MajorH TacOps Developer

> will a game file created on a Mac run on a Wintel > machine, and vice versa? Yes.

Sorry that it has taken me so long to nail this down but I have been out of town a lot since this first came up. There is a bug here but it is probably not what you expect. Play by email mode does not support the adding of minefields, obstacles, entrenchments, bridges, or landing zones via the umpire tools Engineering menu item. The bug is that the program fails to disable the Engineering menu item when play by email mode is selected. The program should not be offering you that option in play by email mode. The reason that you are not seeing bridges and obstacles in your play by email game is probably that they are simply not present in the game situation for your color. It took an hour of stepping through the code for me to remember that in play by email mode, items added using the Engineering menu item do not get communicated to the other player during orders exchange. [Engineering menu items added by an umpire during a multiplayer teams game do get communicated via the special umpire situation update.] Example: In a play by email game, if the Blue player uses the Umpire Tools Engineering menu item to add a minefield, obstacle, entrenchment, bridge, or landing zone then those items will only be present on the Blue computer. They will not be present on the Red computer. The only work around for this is for the Blue player to design the scenario while in two player on one computer mode. While in that mode place any minefield, obstacle, entrenchment, bridge, or landing zone items on the map, and then preserve that setup turn as a saved game file. The Blue player should then email that saved game file to the Red player for him to use to start the email game. In other words, both players then start a subsequent play by email game by loading that same saved game file. I didn't test it but there might be a second work around where the Blue player might design a scenario while in two player on one computer mode and place only Blue engineering items. The Blue player would then save the game and send the saved game file to the Red player. The Red player would then load the file in two player on one computer mode and place Red Engineering items. The Red player would then save the game and send the saved game file back to the Blue player. That last "Red" saved game file would then be the file that both players would use to start the subsequent play by email game. Whew ...

There are currently no WWII scenarios for solo play in TacOps4. As Redwolf pointed out, one can exchange WWII equipment for contemporary equipment in the contemporary solo scenarios but it is a tedious process. There are a couple of hundred WWII unit types in the data base but they are mostly for the early war years - 1939 through 1943 or so. I added them mostly on a whim. This first step toward a WWII mod was not well received at the time by the contemporary wargamers and I put it on a back burner. >Is there a list of scenarios available? Download the 15 meg demo version. After install, look in the TacOps demo folder for a file named "Guide Scenarios.pdf". It has descriptions of all the factory provided contemporary scenarios.

>f I buy by download, would I have to buy it again if my computer gets >wiped, or can I download again without paying? The TacOps4 download purchase version is not copy protected. As soon as you download it, burn a copy of the download file onto a CD. If your computer ever gets wiped then you will be able to reinstall TacOps4 from your own backup CD. I could be wrong but I don't think that the Battlefront download purchase option for TacOps4 includes being able to use Battlefront's server as a backup. But even if it does, I think it is always better for a person to maintain their own backup. That is one of the reasons why I do not copy protect TacOps4.

I am away from my dev system right now but I will check on this and reply in the next day or so. In the meantime, try repeating your PBM game setup experiment with the Blue player being the one who creates the bridges. Just working from memory here but it is possible that the program will only allow the Blue player to create engineering items during PBM game setup.

I checked my archives and found a note dated in 2002 from a user with a similar problem . In his case it turned out that he had a version of Quicktime on his Mac that was earlier than v4. If allocating more memory to TacOps does not work for you and reducing colors does not work then search for your Quicktime file and see if it is v4 or newer. This probably isn't the problem in your case unless you are running a very old Mac or an OS earlier than 8.5.

Sounds like you are running out of memory. Use the Mac desktop "Get Info" feature to allocate more memory to the TacOps program file. Increase memory in five or ten meg steps until the maps load. If that doesn't immediately work then use the Monitors control panel to set your Mac to "thousands" of colors rather than "millions". However, most folks don't have any trouble running at millions of colors after allocating more memory to the program.

I continue to support retail v4 and several military editions of v5 as required. A retail edition of v5 is still under construction with no predictable end in sight. For the remainder of the summer I expect to be mainly focused on kayaking and canoeing.

There are no user made scenarios for solo play because I was never successful at producing a scenario editor for TacOps4 that would allow the inclusion of an AI opponent. The existing editing tools that are built into TacOps4 could be used by a user to create a non AI solo play scenario where the Red force was only intended to "stand in place and die" but few have ever tried that except in their private play. Beyond that, some games just don't catch on with regard to user created scenarios. Don't know why.

