RE: RHS Level II Comprehensive Update 1.431 (pwhexe, air art)

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RE: RHS Level II Comprehensive Update 1.431 (pwhexe, ai... - 10/19/2016 4:07:45 PM

TulliusDetritus

Posts: 5521
Joined: 4/1/2004
From: The Zone�
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I have a question regarding the pwhexe files (the docs don't seem to explain it; perhaps it's somewhere on this long thread)

There are spring / fall / winter and monsoon files. Astronomical seasons? Spring by the end of march, summer, end of june, winter etc?

What about monsoon?

Thanks in advance

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(in reply to m10bob)

Post #: 301

RE: RHS Level II Comprehensive Update 1.431 (pwhexe, ai... - 10/19/2016 4:52:29 PM

LargeSlowTarget

Posts: 4443
Joined: 9/23/2000
From: Hessen, Germany - now living in France
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quote:

ORIGINAL: m10bob

On a separate issue...Some islands (like Baker Island near Howland) have zero port size, and cannot be built to accept any port size whatsoever.
How do you feel about giving such atolls even an ability to have a size one port to represent perhaps an anchored ship to off load supplies from, similar to the "Mulberries"..I know I going abstract here, but the concept was common.

Dunno - from The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia about Baker Island :

"The island is surrounded by deep water, with no anchorage to speak of, and the current runs parallel to the lee shore, making the landing exceptionally difficult. The first of the LSDs, Ashland, was used in this operation, and had a disappointing debut, as the LCMs it was carrying had to be hoisted out by crane. Over half the LCMs were lost in the heavy seas."

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AE Mod "Bottlenecks" UPDATED 01/2022

(in reply to m10bob)

Post #: 302

RE: RHS Level II Comprehensive Update 1.431 (pwhexe, ai... - 10/20/2016 3:33:27 PM

m10bob

Posts: 8622
Joined: 11/3/2002
From: Dismal Seepage Indiana
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: LargeSlowTarget

quote:

ORIGINAL: m10bob

On a separate issue...Some islands (like Baker Island near Howland) have zero port size, and cannot be built to accept any port size whatsoever.
How do you feel about giving such atolls even an ability to have a size one port to represent perhaps an anchored ship to off load supplies from, similar to the "Mulberries"..I know I going abstract here, but the concept was common.

Dunno - from The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia about Baker Island :

"The island is surrounded by deep water, with no anchorage to speak of, and the current runs parallel to the lee shore, making the landing exceptionally difficult. The first of the LSDs, Ashland, was used in this operation, and had a disappointing debut, as the LCMs it was carrying had to be hoisted out by crane. Over half the LCMs were lost in the heavy seas."

Yep., I'm aware of this.
My issue is places like Baker still make a good spot for the enemy to base long range PBY types planes from, which must be supplied by amphib only, and those cannot be set as CS (IIRC).
IRL the USN did have people there during the war, and at Howland as well, mostly radio and ASA types.....

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Post #: 303

Level zero ports - 10/20/2016 3:59:19 PM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
Status: offline

Level II Update Link 2.72
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ap7XOIkiBuUwhYgdhnbHRnhTAFX2OQ

m10Bob asks about Howland and another atoll with a 0 rated port. It was his impression these may
not ever build. Look at RHS Level II Test 1: Howland is now 57% of the way to a level one port.
I note that the RATE of reaching level one from level zero is MUCH LESS than going from Level 1 to
level 2. I agree with that rather sophisticated bit of code too. With zero port, everything must
be unloaded without piers or docks or shore facilities to help.

Howland is a very special case - there are very few of these. Howland is small. It has no population
or buildings of any kind. It has no natural harbor or convenient place to build a port. It is a very
simple atoll with no natural approach for even small ships. But it DOES have a 5,000 foot runway!
This was built for a trans-Pacific record setting attempt by Amelia Earhart. Her aircraft was to be
serviced by the Coast Guard cutter Itaska, which also was present to serve as a navigation beacon. It
actually did that job too - but she never did reach the island. Anyway - it is level zero port because
there is no port at all. It is level zero potential build because there is no natural harbor or even
point to shelter from wind and sea even partially. But you MAY build it up to level 3. I do this for
many river ports - because if I rated them at build of 1 a player could then turn it into a Level 4 port -
which often is not realistic.

< Message edited by el cid again -- 1/14/2017 4:53:28 AM >

(in reply to m10bob)

Post #: 304

Replenishment Carriers ??? - 10/20/2016 4:13:53 PM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
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M10Bob writes

"Replenishment CVE's do carry more planes than the plane quota, so as you call them "plane parks", that is just what they seem to be.
The replenishment CVE's have no designation as such outwardly, and can only be detected by looking at the plane complement when examining each of those ships.
(This could be an appreciated improvement, simply renaming those ships to say something like "Copahee(R)", or such.)

Please look at your RHS scenario 122 and when you see the complement, you may note the words "replenishment group" do appear behind the title of the squadrons on the ship.

END QUOTE

OK - I am confused. I do not understand what you are describing and I do not see those words. I am not even sure
where to look for them - on the plane squadron?

