Tiresias Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Hi there - I was wondering if someone could give me some advice on a problem I've run into with the 1.04 patch on CMAK. Basically, I only discovered the CMx1 games in 2009, so when I bought CMAK it was already v1.04. I've now just started a PBEM game with someone who has 1.03. Whenever I try to load his setup file the game says we have different versions and need to upgrade accordingly. As we're both using Windows XP, there seems little justification in making him pay for 1.04. But since I have a 2009 edition of CMAK, I can't downgrade to 1.03 to make our versions compatible that way. Just to add to our general sense of mystification about the whole thing, we are simultaneously playing a game of CMBB which works fine, even though our respective versions are similarly 1.04 and 1.03! Anyone had experience of this and got any ideas about how we can sort it out? Thanks, Tiresias. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schrullenhaft Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 I haven't confirmed this issue myself. The 1.04 patch was INTENTIONALLY made to be compatible with 1.03 games since nothing within the game/file code should have changed. The 1.04 patch only addresses some DirectX issues with some updated calls. This should NOT make a difference to the file format since nothing within the data format was changed. I'll have to try to confirm that this issue exists and then notify the programmers if I can duplicate it. If I can confirm it, then I do NOT know when a patch would be released to address this since the game is considered 'end of life' and isn't slated to get any updates. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiresias Posted July 16, 2012 Author Share Posted July 16, 2012 Thanks, Schrullenhaft. It may well be something I'm doing wrong at this end. As I mentioned, the really weird thing is that we are also playing a CMBB game quite happily, even though the situation is exarctly the same - I have v1.04 and my opponent v1.03. So it's difficult to understand why CMAK isn't working on the same basis. Do let me know if you come up with any answers. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streety Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 I'm sure Battlefront will want to see if this is a game-version problem. And IF so, as Tiresias is on XP, and presumably bought CMAK v1.04 from Battlefront, then presumably Battlefront will have a record of Tiresias's purchase and could send him a v1.03 replacement exe game file? That would presumably get around Tiresias's current problem (and indeed help Battlefront confirm the issue). And (until/unless they fix it) a work-around solution would be for Battlefront to package the v1.03 exe in with the v1.04 bundle with a note about the issue. I'm a little concerned for Battlefront Tech Support to say, for a product they still sell, that if this issue IS a real version-compatibility problem with PBEM they do NOT know when it would ever be addressed, but I'm sure Battlefront will reconsider their comment. But Tiresias, are you 101% certain that your opponent has at least version 1.03? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoMac Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 I'm the opponent that Tiresias is playing against. I have Win XP and have CMAK v1.03 from Battlefront & the CDV version and both are apparently incompatible with his CMAK v1.04. I also have CMBB from Battlefront & CDV and both work just fine with his CMBB v1.04 He is so far the only opponent that I have problems with regarding this issue. Joe 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streety Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Joe, do you play ok against other v1.04 CMAK players? I guess you don't know (unless you ask) what game and machine versions the other player has, but if you could confirm a successful play against another v1.04 CMAK then that would prove it isn't a compatibility issue, at least as far as XP to XP (or whichever machine version that other player had). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schrullenhaft Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 I cannot duplicate this issue. Running Windows XP with a disc-based copy-protected 1.03 and a copy of 1.03 that has been patched with 1.04/Vista patch, I have no problems exchanging an email game. The PBEM was initially generated in 1.03 and the 1.04 game had no problem loading it. Several turns were exchanged (both games on the same computer) with no issues. I also tried the reverse, with a 1.04 CMAK game generating the PBEM and the 1.03 game read it fine with no issues. So I'm not sure what happened here, unless there's some particular details about the PBEM that could be causing this. Can you try another PBEM and see if you run into the same issue ? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiresias Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 Schrullenhaft - thanks for checking. That would certainly make sense given that the pattern with CMBB works fine in my case too. Any ideas about how I could resolve this with CMAK, given that there clearly isn't a general problem with compatibility? Is there anything I might be doing wrong? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schrullenhaft Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 I'm not sure what triggered the problem. Try generating a small PBEM and exchange it with your opponent and see if he has problems reading the file. If necessary you may want to zip/compress the file before emailing it. This adds an extra bit of hassle, but what it does is ensure the integrity of the PBEM file so that it isn't getting corrupted (which usually results in a 'ding' error sound when the PBEM is corrupted - rather than an error about the incorrect version). Your opponent DEFINITELY has 1.03 and just one copy of the game installed, correct ? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiresias Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 OK, thanks for your advice. Will give that a go later. Yes, my opponent definitely has 1.03, and only one copy installed. