Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Strategy Guide?

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Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Strategy Guide?

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Strategic Command Series >> Strategic Command WWII: World at War >> Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Strategy Guide?

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Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Strateg... - 5/8/2020 6:37:12 PM

Dalwin

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First, it is very counter intuitive to have only a vague statement about victory conditions in the manual. There is an in-game link to the manual but not the guide. The in-game blurb about victory only lists those for decisive and then refers you to the guide for more detail.

The underlying problem is that the guide is not so easily accessed. Perhaps it is fine for those who have purchased directly from Matrix, but on Steam you can access the manual but not the guide. I have purchased via GoG and only use a launch link in Steam. With the newly changed GoG engine, I can no longer access the guide from there either.

Even this forum gives a link to a .pdf for the manual but not the guide.

So hiding them in the guide was awkward to begin with, but the difficulty in finding the guide at all any more forces me to rely on vague recollection for the detailed conditions. As I am now entering Spring of 1946 in a closely contested game, it would be nice to see the detail. It may well be the difference between giving my Axis opponent a minor victory or squeezing out a draw.

< Message edited by Dalwin -- 5/8/2020 6:38:55 PM >

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RE: Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Str... - 5/8/2020 7:13:14 PM

Hubert Cater

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Hi Dalwin,

I just tested this again in game via Steam and was able to access the Strategy Guide.

For example, the 1939 campaign, once in game and looking at the map I clicked on the Info button in the top right corner of the game, the one that looks like a '?'. Then it goes Hotkeys, Manual, Strategy Guide, and finally Victory Conditions. Clicking on Strategy Guide properly opened it up for me.

Can you confirm?

Thanks,
Hubert

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RE: Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Str... - 5/9/2020 9:57:47 AM

ElvisJJonesRambo

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@HC -- Hello HC,

I would include a screenshot, but don't think I'm able, only links of images already existing.

Yes, I see the "Decisive Victory conditions". So that is quite fine, thx.

My question, is there only Decisive Victory Conditions?
Are there "Marginal Victories", "Stalemates"?
Does the "classic default 1939 game" stop on a certain date?

I've played 40+ games in a year, someone usually resigns, so I don't know.

I've looked in the .PDF file, maybe I'm blind to it or stupid.
Anyone you could put a screen shot here?

Thanks,
-EJR

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RE: Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Str... - 5/9/2020 8:23:52 PM

BillRunacre

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The Victory Conditions are on the last page of the Strategy Guides, and these can be accessed in game from one of the buttons (the ?) at the top right of the screen.

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RE: Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Str... - 5/9/2020 8:50:27 PM

Hubert Cater

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This is the easiest way to access the guide in game as Bill mentioned above:

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RE: Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Str... - 5/10/2020 9:01:58 PM

Dalwin

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Hubert Cater

This is the easiest way to access the guide in game as Bill mentioned above:

Sorry that I forgot to mention that icon for the Strat Guide under info. I did see it. For me, it is greyed out and clicking it does nothing at all.

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RE: Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Str... - 5/10/2020 9:09:31 PM

Tulius Hostilius

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Dalwin

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hubert Cater

This is the easiest way to access the guide in game as Bill mentioned above:

Sorry that I forgot to mention that icon for the Strat Guide under info. I did see it. For me, it is greyed out and clicking it does nothing at all.

By the way, same here:

Attachment (1)

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RE: Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Str... - 5/10/2020 9:35:48 PM

Dalwin

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Just to be thorough, I also launched directly from GoG Galaxy instead of via a quick launch link in Steam, and the Strat Guide icon under info is still dead.

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RE: Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Str... - 5/11/2020 12:56:58 PM

Hubert Cater

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Very odd as I've just tried from GoG, Steam and the Matrix install and the Strategy Guide link works as expected. This was all for the default 1939 campaign just for a quick test purpose.

Can you tell me which campaign you are playing?

