Patch 1.0.4

[calvinus]

Dear all,

I’m happy to inform you that the WW1 Patch 1.0.4 will be published tomorrow in the morning! I’m still waiting for the last test reports. In the meanwhile, I’m adding some key improvements and new features. I repeat: tomorrow morning you will see the Patch 1.0.4 published.

We successfully managed to fix most of the hardware incompatibility issues that a lot of you have experienced since the very beginning: mouse lags, freezes and crashes.

To be honest, during the beta-testing period, none of the betas suffered such problems. I have so learnt that statistics can do sometimes a perfidious joke!

Technically speaking, I discovered that the multi-threaded architecture of WW1 game proved to be not compatible with some CPU chipset, having as a result what you well know: AI never finishes working, loading time very long, mouse lags, crashes, etc. etc.
So I decided to totally refactor the game engine, moving towards a single-threaded structure, at least for the main operations on data (AI jobs, update of data structures, management of I/O as well as for multiplayer objects). Once done, I submitted various patch trials to a set of you (4 at the beginning, rapidly growing with days) and I so reached a good level of stability, provided everyone of them was experiencing different problems! At the end I finally managed to reach a good version of the game, that looks compatible with all of them.
Believe to me, it has been a huge job, mainly because I never thought the multi-threaded architecture could generate such a big problem with your PCs. It’s still a mystere, because to my knowledge a lot of games are multi-threaded nowadays!

I hope you will finally enjoy the game with version 1.0.4.
Of course, several new patches will come in the future, even soon, bringing new fixes, new graphics and outstanding improvements. I strongly want to make this game perfect, little by little according to my means. And I hope you will appreciate my efforts.

For the time being, I suggest you to play in WEGO mode (not strictly-turn-based) for the following reasons:

a) It is the easiest way of playing and it makes the learning curve less “tough”. In addition, provided that planning of breakthroughs are available since the very first round of combat (with version 1.0.4), you will enjoy deeper advances also in WEGO mode!
b) The game is more stable and fast, and the AI works much better.
c) Last but not least, the extreme complexity of the game engine in advanced mode (strictly-turn-based or even the army-by-army activation) can hinder bugs! In fact, the whole refactoring of the game engine could have introduced some regression errors that could be very though to be spotted and fixed.

A new patch will come in December. It will introduce a lot of new graphics, battle animations, that will make combats more intuitive and nicer. You will find also some key improvements in Diplomacy Window, but also in Tutorials yes!
I will have so time to check deeply any regression bug for the strictly-turn-based mode, as well as to improve the AI performance in all her aspects.

Best regards,
Calvinus.

[Haplo_Patryn]

Great news! Thank you Calvinus. I think we've a "winner horse" with WWI. It could be one of the best wargames of this year.

[Lannes]

Great news! Thank you Calvinus

[Hannibal Smith]

Ok, very good.
Thanks

[tgb1]

Great news. When can we expect a real manual?

[ambien]

What is WEGO mode and how does one play in it?

[calvinus]

The WEGO mode is the default play mode you get at game installation.

All players plan their moves secretly and contemporarily. Once both of them have finished, the moves are executed contemporarily (in order of initiative).

[Nikel]

Hi Calvinus

I do not want to mess now that you have solved the problems. But does it mean that now the game will be slower in PCs with multi-core processors? For example Tamas said that before your game engine used his 4 cores and with peaks of up to a 80%.

Perhaps it could be a good alternative (when the dust settles) to add multi core support as an option

For example I know from using chess engines that this is an option. Glaurung is a chess engine and is developed in C++ (lafrite said your game engine is developed in C++ too?)

Look at a screenchot of Glaurung options, the threads are configurable

[ATTACH]4836[/ATTACH]

With 2 (the engine detects that I have 2 cores (Core2 Duo)), this is the task manager picture

[ATTACH]4834[/ATTACH]


Setting it to 1, it will use only one of the cores.

[ATTACH]4837[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]4835[/ATTACH]


Glaurung is free and the source code can be downloaded just in case you want to take a look. Of course I am not a software developer and I have no idea if a chess engine is similar to your WWI engine

http://www.glaurungchess.com/

http://www.glaurungchess.com/glaurung21.zip


It is just, that right now the processors sold are multi-core, so it is a pity not to benefit form them

[Tamas]

I can answer that for you: it wont be slower.

The only negative aspect, compared to my well-working multithread earlier versions, is that while you resolve a battle, the game may keep working in the background, and that can slow your mouse down. Solution is pretty easy of course: pause, commit your unit, hit engage, unpause, and you experience no delay. This is however with only a small portion of battles.

