What did patch 2.12 do?

[Guest]

No bashing here - but I would like to see it. Is the updated one available online?

I'm actually wrong - the patch notes you've got are the correct ones, with one oversight.

We fixed a number of things, but most of them are wrapped up in "various minor bug fixes", as that's what they were. Slight adjustments to models, textures, TO&E, etc. We also made a fix to haze / fog, which is mentioned, and a fix for QB crashes on CMFI, which is not. That's the oversight. I'll ask about getting it corrected. But otherwise you guys know as much as you normally do from the patch notes!

[Bradley]

Can I gush. !!!!!!!

[db_zero]

Was that the path to the download page, or a path for an exception for the .exe-file?

It was for the .exe. When I got MG I had to completely reinstall and have 2 separate installations-one with MG and one without MG to maintain compatibility with existing PBEM games. Not sure if that had something to do with 2.12 issues.

As for the Macbooks running CMBN-not surprised. Macs have a lot going for them, but not sure if I want to go that route. My first computer was a Mac before I went over to the darkside.

I'd like to stay with the PC\Windoze platform. For what I would pay for a Mac notebook, I could probably get a Alienware laptop-which is more than what I'd like to spend. Apple in general has always been more expensive.

For less than a Macbook or Alienware, I think I could get a quad or perhaps 6 core PC laptop with a decent video card with 2 gigs at considerably less cost.

Then there is the software side of things. If I'm not mistaken I can use my already licensed key to install on a Windows laptop as that would count as the second installation. If I went the Apple route I'd have to buy the Macintosh version as my PC version would not be compatible.

[John Kettler]

BFC et al.,

I can't find (tired and wiped out) my remarks I made regarding 2.11, but I'll repeat those, as best I can recall, flesh them out further and offer a suggestion, if I may, on what could be either a useful feature--or a programmer's nightmare.

2.11 and 2.12, running Keep Calm on my 2011 iMac Arlington (3.06 GHz Intel Core Duo 2, 4 GB RAM and ATI Radeon 4670 256 MB video card, OS is Snow Leopard) loads markedly faster than before. This is true even with all settings for graphics maxed. Vehicles, equipment and men look better. There may even be a bit of foliage improvement, too. Thus, progress in both loading speed and game visuals. Speaking of graphics, I tried the same game loading exercise with all graphics maxed, and it didn't seem to matter. I suspect performance isn't falling off simply because the video card can do only so much then ceases to try after that.

I didn't do more than cursory function tests after installing 2.12, but I did notice a new, and most unwelcome, problem. It's a juddering when, after having panned either left or right, you move the camera back to center. The effect seems to begin roughly 30 degrees away from centerline. This has never happened before since I started playing CMx2.

Also, a previously reported problems with a badly sticking Yes button (cursor freezes; can't ESC or CMD Q to get out; can't even shut down from power button), continues, and I almost had to cut the power at the UPS before the confounded thing unstuck. In turn, that led to further fun with the End button.

These are the problems I've noted, but here's my idea for a new feature for any CMx2 game for which there is at least one module out. How about taking the icons which show the game and the module or modules present and turn them into radio buttons? My eyes read them that way already (clicked them fruitlessly on several occasions). And what would the radio buttons do? They would toggle to a list of the specific scenarios for that particular base game or module. Thus, the same "scenario list by order of increasing difficulty" would appear, but it'd be specific to the button selected. For a full version of CMBN, you'd have a) stock CMBN scenarios; CW scenarios and c) MG scenarios. I believe this would simplify scenario selection by uncluttering the growing list of battles, making it easier for players to see what's needed and save them time in the process.

Regards,

John Kettler

[poesel]

Therefore, I propose the restriction that mortars should be prohibited in deploying in Heavy Forest tiles.

Try it. You can deploy but they won't shoot if enough trees are in the LOF. AFAIK been like this since day 1.

Of course would be nice to get some kind of feedback that they won't/can't shoot before you actually try to do so.

@Phil: if you are at it: the Mac installer for 2.12 still has 'v2.11' all over the install windows

[A Canadian Cat]

We also made a fix to haze / fog, which is mentioned, and a fix for QB crashes on CMFI, which is not. That's the oversight. I'll ask about getting it corrected. But otherwise you guys know as much as you normally do from the patch notes!

Thank you Phil

[Juju]

Interesting that the BN patch overwrote my commands and I had to redo them in options, but the FI patch did not.

There's a backup of those commands. You can find the file in the data folder.

From the readme:

HOTKEYS.TXT FILE:

This patch includes new hotkeys.txt file, necessary for the 2.0 Upgrade. Any existing hotkeys.txt file is automatically renamed to "previous_hotkeys.txt", so you can either replace or reconstruct your preferred hotkeys settings quickly.

[Guest]

@Phil: if you are at it: the Mac installer for 2.12 still has 'v2.11' all over the install windows

It displays an updated 2.11 read me. That's the only place you should see 2.11. Everything else - title, prompts, etc. - show 2.12, correct?