FYI RHS DOES have dedicated CVE's WITHOUT air groups which act as aircraft transports - mainly in USN but probably
in RN as well. These can be turned into CVE's with air groups merely by transferring squadrons to them. There are
some squadrons of carrier qualified aircraft that become available if a carrier is being repaired. There are some
land based squadrons (mainly USMC) which are 'carrier qualified' but which are not assigned to a ship - they merely
can be so assigned. And NON carrier qualified squadrons, if outfitted with carrier planes, as well as floatplanes,
may operate from carriers (FYI). These 'transport carriers' may freely switch back and forth - that is - you
can strip a CVE of its air group - or assign an air group to a CVE without one. [You can with a big carrier too.]
So I do not see why designating a ship as a replenishment carrier is a good idea? Over time, in a long game,
a ship may change status. It may do so more than once. A carrier is just a platform - what it carries is up to
the player? In RHS it can be turned into a rather impressive transport able to carry troops, fuel, supplies or
any type of aircraft in any quantity (so long as they are in a single squadron) - and when it unloads them they
do not need to be 'repaired.' Although I did a lot of carrier research - so ships that appear with no air groups
really did not have one - I do not restrict turning any such carrier into a line combat ship. CVE's, late in the war,
served in OFFENSIVE groups (called TAFFY's if memory serves) that engaged in forward combat operations. Something
like three of these were at Leyte Gulf - and those carriers covered themselves in glory - along with their DE
escorts - during the famous battle - taking on the biggest battleships ever built - a role never intended for
such small warships.

In spite of these remarks, I wish to understand what you said - and I do not. Please try again. I cannot use
a feature if I do not understand it.

< Message edited by el cid again -- 10/20/2016 4:14:26 PM >

(in reply to m10bob)

Post #: 305

Seasons in AE & RHS - 10/20/2016 4:22:41 PM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus

I have a question regarding the pwhexe files (the docs don't seem to explain it; perhaps it's somewhere on this long thread)

There are spring / fall / winter and monsoon files. Astronomical seasons? Spring by the end of march, summer, end of june, winter etc?

What about monsoon?

Thanks in advance

Seasons are defined by hard code! They also are documented somewhere in RHS Documentation.

What is formally defined is Winter (November through February) and Monsoon (May through August).

RHS merely assumes that "Spring" is the two months between Winter and Monsoon and that
"Fall" is the two months between Monsoon and Winter.

On the first day of any given season, one is supposed to rename the pwhexe.dat file for that season
from whatever it is to simply pwhexe.dat and put it in the top level AE folder. [KEEP a copy with
the full name. PWHEXE.dat files in RHS have a year, a season name, and then a pwhexe.dat suffex.
The start of game file is 41WINTERpwhexe.dat - and it exists in that form in the RHS PWHEXE & PWLINK
folder so, if you replace the start of game pwhexe.dat with a later one, you can get the start of game
one back if you start a new game. Theoretically I am looking for someone to write a script - or I will
someday write a script - to do this automatically. I have learned how - one of the game reports uses
the date in a way accessable to a script, so it is possible to read that and 'know' it is time to
rename and move a seasonal file. Someone did this for us in WITP days - we called the program the
RHS Switcher. RHS/AE badly needs such a program to move not just pwhexe.dat files, but also map art.]

I intend to replace the defunct RHS map thread (started by a programmer artist) with a new one. RHS
maps are at the end of development, and so it is time to explain all the features they now have.

(in reply to TulliusDetritus)

Post #: 306

RE: RHS Level II Comprehensive Update 1.431 (pwhexe, ai... - 10/20/2016 4:27:21 PM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: LargeSlowTarget

quote:

ORIGINAL: m10bob

On a separate issue...Some islands (like Baker Island near Howland) have zero port size, and cannot be built to accept any port size whatsoever.
How do you feel about giving such atolls even an ability to have a size one port to represent perhaps an anchored ship to off load supplies from, similar to the "Mulberries"..I know I going abstract here, but the concept was common.

Dunno - from The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia about Baker Island :

"The island is surrounded by deep water, with no anchorage to speak of, and the current runs parallel to the lee shore, making the landing exceptionally difficult. The first of the LSDs, Ashland, was used in this operation, and had a disappointing debut, as the LCMs it was carrying had to be hoisted out by crane. Over half the LCMs were lost in the heavy seas."

Thank you. This neatly explains why I rated the port build as zero in addition to the port level as zero.
Fortunately, however, a player CAN build a port on top of a zero build rating - it just takes a long time. In effect,
the atoll is turned into an artificial island - and no doubt the reef is badly degraded by the process. The
extreme case of US Army engineers building something on an island is probably El Fraile Island - which was in fact
excavated down to bedrock before Fort Drum was built on top of it. It was not my intent to say a port cannot
be build on Howland - just that it must be hard to build and may never be very large. Level 0 build limits the
eventual size, no matter how much you spend building, to Level 3.

(in reply to LargeSlowTarget)

Post #: 307

RE: RHS Level II Comprehensive Update 1.431 (pwhexe, ai... - 10/20/2016 4:29:36 PM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
Status: offline

In RHS Level I Test One the Japanese decided to build a base on Howland. Unfortunately for
them, they didn't get any proper engineers there soon enough, and they had to fight for it
with ZERO port facilities. It does support aircraft, however, because it has a base force
and a fine runway. It just is a nightmare unloading supplies, fuel and troops - and will be
until the port is finished. Right now it is 57% of the way to a Level One port.

quote:

ORIGINAL: m10bob

quote:

ORIGINAL: LargeSlowTarget

quote:

ORIGINAL: m10bob

On a separate issue...Some islands (like Baker Island near Howland) have zero port size, and cannot be built to accept any port size whatsoever.
How do you feel about giving such atolls even an ability to have a size one port to represent perhaps an anchored ship to off load supplies from, similar to the "Mulberries"..I know I going abstract here, but the concept was common.

