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RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/6/2011 4:21:43 PM   
sPzAbt653


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quote:

Stack movement for naval units.


You can strike that one from the list :






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RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/6/2011 6:48:27 PM   
ColinWright

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Panama

A better method of equipment transition is at the top of my list. I'm sure I'll be dead before that happens.



Yeah. I've outlined my ideas on that score a few times. Again, it doesn't seem like it would be a lot of work.

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RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/6/2011 6:49:09 PM   
ColinWright

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653

quote:

Stack movement for naval units.


You can strike that one from the list :







Well, good stuff. There actually was quite a bit in that last patch that was good.

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Post #: 1653
RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/6/2011 9:07:36 PM   
macgregor


Posts: 990
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Status: offline 		There was nothing about the patch I didn't like. Naturally, by reading my posts you know I wanted, and still want more. Ralph has asked me for some input, which was encouraging. I'm sorry if some see my critiques as over-the-top, but pollyanna is not my style.

I don't mind saying if I had a choice to pay for some real progress, not this sporadic extremely part-time work with the only redemption being that it's free, I'd gladly pay the money. At this point I'm finally becoming satisfied with my investment in TOAW III, which I payed for before Ralph was even hired. Keep in mind, I already had 4 versions of TOAW before Matrix took it over.

Now it's starting to look like Ralph may be AWOL. I hope not. The scenario designers who toiled to produce my favorite scenarios didn't get payed -I know that. Knowing that the game allows them to design and distribute for free is one of things I payed for however. The wishlist was a great idea, I just hope it's purpose was more substance than placebo.

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Post #: 1654
RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/6/2011 9:16:31 PM   
jmlima

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: macgregor
... The scenario designers who toiled to produce my favorite scenarios didn't get payed -I know that. ...


Not sure who they are or what scenarios, but on the original release Matrix offered a game to everyone that got a scenario included, which was quite generous of them.

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Post #: 1655
RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/6/2011 10:05:05 PM   
berto


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quote:

ORIGINAL: macgregor

There was nothing about the patch I didn't like.

It hurts me to say this, but for me 3.4 was one step forward two steps back. I'm thinking of uninstalling 3.4, if indeed I don't trash all my installs and--ending a 13-year relationship going back to the very first version--just give up on TOAW altogether. Unless things change, drastically and quickly, there's no future in it. Too much pain, little hope for gain.

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RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/6/2011 10:20:47 PM   
ColinWright

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: berto

quote:

ORIGINAL: macgregor

There was nothing about the patch I didn't like.

It hurts me to say this, but for me 3.4 was one step forward two steps back. I'm thinking of uninstalling 3.4, if indeed I don't trash all my installs and--ending a 13-year relationship going back to the very first version--just give up on TOAW altogether. Unless things change, drastically and quickly, there's no future in it. Too much pain, little hope for gain.


I can't see this. I've been throwing a fit about some things myself -- but at worst, it was two steps forward, one back.

Note the group naval movement mentioned above. The variable flak? The adjustable hex conversion costs? The adjustable supply and readiness loss? The variable entrenchment rates?

All these things deal with what had been major running sores. Variable entrenchment rates -- right there -- allows far more accurate simulation of pre-WW1 combat.

Even the variable supply points are great -- just not usable in conjunction with the old supply units as I would prefer.

There's probably more, too. As far as I'm concerned, Santa brought a lot of goodies this year. I just don't see why I have to eat brussels sprouts....


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RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/6/2011 11:22:24 PM   
berto


Posts: 20708
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From: metro Chicago, Illinois, USA
Status: offline 		Two steps back:

--The new default graphics. It seems that most players like them. I don't. (Personal opinion.)
--Breaking compatibility with the older scenarios I'm most interested in. (More a well-founded suspicion than an established fact, admittedly.)

One step forward:

--Most everything else. (Supply aside, incremental improvements at best.)

As I see it.

But mainly: We're so far from where I want this to be, that even if we're stepping in the right direction (arguable), they're halting steps at best. We need to pick up the pace, but I don't see that happening. Growing tired of the journey ...

