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Great fun - 10/11/2013 12:27:19 AM

evaamo2

Posts: 102
Joined: 6/19/2006
Status: offline

Hey guys, first of all congratulations on this solid release. The game definitely went through a good amount of testing and so far it is working great!

But most of all... the game is FUN and the AI is definitely a challenge! I'm no expert in land warfare (mostly a naval/air warfare guy), so this will require a good amount of reading to get comfortable at beating the AI with real world tactics.
Thank you for your comments. Yes a lot of hard work and testing went into the game. It is not perfect and there is more we want to do with it.

One question I have so far: is there an in-game database viewer to look up both friendly/enemy units (weapons, capabilities, etc.)? I have seen the sub-unit explorer and it works great, but it won't let me browse ALL of the units in the game.
Unfortunately there is not a in-game database viewer. It has been requested and is on our wishlist.

One suggestion: I have experienced delays when trying to select units in hexes with multiple units on them. It takes a few seconds until the pop-up comes up.
There is a setting that you can adjust the "Map mouse hover delay factor". It is set at 1000 by default. I found it too slow for my tastes too. I have mine set to 500 and it seems right for me. It is found under Preferences in the main menu or in game select "View" from pull down menu and "Set Game, Player and Unit Defaults".

In addition, there's also a bit of delay when moving the mouse to the boundaries of the map to scroll to any of the sides.
There are more setting for scrolling in the same preference panels.

Another item that would be great if you could check is the mouse cursor focus threshold when multiple units exist in a single hex... sometimes clicking on the lower-right corner doesn't "cycle" through the rest of the units in the same hex.
I am not sure what you mean by this. I have not noticed a problem myself.

Considering the complexity of such a piece of software, it's remarkable that the only items I've encountered so far are quirks with the UI (which I could live with in case they are a pain to fix... although I would consider zooming with the scroll button of the mouse a non-negotiable item

). So... great job guys, I'm a happy customer!!!
Zooming with the mouse wheel is another item much requested and it on our wishlist. You can scroll with selecting F3 thru F0 and with the buttons located on the lower left edge of the map.
I will close this message with a quote from a great book very much related to this awesome Wargame:

"This is a real war, with mechanized
opponents, with enormous mechanized armies the like of
which the world has never seen in battle. Moving to war on
the finest road networks in the world. And you, my
cavalryman, are perhaps the most important formation
commander in this front. Yet you can�t move a lone brigade
on time? We�ve had reasonable weather,
a little rain, but nothing to stop a good cavalryman. If the
supply columns have no control, why didn�t you take
control? If you can�t maneuver around a pack of field
kitchens, how do you expect to get to the Rhine?"

Red Army by Ralph Peters.

cheers
-Enrique

< Message edited by cbelva -- 10/11/2013 1:44:19 AM >

Post #: 1

RE: Great fun - 10/11/2013 2:02:04 AM

IronManBeta

Posts: 4132
Joined: 2/25/2002
From: Burlington, Ontario
Status: offline

Why thank you for the kind words! We tested the snot out of it and I'm happy so few bugs made it to release. The fact that any did mortifies me of course, but the pain of having the team beat on me with so many issues paid off I think. Since April 2012 alone we have opened and closed almost exactly 1,500 issues for bugs and/or feature requests. That'a a lot - ask my girlfriend because she really didn't see as much of me as she wanted to, lol. She's a lot happier now that the game is out though.

1. Database browser. I love the one I see in Modern Command and hope to do something very similar in FPRS. I also want to make it easy to compare two weapon systems head to head (e.g. M1A1 tank vs T-80U tank) point by point. It is on the road map already.

2. Unexpected delays in the UI. I will open an issue on this (I use JIRA) and look into it. Which scenario was this? It would help me to know. A saved game illustrating this would be even better!

3. 'Tie mouse scroll wheel to map zoom'. The game map is a massive multi-layered composite image and drawing it takes a perceptible amount of time when screen res is high. I test at 1280 x 1024 with a fairly modest video card so that I get a representative response. My worry is that the zoom will be too jerky to be practical, but I will check it out nonetheless and see what I can do. This has been a popular request and if I can manage to pull it off then I will certainly do so.

I'm really glad to hear you are a happy customer. I mean that sincerely. My day job (programming legal software currently) pays the bills but it is the game development on nights and weekends that really puts the spice in life. It is fun to be part of a community of kindred souls like this.

Finally, I love the quote. I have that book as it happens and I really enjoyed it. I should haul it out again and read it on the train while I commute. It was written in 1989 so it is very close to the time period we depict.

