Commander Patch 1.03 Public Beta Available!

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:05 pm

We are happy to announce we have released the English Commander patch v1.03 to an open Public Beta.
Download your V1.03 Beta patch from http://www.slitherine.com/files/ceaw/pa ... 3_beta.exe

This public beta is only compatble with the Slitherine version of the game. We will release the full Matrix patch as soon as this one has been approved. We still have work to do on Africa and a few minor art tweaks and wanted to get player feedback on the changes we had made before it became official.

We are also releasing an updated editor that makes use of some of the new features in the game.
Download your V1.03 Beta Editor from http://www.slitherine.com/files/ceaw/ed ... a_1.03.exe

Changes in V 1.03 Beta
- Fixed a crash bug where the AI tried to move units that were no longer on the map.
- Fixed a bug where minor countries (like Romania) kept their oil instead of sending them to the faction oil pool
- Fixed a bug where naval units could repair despite country being out of resources
- Fixed some drawing routine bugs that caused graphic glitches
- PBEM, fixed a bug where tech advances were not shown in the turn summary
- PBEM games cannot be saved manually anymore - instead uses the autosave on end turn
- The autosave for non-PBEM games no longer overwrite the save from which you loaded, it creates a new file
- USSR winter event now is registered but not in effect until DoW, so if invading USSR in spring mud is still there
- All toggles (such as Nato Symbols) now remain unchanged when loading a save
- The zoom level now switches to the mid zoom when ending your turn on every game mode
- Quality and Survivability now have the tooltip text colours for tech increases on the purchase screen, unless they have a manpower penalty
- Windowed mode is now stored in settings.txt file so you can start the game up windowed by default
- War entry dates are now randomised and can be controlled from the scripts.
- Winter duration can now be set in the general.txt script
- Air units now also follow the same rule as ground units when deciding if a rail move is possible
- Some tweaks to the scenarios, Allied have slightly more troops in Egypt. Some neutral countries have slightly less troops
- The Force Pool now has a reorder function, clicking the first unit will put it way back and push other units one step forward in the queue
- Oi Fields now generate 4x instead of 3x in oil production, providing more incentive for conquest of enemy oil
- Terrain : Entrenchments are now slightly more powerful
- Unit : Carrier now has a shorter range and get less range tech upgrades. Naval units now take more time to build
- Tech : Anti-Tank Guns, Tank Destroyer and Close Air Support are now more early bloomers. Armour +1 oil cons
- AI, fixed a bug where the AI deployed land units into a sea port
- AI now focuses more on protecting conquered capitals
- AI now tries to secure a conquered Capital surroundings before planning their next invasion
- AI now only feel threatened and try to protect Cities from ground units and transport, so air and navy no longer cause over reaction
- AI transports now try to move as close as possible to the destination before unloading
- AI now uses the new transport rule where a ship on port does not prevent loading
- AI will now retreat from Sea Ports that have been taken over by enemy
- AI Axis now use a broad front when invading USSR, picking interim Cities to conquer and sending units out on the flanks
- AI will now buy labs more slowly, to prevent a scenario starting with AI spending all its early turn cash on labs
- AI will now build slightly less Armour and slightly less Air
Changes in V1.03 Beta Editor
- Forts are now loaded through scenarios so no need to recreate them again
- Country war entry dates can now be set in scenarios
- You can now manually set which side starts a scenario

If you find any problems are think we could make more improvements please make your comments on the Commander forum at viewforum.php?f=18

davetheroad · Post by **davetheroad** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 6:45 pm

what about the oil bug?

firepowerjohan · Post by **firepowerjohan** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:20 pm

davetheroad wrote:what about the oil bug?

included in

- Fixed a bug where minor countries (like Romania) kept their oil instead of sending them to the faction oil pool

SMK-at-work · Post by **SMK-at-work** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:40 pm

Is this patch compatable with existing saved games?

artyar · Post by **artyar** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:37 am

In a PBEM game the Allied player is not notified by the computer at the beginning of his turn when Italy joins, Hungary joins, etc... It also does not advise that Axis has declared war on Holland, Belgium etc..Obviously, a scroll around the map would reveal all of this but I think it should be pretty easy to just program the computer to advise the other player when big events occur so that they are sure not to be overlooked.

davetheroad · Post by **davetheroad** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:48 am

I have the Matrix version of the game so cannot try this patch, still have some questions though.

how does the country variable entry work?

how do the new winter rules work?

