Patch #4 Public Beta Feedback

[Arjuna]

pacwar,

Welcome.

Re crash. I need a saved game taken just before you give the order along with a screen dump indicating which units you grouped and gave the order to. Just email them to support[st]panthergames[dot]com and a link to this thread so I know the context.

Re hierarchy. Where you group two units of the same force size the AI will determine which one has the senior commander and assign it as the subject of the task.

[pacwar]

Dave,

Email with attached file sent. To follow up on the AI assigning a senior commander, I assume that should happen immediately after highlighting the units and if I highlight the senior command unit the others should be connected by green lines to the senior unit.

[Arjuna]

Yes but you need to ensure that you have the right force structure set on the display bar at the bottom of the screen. Use the one that shows current mission force structure. If you use the organic structure then this doesn't change.

[pacwar]

Yep, got the current force structure...unless I'm doing something wrong the grouping command doesn't seem to be working.

[Renato]

ORIGINAL: wdkruger

Am seeing odd behavior regarding slippage. Seems that when I get an order slippage message, the order of the offending headquarters is eliminated and the HQ now has no orders. Is this working as intended?

I too have observed this behaviour; sure it doesn't always happen and not only with HQ, but it's difficult to nail down.

[Phoenix100]

I've also noticed that when you give a Move order and the default completion time is left at the new (realistic) estimate (instead of the pre-patch system where the end of scenario was the default) then if, for some reason, the unit does not complete the Move in that time it just sits down without orders and you have to start again. This is no more than happens when all orders expire uncompleted, but it happens frequently, meaning that you do have to click a few more hours into the estimate, manually, if you want to give some leeway so this doesn't happen (previously, if you wanted it to happen quicker you had to manually click back a few days - swings and roundabouts, I think). This is different to the slippage thing, perhaps, but leaves the same result - units without orders. I don't have a problem with it, though you have to watch out for it. Maybe you've been noticing this, Renato?

[Renato]

Maybe, but I observed it with Move slippage only.

[Arjuna]

pacwar,

Ooops I jst reviewed this threrad and realised I had not checked out your save. I just did so and got the crash. It turns out to be an error I introuduced recently with the bounding boxes. I have just fixed it but I will have to put out a new replacement exe as the build has just gone out to matrix. My bad.

[wodin]

ORIGINAL: phoenix

I've also noticed that when you give a Move order and the default completion time is left at the new (realistic) estimate (instead of the pre-patch system where the end of scenario was the default) then if, for some reason, the unit does not complete the Move in that time it just sits down without orders and you have to start again. This is no more than happens when all orders expire uncompleted, but it happens frequently, meaning that you do have to click a few more hours into the estimate, manually, if you want to give some leeway so this doesn't happen (previously, if you wanted it to happen quicker you had to manually click back a few days - swings and roundabouts, I think). This is different to the slippage thing, perhaps, but leaves the same result - units without orders. I don't have a problem with it, though you have to watch out for it. Maybe you've been noticing this, Renato?

Hmmm..if thats the case I'm not sure that it should cancel the order altogether as it's not really the players fault. Either the game should give the estimate with a couple of hours added on or it should just inform you it's slipped but carry on with the order.

[Arjuna]

ORIGINAL: wodin
Hmmm..if thats the case I'm not sure that it should cancel the order altogether as it's not really the players fault. Either the game should give the estimate with a couple of hours added on or it should just inform you it's slipped but carry on with the order.

Well the game should do the latter - ie automatically slip the time. I have tested this here and that is what is happening. If you have a case of where this is not, then send me a save. I need it before the task time runs out for the first time.

[pacwar]

Dave,

Glad you found the problem...I think. I've been having the game crash more frequently...it seemed the problem cropped up while the game was running and I placed several orders in quick sequence or tried something complex, like banding together units, but recently its been happening when the game has been paused and I've placed a relatively simple order, like move to a single unit.

[Thomasew]

Hi Dave,


I've also experienced 'Time Management' issues with the new patch. i.e. " .... has abandoned it's Move Mission - Lack of Time!" [&:]

e.g. Battle of the Roadblocks

As can be seen in the pic, the very first thing that I do, is give CCR 9 a movement order .. to the area marked by the Destination Box.

However, depending on the setting of Orders Delay, .. this Movement Order will either work, .. or result in the ... Lack of Time problem.

At Orders Delay settings of None, Partial, .. or, Painfully Realistic .. the Move Order is executed fine. At Orders Delay settings of Regular or Realistic .. the Move Order is Not executed due to a Lack of Time .. and CCR 9 then temporarily Bunkers down. [&:]

However, if I increase the End Time by >25 mins in Regular Delay, .. or >40 mins in Realistic Delay, .. the Move Order is executed fine.

Does this not suggest, that something, relating to time, .. is not being calculated correctly?

The other thing I've noticed, .. is that, if I click, drag and move the destination ... closer to CCR 9, or further away .. the End Time is not being re-calculated. So, it's obviously not dynamic. You have to delete the Move Order, .. and re-create it at the new destination.

I haven't tried to test this 'Time Issue' with anything other than a Move Order, but, I assume that similar problems would exist.


Cheers
Tom

[Arjuna]

Well the end time used is based on an estimate and yes this can sometimes be out. The old way of always putting the end time equal to the scenario end introduced worse problems. So that i why we have changed to this approach. If we ad time then we will complaints that forces are waiting around all the time. So it's a balancing act. Perhaps what is needed is a task option that allows for automatic slipping of player created Move tasks.

[Renato]

ORIGINAL: Arjuna

ORIGINAL: wodin
Hmmm..if thats the case I'm not sure that it should cancel the order altogether as it's not really the players fault. Either the game should give the estimate with a couple of hours added on or it should just inform you it's slipped but carry on with the order.

Well the game should do the latter - ie automatically slip the time. I have tested this here and that is what is happening. If you have a case of where this is not, then send me a save. I need it before the task time runs out for the first time.

I've seen another case in which a unit cancels its task a few game minutes after a Move slippage. Unfortunatly, I'm not able to replicate it, even after many attemts. I hope to find a reproducible case, but it will not be easy.

[Floyd]

This is not directly related to this patch, but if you order an artillery bombardment as first order in a
fresh started scenario (when the time is still paused), you cannot give orders with multiple waypoints thereafter.

[Arjuna]

Floyd,

mmm...so it does. OK I'll check it out. Thanks.

[Renato]

In the scenario Race for Bastogne, Exit order doesn't seem to work properly: KG Holtmeyer HQ exits first (instead of last) and its subordinate units remain on the map.

[rfrizz]

Would it be feasible to release another slipstream beta that has an option to increase the autosave frequency? Maybe it could autosave after issuing a command.

If this is possible within the architecture, and players are willing to activate it, the problem of not having two close saved states for examination could be eliminated.

[RockinHarry]

ORIGINAL: rfrizz

Would it be feasible to release another slipstream beta that has an option to increase the autosave frequency? Maybe it could autosave after issuing a command.

If this is possible within the architecture, and players are willing to activate it, the problem of not having two close saved states for examination could be eliminated.

+1

would make for a good command line option, for debugging purposes.

[Arjuna]

First off saving after a command has been issued is not that useful for bug finding. What is useful is having a saved game just before you issue the commands. The rerason for that is that when you issue an order the AI then immediately develops the plan and it's that porocess that usually needs to be stepped through.

However, I agree that some enhancements to the autosave feature would be good, like being able to set the frequency and perhaps also the number of saves you want to maintain - eg last ten. I am a bit loathe to allow an unlimited number of autosaves less we end up with users complaining their hard drive is full.