Bug Report

scJazz · #1 June 25th, 2005, 11:47 AM

OK I have Fridays off so I got to play ALL day yesterday. I found a few weird items that may be considered bugs or undocumented design features.

1) This one isn't new at all but I figured that it would have been fixed. Can y'all please fix the "Million Dollar Man" syndrome (able to run at 60mph) with routed units. It is damn annoying to see an infantry unit hitting speeds of 20 MPH when they have been routed. The loading/unloading trick with infantry and APCs has been fixed. Please fix the number 1 reason why this trick was useful. If a unit is routed and in forced retreat setup a flag to only allow it to move its' movement points worth of hexes. I've seen Japanese Infantry units manage to move 14 hexes over rough terrain in a turn (9.5mph or the speed of a marathon runner not counting terrain considerations).

2) Campaign setup: because of countries 3 and 4 (some annoying Eastern Bloc countries) in campaign setup you can not set start date before 1949. After switching countries 3 and 4 to RED country you can. Please set default Campaign setup of countries 3 and 4 to nothing or Red or Blue.

3) Seems wrong that the ricochet sound is played before the kaboom sound. In DOS SPWW2 the ricochet sound is played for a hit that doesn't penetrate. Kaboom is played for a hit that destroys target. WinSPMBT is playing both sounds sequentially.

4) It seems that Google Desktop prevents WinSPMBT from staying front-most application. The work around is to open Task Manager and using the Switch To command. Doing this keeps WinSPMBT front-most.

5) The intro movie is not centering itself on the screen. I use 1024 x 768 resolution and the intro is hanging off the bottom right corner of the screen.

5) Having the Help File setup for 1152x864 resolution is pretty annoying. The default screen size used by Windows 95 through Windows XP is 800 x 600 or 1024 x 768. 1024 x 768 is considered default by every developer on the planet since 2003. I know that whoever wrote the Help File is going to say I'm wrong. 1152x864 is a resolution typically used by someone with a 19" CRT Monitor. Most people don't have 19" monitors. Most people buying monitors today are not going to buy a 60 lbs CRT. Even if I do have a 19" CRT I'm probably going to use 1280 x 768 which is the standard resolution for a 19" monitor.

Anyway there is my .02.

Thanks for the game. Can't wait for the WW2 version!

scJazz

junk2drive · #2 June 25th, 2005, 11:57 AM

I agree with the help file being 800 x 600 or 640 x 480
I have a 19" monitor set at 800 x 600 because I am old.
Even when I full screen the manual I have to scroll to see the last of each line.

A PDF alternative would be nice.

FJ_MD · #3 June 25th, 2005, 12:13 PM

Quote:

scJazz said:

2) Campaign setup: because of countries 3 and 4 (some annoying Eastern Bloc countries) in campaign setup you can not set start date before 1949. After switching countries 3 and 4 to RED country you can. Please set default Campaign setup of countries 3 and 4 to nothing or Red or Blue.

scJazz

If you choose any nation (even only one of the four)that won't be available before a date you cannot decrease it because that nation will stop the date at the first date that it may be available. Mmmmhh hope it is clear.

scJazz · #4 June 25th, 2005, 12:26 PM

My point is that I didn't choose countries 3 and 4 thereby preventing myself from setting a 1946 start date. Countries 3 and 4 are chosen by default and will prevent a start date earlier than '49.

scJazz

DRG · #5 June 25th, 2005, 12:51 PM

Quote:

scJazz said:
My point is that I didn't choose countries 3 and 4 thereby preventing myself from setting a 1946 start date. Countries 3 and 4 are chosen by default and will prevent a start date earlier than '49.

scJazz

The solution is simple. I didn't mention it in the GG becasue it seemed so obvious

--change the nations to what you want to use THEN change the dates. I know it's different than in the past. It's a question of getting used to it . The default nations were picked as a typical Warsaw pact vs "NATO" campaign with West Germany choosen as "player 1" simply because that's were the battles would have been. However, if you want to fight USA vs Russia in 1948.... NO problem, just change the nations first then the date

Don

DRG · #6 June 25th, 2005, 01:06 PM

OK I have Fridays off so I got to play ALL day yesterday. I found a few weird items that may be considered bugs or undocumented design features.

1) This one isn't new at all but I figured that it would have been fixed. Can y'all please fix the "Million Dollar Man" syndrome (able to run at 60mph) with routed units. It is damn annoying to see an infantry unit hitting speeds of 20 MPH when they have been routed. The loading/unloading trick with infantry and APCs has been fixed. Please fix the number 1 reason why this trick was useful. If a unit is routed and in forced retreat setup a flag to only allow it to move its' movement points worth of hexes. I've seen Japanese Infantry units manage to move 14 hexes over rough terrain in a turn (9.5mph or the speed of a marathon runner not counting terrain considerations).

************ YES, this can be annoying and I have noted so in the past. It is, however, not something either Andy or I have considered a really serious issue simply becasue it's not something *we* see all that often. Obviously you see it more often or are more sensitive to it when it does occur. There may be something we can do about it. We'll see.

