Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: Captain Cruft

Blathering continues ...

I see there are two new production symbols at Rangoon. Wonder what they are ... :)

quote:

ORIGINAL: dwbradley

Given the background of many members of the team I feel certain you are very attuned to leaving as much opportunity for modding as possible. My sense of where this project is now is that the really major changes have already been made (or are in progress) but that you might be able to put in minor changes if they had merit. So I would hope to propose stuff that wouldn’t require much more work for you right now but that might leave the door open for improvements later on.

Here’s one I hope isn’t too fantastical:

PWHEX/Map panel as an array. What I have in mind is that there would be multiple PWHEX and associated map files, with the current one being selected by date. So if there were a monthly change in the PWHEX/maps you would need an array of something like 60 of these. Considering the work required to produce even one set, the idea of producing 60 may seem ridiculous but the current Matrix team would only have to produce a single set and then replicate it to fill the array for the initial release.

If I understand the power of the PWHEX/map combination at all ( not certain for sure) then this would seem to leave open the possibility of changing individual elements in the array to account for seasonal changes, construction, etc.

To AB and all of the Matrix team, I say many, many thanks for all of your work.

Dave Bradley

quote:

ORIGINAL: Chad Harrison

All looks great AB!

Malaria questions:

I originally posted this in the land FAQ and Andy suggested I bug you about it.

The current system of malaria zones and morale degregation does not feel right. I like the system as far as disablements are concerned, but once a base in a Malaria zone has been completely built out and is sizeable, it makes no sense that base units there out of combat would have morale loss over time. For instance, take Port Moresby. In my PBEM game I still have the Australia Command troops that started the game there and some American base forces added in mid 1942 (its now mid 1943), and the base is all built out. All the troops there have very few disablements (makes sense) but their morale is all under 15.

That doesnt feel right. They are not in combat, so they would be 'in base' not out in the jungle. By the time that Port Moresby was all built out, I would imagine that it was a nice place to be 'in base' and would not harshly affect the troops morale stationed there.

What I suggest, is that once a base is big enough that morale loss should atleast stop. It doesnt have to gain, but it should atleast stop. I mean come on, if a base is big enough to store unlimited supplies without spoilage (combined port and airfield over 10), you can not tell me that the troops stationed there are in bad conditions that is affecting their morale more than say being on a primitive island in the middle of the Pacific.

Just some thoughts. Thank AB.

quote:

ORIGINAL: VSWG

BigJ62 mentioned a "replacement delay" for LCUs in the Land Thread. Can someone elaborate? Does it mean that some LCUs won't receive replacements for a while?

quote:

ORIGINAL: pad152

Recon

There are several hexes on the map that can't be reconned! (example Bataan (allied), Japan can send a 100 flights only to get there are 34 units there).

Island/Base
You can send a ton of recon flights only to get there is 1 base force there, yet when you invade you find two divsions!


I don't know if there are map issues or something wrong with air recon.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Andrew Brown

I will have a think about it. I don't know if it is something that can or will be changed, though.

Thanks,
Andrew

quote:

ORIGINAL: pad152

Production

1. Control - please put the player in control of aircraft production, so if the Japanese player wants to build older aircraft the computer won't over ride the players changes. (Either the player is in charge or the AI, not both). Maybe a toggle switch in the game options where the AI won't change production.

quote:

2. Aircraft Production Screen that shows all of the locations factory aircraft type and factory status (on/off) and required resources (supplies Heavy Industry, Oil, etc.). It's a real pain to find that factory you turned off!

3. Engine Production Screen that shows the name location factory engine type and factory status (on/off) and required resources

4. Balance Sheet - It's really hard to tell if you are plus or minus when is comes to oil, supply resources, etc. the game needs an account type balance sheet. I'm not sure the totals current in intel screen are correct once you start turning off factories.

quote:

ORIGINAL: pad152

Ships production and respawn

Japan should always been able to build (MTB's (motor Torpedo boats/ PT boats) Midget Subs, MSWs, barges) if they still have production, these are the ship types that should respawn (60-80 MTB's, 60+ Midgets sub, 20-30 MSWs, 60-100 barges). Japan having only 4 or 5 MTB's is a joke!