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streety Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Schrullenhaft, forgive me but you might not have replicated the setup - Tiresias bought a ready-made v1.04 and put it on XP, and did not have either (as you've described testing) a v1.03 disk nor a v1.03 download merely updated with a v1.04 patch. Going by the way it's presented on your store webpage, the buyer can either buy the v1.04 update patch for Vista OR buy a complete CMAK that is (in the product small-print) now at v1.04. And if that is so, could the patch and the "full version" be two slightly different entities? If so, then the problem may be just in the complete v1.04 and not in the patch. If that is the case than I'd suspect that the newly updated full version was never tested on XP. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiresias Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 Hi Schrullenhaft, Just to let you know I tried reversing the process as advised, starting a game at my end (on 1.04) and sending it to Joe (who has 1.03). Joe sent back his turn, so that seemed to work fine, but as soon as I tried to open it I got the same message - "Opponent has a different version of Combat Mission, make sure you are both using the latest version from www.battlefront.com and try again" (or something like that). I appreciate that you're probably running out of ideas at this stage but just in case it helps from a technical point of view, I thought I'd keep you updated. Thanks, Tiresias. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schrullenhaft Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 As far as I'm aware a version of 1.03 that is patched to 1.04 is the same as a version of 1.04 that was installed initially as 1.04. The patch just replaces the main game executable file and includes eLicense DLLs. The full 1.04 version is only different from 1.03 in the main game executable. All other files are the same as 1.03. My copy of 1.03 is the disc-based copy-protected version. I do NOT have an eLicense protected version of 1.03. I have no idea if that could be a difference or not. I wouldn't suspect that the copy-protection system should make a difference in this issue (since it is only the hooks for the copy-protection that should be different between the two executables). Can these turns that are not being opened in 1.04 be submitted in a Helpdesk ticket ? I will see if either of my copies has an issue with opening them. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiresias Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 Thanks, Schrullenhaft. I have sent you one of the files that my version seems unable to open. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwolf Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Errr, I remember that the 1.04 patch for CMAK was rolled twice, specifically because the trick to make PBEM compatible with the previous patch was only applied to CMBB but not CMAK. So I think you managed to download the first version of the CMAK 1.04 patch. If you would say where you downloaded it people could try to overwrite that location with the fixed version. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiresias Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 Hey Redwolf, Brilliant - think you might have cracked it; thanks very much indeed. I downloaded the game from the BF store, as part of the CMBB and CMAK bundle. Thanks again for your advice; really helpful. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schrullenhaft Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Looks like Redwolf is right. On July 24, 2009 Steve said the following: Charles has just confirmed that CMBB is OK and CMAK needed at tweak. The tweak has been made but it's late here on the East Coast so no testing will take place until tomorrow. Then we have the fun of recompiling the installers and uploading them. Sorry about that guys! Steve So it looks like this particular game was downloaded in the small window where the 1.04 patch/game was made available and when it was 'updated' for 1.03 compatibility (July 30th or so ?). I will send an updated patch to Tiresias. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiresias Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 Great, thanks again to both of you for your help. That timing certainly sounds about right. Tiresias. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwolf Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 But Tiresias has the bundle. Does that mean the bundle has the bad patch? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schrullenhaft Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Yes. He downloaded the full 1.04 game (no patching required - the only executable is already at 1.04) at some point between when it was released in early-mid July and when the 1.03 compatibility issue was fixed near the end of July. Just replacing the game executable should be sufficient in this case. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwolf Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Ah, OK, so the game download is fixed now, he just got into the bad window. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streety Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Nicely spotted old boy! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazing 88's Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Um... Just curious, I have not tried the PBEM feature with my most recent purchase of CMx1 (bundle pack), download version. Prior to getting this bundle pack, I had the CDV disc version, which worked fine PBEM. I purchased the CMx1 bundle pack on April 1st / 2012, should I down load the file again from the link provided with my purchase e-mail and reinstall the games? This is based off what is being mentioned of a "bad window". 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanonier Reichmann Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Um... Just curious, I have not tried the PBEM feature with my most recent purchase of CMx1 (bundle pack), download version. Prior to getting this bundle pack, I had the CDV disc version, which worked fine PBEM. I purchased the CMx1 bundle pack on April 1st / 2012, should I down load the file again from the link provided with my purchase e-mail and reinstall the games? This is based off what is being mentioned of a "bad window". Seeing as you purchased it on April Fools day, it couldn't hurt! Regards KR 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schrullenhaft Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 The 'bad window' was between early July 2009 (when the 1.04 patch/game was first available) and the end of July 2009, when the patch was updated (but no 'version' difference). Any downloads after that time should be fine. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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