The Australian/New Zealand military version of TacOps5 (TacOps ANZAC) has a folder of scenarios that start up with New Zealand OOB. Unfortunately they do not work with retail TacOps4. While that contract was underway, I had intended to also include a set of Australian scenarios but your Army would not provide me with an unclassified order of battle.

> Will you still be suporting the Apple Clasic OS for those > of us running the G3-5 series machines where OSX also > has OS9 available. No, TacOps4 is my last Mac OS9 compatible program. I mildly detest OSX, but as a one man band I can't support very many OS variants. I will try to handle two for the Mac (OSX Intel and OSX non Intel) and two for Windows (XP and Vista).

Bruce; I just received the following from a TacOps4 user. I am just passing the info on, I do not vouch for its accuracy nor usefulness for your situation. = = = = = Major, I have no intention of buying a windows XP licence. I have been able to run v4 [for Windows?] under Crossover without any problems. Regards, ,Jon R Jon Reinertsen, reinertj@smartchat.net.au = = = = =

It could be a long wait for a universal binary for TacOps. I am only working on it part time and its now canoe/kayaking season in Texas. Plus by the time that I finish it, Apple will have probably gone charging off in an entirely new direction and I'll have to start all over. I have not tested the Windows version of TacOps4 on an Intel Mac via WXP with Parallels or Boot Camp so I can't tell you if either approach would work. If the demo version works under either approach that would be a good sign but still not proof. Honesty Alert. Should I find out that the current Windows version of TacOps4 does not work well on an Intel Mac via WXP with Parallels or Boot Camp, I won't put any time into trying to make it work. So ... definitely a case for "Buyer beware".

Thanks.

I don't plan to add any more new unit types to v4. v4 is frozen except for bug fixes. What version of TacOps do you have? Hundreds of new unit types and many new features were added between v2/v3 and today's v4.

There is a number or key that is required to do the initial download immediately after purchase. But there should be no number or key required thereafter (during installation). Perhaps you are confusing the download process with the subsequent installation process? Please double check that by reinstalling the downloaded copy of TacOps that you bought and get back to me. Please also info majorh@satx.rr.com.

Excerpt from the TacOps4 User Guide. 16. Play By Mail And Modem TacOps can be played on two non-networked computers by exchanging orders files using floppy disks, or by using directly connected modems, or by using electronic mail to exchange orders files. The same basic procedure is used to exchange orders files by each method. For simplicity, all four methods are referred to as "Play-By-Mail". In a play-by-mail game, when both players have finished giving orders to their units during the Orders Phase, they each save a special "orders file" to a disk and then they exchange those files by mail, by personal meeting, or electronically by direct connection or by email. Each player then loads the orders of his opponent and executes a Combat Phase. The orders exchange and combat execution cycle is then repeated. The orders exchange process is simpler for you in practice than the description below suggests. The program will guide you to the next correct step in the orders exchange process. All you have to do is to look at the Combat/Begin Combat menu item, the File/Receive Orders menu item, and the File/Send Orders menu item. Only one of these menu items will be active at any given point, the other two will be dimmed. The one undimmed menu item indicates the next step in the process. To further aid you in identifying what file to load, the titles of the File/Receive Orders and the File/Send Orders menu items include the turn number of the orders file that needs to be loaded next. - example, "Send Orders #2". Caution: When playing by mail or email, it is important that you coordinate in advance with your opponent to insure that you both have the same preference settings when you begin a game. If the preference settings of the two computers do not agree when the program loads an enemy orders files, you will be shown an alert dialog telling you what the differences are. If you are the Blue player the program will then change the incoming Red orders to match your preferences settings. If you are the Red player the program will then change your game preferences to the settings of the Blue player. 16.1 Play-by-Mail Procedure Start the TacOps program in the usual way. When the Startup Window appears, select the Two Players Play-By-Mail item and also select whether you will command the Blue or the Red forces. Finally, select the appropriate item for playing either a standard scenario or a saved game. Click the OK button. Setup your units in the usual way. When you have finished giving orders to your units, select the File/PBM Send Orders menu item. You will be shown a standard file saving window. Accept the suggested file name or change it and then click the OK button to save your orders to disk (this file will be sent to your opponent - you will not need your own orders file again). Once you have written your orders to a disk file, the program will not allow you to give any more orders to your units, or to change the game preference or option parameters in any way. Do not try to defeat this. To do so would likely cause the subsequent Combat Phase to produce different results on the separate computers and thus ruin your game in progress. You may only save orders once per orders phase from within the program. Immediately after your orders are written to disk you will be presented with another file save window - this time it will be to save your game in progress to disk. If the game session must be interrupted while awaiting receipt of your opponent's orders (i.e. you want to turn off your computer - the usual case), you should generally go ahead and accept this save opportunity and then refuse any subsequent offers to save the game as you quit the program. Following this suggestion guarantees that you will not inadvertently do something later that disrupts the consistency of the game on the two separate computers. You must preserve this saved game file. You will need it to restart the next game session if you quit TacOps. Send just the orders file to your opponent. Do not send him your saved game file. When you receive your opponent's orders file [if necessary, restart the TacOps program using your saved game file] use the File/PBM Receive Orders menu item to load your opponent's orders into the TacOps program. Be careful not to load your own orders, or a previous set of your opponent's orders. Preferences will be automatically checked. If critical preference settings do not agree on both computers corrective action will be taken or an error message will be displayed. The program will also confirm that both players are using the same version of TacOps and the same versions of the appropriate scenario and map files. Execute the Combat Phase then repeat the orders phase, save orders, save game, orders exchange, and combat phase cycle until game completion. This procedure will work for exchanging orders via mail, by personal meeting, or by using email. To exchange orders by email you simply use your own communications program to transfer your orders file to some intermediate computer system - using Internet, or a local area network, or a local or national bulletin board system (BBS) - and to obtain your opponent's orders file from same. If you wish to use email on a BBS to exchange orders, the BBS must be one that allows you to send non-text (sometimes called binary) files to other BBS users. The usual procedure is to "attach" the non-text file to a normal text post. 16.2 Play-by-Modem Procedure [section text snipped as this mode of play (phone modem to phone modem) has become practically extinct.]

