Blank Russian Unit Counters (2D View)

[Citizen Emperor]

After finally finishing up a couple of longstanding campaigns I was playing in v1.04, this weekend I upgraded to 2.02... and I'm lovin' it!

The new interface is quite intuitive (just remember "CTRL+P" replaces the "D" key!), and I really dig the PanzerBlitz and Panzer Leader MODs. (I actually played those classic boardgames as a young teen some 40 years ago.)

To test drive v2.02 I started up a couple of campaigns in EF and WF, performed their initial mission set-up, and ran a few turns.

Looks and sounds awesome! Only one irritating glich encountered so far...

In the 2D view modes, a couple of Russian unit counters per scenario are just blank little squares.

So far this only happens with Russian units, and has occurred both when I was playing as the Russians myself or the computer AI was. Two or three units per scenario were affected. Various types of units (MGs, mortars, and even a leader) showed as blank, unmarked counters -- the proper nationality color is maintained, but the unit counter is totally blank. Setting the counter display to "graphical icons" or NATO symbols made no difference.

Again, this only happens with Russians (so far) in the 2D viewing mode(s). The units with blank 2D counters do display their contents properly in the Unit Box ("U" key) at the side of the screen, but on the map itself they're just blank squares.

And yes, I installed v2.02 on top of a new, clean install of the original Matrix Games program.

Has anybody experienced this phenomena?

(NOTE: I apologize if this has been covered before in another thread, but I didn't see any.)

[Crossroads]

Which scenario are you playing? Could be something we missed, lot of new stuff went into the 2D side of things especially.

[Warhorse]

I totally went through both those games doing the 2d icon project, so if you can please let me know which ones, I will take a look, I ain't perfect, either missed a little picture, or a data entry is wrong. Thanks!

[Citizen Emperor]

Some more info and an update...

The blank Russian 2D counters appeared when I started up some Dynamic Campaigns in EF, immediately after installing v2.02 ("clean") this past weekend. The campaigns were: "New Roman Legions" (me playing Italy vs. AI Russia), "Barbarossa Central" (me playing Germany vs. AI Russia) and "Barbarossa South" (me playing Russia vs. German AI). Blank Russian 2D counters appeared -- in both Graphical and NATO Symbol mode -- in all three missions, affecting MG, mortar and leader units... on average, about four units per campaign mission.

I deleted the "Barbarossa South" campaign and kept the other two. (Also checked some of the Dynamic Campaigns in WF and saw no blank 2D counters for any nationality.)

So yesterday I fired up the game to play the two EF Dynamic Campaigns that I had saved.

NO MORE BLANK 2D RUSSIAN UNIT COUNTERS!!! The Russian units in the "New Roman Legions" and "Barbarossa Central" missions now have pictures on the counters. Hooray!

However...

All 2D Russian 50mm mortars -- and only 50mm mortars -- now display a strange picture in NATO Symbol mode. Sort of looks like a tank, but actually more like three black dots with shrubbery atop them. (???) Mobile Supply units, perhaps? Anyway, as mentioned, this only affects Russian 50mm mortars (so far), and only in 2D NATO Symbol mode.

Pretty weird, huh? I can send a screenshot to any of you JTCS game maestros who'd like to see first-hand what I'm talking about... I could post one here in this forum thread if someone can recommend a good (free) image hosting site that allows such.

Regardless of these minor quibbles, however, please know that I'm definitely lovin' the new look and sound of v2.02!

[Crossroads]

CE,

You can attach a JPG image to this forum as well. Choose Reply, tick the Embed picture in post check box, and select and upload a file using the Click here to upload! option:

[:)]



EDIT: Now with a smaller picture

[Crossroads]

Maybe print with Hex Infobox enabled (Press U if not currently visible). Then, select the hex where the unit with no 2D icon appears, so we can spot the culprit from the Hex Infobox view. Something like here:

[Warhorse]

Yes, please post a screenie, I checked my game, and everything is as it should be? NATO symbol in the platoon oob for the 50mm mortar is slot 825, 2d graphical is 199, they both check out. Thanks for the observation!

[Citizen Emperor]

Here's the first screenshot (using only a portion of the capture)... This shows the blank Russian unit counters that appeared in Mission #1 of my "New Roman Legions" campaign:



NOTE: I had to manually highlight the affected unit (with MS-Paint) because I didn't have the Hot Spot turned on when I took it. Also, I recall that the blank counter in the hex immediately above it was an AAMG.

[Citizen Emperor]

Screenshot #2...

As mentioned above, the 2nd time I fired up the game -- this time playing Mission #1 of a "Barbarossa Central" Dynamic Campaign -- I saw no more blank Russian counters. However, all Russian 50mm mortars now look like this (NATO Symbols Mode only)...

[Crossroads]

Well that's insane! Never seen anything like that [X(]

[Warhorse]

Ok, a clue here, however. In the first screenshot, the one with the blanks, in the info box the Russians display a hammer and sickle, however, when you posted the other, where they are not blank, but showing a 2dpic in NATO mode, the display is the Red Star?! Are you using any mods, or changing anything? I assume both instances, the Russians are the Allied variety, and not the Axis slot 24 versions?