Maybe MTBs/PT/s should be handled like Midgets!

Maybe a flag in the editor to tell which ship types should re-spawn.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Captain Cruft

New Question

Japanese aircraft engine production.

Is the bug where you don't see the pool going down likely to be fixed?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Captain Cruft
Great. So presumably Addu Atoll is now in the right place?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Andrew Brown

quote:

ORIGINAL: pad152

Production

1. Control - please put the player in control of aircraft production, so if the Japanese player wants to build older aircraft the computer won't over ride the players changes. (Either the player is in charge or the AI, not both). Maybe a toggle switch in the game options where the AI won't change production.

I am pretty sure aircraft production has not changed.

quote:

2. Aircraft Production Screen that shows all of the locations factory aircraft type and factory status (on/off) and required resources (supplies Heavy Industry, Oil, etc.). It's a real pain to find that factory you turned off!

3. Engine Production Screen that shows the name location factory engine type and factory status (on/off) and required resources

4. Balance Sheet - It's really hard to tell if you are plus or minus when is comes to oil, supply resources, etc. the game needs an account type balance sheet. I'm not sure the totals current in intel screen are correct once you start turning off factories.

As others have mentioned in other AE threads, changing or adding to the UI is far from trivial, and not very much has changed in that area. I don't think there have been any changes in the industry displays (I agree they could be better!).

Andrew

quote:

ORIGINAL: Captain Cruft

Yes. You said so yourself! There wasn't enough room to put it far west enough, especially as column 0 is off-limits ...

quote:

ORIGINAL: LargeSlowTarget

Will the location of Abemama atoll be fixed? On the CHS map it is three hexes (~ 180 miles) south-southwest of Tarawa, but it should be located ~ 75 miles southeast of Tarawa.

quote:

ORIGINAL: pad152
Aircraft Production
You can't have it both ways either the player is in control of aircraft product or the AI, you can't have the AI over ride the player if you give the player control!

quote:

Production
Saying it could be better is like saying the tax code could be easier to understand!
The main problem is if you start turning off factories the numbers don't add up. Go look at engine production if you turn off a engine factory the total numbers being built doesn't change. I wish my checking account worked like this!

quote:

ORIGINAL: tacfire

Hi there, I want you to know that I appreciate very much all the hard work you are putting into this new project.

Not sure if it is possible, but I had one idea for the new map:

Is it possible to change the size of the airfield and port icons on the map to reflect their capacity size? For example, something like one port icon for ports sized 1-2, slightly larger icon for sizes 3-4, larger for 5-8, and largest for size 9? - not sure where it is best to have the break points, but something like that anyways. This would be very useful visiual information without cluttering up the map in my opinion.

I know you wrote that you can't have a dynamic map changes like the railroad bridge over river Kwai, etc.. but I noticed that in the current WiTP game the color of the port and airfield symbols get darker when there are more forces stationed inside them, so I wonder if we could also dynamically change the size of the icons to reflect the port/airfield sizes?

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ORIGINAL: Andrew Brown

quote:

ORIGINAL: Brady

Will "Fuel" still be available at some "oil" locatrions, those that could historicaly produce crude oil so pure it could be burned in ship's without refining?

Actually fuel is available at most of the oil locations, because the refineries tended to be co-located with the areas of oil production. If there refineries are all destroyed there won't be any fuel generated by the oil centres though.

Andrew

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli
Is oil still necessary for heavy industry?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Andrew Brown

quote:

ORIGINAL: pad152

Ships production and respawn

Japan should always been able to build (MTB's (motor Torpedo boats/ PT boats) Midget Subs, MSWs, barges) if they still have production, these are the ship types that should respawn (60-80 MTB's, 60+ Midgets sub, 20-30 MSWs, 60-100 barges). Japan having only 4 or 5 MTB's is a joke!

