Newbie Questions
 

Hello:
Experimenting with the winSPWW2 tutorial. Maybe tried SPWAW a long time ago and was put off by the graphics but curious to give winSPWW2 a shot.

Kudos to all involved in keeping the game up-to-date. An amazing amount of content too. The game does a very good job of displaying a lot of data in a very concise way!

1) Wondering if there is some mod that helps see the hill contours a little better? I struggle with this in almost all computer wargames I have tried. Some hill masses are easy to see and I struggle with others.

2) I downloaded v5. Is the latest patch cumulative or do I have to install a series of patched to get up to date.

3) Would like to take screenshots of the unit list but it doesn't work well. Is that better now in the latest version?

4) In the tutorial I had a Pv IVh destroyed and even though I used Playback twice I couldn't see which unit hit it. Any tips on this?

Again a big thanks for the game!

Gerry

Re: Newbie Questions
 

Hiya and welcome aboard!

1. I don't believe so - Hover over any hex and the height is displayed at the top of the screen in the red band, The mini map (bottom right) also attempts to show major height differences with colour. It is something that gets easier as you get used to it - try some desert maps to start with I find it easier on those.

2. The current version is 10.01. My understanding is you need to install V5, then the V9b consolidation patch and finally the V10.01 upgrade (all available for free on the Shrapnel site).

3. Never had an issue with screen shots... (run windowed mode with "Desktop" screen size- or highest you can with free version)

4. Units can remain hidden even after firing, you can often not know where enemy fire is coming from! - usual tips for spotting, ie use infantry, slow or no movement, etc.

Hope this helps - enjoy!

Re: Newbie Questions
 

Thanks very much.

I sometimes move units by accident when I left-click somewhere as the focus is still on the unit. How do you remove the focus from a unit so when you left-click nearby the unit will not move?

I can only play small scenarios in computer wargames. In the tutorial they list about 10 small ones. Anyway to know the size of the scenario from the in-game listing?

I am interested in the data at the bottom of the screen when you see or play back the AI's turn but if flies by quickly. No way to slow the replay I assume?

Thanks again.

Re: Newbie Questions
 

Figured out how to do screen captures. Works with the Snipping tool in Windowed mode.

Re: Newbie Questions
 

No problem.

One of your units will ALWAYS have "focus", there is no way to select no unit. There is never a need to left-click except to move, fire or select another unit... "accidental" moves can be reversed with the undo button (provided the move did not provoke opportunity fire or reveal hidden enemy). We all accidentally move where we shouldn't just as in reality troops sometimes do so without the commander's knowledge or intent - I know many players (myself included) rarely click at all using the hot keys where possible.

Some scenario designers do mention the size of the forces in the scenario text but by no means all. There is no quick way, that I know of with the free game, to determine scenario size - remember you can save games so you can play a larger game over multiple sessions.

The "Misc" tab on the game options (start up) window includes several settings that can "slow down" how fast the game shows information play with these and the "message delay" setting in the in-game preferences screen to get what you prefer.

Re: Newbie Questions
 

Thanks. Appreciate it. Are you a Leeds fan by any chance?

Re: Newbie Questions
 

Yikes! No sorry I don't follow any soccer - I like my footballers to wear pads! Oakland Raiders!

Re: Newbie Questions
 

OK, I won't mention I live where that Orange team plays then!

Back on topic. Does Scenhack in the CD version sort by size (number of units)? I am not worried so much about the number of turns.

Re: Newbie Questions
 

No. Not number of units

Re: Newbie Questions
 

Thanks. Is there a way during the battle to see what is your current status in terms of victory points? Sorry for all the questions.

Re: Newbie Questions
 

No. Your VP are only relevant at game end, when the score is totted up.

Re: Newbie Questions
 

I am trying to get a feeling of how badly I am doing in a scenario to see if I need to push more to capture another objective. In the manual it says:
"criteria are based completely on Victory hexes held at the end of the game, and the number of friendly and enemy units destroyed."

What is the relationship between location points and points for destroyed units? Is the latter the cost of the unit for example? Thanks.

Re: Newbie Questions
 

They are relevant to me before the game ends, when I can still do something about them. :D

Gerry: Good question. What you can do:

1. Add up value of your objectives.
2. Add up value of opponent´s objectives.
3. Add value of your losses (red numbers on status overview page) to your opponent´s count.
4. Guesstimate value of opponent´s losses and add to your count.

Sounds more difficult than it is. Has become second nature for me.

Though some may call me gamey, because I actually like to win. :rolleyes:

Re: Newbie Questions
 

Victory Hexes are worth between 0 and 250 (hover over hex for info), Units are worth their points cost.

Re: Newbie Questions
 

Thanks everyone for all the help.

Re: Newbie Questions
 

Getting the tempo right is one of the hardest things to master, you will rarely get it right. Start off to slowly & you could pay later as you need to hurry later.
Certainly when you are learning I would aim to control all VP by game end, they are your objectives so plan to take them at the start. If capturing the last few means a "mad rush" then consider letting them be things rarely go as planned even for a seasoned player so adapt as needed.

Re: Newbie Questions
 

This is a prime example why reserves are so important. With fresh troops it makes the job much more easier. With a good force of reserves you will rarely loose. Even if the enemy has reserves, you should still be able to at least get a Draw (unless you really blow it).