dmg

What video card do you have in your laptop?

PlayerArmyIndex is used to point to a players' army. Other armies in SP mode will belong to AI. In your own mission you have to control these AI units by mission triggers to support a tactical AI. Look at the original missions to get some examples of its implementation there.

Paul Griffiths, did you try to set up the NAT server? (I mean Network Address Translation server, NOT a Norton Internet Security) If you don't have an access to the Network Address Translation server (that translates external ip into your internal ip), you cannot host an Internet game (try to connect to others, or to play inside the same LAN).

Glad to hear it. If your find this very setting that eliminates the trenches artifact, let us know. So we might put your tip into our troubleshooting FAQ.

Do you mean using trigger procedures StaticDamage, StaticFire and CreateDeformations? For StaticDamage, StaticFire look at the original missions, how they are called there. E.g., POLISH\P003_Sandomierz, trigger [staticDamage] CreateDeformations is not used in the original missions (but you may look at the example in the description of the procedure, just don't forget do add the proper RECT object to your mission). This procedure does not deform the landscape, but adds a number of shell holes to a given region. The shell holes may disappear if the camera does not face them.

I have no idea how deleting ~user.usr (maybe you meant ~data.usr?) might help you. ~data.usr is just a backup copy of data.usr. Currently it's a simple .xml-file that contains only players profile name but no video settings.

You may write your own AI with using the mission trigger scripts, so it might act in unpredictable way against the player's army. For example, - You may call ArtSupportCall against a single unit or against a unit group. - You may create a dynamic RECT by means of CreateRectByObject (it can find compact groups of players' units convenient for a sudden counterattack). - You may call Rnd function to get random values and make scripts work in unpredictable way - You may use variables and trigger instances to make your code more compact and more functional. You can get a random value by means of Rnd function and then randomly choose the proper support type. You may also evaluate player's forces by means of GetNUnits/GetNUnitsInArea/GetNUnitsOutOfArea. And for the player such a behaviour will seem unpredictable. If it was a fixed tactical AI layer you wouldnt be able to control it and make it individual for each new mission. By using the script triggers you may write your own AI and tune it for your own Theatre of War scenario.

Try to change the server speed in towsetup.exe. Try to make it higher or lower. Find the value that best fits your connection.

In Catalyst Control Center pay more attention to options named like 'a texture filtering quality' (or something). Also try to set priority to quality (instead of performance) and vice-versa for all the 3D options. If you find out anything, please, let me know.

Mapartists didn't think up the landscape from scratch by themselves. They just 'tuned' the real topographic maps of WWII so that they might be playable. [ May 02, 2007, 10:05 PM: Message edited by: dmg ]

Try the following: run towsetup.exe оr the game and set video settings to low. Then restart the game (if it was run). Do you see the same artifact? Pay more attention to an option "models quality": first of all set it to low and look at the results after restarting the game. Also can you show the whole screen shot of the game when camera facing to trenches and the artifact is visible? [ May 02, 2007, 09:48 PM: Message edited by: dmg ]

No, terrain types are not just images. Terrain consists of several image layers. One of these layers is responsible for AI processing (the others are resposible for heightmap, rendering, noise, etc). There are two reasons why they are not modded: 1) the process of preparation of these maps is quite complicated 2) All the ingame maps are based on real topographic maps and have just been manually tuned by our artists. [ May 02, 2007, 07:05 AM: Message edited by: dmg ]

Yes, the current version of the map editor will be used for placing static objects only.

