Transportation Purchase Bug

[Mutton_Man]

Playing the US Marines campaign, I have have been unable to see anything on the second line within the transportation upgrade window since I had upgraded my first 4-5 units. I don't think the number of units upgraded necessarily is related, but rather that was when I happened to have enough options to give a second line to the window.

This seems to have been an issue in early 2017, but was corrected with patch 3.4.2 (as described in the patch notes , here: http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtop ... 7573&hilit).

I am running v7.1.8 via Steam.
Any help would be appreciated!

[GabeKnight]

Sorry, but... what?
Do you have some screenshot to explain things a bit better?

[Mutton_Man]

Updated with screen cap of what I'm seeing.
Sorry if it's a bit large. I can reduce it if it's a problem.

[PoorOldSpike]

I have have been unable to see anything on the second line within the transportation upgrade window since I had upgraded my first 4-5 units

When you say "upgraded" your units, do you mean you clicked the upgrade icon (the one that looks like corporals stripes) to change them into another type?
I just tried it in the Marines campaign and the transport boxes sometimes stayed empty, and sometimes they were full with a truck or halftrack or whatever, it all depends on what unit you're trying to upgrade.
Click on some of the other units to see if the transport boxes are filled for them and that might give us a clue.

PS- and exactly which units are you trying to upgrade anyway, what are you trying to change them into?
Perhaps the game won't allow you to do have transport for certain types if it thinks what you're trying to do is unrealistic.

[bru888]

Nah, Spike, it's something more simple than that although why it happens, I haven't a clue. [See my next post, though, because I could be wrong in what I said in this one.]

Mutton_Man, I just nuked my way through the Marines DLC. For the first four scenarios, the screens look like this:

Screenshot 13.jpg (228.72 KiB) Viewed 1491 times

Screenshot 14.jpg (232.16 KiB) Viewed 1491 times

Starting in Bougainville, and perhaps for additional scenarios (I did not check any further), the two lines of transportation choices are joined by a third blank line (note also the diminished size of the scroll bar):

Screenshot 15.jpg (238.4 KiB) Viewed 1491 times

Screenshot 16.jpg (237.63 KiB) Viewed 1491 times

Screenshot 17.jpg (222.47 KiB) Viewed 1491 times

In your screen shot, Mutton_Man, the scroll bar is all the way down. Move it up and I bet you will see the usual transportation choices on the two lines above the blank line.

[bru888]

Hmmm. On the other hand, even when I am on that third blank line, I still have Purchase & Deploy / Purchase buttons; you do not:

Screenshot 18.jpg (102.91 KiB) Viewed 1488 times

When you scroll up, are those buttons still missing? In that case, I am on the wrong track and perhaps Spike's line of inquiry is correct.

[Mutton_Man]

Thank you all for the responses!

The issue I have is with all infantry (Marines, Airborne, Infantry, Heavy Infantry, Engineers) and I only APPEAR to have 2 "lines" of transportation upgrade options. The first line has the Studebaker and M3 halftrack, but the second line is completely blank (where the M3A1 halftrack, L1A1, and DUKW should be... I believe). I only took a screen cap of the second line, but I can provide the first if it might assist in any way.
The "Purchase" buttons are grayed out if I try to select any of the blank cells, but normal if I have the M3 or Studebaker selected.

Maybe the weirdest thing is that SOMETIMES when I load into a save game, mid-mission, I am able to see the missing transportation upgrades on the very first infantry unit that I attempt to upgrade, but they disappear if I attempt to select them, scroll, or leave the window and try to go back in.

[PoorOldSpike]

Hey Mutton man I've got zilch experience of the Marines campaign, and as all campaigns often have their own rules at the whim of the designer, perhaps he's forbidden certain types of unit from having transport?
For example perhaps a unit in the middle of the jungle might have no way to get trucks to itself.
I see you're playing version 7.1.8, it's bugged (see other threads) so perhaps bugs are also affecting the upgrade procedure.
Also, to confuse the issue a newer version (8.0.4)? was recently accidentally prematurely released on Steam but was hurriedly withdrawn because its incomplete, so double check that you really are on 7.1.8.
How long have you been playing OOB, you've only made 4 posts in the forum, so are you an inexperienced newcomer?

PS- Exactly which battle are you playing in the Marines Campaign, I'll have a look at it in the standalone scenarios list to look for more clues.

[Mutton_Man]

It's been an issue with my campaign playthrough at least since Blissful & Goodtime (4 of 11). I am currently on Guam (9 of 11).

I originally thought that it might have been an intentional omission. Aside from it making no sense from any historical angle (US forces in the pacific gained more access to mechanization, not less, as the war progressed), it seems very odd that the empty unit cells would remain if they were intended to not be accessible.

I am on 7.1.8. This bug was specifically addressed in the patch notes of 3.4.2, and I've seen no other mentions of similar bugs since, though I could very well have missed it.

As for being an "inexperienced newcomer", that's entirely relative. I've played the game on and off for over 2 years now, but only recently found the forums when I joined the Red Star beta.


Either way, I appreciate your offer of assistance.

[PoorOldSpike]

Well here's a screenie from the Guam standalone scenario which I've just spent an hour playing (7.1.8 ) and whenever I click on a unit to upgrade it like this one, the transport is there, so I don't know why you're not getting transport, unless you're accidentally doing something that the game rules don't allow because of command points/ supply status or whatever.

[PoorOldSpike]

PS Mutton Man, why exactly do you want to upgrade to transport anyway?
Transport is very slow going offroad so it's usually quicker for the men to walk.
Also, soft trucks die very quickly if they're ambushed or bombed and become "wheeled coffins" for the men inside.Halftracks are better, but are still prone to ambush.
The only time I'd want transport is if there are good roads and/or open terrain for it and if the troops have got a long way to go, for example in Russia 1941 when the Germans are racing east at high speed into the vast hinterland of the USSR.
For example my Marines in my screenshot invaded Guam and have got a good strong beachhead after 8 turns without trucks or halftracks because I simply never needed them. Later I might buy some transport to exploit into the interior of Guam but only if I need to..

[Mutton_Man]

I restarted the Marines campaign and played to the point that I lost access to the LVT1 and DUKW previously and it is now fine.
Left scratching my head, but thank you all for the support!

And as for the "why"... It's all about allowing my infantry to perform hit and run tactics with their LVTs during landing operations!
Being able to land, attack, and immediately retreat back into the sea in their LVT1s almost seems unfair at times.

[GabeKnight]

Thanks for the screens. Yeah, I remember those empty lines in the transportation tab, but I don't recall some transports to be unavailable/missing.

Oh, one thing: Watch out using the mouse wheel when scrolling through that tab, 'cause it tends to skip a line usually - and then it may look as if some transports were missing there.

And as for the "why"... It's all about allowing my infantry to perform hit and run tactics with their LVTs during landing operations!
Being able to land, attack, and immediately retreat back into the sea in their LVT1s almost seems unfair at times.

Oh, yeah, I remember doing that a lot, too.
Always felt like an unfair exploit - and by now I would consider it a bug (of sorts).