Much appreciated, Rob

< Message edited by RobertCrandall -- 10/11/2013 2:56:18 AM >

_____________________________

(in reply to evaamo2)

Post #: 2

RE: Great fun - 10/11/2013 2:13:48 AM

cbelva

Posts: 1843
Joined: 3/26/2005
Status: offline

evaamo2,

I am sorry, I didn't mean to edit your post. I meant to reply to your post in a separate window. I am new to these controls as a Moderator

(in reply to IronManBeta)

Post #: 3

RE: Great fun - 10/11/2013 2:19:52 AM

evaamo2

Posts: 102
Joined: 6/19/2006
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: cbelva

evaamo2,

I am sorry, I didn't mean to edit your post. I meant to reply to your post in a separate window. I am new to these controls as a Moderator

Don't worry! No offense taken. Thanks for your answers.

(in reply to cbelva)

Post #: 4

RE: Great fun - 10/11/2013 2:43:38 AM

evaamo2

Posts: 102
Joined: 6/19/2006
Status: offline

Hi Robert, I truly hope you can take a well deserve rest with your girlfriend to a sunny caribbean island in the coming days! You both deserve it!!!

quote:

ORIGINAL: RobertCrandall
The fact that any did mortifies me of course, but the pain of having the team beat on me with so many issues paid off I think. Since April 2012 alone we have opened and closed almost exactly 1,500 issues for bugs and/or feature requests.

That's really remarkable! And the dedication behind the QA does really show in the game ! We have all become accustomed to being paid beta testers, it's refreshing when things just work and meet the expectations!

quote:

ORIGINAL: RobertCrandall1
1. Database browser. I love the one I see in Modern Command and hope to do something very similar in FPRS. I also want to make it easy to compare two weapon systems head to head (e.g. M1A1 tank vs T-80U tank) point by point. It is on the road map already.

That sounds excellent! Great future addition!

quote:

ORIGINAL: RobertCrandall1
2. Unexpected delays in the UI. I will open an issue on this (I use JIRA) and look into it. Which scenario was this? It would help me to know. A saved game illustrating this would be even better!

I believe cbelva did a great suggestion. Let me try these first before you clutter your JIRA instance

quote:

ORIGINAL: RobertCrandall1
3. 'Tie mouse scroll wheel to map zoom'. The game map is a massive multi-layered composite image and drawing it takes a perceptible amount of time when screen res is high. I test at 1280 x 1024 with a fairly modest video card so that I get a representative response. My worry is that the zoom will be too jerky to be practical, but I will check it out nonetheless and see what I can do. This has been a popular request and if I can manage to pull it off then I will certainly do so.

Sounds like a painful challenge. May I ask what language you used for programming the game? C++?

quote:

ORIGINAL: RobertCrandall1
I'm really glad to hear you are a happy customer. I mean that sincerely. My day job (programming legal software currently) pays the bills but it is the game development on nights and weekends that really puts the spice in life. It is fun to be part of a community of kindred soles like this.

That's awesome... you should be proud of your creation. I'm now a former programmer/systems engineer in the defense industry turned biz guy/entrepreneur and I try to keep my coding habits alive whenever I have some free time (much harder now with kids)... ahh those were the good times!

quote:

ORIGINAL: RobertCrandall1
Finally, I love the quote. I have that book and really enjoyed it. I should haul it out again and read it on the train while I commute. It was written in 1989 so it is very close to the time period we depict.

Much appreciated, Rob

It is indeed a joy to read... and that quote came to mind when I was struggling to make a sense of all that was going on around me as a commander. The game does really immerse you in the role of the commander and does a great job in forcing you to apply command & control methods such as OODA to avoid losing situational awareness.

I will be playing this one for along time, yes indeed! So thank you guys, like I said, great fun!

cheers
-Enrique

(in reply to IronManBeta)

Post #: 5

RE: Great fun - 10/11/2013 2:50:07 AM

Talon_XBMCX

Posts: 220
Joined: 8/1/2008
Status: offline

I wouldn't mind if the mouse wheel zoom just replaced the existing +/- button functionality. Not sure if that makes it any easier or not. A fine dynamic scroll would be nice but not sure its all that necessary.

Really enjoying the game ... looking forward to the MOD manual!

quote:

ORIGINAL: RobertCrandall

Why thank you for the kind words! We tested the snot out of it and I'm happy so few bugs made it to release. The fact that any did mortifies me of course, but the pain of having the team beat on me with so many issues paid off I think. Since April 2012 alone we have opened and closed almost exactly 1,500 issues for bugs and/or feature requests. That'a a lot - ask my girlfriend because she really didn't see as much of me as she wanted to, lol. She's a lot happier now that the game is out though.

1. Database browser. I love the one I see in Modern Command and hope to do something very similar in FPRS. I also want to make it easy to compare two weapon systems head to head (e.g. M1A1 tank vs T-80U tank) point by point. It is on the road map already.

