Guest MajorH Posted December 7, 1999 Share Posted December 7, 1999 Misc final changes in v3.0: TacOps v3.0 requires Windows95, 98, or NT4. TacOps v3.0 not compatible with any earlier version of Windows. TacOps v3.0 is not compatible with any previous version of TacOps. Converted the program from a Windows 3.x 16 bit code base to a Windows95/98/NT4 32 bit code to provide long filenames and to allow developer to use a modern development system. Long filenames added to Windows version. All scenario files converted to show long filenames. Deleted program useage of a somewhat obsolete Microsoft system file titled CTL3DV2.DLL. Optional French game interface and French documentation. Completed all French language documentation. Consolidated user documentation and online help files into English and French versions of three Acrobat Reader PDF files: Guide - User.pdf (Guide de l’utilisateur.pdf), Guide - Scenarios.pdf (Guide des scénarios.pdf), and Tutorial.pdf (Didactic.pdf). Enabled cross platform (Macintosh and Windows) loading of saved game files. Added text edit box to window used to set unit engagement ranges so user could enter a number other than zero or maximum. Improved the dialog and method for selecting a shared directory in LAN network mode. Increased base hit probability by 5% at 3200 meter mark for US M1 tank and for OPFOR FOT (future Opfor tank). 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. Program now tracks linkage of specific weapons within a unit marker to the thermal sight capability of the unit. Each weapon within a unit marker will only be able to fire on a smoke obscured target if the weapon is actually linked to a thermal sight. Done mainly to remove an unrealistic small arms observation advantage enjoyed by Canadian infantry squads armed with the Eryx ATGM. Enhanced amphibious capabilities. Added four sizes of amphibious landing craft and some extra maps with coastlines. Added an advanced USMC amphibious assault vehicle and the Osprey Tilt Rotor . Relaxed restrictions on loading, unloading, splitting, and joining units of units in water during orders phase to facilitate creation of amphibious scenarios and to alleviate some user interface problems related to use of landing craft. Rationalized Canadian Leopards into five base models: C1, C1(+), C2, C2(+), and Leopard 2A5. C1 = Leo 1A3 as originally purchased for Canadian use. C1(+) = Leo 1A3 plus add on armor as used in Kosovo. C2 = Leo 1A3 chassis plus Leo 1A5 turret. C2(+) = Leo 1A3 chassis plus Leo 1A5 turret plus add on armor. Leopard 2 = Leo 2A5. C1 through C2(+) have the same 105mm gun penetration values (DU/advanced tungsten) but C2 has better accuracy. Changed lift capacity of CH46E from 6000 lbs (2721 kg) to 8763 lbs (3975 kg) so CH46 can lift HMMWVs. Reduced penetration of the OPFOR notional improved AT10i ATGM from 1305 to 700mm. Reduced penetration of the OPFOR AT11 ATGM from 750 to 700mm. Reduced penetration of the OPFOR notional improved AT11i ATGM from 1320 to 800mm. Made following changes to OPFOR BMP3. Increased troop capacity from 8 to 9. Increased crew from 2 to 3. Increased A10 Stabber ATGM ammo from 5 to 8. Increased 100mm gun ammo from 20 to 40. Increased 7.62 machine gun ammo from 2000 to 6000 rounds. Added another 7.62 machine gun factor to represent the two machine guns in the bow. Increased frontal armor from 37mm to 61mm. Increased side armor from 18mm to 26mm. Added M72 LAAW to Canadian infantry unit named 'Rifles x 4 Team P4'. Added US M1060 120mm Mortar Carrier, added US M121 120mm Mortar (dismounted). Used old 4.2 in mortar id nums for the 120mm mortar so would auto convert all existing scenarios that use the 4.2 mortar. Added US M6 Bradley Linebacker Stinger SAM carrier. Added thermal sight to Mi28 Havoc helo. Added F5 key to change unit symbol marker info. Added F6 key to change unit symbol marker style. Added F9 key to turn on/off UTM cursor tracking. Extended instructor blue password starting with * to allow loading and play of a custom template based saved game file. Deleted use of Windows 'hlp' format help file and Windows 'hlp' format scenario guide. Substituted 'pdf' format for both and added code to run 'pdf' format via Help menu items. Changed program so that default search folder is the 'Maps' folder when loading a custom scenario template and the program first asks user to pick a map. Added the words 'Map Overlay" to map window title line when a map overlay is loaded. Enabled display of situation map during setup turn. The game turn/time is now appended to the suggested default name when saving a map overlay. 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. 