Dave

YohanPBEM2 · Post by **YohanPBEM2** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 8:31 am

Is variable entry purely random or is it based on events by major powers?

So if GB invades Netherlands does it hinder USA or Russian war efforts?

Same with say Germany invading Spain?

firepowerjohan · Post by **firepowerjohan** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 9:25 am

No political triggers have been added, just the set entry dates vary so if a country is to join in say June they might join in May-July somewhere or as in general.txt script +2 up to -2 turns.

RANDOM_WAR_ENTRY 2

syagrius · Post by **syagrius** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:32 pm

Looks nice, good work! Does the mediteranean theater will be more busy?

SMK-at-work · Post by **SMK-at-work** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:45 pm

So is it going to be compatible or not??!!

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:48 pm

Sorry - missed that one. The patch requires a new format of saved game for the new features so old saved games are not compatible.

syagrius · Post by **syagrius** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 5:57 pm

Will it be better to reinstall the game before the patch or just patch over 1.2?

davetheroad · Post by **davetheroad** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 9:43 pm

I think you can install another copy of the game plus the two patches in another folder, so you can continue to play 1.2 games while you test 1.3.

Dave

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:09 am

It will be fine to install this patch over v1.02

neilhammond · Post by **neilhammond** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 6:48 pm

I've played about a dozen turns as the allies on the new patch and have the following comment:

I've not played the allies before so not sure if this is new or not.

1) I've built a russian general but I can't allocate it to a unit (Russia isn't yet at war)
2) I've built a american warship but can't deploy it (similarly, USA is yet at war)
3) During the fall of France I evacuated the British unit through Bordeaux(?). It didn't embark and sail until after France fell, so the hex stayed allied. I noticed the hex remained allied - i.e. the AI didn't try and reclaim the hex, and the port is available for me to use (I'm not sure what will happen when I land, but...

Otherwise, great game.

Neil

YohanPBEM2 · Post by **YohanPBEM2** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 3:40 am

So:

Why the decision to not have ahistorical events or timelines effect entry? It is a complete cop-out. If Germany invades GB the USA night just take a dim view of it? Who really cares about random entry if it is not based on political actions? You either did not listen to the concerns or can't react due to flawed software.

I do not know of one single thread, either here or at Matrix, that said "Please give us random entry for the USA and Russia BUT whatever you do please DO NOT base it on Germany attacking Denmark on Turn 2, Netherlands on Turn 3 and Spain 2 turns after France falls. AND of course do not base it on France deciding it is better to have a nice buffer in the Benelux. No, perish the thought, instead let's pick a number out of a hat" - Sorry must have missed that thread. I'll pop over to Matrix and double check for the screaming demand I missed here...

SMK-at-work · Post by **SMK-at-work** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 4:20 am

Wow...you're a w*nker on 2 forums!

davetheroad · Post by **davetheroad** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 8:33 am

No need to get personal!!

I have to agree with Yohan here. The long term viability of the game depends on adding some logic to events if players want to use it. Russian variable entry is irrelevant as I have yet to see Germany wait that long to open Barbarossa. USA variable entry is possibly neutral in effect apart from the Battle of the Atlantic. Of course I presume the Axis player can't engineer things to always have the USA arrive late.

I reckon the problem lies with the AI as in PBEM matches we could use house rules to simulate most of the other events.
for USA entry add a FREE ENTRY OPTION so the allied player can activate the USA if the UK is invaded etc etc.

Free activation should not be impossible to code as a option and coupled with a short Slitherine recommended consequences list/house rules can take care of a lot of the problems, e.g. we play a PBEM either vanilla or with the list.

Oh!, does variable entry applies to Italy and all the axis neutrals including Finland?

Dave

SMK-at-work · Post by **SMK-at-work** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 11:22 pm

Yohan has already gotten personal in various places......he can hardly complain when he gets it back.

His post is simply ranting. it ignores the FACT that the designers didn't WANT to put that stuff into the game...they could have, but they wanted something more PG than SC2.

He really should take his calm down pills more often!

vypuero · Post by **vypuero** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 11:56 pm

Look I would like Diplomacy, but you surely get how that would be a pretty major overhaul, right? Think of all the ways that systems like that can be "gamed" and how much time and effort and programming it would be to add it in. I mean who would invade Uk anyway, already a game-risking move, with the fact that on top of it all the US could join? I did come up with a number of interesting diplomacy ideas, but they would be a pretty big add-on, and for that matter I am sure there would be big differences of opinion on that, too.