What type of Intel CPU do you have in particular? Dual core, Pentium D, Pentium 4 or anything else? If it is a multicore cpu, did you try set / reset option "Use only one CPU" in towsetup.exe? Also, if option "Use only one CPU" does not help you and your cpu is multicore, please check SIO's advices at http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=66;t=000143 and tell weather it helps you or not. I'm not acquainted with this game. Does it use OpenGL or Direct3D? The fact is ToW uses OpenGL (Direct3D is used by MissionEditor only). So to get to know if there is any video drivers issue that affect the performance, it must be compared to OpenGL-engine games (e.g. Doom3). A video driver might be optimized for Direct3D but not support OpenGL at all (or support it with great performance issues) and vice-versa. [ May 02, 2007, 01:51 AM: Message edited by: dmg ]

Please, describe your system in full detail: 1. What is your operating system (and a service pack)? 2. What is your CPU? 3. How much RAM do you have? 4. What video card do you have? What is a version of its drivers? 5. Do you launch the game as an admin or as a limited user? 6. Can you launch demo-version? Does it work? 7. Did you successfully register the game? Did you see eLicense window when it was launched for the first time? 8. What happends when you try to launch tow.exe? What mistakes does it throw? 9. What directory did you install the game to?

I think, yes, it would

Please, upgrade you computer. You need more RAM (at least, 512 mb, but 1024 mb is recommended). You need more powerful CPU and much more powerful video card (see minimum and recommended reqs at https://www.combatmission2.com/tow_order.html )

Check your video card driver version. If it is 158.19 , rollback to the previous (97.92). There might be some problems with OpenGL in 158.19. See also post http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=66;t=000151 . It seems to me there was a simlar problem there.

>IPAddress=192.168.1.10 You cannot host an Internet game with this ip. The ip address starts with 192.168.x.x and it means it is not external. Though you may host LAN game or connect to an existing Internet host. Check the following: 1. Open towsetup.exe, select Multiplayer tab and expand Use IP address ComboBox. Do you see any ip addresses not starting with 192.168.x.x, 10.0.x.x or 172.16.x.x - 172.31.x.x? If not, you are behind NAT server and this means you cannot host an Internet game. (In actual fact, you can, but it'll take more work to set up, and an access to NAT server is needed, see pt. 4). 2. Check the same for your friend. If all his ip addresses start with 192.168.x.x, 10.0.x.x or 172.16.x.x - 172.31.x.x. he cannot host an Internet game either. (In actual fact, he can, but it'll take more work to set up, and an access to NAT server is needed, see pt. 4.). 3. Check external ips of you and your friend. Go to the link http://whatsmyipaddress.com/ from your computer and a computer of your friend. Do you have the same external ip addresses? If not, you may play only internet games (not LAN). 4. If your ip address is internal and you have an access to your NAT server with external ip (or a NAT server administrator is your best friend), you need set up your NAT so that all incoming udp traffic with destination ports 22345, 22400..22500 was sent to your computer (with ip address 192.168.1.10). In this case you may host an Internet game and all your game opponents must input the NAT server external ip (instead of 192.168.1.10) when connecting. [ May 01, 2007, 09:17 PM: Message edited by: dmg ]

Try also hints described in this branch: http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=66;t=000151

What directory you've installed the game to? What is your OS (and service pack), CPU, video card and video card driver's version? Does towsetup.exe work fine? Try to change resolution of the video settings. Does the game work? Try to unlicense and uninstall it, then reinstall the game again. Does it help?

Did you try recommendations from Troubleshooting Guide and FAQ http://www.battlefront.com/products/tow/troubleshooting.html ?

Can you try to rollback your XP video driver to an older version? Judging by your log there might be a problem with the latest drivers for 8800. [ April 28, 2007, 05:22 AM: Message edited by: dmg ]

To get to know your computer and system information: 1. Right click on My Computer at Desktop, in the popup window choose Properties item. 2. In the System Properties dialog choose General tab. Tell me what is written there about your System and Computer To get to know your video card information: 1. Right click on Desktop, in the popup window choose Properties item. 2. Select Settings tab 3. Click Advanced button 4. In the appeared dialog box select Adapter tab 5. Tell me what is your Adapter Information 6. Click Properties button 7. In the appeared dialog box select Driver tab 8. Tell me the date and the version of your driver. 9. To close all dialog boxes press Cancel buttons.

Yes, it's a bug. It'll be fixed ASAP. Thank you.