[Redwolf]

OK, so where are the change notes?

The postings just say "and more..."

[poesel]

It displays an updated 2.11 read me. That's the only place you should see 2.11. Everything else - title, prompts, etc. - show 2.12, correct?

The window title says 1.12 but under important information it starts with:

'Combat Mission: Fortress Italy v1.11 Patch README

...'

and several more times. Same for BN.

[John Kettler]

Childress,

For standard mortar rounds, once fired, the fuze is armed, and any tree encounter could be lethal to the crew. That's why overhead masking is first assessed before siting the mortars. Absent a patch opened up by artillery or bombing, mortars would generally have to deploy in clearings when operating from heavy forest. But, since the mortar minimum elevation is 45 degrees, it's much easier to operate mortars from heavy forest than it is to operate field artillery.

Regards,

John Kettler

[Michael Emrys]

It's a juddering when, after having panned either left or right, you move the camera back to center. The effect seems to begin roughly 30 degrees away from centerline.

With me, that depends on what part of the map the camera is pointing towards. It will be panning smoothly and then when it gets to a part of the map where a lot of my units are located, it starts juddering. Then once it is past that part, it begins panning smoothly again. My guess is that all those 3D models and textures that make up the units are just stressing the video card a bit beyond what it is comfortable with. But this has improved noticeably with the recent upgrades. It's still there, but not as bad.

Michael

[Alchenar]

On the topic of patching CM:BN: whatever happened to the plan to update the shop version to 2.0?

I get why it makes sense for the 2.0 upgrade to be charged for existing users (I happily paid for the Shock Force upgrade back in the day) but I made a decision way back to hold off on buying until I could just pay list price to get the most recent version... and then it never happened and the game just dropped off my radar.

It's really weird that I can't just buy the most recent version of the game straight up, because despite being more interested in Normandy than Italy, CM:BN has a $10 premium on it.

... except on closer inspection when you take into account the ongoing $20 discount on CM:BN then it comes out $10 cheaper than CM:Italy.

Which all just begs the question: why is the store set up in this horribly counter-intuitive way?

[Battlefront.com]

We will update Upgrade 2.0 and the various games and demos to current standards very soon. What you guys don't understand is that this is a massive time sucking PITA to do because we have to test everything fresh. Not to mention the several days of uploading/downloading that's involved.

Steve

[Vergeltungswaffe]

There's a backup of those commands. You can find the file in the data folder.

From the readme:

HOTKEYS.TXT FILE:

This patch includes new hotkeys.txt file, necessary for the 2.0 Upgrade. Any existing hotkeys.txt file is automatically renamed to "previous_hotkeys.txt", so you can either replace or reconstruct your preferred hotkeys settings quickly.

True and I didn't think about that, but I have them so well ingrained in my fingertips that it literally took about 15 seconds to redo them to my personal version.

[Alchenar]

We will update Upgrade 2.0 and the various games and demos to current standards very soon. What you guys don't understand is that this is a massive time sucking PITA to do because we have to test everything fresh. Not to mention the several days of uploading/downloading that's involved.

Steve

That's really good news!

I do understand that it's a bit of a time drain and I appreciate that incorporating patches into the demo is a step above and beyond what anyone else does. I'm not sure however it's fair to imply I'm being impatient when it has literally been a whole year since 2.0 came out!

[Battlefront.com]

I just posted this in another thread:

These new patches are basically small tweaks to the previous patches. We don't usually document the small changes. Here's a list of a few that I found:

* Corrected a bug with German HMG models

* Having a covered arc does not prevent a heavy weapon from deploying

* JPz IV armor quality slightly increased

* (Normandy) Small TO&E corrections (team/crew size)

* (Normandy) Sherman III intake texture corrected

* (Italy) Corrected a crash problem with some QB maps

* (Italy) Corrected Garand/Springfield rifle assignment based on troop quality

* (Italy) M15A1 halftrack model corrected

Steve

[sburke]

That's really good news!

I do understand that it's a bit of a time drain and I appreciate that incorporating patches into the demo is a step above and beyond what anyone else does. I'm not sure however it's fair to imply I'm being impatient when it has literally been a whole year since 2.0 came out!

Lol. It isn't like they have been idle the whole year.

[Michael Emrys]

Lol. It isn't like they have been idle the whole year.

Oh come on! The cat is out of the bag by now. It's well known that each game is thrown together in the last two weeks of the production cycle. The rest of the time is spent sitting around drinking beer and watching sporting events on the office 72" HDTV while trimming their toenails.

Michael

[Alchenar]

Lol. It isn't like they have been idle the whole year.

Sorting out your shop is like cleaning your bathroom.

Yeah it takes a bit of time and a bit of effort and it's an under-appreciated job, but it should probably happen more than once a year!

On a more serious point: this kind of version housekeeping is something that Battlefront conspicuously lets slip (see: the poor guy in the Shock Force forum trying to work out what sequence of patches he needs from a clean install). I literally can't think of any other game that I could buy only to discover that I didn't have the most recent version.