EDIT:For the Russian 50mm mortar to display that particular tank, in 2d NATO mode, it would have to have 450 in the NATO graphics data slot in the platoon00 file, it is supposed to have 825. OK, got it, the wrong picture is because you are using the version 2.02 file, but somehow using the newer updated 2dicon file!! If you enable the Forgotten Battles2.1 PATCH02 mod, with JSGME, it will switch out the older platoon00 file, put in the new one, and it will display as it should. That was the clue I was looking for, 450 is from the Russians with 2.02, 825 is with FB 2.1 with the updated graphics/platoon files. Let me know how you make out, ok?

[Crossroads]

Well what do you know, there it is!

ORIGINAL: Warhorse
EDIT:For the Russian 50mm mortar to display that particular tank, in 2d NATO mode, it would have to have 450 in the NATO graphics data slot in the platoon00 file, it is supposed to have 825. OK, got it, the wrong picture is because you are using the version 2.02 file, but somehow using the newer updated 2dicon file!! If you enable the Forgotten Battles2.1 PATCH02 mod, with JSGME, it will switch out the older platoon00 file, put in the new one, and it will display as it should. That was the clue I was looking for, 450 is from the Russians with 2.02, 825 is with FB 2.1 with the updated graphics/platoon files. Let me know how you make out, ok?

That is the latest internal PATCH version Mike [:)]

Unfortunately I am not sure I have the Forgotten Battles 2.0 version anymore either, unless I do a clean install again. What I thought was my clean install boasts Forgotten Battles 2.0.1 on JSGME, so it might contain some updates I have not released yet...[:(]

Regardless, enabling Forgotten Battles 2.0 via JSGME as explained in the Mod forum post HERE, that should do the trick.

Here's my before and after screenshots. First, Axis Soviets (country code 24) that don't seem to have any issue, then Allied Soviets ie. Russia (contry code 00) that do have the issue, first without Forgotten Battles, then with it:


MS Paint distorts the images quite badly when saving as JPG, in the last picture (Allied 00) the NATO icon is of infantry support with the artillery dot in the middle. The first picture (Axis 24) uses light artillery symbol.

So yeah, please try enabling Forgotten Battles 2.0 mod using JSGME as explained in the link I provided with, and let us know how it plays out!

[Citizen Emperor]

These are the MODS I have been/am using... Before playing my first Dynamic Campaign mission ("New Roman Legions") I activated the "EF Bases" MOD. I then decided I preferred the game's original bases, so I subsequently deactivated that MOD.

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Citizen Emperor

These are the MODS I have been/am using... Before playing my first Dynamic Campaign mission ("New Roman Legions") I activated the "EF Bases" MOD. I then decided I preferred the game's original bases, so I subsequently deactivated that MOD.

But of course. The unit bases mod contains a very old Icons2d.bmp, that contains all sort of stuff, in addition to national insignia (flags) the mod provides an alternative for: Russia 00 and Germany 01 Unit Graphics and chits, and NATO symbols common to all nations. That mod's become partially obsolete, now. [:(]

We've separated quite a lot of stuff from that monster of a file into individual bitmap files in "Middle East", so that it would be simpler to include say Unit base mods in future.

You should be OK playing with Forgotten Battles 2.0 Mod enabled. Can you confirm?

The mod contains lot of Mike's 2D improvements that was done by the time MCS 2.02 was released, but did not make it into our QA rounds. So we put them in as part of the mod, meaning they are not fully tested but any information about bugs and glitches helps us.

[Citizen Emperor]

So you're recommending that I activate the Forgotten Battles MOD, then implement the FB Patch as mentioned above?

Just want to be sure! [:)]

[Crossroads]

Just enable the Forgotten Battles 2.0 (and the FB2.0 patch to add the missing airplane shadow files, as in my post HERE).

The FB2.1/PATCH02 Warhorse talks about is still in development, unfortunately, not available to public quite yet.

[Crossroads]

You need to disable the Polish LWP Insignia Mod first though. Add it later for the duration you play a scenario with LWP forces on it.

[Citizen Emperor]

Thanks, man! I'll give it a whirl.

[Crossroads]

Let me know! [:)]

[Citizen Emperor]

Well, I did as suggested in the last couple of posts above... and it fixed the 2D 50mm Russian Mortar NATO Symbol Counter Bug. However, big black artillery "dots" started showing up on (some) German Battalion and Regiment HQ counters (again, in NATO Symbol Mode only).

So I performed an uninstall -- deleted the whole program, along with all residual files left over afterwards. Let's begin anew, shall we?

Did a clean install of the main program, then updated with v2.02. I then activated the following MODs:
ALL Black F2 Info boxes
EF PanzerBlitz Interface
EF Water Alternative
WF PanzerLeader Interface
WF Water Alternative
WF Winter Alternative

Started up a "Barbarossa Central" Dynamic Campaign, playing as the Germans.

The 2D 50mm Mortar Counter Bug is back. NOTE: Only happens in NATO Symbol mode.