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Post #: 1658
RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/6/2011 11:32:39 PM   
ColinWright

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: berto

Two steps back:

--The new default graphics. It seems that most players like them. I don't. (Personal opinion.)
--Breaking compatibility with the older scenarios I'm most interested in. (More a well-founded suspicion than an established fact, admittedly.)

One step forward:

--Most everything else. (Supply aside, incremental improvements at best.)

As I see it.

But mainly: We're so far from where I want this to be, that even if we're stepping in the right direction (arguable), they're halting steps at best. We need to pick up the pace, but I don't see that happening. Growing tired of the journey ...


Less than convincing.

I got rid of the new graphics in about fifteen minutes. 'Disable .png graphics' is the key. Find that and your problems are solved. However, I'm making use of quite a few of the new text features anyway. Red stars, for example. Very nice for high-lighting points that play a key role in event mechanisms, etc. Don't mind the oil wells and refineries, either. Did I mention the small font text for points you want to note without implying they actually matter? Peak heights, historical battlefields, etc. Not a big deal, but nice...

I'm in the middle of a match of 'Agonia y Victoria.' Runs fine. Better, in fact. The new patch also disables mouse attacks -- forgot about that. This deals with one of that scenario's biggest weaknesses -- it was very vulnerable to a strategy of diligent mouse attacks.

On the other hand...

The new variable hex conversion costs deal with what was going to be a killer in the scenario I'm working on. I was going as far as a universal constant guerrilla effect for both sides and garrisons for the supply lines to do away with the effect of hex conversion costs.

...and that wasn't really going to be a very satisfactory solution. Thank God for this part of the patch.

...variable supply points are great. As I've made clear, I have problems with what you have to take along with them, but in and of themselves, they're great.

As already noted, the killing of mouse attacks was a major improvement. I've yet to test it, but supposedly there's also something permitting counterattacks against mouse encirclers. That, too, would be a major step forward.

So I can't see your argument.

You say we 'need to pick up the pace.' I think we just did. This patch addresses more serious problems than any I can recall.


< Message edited by ColinWright -- 5/6/2011 11:46:45 PM >

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RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/6/2011 11:46:17 PM   
Panama


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quote:

ORIGINAL: berto

Two steps back:

--The new default graphics. It seems that most players like them. I don't. (Personal opinion.)
--Breaking compatibility with the older scenarios I'm most interested in. (More a well-founded suspicion than an established fact, admittedly.)



1) Weak, very weak. Like the man said, you can disable the new graphics. A huge non issue and actually digging very very deep for a non existant negative.

2) Well hell yes you'll break compatibility with a lot of the old scenarios. If you have a Volkwagen and put a V-8 in it you'll need to throw out the old carb. Otherwise you won't be able to change but very little. However, you can disable most if not all of the new stuff and keep your old scenarios or put in a second TOAW unpatched.

If you are worried about old scenarios getting broken then you'll never get anything more than what was there before last patch.

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RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/7/2011 12:33:01 AM   
macgregor


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Status: offline 		If I may chime in with this analogy; I feel that that there have been far too few steps taken period, and the ones that were selected are far too ambiguous when there are far more obvious ones needed. Any 'improvement' that requires a disable function absolutely has to be considered questionable at least. From where I'm sitting, considering my requests and the effort I've placed in communicating them, Ralph appears easily diverted when faced with daunting challenges, preferring to create and fulfill his own less challenging requests in lieu. Something tells me Ralph may be more capable than he is available, though the result is the same. That being said, it doesn't take very much to make us all 'lovey-dovey' again. Usually action/progress provides the impetus for communication. Thus these periods of no communication open the door to negative speculation. There are those that seem to act out of the fear that Ralph will get angry and quit. After the progress I've seen over the period he's been with Matrix, I'm no longer in that camp.

< Message edited by macgregor -- 5/7/2011 12:52:44 AM >

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RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/7/2011 1:01:53 AM   
Telumar


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quote:

ORIGINAL: macgregor
Thus these periods of no communication open the door to negative speculation.


Well said, but honestly, has there actually been negative specualtion?