2. Unexpected delays in the UI. I will open an issue on this (I use JIRA) and look into it. Which scenario was this? It would help me to know. A saved game illustrating this would be even better!

3. 'Tie mouse scroll wheel to map zoom'. The game map is a massive multi-layered composite image and drawing it takes a perceptible amount of time when screen res is high. I test at 1280 x 1024 with a fairly modest video card so that I get a representative response. My worry is that the zoom will be too jerky to be practical, but I will check it out nonetheless and see what I can do. This has been a popular request and if I can manage to pull it off then I will certainly do so.

I'm really glad to hear you are a happy customer. I mean that sincerely. My day job (programming legal software currently) pays the bills but it is the game development on nights and weekends that really puts the spice in life. It is fun to be part of a community of kindred soles like this.

Finally, I love the quote. I have that book and really enjoyed it. I should haul it out again and read it on the train while I commute. It was written in 1989 so it is very close to the time period we depict.

Much appreciated, Rob

(in reply to IronManBeta)

Post #: 6

RE: Great fun - 10/11/2013 3:07:04 AM

IronManBeta

Posts: 4132
Joined: 2/25/2002
From: Burlington, Ontario
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: evaamo2

Sounds like a painful challenge. May I ask what language you used for programming the game? C++?

cheers
-Enrique

I programmed this game (FPG too) using a language called Delphi. I started my first game in Delphi 1 in 1987 and this one is programmed in Embarcadero Delphi XE2 which is something like version 12. I use some very powerful 3rd party libraries too which really helped speed development up.

Delphi is very comparable to C# but it is native Windows code (no .NET needed). In fact the person who was the main developer of Delphi for Borland at the time was hired away by Microsoft later on and was instrumental in creating C#.

I have used C# in my day job and like it but given the choice, I prefer Delphi for rapidly developing industrial-strength software. Writing games is much harder than writing anything I do at work - in part because the audience knows their stuff and won't tolerate mistakes. That means Delphi or nothing for me!

Ta, Rob

(in reply to evaamo2)

Post #: 7

RE: Great fun - 10/11/2013 3:10:27 AM

evaamo2

Posts: 102
Joined: 6/19/2006
Status: offline

I agree, it doesn't need to be a smooth zoom transition a la Google Earth... just mapping each "notch" of the mouse wheel to a zoom percentage.

(in reply to Talon_XBMCX)

Post #: 8

RE: Great fun - 10/11/2013 3:14:02 AM

evaamo2

Posts: 102
Joined: 6/19/2006
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: RobertCrandall

quote:

ORIGINAL: evaamo2

Sounds like a painful challenge. May I ask what language you used for programming the game? C++?

cheers
-Enrique

I programmed this game (FPG too) using a language called Delphi. I started my first game in Delphi 1 in 1987 and this one is programmed in Embarcadero Delphi XE2 which is something like version 12. I use some very powerful 3rd party libraries too which really helped speed development up.

Delphi is very comparable to C# but it is native Windows code (no .NET needed). In fact the person who was the main developer of Delphi for Borland at the time was hired away by Microsoft later on and was instrumental in creating C#.

I have used C# in my day job and like it but given the choice, I prefer Delphi for rapidly developing industrial-strength software. Writing games is much harder than writing anything I do at work - in part because the audience knows their stuff and won't tolerate mistakes. That means Delphi or nothing for me!

Ta, Rob

Ahh great piece of information Rob... I'm familiar with Delphi, as it is (correct me if I'm wrong please) an evolution of the awesome Turbo Pascal, also by Borland of the 90s (the first OO language I learnt)... I will have to take a look at Delphi as a RAD tool, I'm a C++, Java and Python guy myself. Thanks again for the reply!

Cheers
-Enrique

< Message edited by evaamo2 -- 10/11/2013 3:18:44 AM >

(in reply to IronManBeta)

Post #: 9

RE: Great fun - 10/11/2013 3:28:27 AM

IronManBeta

Posts: 4132
Joined: 2/25/2002
From: Burlington, Ontario
Status: offline

Doing a zoom level for each notch on the mouse wheel is feasible. I need to profile the screen redraw at various resolutions to get a count of how many milliseconds it takes to redraw. With that number in mind I can figure out the next step.

Delphi is awesome. I have met a lot of the guys involved with creating it over the years and while it is not a large community of developers, the quality and quantity of 3rd party libraries is astounding. I have actually contacted some of them to get features added or special updates sent me for the benefit of the game. It is just that kind of community.

I'm going to try out the mouse wheel thing tomorrow night.

Cheers, Rob

(in reply to evaamo2)

Post #: 10