Dimitris
Posts: 13282
Joined: 7/31/2005
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: AlexinCT
The content now telling me I can't even open my scenario in edit mode was available before. It was content I found in the DB while doing research to create stuff, and I added it without realizing it would now block the scenario I made until I got the expansion. Note that I definitely plan to buy the expansion, so it is just 2 days of waiting for me. But people not doing that immediately when it comes out, or more importantly, not planning to get the expansion at all, suddenly discovering home made scenarios built with content that was available before but now makes these scenarios I had created suddenly not usable, conceivably would not be happy.
Not really complaining. Just surprised I can't update a lot of my home made scenarios to the latest & greatest for a couple of days until the expansion comes out.
Hi,
This is something that has come up before; see for example this thread, where certain people had no qualms about labeling the game as "hostageware" (One may hope, in vain probably, that with WannaCry etc. in the news, some people will finally get some much-needed perspective).
Here's a short recap:
* The recent DB versions (last few months) include the new weapon types (railguns/HVPs, Phase-2 lasers etc.). Putting them on the DBs well before v1.12's release was unavoidable because otherwise we wouldn't be able to develop and test the mechanics for the new weapon types.
* To prevent people from using these new toys before their time and without the correct license, we added pre-fire license checks on each of them, both for manual and automatic fire. This "works", but it does mean that if these weapons are the linchpin of a scenario (or simply of the user's plan), suddenly discovering they don't work can be a nasty surprise (see my "axe murdering" post here).
* Beginning with the v1.12 RC, to avoid the axe-wielding problem, we essentially moved the licensing check & block from the weapon pre-fire phase to the scenario-loading step. We have also stated that if anyone has a scenario in which such systems have been inserted, and can thus no longer load it, can send it to us and we'll be happy to remove the offending systems for him, thus making it loadable.
Let me emphasize this: Our priority is to minimize user annoyance. Being blocked at scen-load is irritating, no argument there. Now imagine how much worse it is to be blocked just as you're ready to fire the goddamn weapon (presumably after having invested a significant time on the scenario). Instant REDRUM!
(ALSO: Since the new weapon types were inoperative before v1.12 anyway, any "innocent argument" along the lines of "They are taking back features unless you pay!" is dead-on-arrival. I'm not saying that some people will deliberately try to spin it this way.... perish the thought.)
How to avoid this next time? Only reliable way I can see is to refrain from releasing updated DBs in-between major versions (since the whole thing originated with scen authors using platforms they shouldn't have). Good solution? Bad solution? Depends who you ask. If you can think of a better practical alternative we're all ears.
Thanks.
< Message edited by Sunburn -- 5/17/2017 8:59:25 AM >
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CMANO and Northern Inferno updated to version 1.12! - 
I cannot wait to start playing Chains of war in two days!!!! 
I was just curious if that was a change in position for the patch, since before the new features being exclusive was spelled out very clearly.
gun when I can just spawn in a bunch of Zircons. 
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