There are however questions that arise from this non-communication.

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RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/7/2011 2:25:11 AM   
Panama


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So giving an option to enable or disable something is bad??? Isn't some of what is being asked for that very thing? The ability to control how the game performs is a good thing, not bad.

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RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/7/2011 2:26:57 AM   
ColinWright

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Telumar

quote:

ORIGINAL: macgregor
Thus these periods of no communication open the door to negative speculation.


Well said, but honestly, has there actually been negative specualtion?

There are however questions that arise from this non-communication.


It probably doesn't help that the usual means of communicating with the oracle seems to be through Curtis.


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Post #: 1664
RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/7/2011 3:20:09 AM   
macgregor


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Panama



So giving an option to enable or disable something is bad??? Isn't some of what is being asked for that very thing? The ability to control how the game performs is a good thing, not bad.

If Ralph had fixed something that was clearly not working, there would be no need to revert to the way it didn't work. What he's done is work on things that were already apparently working pretty well or there would be no need to make it optional.

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Post #: 1665
RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/7/2011 3:29:35 AM   
Panama


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Status: offline 		And what if what was changed was something that made scenarios unusable without the option of reverting to the old method? Or what if someone didn't like the new graphics? He didn't just fix broken things. He did new things that some may or may not want to use.

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RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/7/2011 3:36:04 AM   
macgregor


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Panama

And what if what was changed was something that made scenarios unusable without the option of reverting to the old method? Or what if someone didn't like the new graphics? He didn't just fix broken things. He did new things that some may or may not want to use.

If you still want to play a scenario with the 'old method', it must have worked pretty good, no?

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Post #: 1667
RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/7/2011 3:50:42 AM   
Panama


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Status: offline 		That 'logic' is not worth a reply. I'm outta here.

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RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/7/2011 4:01:03 AM   
macgregor


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Panama

That 'logic' is not worth a reply. I'm outta here.

Have it your way.

< Message edited by macgregor -- 5/7/2011 5:54:35 AM >

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RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/7/2011 4:22:04 AM   
ColinWright

 

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< Message edited by ColinWright -- 5/7/2011 4:23:53 AM >

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RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/8/2011 3:11:06 PM   
macgregor


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Status: offline 		I make the point that if which scenario you play is more important than playing with the 'improvements' that these 'improvements' that have been made are probably not that big of a deal, and this is the response I get?





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< Message edited by macgregor -- 5/8/2011 7:45:18 PM >

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RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/13/2011 11:44:34 AM   
Telumar


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Panama


What has been said time and again is to make everything already in the game available to the scenario designers so they may vary effects during a scenario.



I might add that making the editor, or the process of editing scenarios, more user friendly should be a priority, too. TOAW has (always) and still does live from user created scenarios. This is one of its strengths and should be worked out. From my own work i know how cumbersome the editor still is. How painfull it is to do a bigger map. (Deep respect to those that did the FitE and Europe at 20km (various scenarios) maps! )

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RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/13/2011 6:54:39 PM   
ColinWright

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Telumar

quote:

ORIGINAL: Panama


What has been said time and again is to make everything already in the game available to the scenario designers so they may vary effects during a scenario.



I might add that making the editor, or the process of editing scenarios, more user friendly should be a priority, too. TOAW has (always) and still does live from user created scenarios. This is one of its strengths and should be worked out. From my own work i know how cumbersome the editor still is. How painfull it is to do a bigger map. (Deep respect to those that did the FitE and Europe at 20km (various scenarios) maps! )


Hear hear. At the moment, I'm bogged down trying to figure out why some event won't fire.

Never mind the details: this sort of thing is routine. We could certainly use more debugging tools when it comes to doing battle with the event editor.

Then there's the force editor. Often one has to cut back and forth between the force editor and the deployment editor -- and God help you if the units you're dealing with are far down a long list in the force editor. You'll have to scroll all the way back down each time.

In the event editor, once you're on a particular 'page,' you go back to that page whenever you reopen the event editor in a particular session.

Thank God for that. Couldn't the same thing happen in the force editor?

