Bug: Post 1.06 Patch Bug List

[Q]

I already feared that the game was abandoned and therefore I am glad to hear a new patch is under construction.
I only played the demo so far but there are two critical bugs/problems that prevented me to buy the game until now:
1.) The AI is so weak I win every game within the 20 turn limit!
Needed improvements:
A) Expand more rapidly.
B) Focus attacks on strongest player.
C) Attack neutrals only with lowest priority.
D) If enemy is stronger avoid his main forces. Attack weaker territories using see and air transports if necessary.
2.) The combat system is completely flawed: If you wait and let the enemy move in your firing range you win against rather superior forces. If you can't have real time combats (like in SEV) I suggest that you let player A move, then player B move, then player A select the targets, then player B select the target and only then apply the damage simultaneously to the units of both players A and B. That may lead to mutual destruction of both armies, which I would count as failed attack.

[JCrowe]

As per the other WS issues thread, manifesto file loaded & launched - but sent to "info@malfador...etc.", not the "ws@" address cited above in this thread. Let me know if that poses an issue and if I should re-send.

Others seem interested in reviewing a copy. Unfortunately, the Board only supports the attachment of .doc files up to 19.5K in size, and we're looking at ... 96K.

I suppose I could post the script into the thread itself directly - or into an independent thread - but that might also prove "excessive". One can only imagine the conversion rate between 'letter' and 'thread page'.

[spillblood]

You could upload it at a filehoster, if you have an account, for example megaupload or rapidshare.

[spillblood]

Originally Posted by JCrowe

As per the other WS issues thread, manifesto file loaded & launched - but sent to "info@malfador...etc.", not the "ws@" address cited above in this thread. Let me know if that poses an issue and if I should re-send.

Hmm, don't know. I've used both adresses before. Send the same E-Mail to the other adress to make sure he'll get it. I think that's better.

[JCrowe]

Never used a filehoster or any of that jazz. Also discovered that your basic doc file starts off with baseline of nearly 20K, even if it's blank. Thus, I can't chop it up into multiple installments.

Well, I COULD, but there would be about forty or fifty of the things. I might be a loon, but I'm not that nuts.

On the other point, well, one could ASSUME that all roads lead to Rome, but you'd be surprised at how often that path leads to Syracuse instead. Or Bangladesh. What at first seems so near can instead be so far.

Of course, I could click the selector to 'auto' and spam the whole set of available addresses ... but the intent is to be friendly, not fanatic. Or insane.

[spillblood]

Hehe, OK. I think he got it.

[spillblood]

Originally Posted by JCrowe

Seven and fifteen - that's 21 pages en totale. And at least 17 pages of what it tallies & summarizes would be 100% familiar to anyone who's scouted through the WS forum since release. Not really breaking new ground here. And I was far from the only one to contact Malf directly - as also evidenced by discussions in this forum.

So, pretty sure they've got a list and know the issues. This request from Malf is probably more about letting jets cool than it is about harvesting unknown data points. (I'm hoping, though, that Malf has been working this nut for the last couple months and hasn't just decided to start cracking these issues. With the informational black-hole on WS, it's hard to tell what direction this thing is going.)

But what the heck. In the spirit of detente, here's a four-cent summary of mission-critical issues with WS:

The AI is hopeless.
Units are severely imbalanced.
Many unit abilities make no sense / are contra-indicative.
The Tactical Map combat system is very imbalanced.


1.) The AI is hopeless.

Although it NOW knows how to get off an island, it still has no idea how to attack (makes one strike per turn), how to defend, what units to use, how to use them, or how to manipulate game statistics to its advantage (ie. taking the most efficient route from A to B & etc. within the established game parameters). Basically, it doesn't know what to build, where to put 'em, or how to use 'em - and it fails to appreciate the importance of material acquisition (ie going 'Hitler' on everything in reach).

2.) The units are way imbalanced.

Stock unit statistics strongly (massively) favor two unit types and drive the remainder to complete and utter irrelevancy. You can win the war with just fighters; just need tanks and a couple transports to effect actual seizure of the land once cleared.

3.) Many Unit Abilities don't make sense.

Intercontinental ballistic missiles! ... that are restricted to purely inTRAcontinental strikes. Stealth units that aren't 'stealthy'. Fighter-interceptors that can't intercept on their Flag's behalf ... unless the enemy attacks them. Cruisers that can surface-to-surface land targets ... but not enemy fleets. Mobile Nuclear Ballistic Missile launchers! that don't carry nuclear ballistic missiles ... Ballistic Missile subs afflicted by the same. etc.


4.) The 'tactical' map is very imbalanced.

The way tactical combat is set up leads to seriously imbalanced results. There is no possibility of an "in-between". The winning side will always win overwhelmingly, suffering very few losses (if any at all), while the losing side loses ... well, pretty much everything plus the kitchen sink. This quickly leads to a 'virtuous' cycle - or vicious, if you're on the wrong end of it. Win one good fight, and the loser's ability to recover is severely hampered, while the victor's potential for advancement increases exponentially. And while the human player holds the advantage now, if you boost the AI's IQ without fundamentally overhauling the tactical side of the game, the computer will stomp the pants off of everyone.


Those are the biggies. Other issues are just window-dressing or lesser symptoms of these shortfalls. Fix the biggies, and pretty much all the rest will fall into place.

Just wanna quote that here 'cause I'm not sure if Malfador read the request thread. I think that belongs in this thread.
Very little participation the last time, I think. Seems Aaron's posts didn't reactivate many former participants of the forum.

[spillblood]

OK, silence of the grave again. Hope there'll be any updates soon. This forum is ****ing dead, I'd say, only 4 or 5 participants, and weeks of silence.