The digital download purchase version of TacOps4 is not copy protected. Neither is the CDROM purchase version. The digital download version of TacOps4 does not use eLicensing, activation, or any other form of copy protection. Neither does the CDROM purchase version. The TacOps4 digital customer ends up with an unprotected version of the game that can be burned to a personal backup CD with no additional "after purchase" installation password required, nor online checks nor activation. There is no Internet activation, no disk protection, no serial number, no passwords, no network checks, and the CD does not need to be inserted in order to play ... nada, zip, nothing. Also, there is no Internet registration BS at the end of the install. Not copy protected. No Internet activation requirement. Never phones home. Cooperates with other running programs. Does not install spyware. Does not require CD insertion to play. Does not search your personal LAN to see how many copies you are using. Clear enuf?

Next year.

Thanks for buying TacOps. > is this forum community very active or is it pretty much dead? I am here.

>I haven’t seen anything on the nxport automated list (to which I subscribe) since the 1st of November, >last year (apart from the monthly reminders about my password). Mark; The list that you mentioned is the private TacOpsMC mailing list which I used for v5 OSX testing in 2006. The list that Agent Smith is referring to is the semi-public "real" TacOps mailing list. There is activity there - mainly pertaining to CPXs and my lack of productivity lately. Info on that list is below. To subscribe to the TacOps mailing list go to the URL below and follow the screen instructions. http://nxport.com/mailman/listinfo/tacops Once subscribed you can also read the recent list message archives via a button somewhere around the link above. The TacOps mailing list is a no flame zone. No politics, no insults, and members are expected to stay reasonably on topic - which means mainly posts related to the TacOps game and or related to tactical level warfare in general. It is OK to discuss the "how" of contemporary warfare on the list but is not generally OK to discuss the political "why".

It has not been updated. There is no Vol 2. Originally I planned to do a Vol 2 containing the U.S. service histories of WWII, Korea, and Gulf War I. That project died early on when I discovered just how much book/paper scanning I was going to have to do, since at that time the U.S. government had not released those histories in electronic form.

New Windows and Mac demos were in place on 1 Feb when the last demo expired. The URL is http://www.battlefront.com/downloads.html

> Opposed river crossings is not were TacOps shines. Hey ... you were the guys who chose to push too many markers across single lane bridges.

> hey,I've heared about some release of TacOps5. > What about this? Is it released or on the way? The USMC and the Australian and New Zealand armies have a military v5 but it has not moved to a retail release yet. Some of its new features were back fitted to the retail v4 during 2006.