Main Engine Improvement Request

[Sgt Fury]

One improved feature that would save me tons of time when I play the PC/MC series is the "Highlight Reachable Hexes". I almost always use this feature when moving units. When units have a large movement allowance (say 90-100+) it takes many seconds to highlight the hexes even on the high-end hardware I have. Multiply this by the 100s of units moved in a larger game and that's a lot of time.

I'll bet it wouldn't take too much of John's time to improve the runtime of that code. It would be much appreciated by the players, I bet.

Thanks,
Fury

[MasnarT]

agree.
i use this feature almost all the time. and yes it takes little seconds to highlight the hexes when the unit have large movement allowance.

[Liquid_Sky]

One thing I find with the PzC games is that the speed of the game is much faster when executing in 2d mode then 3d mode. So when I want to use a CPU intensive function, like A/I stuff, or highlighting, I always do it in 2d mode. Then I find it rather quick.

For the record, I use a Q6600 quad core with 4 gigs ram.

[Glenn Saunders]

I'll bet it wouldn't take too much of John's time to improve the runtime of that code. It would be much appreciated by the players, I bet.

I suspect Johns code makes a call to DirectX to provide that function so I doubt he could do anything with it really.

Glenn

[Sgt Fury]

I suspect Johns code makes a call to DirectX to provide that function so I doubt he could do anything with it really.

Glenn

Actually Glenn, I respectfully disagree. Most of the complexity will be in the application code where the pathfinding/reachability is done on application specific data (ie map, unit class, movement costs etc). Then, once complete, direct-X will be called to simply highlight the selected area of the screen which is a very quick operation.

I expect John's path-finding algorthm per se is pretty well thought out. It's the implementation, and the amenibility of that implementation to compiler optimization that can often be tuned. I'll bet there is some tuning leeway there....and it would be a great time saver.

Thanks,
Fury

[Glenn Saunders]

I suspect Johns code makes a call to DirectX to provide that function so I doubt he could do anything with it really.

Glenn

Most of the complexity will be in the application code where the pathfinding/reachability is done on application specific data (ie map, unit class, movement costs etc).

Maybe - I just tried this Laptop I am on and I can't count to 2 before it finds the reachable reaches of a Eng with 60 MPs or a SP Arty with 79 MP. It takes a bit longer for for Recon units especially in T mode.

Flip to the Nato side and I might get to two on a count to find the path for a Nato Mech unit in T mode with 105 MPs

I really didn't think it was slow really.

Glenn

[Sgt Fury]

Ok...just thought you might have some interest....

[FLG]

On a slightly separate note, I always think the reachable hexes command provides too much information for a commander. I think it removes some of the uncertainties of command. We have much more time to make decisions than a real commander and having the exact lie of the land accounted for automatically and how it affects movement removes some of the fog of war.

I am not saying it is gamey to use, it's a valid tool provided by the game developers but I find I prefer to not to use it. It may leave me slightly disadvantaged next to some players but I think it provides a more realistic gaming experience.

[Marquo]

Yes...but some of the most famous WW2 photos show Zukov and others perched over a map with calipers, deftly (or not so) calculating...

Marquo :)

[Glenn Saunders]

I've always taken this point in discussions and yet there are player - plenty of them that absolutely have to be able to Micro manage things or they would complain and call it a bug.

I once asked for a fiunction that would add or remove a couple MPs of the posted rate - but that would lead to people opeing and cosing the game or saved files trying to get a die roll where some key unit would just have enough MPs to get out or move to a certain hex.

...and then there are those who like to use the save MPs with HQs to be able to move and then put in Deployed mode.

HQs use the Soft Attack Range as the Command Range and can't attack as you know - but if you put an attack value is, as is the case in most games [accidentially] then you can save MPs to move and HQ and still have MPs to take it out of T mode. I removed that range value in Sicily and when that title was new this "lost feature" was noticed and reported as a bug.

When you get down to the short strokes, players don't like losing control and when more luck comes into play with how far a unit can or should be able to go, then it can introduces suspicion as to whether your oponent is doing something fishy.

Glenn