Dunno - from The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia about Baker Island :

"The island is surrounded by deep water, with no anchorage to speak of, and the current runs parallel to the lee shore, making the landing exceptionally difficult. The first of the LSDs, Ashland, was used in this operation, and had a disappointing debut, as the LCMs it was carrying had to be hoisted out by crane. Over half the LCMs were lost in the heavy seas."

Yep., I'm aware of this.
My issue is places like Baker still make a good spot for the enemy to base long range PBY types planes from, which must be supplied by amphib only, and those cannot be set as CS (IIRC).
IRL the USN did have people there during the war, and at Howland as well, mostly radio and ASA types.....

< Message edited by el cid again -- 10/20/2016 4:30:08 PM >

(in reply to m10bob)

Post #: 308

RE: RHS Level II Comprehensive Update 1.431 (pwhexe, ai... - 10/21/2016 1:30:16 PM

m10bob

Posts: 8622
Joined: 11/3/2002
From: Dismal Seepage Indiana
Status: offline

Thank you Sid for the fast replies...Bob

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Post #: 309

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.51 (Air & Map Art) - 10/23/2016 5:02:02 PM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
Status: offline

Level TWO installer 2.72 update link
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ap7XOIkiBuUwhYJB08OqEbRSEbmOXw

Although I intend the 2.5x series of updates to focus on updating later (not start of game) pwhexe.dat files, it will also feature upgrades to art when they become available as well as eratta fixes for issues detected or reported in the scenario files.

Here we do have a new aircraft filmstrip. Mifune was able to clean up the Japanese planeside filmstrip - probably the second to last edition before he moves on to a different one. Although there is a considerable amount of work on more than a few of these aircraft images, only a few will be obvious to the casual observer: those few often involving backgrounds. Since backgrounds are probably never seen in game, they would only be apparent if looking directly at the filmstrip. The vast majority of the work was at the pixel level, or in fact, below the pixel level. [Mifune works in Gimp at a color depth that would crash AE. But when I convert back to the AE standard, we get a better looking image. I work in Irfan View, which has a function permitting reducing color depth.] Some of the photographs and one former charcoal drawing (which I have worked on many times, converting it to what looks like color art) were cleaned up significantly. He also checked with me about planes that didn't seem right: there was art for what looks like a Ki-36 or Ki-55, but with no fixed undercarriage. Turns out that is on purpose - it was for the Ki-72, a later development of the series.

Here we also have some new map art and a "final" plan regarding Level II map art. It is either impractical, or in the near term impractical, to create map art for every season of the war (there are 26 in most RHS scenarios). As well, I have determined it is better to put "everything" on the map "all the time" (exceptions below). It is useful to know how things are going to change when the next season appears. And it is not necessary to watch roads or rail lines creep across the map over time - if a player needs to know precisely where this new construction project ends this season? - the R and Y keys will reveal it. What the player really needs is to know the route of the road or railroad. As well, only a few map panels need seasonal changes. This is the primary exception to "everything is on every map all the time" - it is easier to play if players can see the edge of pack ice in the current season. So the few panels with ocean ice will be changed every season. That means we need four sets of art for several panels - the rest of the panels will remain the same. The first set of panels will be without hexes. Eventually, Mifune thinks he can make panels with hexes from them - after he finishes other art projects. Also, after all the basic map art is done, I will go back and create another set for Japan Enhanced Scenarios 125 and 129 - some panels get significantly different railroad construction in particular. [Note, however, that only the Trans-Canada, Alaska Railroad route and the rail lines crossing Australia North to South/Southeast are missing from standard panels. Another change which does not matter is that I will remove the CANOL project route from the one panel which has it when I do JES art - because it is not built in JES.]

There are some air group changes. Looking for air units returning early with late war aircraft, I found as well some other problems. One unit was split into two parts, and ends up too large. It also had the wrong aircraft assigned. That led me to look for upgrade issues, and I found two more. These are all in RN and USN CVE air groups. There is some location file eratta and there may be aircraft, device and ship eratta.

There is a new pwhexe.dat file for game start. And there will be one more edition - several blocked hex-sides will become coral reef blocked. A technical change without effect on game play, I try to make things correct even if they don't matter. The base pwhexe.dat file is pretty clean - but I decided to modify a couple of hexes related to how ice is presented.