2) Campaign setup: because of countries 3 and 4 (some annoying Eastern Bloc countries) in campaign setup you can not set start date before 1949. After switching countries 3 and 4 to RED country you can. Please set default Campaign setup of countries 3 and 4 to nothing or Red or Blue.

******** See my other post. Change the nations then the dates

3) Seems wrong that the ricochet sound is played before the kaboom sound. In DOS SPWW2 the ricochet sound is played for a hit that doesn't penetrate. Kaboom is played for a hit that destroys target. WinSPMBT is playing both sounds sequentially.

******** This is the first complaint we've heard about this. I will look into it

4) It seems that Google Desktop prevents WinSPMBT from staying front-most application. The work around is to open Task Manager and using the Switch To command. Doing this keeps WinSPMBT front-most.

**** OK. If anyone else notices this we'll tell them

5) The intro movie is not centering itself on the screen. I use 1024 x 768 resolution and the intro is hanging off the bottom right corner of the screen.

***** Not on mine or anyone else who playtested. The only time I have seen something like this at all is when the screen resolution is changed after booting up then the game is run. Do you have a taskbar on the side of your screen??

5) Having the Help File setup for 1152x864 resolution is pretty annoying. The default screen size used by Windows 95 through Windows XP is 800 x 600 or 1024 x 768. 1024 x 768 is considered default by every developer on the planet since 2003. I know that whoever wrote the Help File is going to say I'm wrong. 1152x864 is a resolution typically used by someone with a 19" CRT Monitor. Most people don't have 19" monitors. Most people buying monitors today are not going to buy a 60 lbs CRT. Even if I do have a 19" CRT I'm probably going to use 1280 x 768 which is the standard resolution for a 19" monitor.

*******That was me. I run 1152x864 on a 17 inch monitor. You are the first one to complain. I think it's safe to say that everyone who DL the game has a different system and a different idea of what's correct. I had no idea "1024 x 768 is considered default by every developer" Had I known that I may have set it up differently

Don Goodbrand

scJazz · #7 June 25th, 2005, 02:33 PM

Quote:

************ YES, this can be annoying and I have noted so in the past. It is, however, not something either Andy or I have considered a really serious issue simply becasue it's not something *we* see all that often. Obviously you see it more often or are more sensitive to it when it does occur. There may be something we can do about it. We'll see.

I see it often. Seems I have a knack for playing against Infantry heavy countries with uberMorale that won't disperse. Can't count how many units I've lost chasing these Runners behind enemy lines cuz I'm looking for the kill credit. If I don't chase them they Rally and come back to haunt me. No win situation.

Quote:

***** Not on mine or anyone else who playtested. The only time I have seen something like this at all is when the screen resolution is changed after booting up then the game is run. Do you have a taskbar on the side of your screen??

Nope using 1024 x 768 rez with no extra bars or widgets displaying. Resolution is always a constant. Taskbar on bottom always visible. No big deal really just thought I'd mention it. It acts as if it is centering on a screen much larger than mine. Something around 1280 x 1024.

Quote:

*******That was me. I run 1152x864 on a 17 inch monitor. You are the first one to complain. I think it's safe to say that everyone who DL the game has a different system and a different idea of what's correct. I had no idea "1024 x 768 is considered default by every developer" Had I known that I may have set it up differently

I have done a whole lot of GUI design in the past so I'm more sensitive to this issue than most. On the other hand your the first person I've talked to that uses 1152x864 resolution

. If I can remember/find which MSDN article mentions resolutions I'll post it. Doesn't matter really I've already gone and redone the manual so that wrapping is turned on.

Really appreciate your feedback Don.

Enjoy your Saturday night (I'm guessing that it is now 18:30 GMT and that your in GB)

scJazz

DRG · #8 June 25th, 2005, 02:47 PM

Quote:

scJazz said:

Enjoy your Saturday night (I'm guessing that it is now 18:30 GMT and that your in GB)

scJazz

Nope. Andy's in GB. I live in Ontario, Canada

Mobhack · #9 June 25th, 2005, 04:19 PM

Quote:

scJazz said:
My point is that I didn't choose countries 3 and 4 thereby preventing myself from setting a 1946 start date. Countries 3 and 4 are chosen by default and will prevent a start date earlier than '49.

scJazz

It's mentioned in the manual - you simply need to change the 4 nations to "long timer" nations, even if temporarily. Then change the date and select the 4 nations.

Try one of these long timers - UK, USA, USSR as temporary placeholders.

Cheers
Andy

Arralen · #10 June 26th, 2005, 04:59 AM

Quote:

scJazz said:
On the other hand your the first person I've talked to that uses 1152x864 resolution
scJazz

Talk to me, and you know a second.

My cheap 19" CRT is too blurred in 1280x, so I have to go with 1152x ...

1024x is standard resolution for 17" CRTs, but those are obsolete by now.

And if you have troubles with the Google Desktop - desinstall that crap. Obviously it's programmed too sloopy to be comaptible with other software ...