MajorH TacOps Developer
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Posts posted by MajorH TacOps Developer
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> Aside: don't you love how when someone asks a question and
> the sum total of Major H's answer is "Correct program
> response"? End of subject.
Actually ... what I normally say is "That is correct program behavior"
. It isn't meant to end a discussion, it is just presented as my two cents worth.> I read with worry Major H's response about how the v4.0 will
> not allow for solitaire play as OPFOR.
Periodically I have to stop adding new things and sell something for a while. I can polish the Army product into a retail version in a few more months. If I moved OPFOR solitaire play up to the top of the wish list then I would probably still be working on v4 in Dec of 2002.
> Is anyone else out there worried that game development has
> been driven by military contracts rather than playability
> considerations?
That should not be a worry. 16th Cav isn't going to pay for an unplayable sim
. Their interests are not really all that different from the interests of the hobby users. I will admit that they have very little interest in playing OPFOR, but perhaps a Russian contract will appear someday. -
I don't understand your question.
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>despite the fact that i just paid for v.3 i hope that v.4 is going to be out soonest ...
Thanks for not waiting for v4.
The willingness of many people to repurchase the game roughly annually is the main reason why I have been able to keep the game available and evolving for almost eight years.
That and the military contracts
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If you want a unit or weapon system added that you did not see on the list ...
Send me an email containing the official name of the weapon/unit and as much as you know of its characteristics - range, effectiveness, weight, etc. In other words the info that you see when you look at the TacOps unit and weapon info windows via the "Reports/Unit Data Base" and "Reports/Weapon Data Base" menu items.
The less that I have to look up, the better the chance that I can slip it in.
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>Dare I hope that the new version will allow me
>to play against the AI as OPFOR?
Alas, your hopes are dashed.
But ... the new TCP/IP networking feature allows easy and fast play against a human opponent via the Internet. You are linked to your opponent in real time. You both do your orders phase and combat phase simultaneously (WEGO) so the flow of the game is the same as if you were playing solitaire.
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There is no "unit tool".
Thanks for the offer but I can't risk using a photo unless I personally know exactly where it came from and who owns it.
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The following new unit types have been added to the TacOpsCav v4 data base at the request of the Army.
* Units marked with an asterisk do not yet have any game relevant special capabilities. For example the M548 Volcano Mine Dispenser Vehicle is now in the database but it does not yet actually lay mines. Over time I hope to code some of these to do something useful automatically rather than depending on a game umpire to take care of them.
New Civilian and Paramilitary Units:
Civilian (CV) markers are unarmed unless otherwise noted.
CV Civil Ambulance
CV Bomb Portable
CV Bomb Transportable
CV Civil Car
CV Civil Firetruck
CV Civil Helicopter
CV Civil Truck Large
CV Civil Truck Medium
CV Civil Truck Small
CV Civil Truck w Hvy MG
CV Civil Truck w Lt MG