There are technical changes to a few map panels. For some reason the British North Borneo Railroad was still in stock form. And the presented part was difficult to see. I have made it full length and easier to spot. Most of the changes relate to how railroads or roads appear - because in some terrain they were very hard to see. But one map panel - that with the Bering Strait in it - is significantly different: the ice has "crept South"! It is almost in its Spring form - Spring must be done first because it has more ice than Monsoon and we start with Winter. I will finish this panel, then make a real Winter one, and rename one Spring. The one we used to use is renamed Winter - and you can do that if you like before you overwrite it. That is, rename WPEN04.bmp as WINTERWPEN04.bmp in the RHS PWHEX & PWLINK SOURCE folder. I did not think I could "make ice art" - but I found my copy and paste technique works well enough. [The Bering Sea edges of some of the ice fields are not yet finished - it is a work in progress. But it really makes it easier to tell where ships may sail - assuming one has the right art for the current season.] There really are not many panels that have seasonal ice in the ocean - an much of them is not ever ice covered. So it won't take too much time to do this.]

Once I issue the few panels with variable sea ice, I will then focus on the pwhexe.dat updating, as intended.

< Message edited by el cid again -- 12/21/2016 4:26:45 AM >

(in reply to el cid again)

Post #: 310

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.51 (Air & Map Art) - 10/26/2016 3:23:46 PM

sanderz

Posts: 862
Joined: 1/8/2009
From: Devon, England
Status: offline

hi sid

am looking at your mod again and remember seeing somewhere a discussion about someone producing a "regions file for Tracker" - if you have one is this something you can post a download link for?

thanks

(in reply to el cid again)

Post #: 311

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.52 (Reissued) - 10/29/2016 12:46:04 AM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
Status: offline

Level TWO installer 2.72 update link
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ap7XOIkiBuUwhYJB08OqEbRSEbmOXw

Tied up working on computer hardware & operating systems, I have not done any
data entry. But I did manage to complete Spring and Winter map panels for the
Bering Strait. Mifune also issued an improved aircraft filmstrip - Japanese Sides.
I am not sure what he is doing next - possibly a Ki-97 side. I will do panels to the East and West of the Bering Strait (03 and 05) - for Winter. Anyone not on the email
list who wants Spring or Monsoon panels for WPEN04 send me a request. [Those
on the RHS Distribution List already have them]. In addition, I will begin working on an pwhexe.dat files for later years (easy to do) and an update for 42SPRING - which will take a lot of work.

< Message edited by el cid again -- 12/21/2016 4:26:31 AM >

(in reply to el cid again)

Post #: 312

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.51 (Air & Map Art) - 10/29/2016 12:58:26 AM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
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There is a game thread (AAR) which, I believe, includes Michael. He
has a working Tracker I gather. That is, another RHS 129 scenario thread
- not the test one I am writing. I have never managed to make Tracker work.
I have not tried since the new edition was issued. Even if it works,
it takes a lot of work to modify it for RHS - because we have something
like twice as many locations and some of the old locations are redefined.
If I complete development, I intend to either make tracker work or make
some other tool. Note, however, that Tracker totals are somewhat
misleading. Supplies (etc) do not always flow freely between points -
if islands - or isolated by enemy units - or even if there is simply no
road (etc) connecting the location. That means sometimes supplies (etc)
can pile up in a place (increasing nominal regional totals) without being
available to use except locally.

quote:

ORIGINAL: sanderz

hi sid

am looking at your mod again and remember seeing somewhere a discussion about someone producing a "regions file for Tracker" - if you have one is this something you can post a download link for?

thanks

< Message edited by el cid again -- 10/29/2016 1:00:07 AM >

(in reply to sanderz)

Post #: 313

RE: RHS Level II Comprehensive Update 1.431 (pwhexe, ai... - 11/1/2016 4:49:58 PM

m10bob

Posts: 8622
Joined: 11/3/2002
From: Dismal Seepage Indiana
Status: offline

Sid...On your newest upgrade I am getting an error message that the file is no longer available.

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Post #: 314

RE: RHS Level II Updates Suspended for the Moment - 11/1/2016 10:44:28 PM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
Status: offline

Due to hardware changes, OneDrive is unable to make a stable link to RHS
scenario files. There are also few changes (other than map art panels)
to fold in just now. In due course new links will be posted.

(in reply to el cid again)

Post #: 315

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.51 (Air & Map Art) - 11/2/2016 2:16:11 PM

sanderz

Posts: 862
Joined: 1/8/2009
From: Devon, England
Status: offline

sid - i am no expert on tracker so stand to be corrected but my comments are.....

quote:

ORIGINAL: el cid again
There is a game thread (AAR) which, I believe, includes Michael. He
has a working Tracker I gather. That is, another RHS 129 scenario thread
- not the test one I am writing.

yaab very kindly sent me a copy of his latest region file

quote:

I have never managed to make Tracker work.
I have not tried since the new edition was issued.

it is a bit fiddly but the experts over in the tracker thread are very helpful

quote:

Even if it works,

it seems to work fine

quote:

it takes a lot of work to modify it for RHS - because we have something
like twice as many locations and some of the old locations are redefined.
If I complete development, I intend to either make tracker work or make
some other tool.

i believe the work is not tracker itself, just the region file - even without a RHS specific region file it seems to pick up all the new bases - its just that without the correct region file (whilst you have individual base details) you don't have the split between regions like Honshu/Hokkaido/Korea/China etc etc

quote:

Note, however, that Tracker totals are somewhat
misleading. Supplies (etc) do not always flow freely between points -
if islands - or isolated by enemy units - or even if there is simply no
road (etc) connecting the location. That means sometimes supplies (etc)
can pile up in a place (increasing nominal regional totals) without being
available to use except locally.