All in all, 1.04 is a big improvement.

[calvinus]

I can answer that for you: it wont be slower.

The only negative aspect, compared to my well-working multithread earlier versions, is that while you resolve a battle, the game may keep working in the background, and that can slow your mouse down. Solution is pretty easy of course: pause, commit your unit, hit engage, unpause, and you experience no delay. This is however with only a small portion of battles.

All in all, 1.04 is a big improvement.

I developed the game using a Core Quad, and tested widely it under a Core Duo, but also on an old Pentium single CPU... that's why I feel it like a mystere!

Yes, battles (mainly major ones - two flanks) will be a bit slower, because the game has to think a lot, now on a single thread. But it's not so annoying.

[Franciscus]

I can answer that for you: it wont be slower.

The only negative aspect, compared to my well-working multithread earlier versions, is that while you resolve a battle, the game may keep working in the background, and that can slow your mouse down. Solution is pretty easy of course: pause, commit your unit, hit engage, unpause, and you experience no delay. This is however with only a small portion of battles.

All in all, 1.04 is a big improvement.

Not being a programmer, I would think that it would be a better solution to automate this. I mean, AI should automatically pause when we start a battle, and only unpause after we hit engage. Would there be any inconvenient ??

[calvinus]

Not being a programmer, I would think that it would be a better solution to automate this. I mean, AI should automatically pause when we start a battle, and only unpause after we hit engage. Would there be any inconvenient ??

An inconvenient comes immediately to my mind... a nasty and annoying flickering of the "AI is working" window on the screen! It was so in version 0.5.0... awful!

[Tamas]

Not being a programmer, I would think that it would be a better solution to automate this. I mean, AI should automatically pause when we start a battle, and only unpause after we hit engage. Would there be any inconvenient ??

Being a long time gamer of Paradox games, I have a feeling of something missing when I can't hit Pause all the time. Believe me it aint a big deal, and since most battles go without this need to pause, the whole turn resolution becomes faster.

[Franciscus]

An inconvenient comes immediately to my mind... a nasty and annoying flickering of the "AI is working" window on the screen! It was so in version 0.5.0... awful!

You know better, of course

But then why do you not make this window simply "go away" during battles ?

[Nikel]

OK, thanks for the answer Tamas

I can answer that for you: it wont be slower.

The only negative aspect, compared to my well-working multithread earlier versions, is that while you resolve a battle, the game may keep working in the background, and that can slow your mouse down. Solution is pretty easy of course: pause, commit your unit, hit engage, unpause, and you experience no delay. This is however with only a small portion of battles.

All in all, 1.04 is a big improvement.

[Tamas]

You know better, of course

But then why do you not make this window simply "go away" during battles ?

There is no such window during battles.

[FLS]

Bravo Calvinus, sei grande!!

siamo tutti qui ad aspettare il risultato del fuo fantastico lavoro!!

Forza Ragazzo!!! Pooopopopoo !!!! campioni del mondo!

[PDF]

As one of the happy few who tested the beta patch, I can confirm it has cured *all* the "tech" problems I had - general slowlessness, infernally long AI, non responsive mouse ... I was amazed that it could all be cured !
With music off (seemed the cause of CTD for me), and "NATO counters" to alleviate unit merge/split, the game is perfectly playable and fun. Hopefully those small annoyances will be fixed soon also.

Granted I have an antiquated single core Athlon2400 dating from end 03, but which still works perfectly fine with Civ4, Theater of War (a bit jerky though..), all other AGEOD games (incl VGN Beta ).

So mille grazie Calvinus, but don't forget to ask me to test your games !

[jmjjmj]

So mille grazie Calvinus, but don't forget to ask me to test your games !

Almost makes me wish the game was crashing on my computer so I could test the game

[oldspec4]

As one of the happy few who tested the beta patch, I can confirm it has cured *all* the "tech" problems I had - general slowlessness, infernally long AI, non responsive mouse ... I was amazed that it could all be cured !
With music off (seemed the cause of CTD for me), and "NATO counters" to alleviate unit merge/split, the game is perfectly playable and fun. Hopefully those small annoyances will be fixed soon also.

Granted I have an antiquated single core Athlon2400 dating from end 03, but which still works perfectly fine with Civ4, Theater of War (a bit jerky though..), all other AGEOD games (incl VGN Beta ).

So mille grazie Calvinus, but don't forget to ask me to test your games !