[x1 below indicates that a marker can represent 1 to 15 persons]
CV Civil x1
CV Civil x1 (w concealed pistol)
CV Civil x1 Dignitary
CV Civil x1 Fireman
CV Civil x1 Government
CV Civil x1 Media
CV Civil x1 Medical
CV Civil x1 NGO (Non Government Organization)
CV Civil x1 Police Unarmed
CV Civil x1 Police w Pistol
CV Civil x1 Police w Rifle
CV Civil x1 PVO (Private Voluntary Organization)
CV Civil x1 Rescue
CV Civil x1 w MG
CV Civil x1 w Rifle
CV Civil x1 w RPG
[x5 below indicates that a marker can represent 5 to 75 persons]
CV Civil x5
CV Civil x5 (w concealed pistol)
CV Civil x5 Dignitary
CV Civil x5 Fireman
CV Civil x5 Government
CV Civil x5 Media
CV Civil x5 Medical
CV Civil x5 NGO
CV Civil x5 Police Unarmed
CV Civil x5 Police w Pistol
CV Civil x5 Police w Rifle
CV Civil x5 PVO
CV Civil x5 Rescue
CV Civil x5 w Mixed Wpns
CV Civil x5 w Rifle
[x10 below indicates that a marker can represent 10 to 150 persons]
CV Civil x10
CV Civil x10 (w concealed pistol)
CV Civil x10 Dignitary
CV Civil x10 Fireman
CV Civil x10 Government
CV Civil x10 Media
CV Civil x10 Medical
CV Civil x10 NGO
CV Civil x10 Police Unarmed
CV Civil x10 Police w Pistol
CV Civil x10 Police w Rifle
CV Civil x10 PVO
CV Civil x10 Rescue
CV Civil x10 w Mixed Wpns
CV Civil x10 w Rifle
New OPFOR Units:
OP 122mm Hwtzer Towed D30
OP 152mm Hwtzer Towed 2A65
OP 152mm Hwtzer Towed D20
OP 152mm SP Hwtzr 2S5
OP 300mm MRL (multiple rocket launcher)
OP 2S9 120mm SP Mortar
OP 9P140 220mm MRL (multiple rocket launcher)
OP 9P149 ATGMLV
OP 9P157 ATGMLV
* OP ARK1M Artillery Locating Radar
OP AT13 MetisM ATGM Team
OP AT14 Kornet ATGM Team
OP AT5 Spandrel ATGM Team
OP BMD2 IFV
OP BMD3 IFV
OP BMP1P IFV
OP BRM1K ACRV Recon
OP BRM3K CRV Recon
OP BTR80 FAC
OP BTRD APC (BMD M1979)
OP BTRT APC
* OP GMZ3 Minelaying Vehicle
* OP IMR2M Obstacle Clearing Vehicle
OP KA50A HokumA Helo Air Atk
OP KA50A HokumA Helo AT
OP KA50A HokumA Helo Recon
OP KA52 HokumB Helo Air Atk
OP KA52 HokumB Helo AT
OP KA52 HokumB Helo Recon
OP M84 Tank (Yug)
OP Mi24D Hind Helo
OP Mi24F Hind Helo
OP Mi28N Havoc Helo Air Atk
OP Mi28N Havoc Helo Recon
OP Mi2T Hoplite Helo Transport
OP Mi2URN Hoplite Helo Recon
OP Mi2URP Hoplite Helo AT
OP Mi2US Hoplite Helo Gun
OP Mi8/17 HIP Helo Gunship
* OP MTK2 Mineclearing Vehicle
OP PRP3/4M Arty Recon Vehicle
OP S60 57mm AAA
OP SA6 SAM
OP SA8B SAM
OP SA9 SAM
OP SA10 SAM
OP SA11 SAM
OP SA13 SAM
OP SA14 SAM Team
OP SA15 SAM
OP SA18 SAM Team
OP SA341H Gazelle Helo Recon
* OP SNAR10 Surveillance Radar
OP T55AMV +ERA Tank
OP T62MV +ERA Tank
OP T64BV Tank
OP T72BM/S Tank
OP T80B Tank
OP T80UM1 Tank
OP T84 Tank (Ukraine)
OP T90S Tank
OP Truck 10mt Cargo
OP Truck 15mt Cargo
OP Truck 2.5 ton Cargo
OP Truck 21mt Tank Transporter
OP Truck 4mt Van
OP Truck 6mt Cargo
OP Type 59 II Tank
OP Type 85 IIM Tank
OP Type 98 Tank
OP Type83 122mm SP Hwtzr
* OP UMZ Scatterable Minelayer
OP VTT323 120mm Mortar Carrier
OP VTT323 82mm Mortar Carrier
OP YW531A APC
OP YW534 AT
New US Units:
US AH64 Helo (General Support Role)
US AH64 Helo Longbow (Close Support Role)
US AH64 Helo Longbow (Multi Role)
* US AN/MPQ64 Sentinel Ops Group
* US AN/TPQ36 Firefinder Ops Group
* US AN/TPQ37 Firefinder Ops Group
* US AN/TPQ47 Firefinder Ops Group
* US HMMWV + MICLIC Trailer
US HMMWV HUMRAAM ADA
* US HMMWV Striker COLT
* US M1 Heavy Assault Bridge
* US M1 Obstacle Breaching Vehicle
US M2 AMEV Bradley Ambulance
US M2 AMTV Bradley Medical
US M270 227mm MLRS
* US M2A2 Bradley ENG
US M2A2 Bradley IFV
* US M2A3 Bradley ENG
US M2A3 Bradley IFV
US M3A3 Bradley CFV
* US M548 Volcano Mine Dispenser
* US M58 Smoke Generator
* US M60 AVLB (bridging vehcile)
* US M60 AVLM (mine clearing vehicle)
US M7 Bradley FIST