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. Bug Fix - The Combat Speed menu item was displaying in French even though English was the preload default preference. Bug Fix - Corrected various typos in French special characters and accent marks in the menu bar and in various windows. Bug Fix - Corrected irregular flashing cursor during line of sight check. Bug Fix - In the Artillery Support Window there are five abbreviations for type of fire: ADJ, FFE, HE, ICM, and Smoke. The abbreviation used in the French window for HE was incorrect. TE (French abbreviation for FFE) was used instead of EB (French for High Explosive). The correct sequence of abbreviations in French is now present: REG, TE, EB, MCA, and Fum. Bug Fix - Program failed to recognize pressing of space bar as the que for starting the 'hand scroll' routine if a setup window was present. Bug Fix - On some W95 systems, the program failed to immediately erase a unit marker in the setup window as the marker was moved to the map window. Bug Fix - Changed spelling of 'de combat' to 'du combat' in Options menu item. Bug Fix - Program sometimes failed to allow user to start a selection rectangle from the upper left corner of the setup window. Bug Fix - Program failed to display window title in French for the 'Follow-on Forces" Window. Bug Fix - Revised unit drawing routines and explosion animations that did not draw properly on some very high speed, new computers, running Windows98. Probable conflict with high speed video card graphic acceleration features. Bug Fix - Quit menu item would sometimes not work while doing game run out. Bug Fix - Program failed to copy orders to move backward correctly when 'Get Orders' button in unit orders window was used. Bug Fix - Corrected spelling of Solitaire in startup window. Bug Fix - Added more lateral spacing to Status Report so columns lined up despite some longer unit names. Bug Fix - The 'Change Units & Weapons Red' menu itme failed to be properly enabled in some situations. Bug Fix - If user looked at weapon info for a damaged weapon the program would sometimes crash. Bug Fix - In network mode, program sometimes failed to place correct text in the 'passing info' window after orders exchange and after completion of combat phase. Bug Fix - Deleted thermal sight from Canadian Lynx RV and Canadian Infantray Team w LMG + M203. Bug Fix - Scenarios Battle Group Gainer 1 through 6, incorrectly had three dismounted infantry units present in the setup window. Bug Fix - Changed Bleue to bleu in French Menu titiles. Bug Fix - Program failed to allow M16 rifles to be changed into Styer rifles via the Change Units & Weapons menu item. Bug Fix - The orders window would often not accept keystroke shortcuts after certain activities. Bug Fix - Program wrongly drew setup limit rectangles when the user duplicated units in CPX umpire mode in game turns after turn 1. Bug Fix - While the arty and air support dialogs were in use, the program failed to redraw the ring showing the shift range limit when the user scrolled the map. Bug Fix - If user minimized the TacOps window while using the game run out feature, the program would sometimes hang. Bug Fix - If in two player on one computer mode, and if neither player was giving orders, and if fog of war was turned off, and if a stack of units was then spread out by clicking on the stack - the program failed to exit the selection routine if the user next clicked on empty map. Fixed typos in doc. Tutorial referred to Leopard 120mm gun vice 105mm gun in two places. Addition of 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. ------------------ Best regards, Major H majorh1@aol.com [This message has been edited by MajorH (edited 12-07-99).] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ltcmayer Posted December 15, 1999 Share Posted December 15, 1999 Curious -- what induced you to degrade the AT-10 and AT-11 (Men in black suits come knocking at your door?) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MajorH Posted December 15, 1999 Share Posted December 15, 1999 Nope ... it was manly pressure from TacOps users. The A10 and A11 ATGMs are fired through the barrel of certain OPFOR tanks. This limits the size and nature of the warhead. When the TacOps values for the A10 and A11 were first calculated, publicly available sources were mixed on what their likely capabilities were. To be safe I gave them values that made them a significant threat to Western tanks. Since then, 'conventional wisdom' has decided that the main purpose of these two ATGMs was/is long range sniping at Bradleys and similar ATGM armed IFVs and that the rounds are not particularly powerful. Accordingly I downgraded their penetration to just what is needed to nail targets other than tanks. I hope that I have not gone to far in the other direction. If so, I figure folks will let me know . ------------------ Best regards, Major H majorh1@aol.com [This message has been edited by MajorH (edited 12-15-99).] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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