not sure what you mean by this, my understanding is that tracker just reads data from the game files so the data should always be correct

(in reply to el cid again)

Post #: 316

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.52 Reissued - 11/3/2016 5:02:43 AM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
Status: offline

Level TWO installer 2.72 update link
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ap7XOIkiBuUwhYJB08OqEbRSEbmOXw

This link does not tie to any new files if you already got 2.52. It replaces
a bad link caused by a system change on my end.
Tied up working on computer hardware & operating systems, I have not done any
data entry. But I did manage to complete Spring and Winter map panels for the
Bering Strait. Mifune also issued an improved aircraft filmstrip - Japanese Sides.
I am not sure what he is doing next - possibly a Ki-97 side. I will do panels to the East and West of the Bering Strait (03 and 05) - for Winter. Anyone not on the email
list who wants Spring or Monsoon panels for WPEN04 send me a request. [Those
on the RHS Distribution List already have them]. In addition, I will begin working on an pwhexe.dat files for later years (easy to do) and an update for 42SPRING - which will take a lot of work.

< Message edited by el cid again -- 12/21/2016 4:26:14 AM >

(in reply to el cid again)

Post #: 317

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.60 (Comprehensive) - 11/12/2016 6:05:12 PM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
Status: offline

Level TWO installer 2.72 update link
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ap7XOIkiBuUwhYJB08OqEbRSEbmOXw

This update is comprehensive only insofar as it has a new installer
structure in every sense. The only actual file changes per se are
to map art panels. These, however, are now organized in two different
forms. It is possible there are technical changes to the game start
pwhexe.dat file and that there are eratta in data files, but they were copied
from source only for safety - I do not remember any. There IS one new
RHS documentation file - RHS Seasonal Art Panels. This document defines
when seasons change, and what files should be changed when they do?
It also explains the color codes associated with roads and trails if you use
my RHS art - which you do not have to do. However, so much more information
is presented in them (mainly in the non-hex versions at this time) it may be
worth considering. It has a significant impact on play to be able to understand
visually how the 'invisible' map support files (pwhexe.dat, pwzlink.dat and pwzone.dat) are structured. The final major 'change' is also not a change at all - this file set
is tested and appears to work in the context of the latest code update from Matrix.

A tester has done a Tracker for RHS Level Two. He suggested including it - and we may do that eventually. For now I will send it to anyone who wants it. I am having cloud memory issues - causing among other things the ending of cloud support for RHS Level One - and it is not yet clear we can do all the art we need to for Level Two. But we are close and, if things go well, a tracker version may join the other tools in the Installer. I am also working on how to manage the cloud storage generating the links used: I do not use the cloud for any other purpose and generally do not really regard the cloud as the ideal wave of the future for security reasons: it appears you can lose whatever you depend on it for in an instant. [Microsoft just took away 2/3 of its free cloud service, which is a problem for RHS distribution].

The installer core - the software which runs the installer - is a new version. The whole game code core has been updated by Matrix. You may either run RHS on the old (non-beta) code or the new (beta) code. But IF you install the updated code you MUST run the RHS installer AFTERWARD as well as copy over critical files:

1) ALL files in the RHS ART folder must be copied into the game target ART folder.

2) The pwhexe.dat, pwzlink.dat and pwzone.dat files must be copied to the top level target game folder. [These now exist in two places - the RHS PWHEXE & PWLINK FOLDER - and also in the top level installer folder.] Note the installer is designed so that it assumes you use the default folder for the game. You do not have to do that. But IF you do that, these three files should 'plant' themselves in the right place and so should the ART files. The intention is to simplify installation.

3) There is a NEW folder added to the installer. This is IGNORED for new game starts and for any game in the first season of the war (1941 WINTER) - e.g. BEFORE 1 March 1942. This folder is called SEASONAL ART. It has four sub-folders: WINTER, SPRING, MONSOON and FALL. At this time they ONLY contain panels for art in the NORTHERN part of the map which have OCEAN in them. There not all of these panels have been done. These panels involve changes in sea ice because it facilitates play better. See the new documentation for more details: RHS Seasonal Art Panels.

4) There is a new document in RHS Documentation: RHS Seasonal Art Panels. There may be a few other documents with editorial improvements, depending on how long it has been since you ran the installer. Much RHS documentation evolves over time, improving technical details and/or for clarity.

5) There was a new air art panel not long ago - Mifune was able to produce three technical updates to the Japanese planeside panel in October. These are mainly very technical and result in greater clarity, except where non-colorized art has been turned into color art. Sometimes, what was once a photograph is now more like art - although in fact it remains based on the original photograph. Some of the foundation was changed just before Mifune did his work - using new art by Big Bob. And a tiny bit of the art was made by me either by modifying existing art or by combining different art into a composite (for "combination" aircraft - gliders and tugs). These in turn owe their origins to Cobra AUS - but involve other art superimposed on top of it - including one Japanese document which was, originally, merely a charcoal drawing. and, in another case, a Ki-51 dive bomber in its training glider tug form, built on a stock image. This art has now been improved by Mifune in technical ways it might take a professional with a big screen to spot. Mifune works in higher resolutions and higher color densities than the game supports - then converts it back (or has me convert it back) to what the game wants. For reasons not entirely clear to me, that results in 'better looking art.' Now nearing the end of work on this panel, the same sort of treatment will be given to top art and to Allied art in the future. Since I reached the limits of my technical ability to create art, it is nice to have someone 'polish' it into better form.