* US M9 Armored Combat Earthmover
US MH47 Helo
US MH53 Pave Low III Helo
US Truck Forward Repair System
US Truck M1074/1075 PLS
US Truck M1078 2.5t Cargo
US Truck M1079 2.5t Van
US Truck M1081 2.5t Cargo LVAD
US Truck M1083 5t Cargo
US Truck M1084 5t Cargo MHE
US Truck M1085 5t Cargo Long
US Truck M1086 5t Cargo Long MHE
US Truck M1088 5t + M871 Trailer
US Truck M1089 5t Wrecker
US Truck M1090 5t Dump
US Truck M1093 5t Cargo LVAD
US Truck M1094 5t Dump LVAD
US Truck M923 5t Cargo
US Truck M939 5t Cargo
* US UH60 Volcano Mine Dispenser
US XHIMARS (Wheeled Multiple Rocket Launcher System)
US XM2001 Crusader 155mm SP Hwtzr
* US XM2002 Crusader Resupply Vehicle
US XM777 155mm Hwtzr
US XMAV Ambulance
US XMAV ATGM
US XMAV C2/TOC
* US XMAV Engineer
US XMAV ICV AGL (armed with grenade launcher)
US XMAV ICV HMG (armed with heavy machine gun)
US XMAV MGS (Mobile Gun System)
US XMAV Mortar
US XMAV MRV
* US XMAV NBC Recce
US XMAV Recce AGL (armed with grenade launcher)
US XMAV Recce HMG (armed with heavy machine gun)
US XMAV SP Howitzer
US XMAV STRIKER/FSV
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Oh what the hell ...
v4 will add, among other things ...
Multiplayer Teams mode of play via Internet and or Local Area Network using TCP/IP. If all are connected via a Local Area Network then 20 to 30 players can participate in the same battle. This mode will be used in various U.S. Army schools and is the main focus of my current contract with the U.S. Army. The number of players drops to around ten if all are connected via the Internet.
Eight force/marker colors - Blue, Red, Green, Orange, Gold, Yellow, Gray, and Ivory. Each force color can be designated as hostile or friendly to any combination of the other colors. The additional force colors were introduced for the U.S. Army so that they could game situations where there are multiple factions and entities of varying hostility swirling around the primary actors.
Additional markers and unit types to represent civilians on the battlefield, militia, paramilitary forces, suicide bombers, car bombs, etc.
Various new engineering functions such as adding/removing obstacles, bridges, etc.
A somewhat more modern/colorful user interface.
About 200 new unit types.
Optional friendly forces fog of war in Mutiplayer Teams mode.
Almost every support window/dialog in the game has been recoded to allow the user to choose for it to appear on a second monitor rather than on the primary map screen. Most such windows now remember where they were last positioned by the user so once you get things the way you want them then they will stay that way from game to game.
Clicking the right mouse button on a unit marker in the Map window now opens a pop up menu containing the following items: Info, Photo, Unload, Load, Split, Join, Copy Orders, Paste Orders, Get Orders, Add Orders, Copy SOP, Paste SOP, and Set PIN. Saves many trips to the unit orders window.
The network chat feature is evloving into a window that can always be in the background without interfering with other game activities. The biggest remaining problme with it is that it presently gets in the way of the map view unless the user has a very large monitor or better yet a second monitor.
There is a remote possibility that a Type3 map may emerge with a variable map scale. For example, it may become possible to build a map that has a scale other than a pixel representing ten meters - a pixel might become five meters or 20, 50, or 100 meters. If a pixel represented 100 meters then a TacOps map could represent up to 310 kilmeters. This is actually in the code now but it doesn't work adequately with a lot of the movement and combat logic.