Finally, one thing I have to keep checking for is that I haven't duplicated any unit name. Currently, I keep a scenario dump available and search it. This works, but it's a tad cumbersome. How about just high-lighting any duplicate unit names? After all, they're going to have to get dealt with before the scenario will run -- and this is just the sort of thing computers are good at.


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RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/13/2011 7:10:22 PM   
Panama


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Status: offline 		Hot keys for the map and forces editors would be nice of course. Could use the same ones with differing functions depending on what was open. Get kind of tired click click clicking.

And a bottomless beer keg would help ease the pain.

< Message edited by Panama -- 5/13/2011 7:11:14 PM >

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RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/13/2011 7:51:42 PM   
Telumar


Posts: 2236
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From: niflheim
Status: offline 		I thought (or better: dreamed ) of a complete rebuilt of the scenario editor. Seperating the editor from the game. Using some Windows API/Menues/GUI instead of the TOAW like GUI. Like most games - where the editor is an extra executable.

Import images directly as a map, the designer could assign terrain types to certain colours (or colour ranges) and or defined areas (which could be drawn) on the map. Or simply import an image file as an overlay/layer to create your map upon. Own layers could be added, one could contain rails and roads, others cities etc, just for the comfort of editing. When the scenario or the map is saved it would be combined into a "one layer" TOAW map.. a design file could be retained that contains the original image and layers.
...ok maybe i got carried away, don't know if this can be done for IV. Time wise i mean. Coded it could be, if it is (considered) worth the effort is the question..


< Message edited by Telumar -- 5/13/2011 9:33:28 PM >

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Post #: 1675
RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/13/2011 8:10:10 PM   
macgregor


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Status: offline 		I'm dreaming about the TOAW Beachhead. Thanks for reminding me.

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Post #: 1676
RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/19/2011 7:17:52 PM   
ColinWright

 

Posts: 2604
Joined: 10/13/2005
Status: offline 		Let me ask one question -- one which I would really like to see directly answered.

How much trouble would it be -- actually -- to allow supply units to function as they used to under the new system? To simply add 25% of the base supply to all hexes within the full supply radius of the supply unit?

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Post #: 1677
RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/25/2011 3:49:08 PM   
sPzAbt653


Posts: 9511
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From: east coast, usa
Status: offline 		... please remain on the line, your call is very important to us ...

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Post #: 1678
RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/25/2011 3:51:56 PM   
1_Lzard


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< Message edited by 1_Lzard -- 5/25/2011 5:26:10 PM >

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Post #: 1679
RE: Comprehensive Wishlist - 5/25/2011 4:04:29 PM   
ralphtricky


Posts: 6685
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From: Colorado Springs
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Telumar
I thought (or better: dreamed ) of a complete rebuilt of the scenario editor. Seperating the editor from the game. Using some Windows API/Menues/GUI instead of the TOAW like GUI. Like most games - where the editor is an extra executable.

Import images directly as a map, the designer could assign terrain types to certain colours (or colour ranges) and or defined areas (which could be drawn) on the map. Or simply import an image file as an overlay/layer to create your map upon. Own layers could be added, one could contain rails and roads, others cities etc, just for the comfort of editing. When the scenario or the map is saved it would be combined into a "one layer" TOAW map.. a design file could be retained that contains the original image and layers.
...ok maybe i got carried away, don't know if this can be done for IV. Time wise i mean. Coded it could be, if it is (considered) worth the effort is the question..

The short answer is that is remarkably like what I've been thinking about (except for the layers).

Scenarios can now be saved as XML and edited as XML and loaded. That isn't an accident, it is so that I can look at creating the editor as a stand-alone product, possibly before the next game. Portions (except for possibly the map drawing portion/graphics) might be released as open source. It's all speculation at this point, but the editor is very complicated and opening it up to have other people work on it seems like a good idea to me. It would also let me look at the user interface code more closely and how to write it using modern tools.

I've also thought about allowing a 'map overlay' of a jpeg where you can set the opacity and use it as a design aid.

All this is a ways off still, but I've thought about doing something like that.



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Post #: 1680
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