There may be some additional ship art in the next release because of work posted in the Forums. About half of RHS is from other mods or from even non-Matrix related sources. When new art or concepts become available, we fold them into RHS - or into whichever scenarios can usefully employ it. We operate on the principle that "if it is better, it is in" rather than keeping things we did out of loyalty to our own effort. Which means that anyone with better art or ideas who wants us to use them should submit them for consideration: we usually use them.

< Message edited by el cid again -- 12/21/2016 4:26:01 AM >

(in reply to el cid again)

Post #: 318

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.61 (Comprehensive) - 11/17/2016 8:34:58 PM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
Status: offline

Level TWO installer 2.72 update link
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ap7XOIkiBuUwhYJB08OqEbRSEbmOXw

This update includes new ship art, new map art, ship and class data files, and new or revised documentation files.

New art was posted in the Forums for North Carolina class battleships mounting four turrets. After consulting with Mifune, we decided to use it in Scenario 125 - a scenario based on AltWars concepts which he worked on for years which I completed this summer. Experience with the scenario indicates that 30 knot battleships form tactical combinations with fast carriers of great value. In this scenario, Japan eventually decided not to build the Yamato class at all - laying down carriers instead - but she modernized her 14 inch gun battleships as 8 gun ships with more speed instead. We decided the US "answer" might be to build one of the 35 different designs for the North Carolina. [Further, this design is also used for the following South Dakota class.] The ships lay down slightly sooner and arrive sooner for that reason. They are replacements for WWI era "standard battleships" and they are armed with twelve 14 inch guns in four triple turrets. However, an alternative form of the design mounted eight 16 inch guns in twin turrets (with exactly the same armor, etc). We put them in the scenario - included here - in the 14 inch form BUT ALSO with the option to 'convert' the ship to 16 inch form in one day. For this reason, there is new Allied ship art.

There is also a new Fall season WPEN04 panel in the Seasonal Art folder. Several other map panels have been improved in both the ART folder and in the Seasonal Art folder - mainly to look better. Some seasonal art existed but was not included - now it is. Note that the WPEN05 panel in the Fall folder is actually identical to the Monsoon form. That is because WPEN05 for Fall is not yet done. That is next and likely will complete the map art work on non-hex panels for now. The top two rows of panels with seasonally variable ice are done. There is one more row below them that needs Winter and Spring panels (only - Monsoon and Fall are identical and exist already - although Monsoon needs to be put into the Monsoon folder so it can be installed after a Spring season is over).

Some Level I documentation files were revised and converted to Level II form. Others were edited for clarity.

I have begun working on the Spring pwhexe.dat file. I decided I need the completed map art for the Arctic to insure art and the actual file the computer uses are in prefect sync. Old forms of all the pwhexe.dat files are included, but they lack the latest eratta and development features found in the start of game version. Much of the next set of updates will focus on bringing all these files into sync with each other.

Unexpectedly, working on North Carolina data, I found that all old US battleship data was flawed. It was generally close but not precise with respect to armor, cruising range and bunkerage. Sometimes there were other eratta. So I began systematically updating the class data. Classes already updated have had their member ships updated as well.

< Message edited by el cid again -- 12/21/2016 4:25:46 AM >

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Post #: 319

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.61 (Comprehensive) - 11/19/2016 1:03:28 PM

anglonorman

Posts: 62
Joined: 12/28/2013
Status: offline

Hi Guys,

I want to install RHS. Can I just install 2.61 or do I need to install Level 1 then 2.61??? Can you suggest the order of installation and latest installers to use?

Oh and one question. Is Air Group 10 available for the Enterprise in Late 1942? Doesn't look like its even on the list of group reinforcements for 1942 at all in the stock game?

< Message edited by Daviddas -- 11/19/2016 1:09:57 PM >

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Post #: 320

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.61 (Comprehensive) - 11/19/2016 3:24:44 PM

Yaab

Posts: 4552
Joined: 11/8/2011
From: Poland
Status: offline

RHS Level 1 uses the stock map.
RHS Level 2 uses the extended map.

Depending on which map you use, you select your RHS install. You shouldn't install RHS Level 2 over the stock map or the other way round - your installation will give you tons of location errors.

< Message edited by Yaab -- 11/19/2016 3:25:31 PM >

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Post #: 321

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.61 (Comprehensive) - 11/19/2016 4:06:39 PM

anglonorman

Posts: 62
Joined: 12/28/2013
Status: offline

Great thanks. I am using the extended map.

< Message edited by Daviddas -- 11/19/2016 4:35:31 PM >

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Post #: 322

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.62 (Comprehensive) - 11/20/2016 6:45:09 AM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
Status: offline

Level TWO installer 2.72 update link
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ap7XOIkiBuUwhYJB08OqEbRSEbmOXw

This update includes mainly map art panels and revised class and ship files.
There are a couple of deleted documentation files replaced by more up to date ones.