New File menu items: Export Order of Battle and Import Order of Battle. Intended to (a) allow a scenario designer to transfer order of battle info from one scenario (saved game file) and or map to another scenario and or map (
to provide a work around for those occasions when an incremental change to the game engine makes it impossible to load saved game files from earlier versions of the game engine.Added the capability to change additional characteristics of "off map" artillery. The following responsiveness characteristics for each "off map" artillery unit in play can be changed by selecting the "Options/Change Artillery Support" menu item:
Minimum seconds until first impact.
Maximum seconds until first impact.
Minimum seconds between adjustment rounds.
Maximum seconds between adjustment rounds.
Minimum seconds between salvos.
Maximum seconds between salvos.
Minimum seconds to shift fire.
Maximum seconds to shift fire.
And other things ...
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>.. v.4 is coming out within 6 months? Is this
>an accurate estimate
TacOpsCav v4 will be done by the end of this month but you will have to join the Army in order to play it
. I don't know how long it will take me to turn that into TacOps v4. I may take a month off for R&R before starting.>and what will be the new aspects to be expected in v.4?
There are a couple of threads from several months ago that talk about v4. Set your preferences to go back six months to a year.
>Can members contribute to the game in
>anyway shape or form?
I am always glad to hear suggestions.
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>Will i have to unlearn and re-learn everything?
No. I work very hard to try to keep new features and internal changes from radically changing the look and feel of TacOps.
There were a lot of changes between v1 (Arsenal) and v2 (Avalon Hill) but it has been so long that I don't have that list easily at hand. I do have a summary of the differences between v2 (Avalon Hill) and v3 (Battlefront.com).
Below are the most significant differences between TacOps v2.x and TacOps v3.x.
In TacOps v3...
A second type of map was added named the 'Type2 map' to allow users to create their own maps. Free Mac and Windows Type2 map making utilities can be downloaded from www.battlefront.com.
Added more US units and a lot more Canadian units – now have 283 unit types. Tweaked the Australian and New Zealand units.
Tweaked unit and weapon characteristics.
Added a 100 megabyte reference library consisting of 20 U.S. Army field manuals in Adobe Acrobat Reader PDF format. This is a tactics oriented subset pulled from the larger (167 manuals) Military Reference Library CDROM currently sold by www.battlefront.com.
Enhanced amphibious capabilities. Added four sizes of amphibious landing craft and some extra maps with coastlines. Added the future USMC Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle and the Osprey Tilt Rotor aircraft.
Long filenames were added to the Windows version. Ported code to W95/98/NT4 32 bit base. Dropped Windows 3.x compatibility.
Now have 20 extra maps for custom scenarios including a low fidelity interpretation of NTC Ft. Irwin, an area near Ft Knox, an area in Korea, an area in Germany, and some Canadian training areas.
Addition of more CPX (Command Post Exercise) umpire support features and umpire tools including printed reports.
Addition of a complete current and near future ORBAT for Canadian Forces as provided by the Canadian Army.
About 60 of the US scenarios were duplicated and converted so that they start up with Canadian order of battle instead of US.
Optional French game interface and French documentation.
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In my opinion, surprising a battalion is different from ambushing a squad sized patrol mano-a-mano.
Recon units should not be allowed to pass. Their eyes and comms will screw you royally later when (from behind you) they start calling in arty support and reporting your locations and activities once the real battle starts.
Recon units should be engaged by small forces specifically tasked and organized to be able to win the counter-recon skirmish without giving away the trace of the main ambushing force or the trace of the main line of resistance.
Just my two cents ...
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>In a year or two, there isn't going to be a lot of
>new os9 software coming out. Macs soon
>will be coming with osx only and that's where
>the developers of cutting edge software will be.
Chuckle
. In two years we will be complaining because our investment in "OSX only" software doesn't work properly anymore as we go through more or less the same thing with OSX Plus, and then the following year with OSX SE, and then the year after with OSX MegaDoodle.
The ongoing OS "eye candy" race between Apple and Microsoft reminds me of the silly tail fins that appeared on U.S. cars in the early 60s and grew larger each year until the fad collapsed in its own ridiculousness.