HHHMMM...maybe I will get that second gig of ram for my Athlon 3000. Like your rig, mine still works fine for all the games I play, etc. I was not sure how this game would run on it, but it now sounds promising

[tagwyn]

Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow is another day!! Patch=tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!! I will try again but I think I will skip Tannenburg? apy:

[Johnnie]

tagwyn:

Please get your lyrics straight (sung to the tune of Annie):

Tomorrow, tomorrow, a patch out, tomorrow, it's only a day away.

[Johnnie]

I must work on getting a life.

[tagwyn]

Johnnie: Thanks ever so much mi amigo!! t apy:

[Kaiser1918]

"NATO counters" to alleviate unit merge/split,

My prayers are heard!

[calvinus]

So mille grazie Calvinus, but don't forget to ask me to test your games !

My next "game" will/must be a kid! No games for a long time!

[Kaiser1918]

Oh, yes, no time for gaming then. So, it's Tuesday morning in Europe, where is the patch?

[calvinus]

Just the time for upload, please. I took 6 hours (poor wifi connection!!!) to upload the patch on the server of Philippe, and now he needs some time to publish it.

[calvinus]

Well, it's finally time for you to download the patch! Herewith you can find the link:

http://ageoddl.telechargement.fr/3rdParty/WW1/Patches/WW1_Patch_v1.0.4.exe


The news...

[Version 1.0.4]
************

New features:
- Added a new map mode filter: Fronts

Improvements:
- Execution of AI actions does not force the recalculation of map window until the AI has finished
- Breakthroughs can now be planned since the very first round of battle
- Failed technology research tests do not cause anymore the abandonement of the technological research
- Game AI has been moved to the main game thread
- Technologies unavailable (because the entry year requirements are not met) are now displayed grayed-out in the Technological
Researchs window
- 'Ok' button of Draw Events window now blinks when you have finished the procedure of drawing events
- "Go to Next Battle" button of Battle window now blinks when the battle is finished
- Placement of Map Mode buttons have been swapped with the current Game Phase label in order to avoid a map scrolls when changing
the map display mode
- Labels and tooltips of buttons inside Diplomats Management window have been improved
- Rail conversion button now works also on already scheduled movements
- Future patches will not require you type again the serial key

Fixed bugs:
- Removed rare game engine freeze on execution of diplomatic orders
- Fixed bug in automatic RPs & MUNs reinforcements calculation
- Fixed a bug in "draw events" window that prevented the close of the window in some rare case
- "Engage" button in naval battles has now no constraints, so any lock in naval combats is resolved
- Fixed a minor bug in Fog of War calculation on allied units for 4-players multiplayer sessions
- Check-boxes for music & sounds on/off in Options window now works fine
- Activate/deactivate of musics play-back from Options window now works fine
- The game AI freezes has been removed
- Fixed the hang of sieges in 4-players campaign in single-player mode
- Fixed some bugs in air battle setup
- Corrected a graphical mistake in NATO symbol of mountain and marine units
- Fixed CTD that occurred when trying to detach air units from naval stacks into land forces
- All events that trigger the uniforms and airplanes design change have been corrected
- Fixed naval battle hang in case one side is totally annihilated
- The list of kept events in Draw Events window is cleared upon 2nd and following window open
- Fixed the technological setup errors in Palestine scenario
- The left & right units scroll buttons inside the HQ reserves box now works fine
- Random leader names generation now works properly

Important:
- "Give AI full time" and "Use all AI behaviors" options have been temporarily disabled

Also, following the big mess of these days, I forgot to attach a graphic file correction into the patch!
So I attached here the missing bitmap, zipped. Download the attachment and unzip it. Then copy the unzipped TGA file into the following folder:

[game dir]\Data\Graph\Interface\Image

Of course, I will add this bitmap into the future patches...

I repeat my advice:

For the time being, I suggest you to play in WEGO mode (not strictly-turn-based) for the following reasons:

a) It is the easiest way of playing and it makes the learning curve less “tough”. In addition, provided that planning of breakthroughs are available since the very first round of combat (with version 1.0.4), you will enjoy deeper advances also in WEGO mode!
b) The game is more stable and fast, and the AI works much better.
c) Last but not least, the extreme complexity of the game engine in advanced mode (strictly-turn-based or even the army-by-army activation) can hinder bugs! In fact, the whole refactoring of the game engine could have introduced some regression errors that could be very though to be spotted and fixed.

Best regards,
Calvinus.

[gildamac]

Well, it's finally time for you to download the patch! Herewith you can find the link:

http://ageoddl.telechargement.fr/3rdParty/WW1/Patches/WW1_Patch_v1.0.4.exe

Hi Calvinus,

The link doesn't work .