The FALL map art for the top two rows of ocean map panels is now done.
Which means all the seasonal panels are done for those two rows. A third row just
below them needs to be added for the Winter season - which will of course mean the existing panels will go into the Spring panel so Winter can 'end.' That will make working with pack ice easier. One panel (WPEN02) had a partially duplicated lake name removed from it. And one season lost a panel - because it is the same as the season in front of it (to save memory in the cloud that generates the links). You only get panels in seasonal art that are needed at the start of that season.

The ship work was confined to US battleships (including a carrier variant of the Iowa) - and it was excessive. There are too many battleship sub-classes - but I did them all. [One class of four ships has four SETS of updates - which is silly; I guess you get the correct radar suite per ship.] I thought the new ships were OK - but they were not. Mainly changes were fuel capacity, range, armor, displacement and durability.

< Message edited by el cid again -- 12/21/2016 4:25:31 AM >

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Post #: 323

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.63 (Kwai River Update) - 11/29/2016 7:50:30 AM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
Status: offline

Level TWO installer 2.72 update link
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ap7XOIkiBuUwhYJB08OqEbRSEbmOXw

This update was delayed by both the work involved to make it, and several
hardware and software issues. It is a comprehensive update which syncs
pwhexe.dat, location and map files.

The biggest changes are found on map panel WPEN08. This map section was done to the original Level II standard, and it was planned to update it seasonally. Now, we are making panels "universal" except when they involve sea ice (although this one will have a later war update to show the Burma-Siam RR and other infrastructure projects after completion). It is one of the main panels of the game and warrants some extra work (and memory to store the map). The panel also was 'cleaned up' with respect to "dirt" at junctions of rivers and lakes and seas. The routes of the future Burma-Siam RR and the Kra Isthmus RR are now shown. Some other notes were added as well. But the biggest single change is the addition of the Mae Klung River West of Bangkok. [This river is generally known in the west, incorrectly, as the River Kwai. The River Kwai - actually two of them - Kwai Sai and Kawi Noi - join at the district town Kanchanaburi to form the Mae Klung - which flows from there through Nong Pladuk to the Gulf of Siam at Samut Sonkraham.] Kanchanaburi and Nong Pladuk were turned into minor river ports: this is one reason for the preference of this route for the Burma-Siam RR - river transport facilitated moving building materials. Samut Songkraham was added. None of these locations have great airfield potential - Nong Pladuk was downgraded to reflect that. The rivers now show in the map art. Kanchanaburi is a Level 0 port but may build up (except in Scenario 126, where it should be rated as Level 1). I was always generally aware of the absence of these rivers and ports as ports, but I did not have the skill to make map art. Reading a book (The River Kwai Railroad) I was reminded of that - but now I CAN make map art. So I did.

A single eratum was reported re the light AA of the British Army 6th Airborne Division - it was using French 20 mm guns instead of Twin Bren AAMG for light AA.

A number of Arctic panels got very minor, cosmetic improvements. One of them begins the final phase of "ice marching South" - there are three more panels which need Spring and Winter art - and the one showing South Sakhalin Island has begun to show that. There was also a panel in China which got minor improvements to trail art.

So you need to copy over the contents of the Art folder, and insure the new pwhexe.dat is in the top level AE folder (for new games or any game in the first season of the game). This file is now the foundation for all later pwhexe.dat files.

Depending on when you last updated, it is possible this update may include eratta for device, class, ship, aircraft and group files. The locations described above are of course in the location file. If you use a separate RHS installation, these must be copied from the RHS Scenario folder to the game Scenario folder.

Having rebuilt the source computer's Level II RHS folder, I now can complete the art and pwhexe.dat tasks up for revision.

< Message edited by el cid again -- 12/21/2016 4:25:16 AM >

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Post #: 324

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.64 (Map Art, Eratta) - 12/5/2016 4:29:53 AM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
Status: offline

Level TWO installer 2.72 update link
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ap7XOIkiBuUwhYJB08OqEbRSEbmOXw

Apart from extensive reworking of documentation files, and a review of
air groups to insure they don't upgrade to late war aircraft early in the war
(5 were corrected), this is nearly a pure map update. Something like 8 panels
were updated. The only major one was updating for Spring pack ice the
panel near Sakhalin Island. That means it can now be further modified for
Winter pack ice. Two other panels - to the East of that at the same latitude -
still need to be done for Spring and Winter. Numbers of panels got comments
about routes for construction of roads. Even more got cosmetic updates.
The Akyab Road, the Imphal Road, the Burma Road, and the Ledo Road picked
up labels and notes. The Paken-Baroe RR route was added on Sumatra. [That
is probably better known as the Second Death Railroad.]

< Message edited by el cid again -- 12/21/2016 4:25:01 AM >

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Post #: 325

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.64 (Map Art, Eratta) - 12/5/2016 2:28:15 PM

m10bob

Posts: 8622
Joined: 11/3/2002
From: Dismal Seepage Indiana
Status: offline

Will you be issuing hex sided panels, or is that a function of the game itself?..I like the hexes.