I just ask as it should work for all the default campaigns, but if you are playing a custom version or modified version of a campaign it will not work. In this case you would have to drop your customized strategy guide into the custom campaign folder and have it just be named 'Strategy Guide.pdf'

Campaigns\_myCustomCampaign\Manuals\Strategy Guide.pdf

Let me know if you are running a default campaign or possibly a custom campaign?

Hubert

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RE: Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Str... - 5/12/2020 6:39:49 AM

Dalwin

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I am playing the '39 campaign with naval mod, as was released in the community pack a few months ago.

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RE: Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Str... - 5/12/2020 10:05:46 AM

Tulius Hostilius

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Hubert Cater

Can you tell me which campaign you are playing?

I just ask as it should work for all the default campaigns, but if you are playing a custom version or modified version of a campaign it will not work. In this case you would have to drop your customized strategy guide into the custom campaign folder and have it just be named 'Strategy Guide.pdf'

Campaigns\_myCustomCampaign\Manuals\Strategy Guide.pdf

Let me know if you are running a default campaign or possibly a custom campaign?

Hubert

Ups! From my part, my humblest apologies! I induced you in error, the screenshot that I posted is not from a default campaign, but from a modified one where I am testing some scripts for the 1985 scenario.

Anyway, you just gave me a good tip. Thanks.

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RE: Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Str... - 5/12/2020 1:06:29 PM

Hubert Cater

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Dalwin

I am playing the '39 campaign with naval mod, as was released in the community pack a few months ago.

Thanks for the info and this is why there is no link to directly access the strategy guide in game as the mod would require its own strategy guide as per the instructions above.

Essentially the game cannot guess which strategy guide belongs to which customized campaign and modders need to provide this from their end.

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RE: Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Str... - 5/12/2020 1:07:19 PM

Hubert Cater

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quote:

Ups! From my part, my humblest apologies! I induced you in error, the screenshot that I posted is not from a default campaign, but from a modified one where I am testing some scripts for the 1985 scenario.

Anyway, you just gave me a good tip. Thanks.

No problem at all and glad to hear it is sorted out

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RE: Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Str... - 5/12/2020 8:53:07 PM

Dalwin

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Hubert Cater

Thanks for the info and this is why there is no link to directly access the strategy guide in game as the mod would require its own strategy guide as per the instructions above.

Essentially the game cannot guess which strategy guide belongs to which customized campaign and modders need to provide this from their end.

But that circles around to the original complaint which is not primarily why the guide is not more readily available. The original complaint is why the victory conditions are buried in the guide. Keep in mind that this is not some random user mod, but one that was packaged and released as "semi-official" by the company. Once you feed it into the auto-update cycle for GoG and Steam, you undertake some responsibility for it.

< Message edited by Dalwin -- 5/12/2020 8:54:29 PM >

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RE: Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Str... - 5/14/2020 3:03:50 PM

Hubert Cater

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In the end it is purely a design decision as some of the victory conditions can be quite detailed and nuanced and with more space in the Strategy Guides we simply decided to include these additional details there, e.g. outside of the basic victory conditions outlined within the game interface. Yes it is an extra click and quick reference look up, but it is all there, and at least accessible in game for the default campaigns.

For the mod packages, these are curated campaigns that we've simply packaged up and were happy to include for free for everyone. Unfortunately not every custom campaign designer is also a Strategy Guide writer, and if there is no added strategy guide by the modder, then unfortunately there will be no in game access to a strategy guide as it simply doesn't exist. But a fair thought that perhaps not every modder is aware of this feature, and we can certainly encourage it next time around, but again no guarantee either way. For example, we wouldn't want to hold back an otherwise excellent mod in a future Community Pack simply because it doesn't have a Strategy Guide included etc.

One thing we can do is add the default strategy guides for the Naval Mod campaigns as outside of the naval modifications the victory conditions and all other guide features would be the same, and that is fair enough. In fact this is already now implemented on my end and will be included in a future update.

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Strategic Command Series >> Strategic Command WWII: World at War >> Why hide the detailed victory conditions in the Strategy Guide?

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