Best regards, Major H
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TacOps v3.x and earler does not support Mac vs PC networked games. In those versions the Mac used an Appletalk network approach and the PC used a shared folder Windows network approach. You can however start your Mac vs PC game session in PBEM mode and then manually exchange the saved orders files between the Mac and the PC by floppy disk.
TacOps v4 will support Mac vs PC games by LAN and or Internet using TCP/IP.
[ 11-19-2001: Message edited by: MajorH ]</p>
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> the overlaying of trees [woods] is kicking my butt.
How so?
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I think the list is up. The list often goes through spurts of near total silence.
If a message bounces back, wait a few minutes or hours and send it again.
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Several people have reported that TacOps v3.x runs OK under Win2K. I don't have any reports of it not working.
If you want to be sure then you should download and run the demo version. It is not a large download.
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The Army version is being tested daily at Fort Knox. There are bugs to track down and still some new things to add. We are trying to tie it off by the end of November.
It will then take a couple of months to move the Army version into a suitable package for retail release - if I push it. I may opt instead to take a month off
.[ 10-24-2001: Message edited by: MajorH ]</p>
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The archive of useful map textures is now at
http://www.battlefront.com/resources/tacops
You can either get it from the Map Room under Mapmaking Tools or the File Room under TacOps Resources. Search for a link titled "Map patterns".
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I checked the code - the entries and tables for snipers are identical for the Canadian and U.S. units. Same with the entries and tables for arty responsiveness and accuracy.
Many details in TacOps are defined by a span of possible values/probabilities/outcomes. Thus it is possible for combat results to vary significantly even though the event or situation of the instant is similar or identical to earlier ones.
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I just uploaded a 5 meg file of useful map making textures to Riki (John McKinney) for transfer to one of the download pages of the TacOps HQ web site.
I'll try to remember to post a note here when they are available for public downloading.
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>a more home user/gamer friendly version of Windows 2000,
>which is well known for it's stability
And for or its viruses
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>As for stability, look for XP to be much more stable than
>Windows 95/98/ME. No more blue screen of death reboots.
That is what was said about W95, W98, W2K, and WMe. It has not been true yet.
I have just about every Microsoft productivity program available and I used to update everything annually. I have not bought or upgraded a single Microsoft product since they begain requiring software activation. As a developer I usually have a catastrophic system crash every month or two and I make major hardware changes every few weeks. I have better things to do than to periodically beg a Microsoft phone rep to reactivate my software.
Once software activation becomes the norm the next "advance" from Microsoft will be pay per use.
AT&T and IBM used to show this same level of arrogance. It took way too long to happen but they were eventually punished for it.
[ 10-23-2001: Message edited by: MajorH ]</p>
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>I tried to take a look at this scenario and it only opened
>in a very small window. Do you know what the problem is?
That is correct program behavior.
TacOps does not stretch or shrink maps to fill the monitor. The map for Task Force Marks is a small map so its window does not take up the whole screen - unless you choose to change your screen resolution with the Windows Display control panel.
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>I have ZA and Norton's on my W98 computer. Are you saying that ZA is all I
>need protectionwise and that it's better than Norton's?
I should never do email before my fourth cup of coffee
. The original questions was about virus scanners and I misread it as asking about firewalls.I now use the latest version of MacAfee for virus scanning. I chose it based on a couple of days of Internet research. I ran it on all of the PCs that I use for development and found no viruses. I then ran it on my son's recently retired college PC and found dozens
.However I stand by my earlier comment about MacAfee heavily polluting your system and hard disk. I do not run it all the time. I only install it once a month to do a check of all my PCs and then I remove it. Before installing it I do a system save so that I can also do a system restore immediately after I uninstal MacAfee.
to provide a work around for those occasions when an incremental change to the game engine makes it impossible to load saved game files from earlier versions of the game engine.
New TacOps
in TacOps 4
Posted
The two things most likely to be worked on after the Army accepts TacOpsCav v4 and before TacOps v4 is released are new scenarios and a scenario creation tool.
I can't predict how successful I may be with the scenario tool.