other games don't have this I believe because the maps have not been updated to take advantage.
Certain codes may follow the terrain description that identifies specific features of that terrain:

• K – The Terrain is Cratered.
• X – The terrain is Destroyed.
• I – Indirect Fire is not possible from this hex.
• W – The hex may not be entered by Wheeled Vehicles not using road movement.
• T – The hex may not be entered by Tracked Vehicles not using road movement.
• V – The hex may not be entered by either Wheeled or Tracked Vehicles not using road movement.
• O – The terrain is Obstructed and prevents landing by helicopters.
• C – The terrain is Covered and generates a special Immobile test when vehicles assault into it.

So one represents useable buildings the other shells of buildings. One represents virgin woods and the other remains.

[Ozgur Budak]

Bill, as Phil pointed out those hexes are destoryed wood, village etc.

Unfortunately frozen screen during barrages is an old problem. John Tiller is aware of it and it is a coding issue which goes beyond my control. However I found that an open browser, a moving mouse or any other open application in the background cause such freezes. The method I generally use with positive results is closing other programs and not touching the mouse during the barrage.

A scenario pack would be fun, but it means the cancelation of the new title I have been working on. With the new responsibilities in the real life I cant find sufficent time even for the official development.

Best

[jomni]

White box issue is very common for me and it happens in all Squad Battles titles. Happens even when clicking, scrolling, etc. Very rampant in Windows 7 64Bit. I think this needs an engine update, not just db.

[Wolfgang]

A minor graphics note:

I took a look at 2DTerrain100.bmp which contains these symbols.

I *think* the structures noted are the destroyed versions of villages, towns, and trees.

For the graphic artist: One method that would work using the existing stock graphics is to mask out those symbol lines in the bitmap, then use a color channel mixer to take out some of the red or blue and/or adjust the saturation/lightness and overall hue. Just a few minor adjustments would probably make them stand out bit more.

If those are meant to be structures in good order and intact, then they can simply copy the other lines in the bitmap and paste them over the series they want to overwrite.

[quote='Rabbit' pid='346899' dateline='1313766011']
Hi Oz,

I don't know if this is an issue for others, but I have noticed that some of the BMP images for the tree, town and village hexes seem harder to see than I remember them being in previous titles. If you look at the screenshot below

[-72-]

Or another option could to do sort of combine those with a form of the rough terrain hex used in Falklands/Modern War -then color code it to a degree to show Industrial, City, Village, etc .... to give a rubble type of effect.

superimpost the building shells -and to paraphrase Austin Powers : "Bob's your uncle."

Just off the top of my head as another way to do it as a mod.