Two Questions

Kerensky · Post by **Kerensky** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 11:26 pm

Do you devs have an internal beta testing team?

And

Rather than go on and on in my usual form, I'll just ask: Why has no one brought up terrain issues yet? Is it just something you're internally aware of and thus do not feel the need to discuss it here?

Rudankort · Post by **Rudankort** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 12:52 pm

I always thought that beta testers should be external "by definition".

So no, we don't have any beta testers besides the group on this forum.

What exactly you refer to by "terrain issues"?

Kerensky · Post by **Kerensky** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 5:09 am

That's disappointing to hear. Oh well.

Anyways, here goes again. I'll try to make it concise this time.
The main problem stems from mixed terrain issues, and causes several other problems from there.
http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/2849/49095979.jpg
Hex 2,7 is labeled Deep Sea. I guess it's also a 'river' because of the river looking fork drawn on the hex and also because the AA gun was able to retreat on to hex 2,7. I'm pretty sure AA guns don't have naval movement.

Also causes problem with battle calculation.
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/7300/56181749.jpg
and
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/9388/74015200.jpg
First image has 4-5 prediction. Second image has 6-5 prediction. What's the difference? Where the infantry unit is attacking from. Apparently one of those hexes (5,23 and 6,23 of the Poland map) is considered a 'river' hex in addition to being a mountain. However the mouse over for the hex only says mountain. It's not even a full 'river' hex, it's the hex where the river ends/begins, but clearly the game still defines that hex as being a river, but the game only tells the player that it is a mountain. The mouse over clearly says: "Mountains (6,23)"

Apparently there are hexes that are impassable rivers and hexes that are just normal rivers. The game considers river hexes as 'clear' or 'forest' or 'mountain' when you mouse over a hex with a river looking blue graphic though.
For example, my german bridge engineer is facing impassable rivers here, I guess. I dunno, the game tells me those two river hexes next to him are 'clear' hexes.
http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/9874/21513032.jpg
In the same scenario, you can clearly see my recon ATV has the same problem with those two river hexes.
http://img864.imageshack.us/img864/7637/78247122.jpg
and also has a problem with this river
http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/4117/25365594.jpg
but can enter the river hex just south of the one Dutch city
http://img862.imageshack.us/img862/4971/83767369.jpg

uran21 · Post by **uran21** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 5:44 am

Problem with bridge engineers not going across impassable river is related to fact they have transport attached to them (it was attached before change of movement type).

Kerensky · Post by **Kerensky** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 6:40 am

So bridge engineers can cross impassable rivers now. Interesting.
But how does the player figure out the difference between an impassable river and a normal one? Currently there is no difference, and this is further compounded by mixed terrain tiles.

uran21 · Post by **uran21** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 6:43 am

There will be a new tileset for impassable river and later the stings will be present on the map. I didn't invest in placing strings because we had content changes so I wanted to be sure this maps are going to be used.

Rudankort · Post by **Rudankort** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 9:39 am

Good point about river mouths on top of the sea - will fix.

Terrain names will be fixed. Editor places name of terrain automatically, but river names are supposed to be specified by scenario designer, and this is not done yet.

Large rivers will be different from small ones. In fact, we already have a placeholder tileset for large rivers in beta 2 (see Graphics/Tiles/LayerRiver.png), but they did not look good, so maps do not use them. In the next update large rivers will be shown on the map.

If a hex contains a river in any form (river source etc.), it is subject to gameplay effects of rivers, so this behaviour is by design.

Bridge engineer should be able to enter impassable rivers even with organic transport attached to it. If this is not the cas,e it is a bug. If bridge engineer can serve as a bridge for other units, surely it can serve as a bridge for his own transport.

uran21 · Post by **uran21** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:04 am

Good point about river mouths on top of the sea

And with minor river going into major river.

Bridge engineer should be able to enter impassable rivers even with organic transport attached to it. If this is not the cas,e it is a bug. If bridge engineer can serve as a bridge for other units, surely it can serve as a bridge for his own transport.

It is a bug. Entering such hex is defined for "Bridge" movement type which bridge engineers use but it is not defined for half tracks or wheeled vehicles which is maybe the cause of a bug.