Maybe MTBs/PT/s should be handled like Midgets!

Maybe a flag in the editor to tell which ship types should re-spawn.

Sorry. You will have to ask the Navy team about these things.

Andrew

quote:

ORIGINAL: jwilkerson

quote:

ORIGINAL: el cid again

I'm not aware of any existing pwhex editors but they will not work for AE without modification.

There are two I know of: WITPExcel and Editor X. Both have advantages over the other - depending on what you are doing. Both are based on MS Excel - and that implies these things are fairly easy to do that way. Cobra said his son - an Excel programmer - made a custom editor for him as well. And Andrew once wrote he wrote his own editor - but for various reasons he did not want to share it with anyone. So such editors exist. I believe there are likely to be such things for the new system. But how is the pwhex file being done? Without an editor? If there is one - it would save time to let modders use it. Or even to sell it to them.

(in reply to jwilkerson)

quote:

ORIGINAL: el cid again

quote:

ORIGINAL: jwilkerson

quote:

ORIGINAL: el cid again

I'm not aware of any existing pwhex editors but they will not work for AE without modification.

There are two I know of: WITPExcel and Editor X. Both have advantages over the other - depending on what you are doing. Both are based on MS Excel - and that implies these things are fairly easy to do that way. Cobra said his son - an Excel programmer - made a custom editor for him as well. And Andrew once wrote he wrote his own editor - but for various reasons he did not want to share it with anyone. So such editors exist. I believe there are likely to be such things for the new system. But how is the pwhex file being done? Without an editor? If there is one - it would save time to let modders use it. Or even to sell it to them.

I would really like to see the editor include an ability to modify the pwhex file as can be done with WITP EditorX. As mentioned above, the program must exist for the new pwhex/map to be made - why not include it?

(in reply to el cid again)

quote:

ORIGINAL: hueglin
I would really like to see the editor include an ability to modify the pwhex file as can be done with WITP EditorX. As mentioned above, the program must exist for the new pwhex/map to be made - why not include it?

quote:

ORIGINAL: el cid again

quote:

ORIGINAL: Andrew Brown

quote:

ORIGINAL: pad152

Ships production and respawn

Japan should always been able to build (MTB's (motor Torpedo boats/ PT boats) Midget Subs, MSWs, barges) if they still have production, these are the ship types that should respawn (60-80 MTB's, 60+ Midgets sub, 20-30 MSWs, 60-100 barges). Japan having only 4 or 5 MTB's is a joke!

Maybe MTBs/PT/s should be handled like Midgets!

Maybe a flag in the editor to tell which ship types should re-spawn.

Sorry. You will have to ask the Navy team about these things.

Andrew

I think the Matrix concept that MTBs and MSW cannot be built in great numbers is dead on correct. Japan had terrible problems with engine production. See Takishi Hara's Japanese Destroyer Captain: he was put in charge of the MBT school near the end of the war - just before taking CL Yahagi on her run with IJN Yamato. He goes on at some length about the inability to get engines - and the horrible performance the engines available gave. The MSW needed engines which also were used by sub chasers, by merchant ships and by submarines - and potentially also by factories or railroad rolling stock. Committing more of these to MSW would mean a direct and corresponding decrease in some other kind of vessel. I did find in some scenarios it is possible to rationalize completing more of these vessels - and so they show up (and it is up to players to suspend their building - since leaving everything building will mean many ships won't complete on time in most games - probably related to HI availability). But in strictly historical scenarios, the number should be fixed based on historical choices. These vessels for Japan were similar in function to those for the US, but they were nothing like as expendable or replaceable. In order to justify even a small increase, a modder should consider what else is NOT built in consequence.

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ORIGINAL: VSWG

Would it be possible to re-upload the screenshots without jpeg-compression losses, and not resized? I don't think the current screenshots do the map justice. Can we have a look at the Philippines, and Java / DEI?

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ORIGINAL: Andrew Brown

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli
Is oil still necessary for heavy industry?

No.