_____________________________

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Post #: 326

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.65 (Map Art, Eratta) - 12/14/2016 1:24:02 AM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
Status: offline

Level TWO installer 2.72 update link
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ap7XOIkiBuUwhYJB08OqEbRSEbmOXw

This is a comprehensive update. It has a new pwhexe.dat file,
new map art, and new location files. One town has changed names
and attributes. Some missing RR art and road art is now added.
A minor RR present in RHS Level I never got added to Level II
(which was based on Andrew Brown's Extended map system -
I missed the omission). The biggest art change is the Winter
form of WPEN10 is now present - the area of Hokkaido, South
Sakhalin Island, and the Kamchatka Pinnensula. This was a very
complicated modification. Several other panels have minor changes.
Only Spring and Winter panels for WPEN11 and 12 remain -
after which I will have the confidence in the base pwhexe.dat file
to create later season versions of it. We have the entire set - but
numbers of eratta have to be worked into all except the start of game
version.

< Message edited by el cid again -- 12/21/2016 4:24:46 AM >

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Post #: 327

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.64 (Map Art, Eratta) - 12/14/2016 1:25:04 AM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: m10bob

Will you be issuing hex sided panels, or is that a function of the game itself?..I like the hexes.

quote:

Level II Update 2.65 https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ap7XOIkiBuUwhYJB08OqEbRSEbmOXw

I lack the skill. Mifune thinks he can modify them. He is waiting for the final version of the
non hex panels to do so. There are two more to go (11 & 12)

I DID rework all the panels with different map edge material
into a hex form (by the copying of the map edges onto the hex
art panels) and, in a few cases, erased critical fictional roads
or railroads, or added new ones, or changed terrain types - bit by
bit. What I have not done is do the major reworks with ice and
a few other things in the near past. The time required for me
is excessive. But Mifune thinks he can do it.

Note that if you play with hexside details on, you do not need
the map art hex art. In fact, RHS formally recommends that, because
of things you need to know about hex-side coding as a player.
There are, for example, river hex-sides that you would not guess
otherwise (between islands or island and bodies of land where
it is possible to cross similar to a river, for example). If you
play with hexside detail = on you see every hex side on the map
without hex map art.

< Message edited by el cid again -- 12/14/2016 5:40:47 AM >

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Post #: 328

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.70 (Comprehensive) - 12/18/2016 12:11:58 AM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
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Level Two Update Link 2.70
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ap7XOIkiBuUwhYJB08OqEbRSEbmOXw

This update has every kind of file update:

a new (and final) start of game pwhexe.dat file
new RHS documentation
new map art
revised scenario files.

The important change is completion of the last of the ice related
WINTER art panels (also SPRING) for WPEN11 and 12.

So these panels need to go into the ART folder.
SCEN files need to go in the SCEN folder (if it isn't automatic -
it depends on your install)
and the pwhexe.dat file needs to go in the top level AE folder
(if you are starting a game or in a game during the Winter season).

The winter art is nice. It makes it easier to understand where ships
may sail. This is particularly important near Northern Japan and
Alaska - where many ports are blocked - and some sea lanes are.

The next series of updates will focus on out year pwhexe.dat files.
All exist (for standard scenarios anyway) - but none have the eratta
worked in nor development over the last several months. I will issue
out year WINTER files first - then move to SPRING, MONSOON and
FALL in that order. They are built on top of each other - so it is
easier to do them in batches.

Hopefully Mifune will issue some hex map panels to match the without hex
panels I have just completed. If not, I may try to do it. Note, however,
that hex panels have no function if you turn on reveal hexside details -
you can see the hexsides anyway and you get very useful information if you
do. This is less critical now because you can see ferries in map art - but
it is still the best way to enter a turn. But there are requests for hexside panels -
so they are a secondary priority but in the plan.

We are not getting a lot of eratta reports. But what we are getting indicates some
games are as far as 1943. Always report eratta. RHS policy is to fix them immediately - before we forget - so we collect records which are done right.

(in reply to el cid again)

Post #: 329

RE: RHS Level II Update 2.71 (Comprehensive) - 12/21/2016 4:24:28 AM

el cid again

Posts: 16922
Joined: 10/10/2005
Status: offline

Level TWO installer 2.72 update link
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ap7XOIkiBuUwhYJB08OqEbRSEbmOXw

While this update probably has revision in every kind of file
(the only doubt is about SCEN files, but there usually are eratta
worked in), it is almost exclusively concerned with pwhexe.dat
files. EVERY WINTER file is included here, for every year of the
war. [The only thing missing is that there are no JES - Japan
Enhanced Scenario - pwhexe.dat files in Level TWO RHS - so far.
JES must be played with strictly historical pwhexe.dat files for now.]

There is one new map panel - WPEN15 - because of an inconsistency
between it and the pwhexe.dat files for out years. The route of the
Paken Baroe RR (aka Second Death Railway) in Sumatra was shown
in art differently than in the pwhexe.dat. So it now shows the more Eastern
route.

There are a couple of additions to the RHS Seasonal Construction file
in the RHS Documentation folder. This folder is created by the installer and
is NOT directly related to game execution - it is FYI information for players
(and modders - this file in particular being a technical description of every
'infrastructure construction project' defined by RHS pwhexe.dat files).

One could play RHS using just these WINTER files - and then all RHS
features worked in this year would be included. Or one can mix them with
older seasonal files - but a few new features won't be present in them.
This is a temporary situation - I am going to proceed to make the other seasonal
files immediately. Now we have a fully defined and audited foundation, and
no higher priority things to address, that won't take very long.

(in reply to el cid again)

Post #: 330

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