Blitzkrieg Banzai? (SP1 Conversion)

[MarkSheppard]

Originally Posted by DRG

I opened it up and poked around. The first thing I noticed was all the soft sand reports as clear terrain but the other issue might be too deep to fix.

I started investigating this and my original hypothesis was that it was an issue with Fred's old SPWW2 Map conversion utility routines that he made to convert from SPWW2v2 (aka SP2 maps) to the new SPWW2v3 map you guys introduced long ago.

However, I opened up the original scenario in SP2 and the soft sand hexes were also reporting as CLEAR in SP2.

Checking the release history, I think you guys made soft sand and snowdrifts have the "immobilize" feature and unique terrain ID numbers back in DOS SPWW2 v3.0.

So that's a note to add to my own documentation:

NOTE: Fred Chlanda's Map Conversion code is a strict SP2 map format to SPWW2 version 3.0 map format converter; in that it transfers over the data and values for the old map over to the new map, causing the map to not have the newer features developed over the years by the SPCAMO team.

For example:

If you convert a Steel Panthers 2 desert map for use in WinMBT, the converted map will show soft sand hex graphics, but will display "CLEAR" when you mouse over the hexes in question.

This behavior is "correct" for Steel Panthers 2; which exhibits the same behavior -- Snowdrifts and Soft Sand dunes in that game engine are "cosmetic" for show features to break up the monotony of large snow or desert areas.

It all depends on what you wish to do -- if you wish to recreate the straight SP2 experience of these old scenarios in higher resolutions with improved battle routines and icons; using the maps as-is is fine.

If however, you wish to add all the new terrain types that the SPCAMO team have developed since 1999, it is highly recommended that you follow the following workflow:

1.) Push the BATTLE button on the main screen

2.) Choose the nations and the scenario date and push CONTINUE

3.) At the Purchase screen select VIEW MAP

4.) Push '/' on your keyboard -- this will redraw the random map for your current opponents and time period using SPCAMO's built-in batloc routines.

5.) Keep redrawing until you find a map that closely approximates the old one.

6.) Push the 'e' button on your keyboard to save the random map into a map slot.

7.) Load that random map into your scenario and edit away.

Long term, since I have the source code for that version of Fred's WW2Map, plus a working Borland environment in a virtual machine, I might be able to compile an updated WW2Map that converts soft sand and snowdrifts. But no promises.

We have had trouble with message overwrites in the past but not so much lately and to check that I built a quick scenario with Egyptian BRDM's US Army TOW Jeeps and this is the message shown

I can confirm this error message, and I can confirm it is due to my own mistakes; and is a rather easy fix.

I tried coding in a "rename" function for my "Load from CSV into SPCAMO scenario" routines for:

Leaders
and
Unit Names

However, I screwed up how to properly format text into the binary format used by the game engine.

Looking at my code for encoding a Python text string into ASCII/BINARY format; I think what's happening is that I screwed up how to format blank space byte padding (/x00) and the closing byte (/x0A).

Finally, I was able to fix the "Tow Jeep firing on BRDM-2 summons Cthulthu" text string bug by going into the in-game editor, and:

D - MODIFY UNIT DATA
Changing the Unit Name
Cloning to all unit examples in scenario

for both BRDM-2 and TOW Jeep.

To fix this, I will depreciate the unit/leader rename function in the next version of my editor package.

[MarkSheppard]

Here's a (probably) fixed version of the scenario (it still has the straight SP2 converted map with decorative sand dune graphics), with some opening bombardments plugged in to liven up everyone's day and a new scenario briefing following more research to make it part of a potential set of scenarios:

MEW: 82nd in the Sinai, Oct 1973*
*
Egypt Advance*
_____vs.*
US. Army Delay*
*
Date: October 25, 1973*
Location: Thamad, Sinai*
*
===========================*
NOTE: This is converted from the SP2 scenario "THE 101st IN SINAI, OCTOBER 1973" originally done by Samy El Semman (samy@semman.com). Changes done during the conversion process was a totally redesigned US force OBAT, more in line with an airborne division's TO&E of the time.*
===========================*
*
This is an alternative history scenario.*
*
In our timeline on 14 October 1973, the Egyptian Second and Third Armies launched a major armored offensive into the Sinai from their bridgeheads on the opposite side of the Suez Canal with the objectives of capturing the Mitla and Giddi passes. This was a highly dangerous manuver, as it would bring them outside of the dense Soviet-supplied SAM coverage that to date had blunted the Israeli Air Force, causing about three Israeli combat losses for every 200 Israeli sorties.*
*
The plan was for the Egyptian Air Force (EAF) to take up the slack as the Egyptian forces pushed out into the Sinai. Unfortunately for the Egyptians, the EAF was unable to attrit the IAF beyond the coverage of the SAM shields around the Egyptian bridgeheads. Out of 1,020 tanks in the Second and Third Armies, the Egyptians lost over 250 by mid-day in the largest armored battle since the Battle of Prokhorovka some thirty years' prior; and from that point on, the Israeli forces had the strategic and operational advantage.*
*
But what if the EAF had succeeded in blunting the IAF, allowing Second and Third Armies to achieve their objectives?*
*
On 15 October, an American SR-71 overflew the Sinai (having overflown it a few days prior on 13 October), gaining photographic coverage of the entire area. *
*
Faced with photographic proof of the catastrophe facing Israel, along with Israeli pleas for help; in this timeline President Nixon had no other choice but to begin direct actions to assist Israel in order to prevent the Middle East from becoming a Soviet-dominated region.*
*
On top of the airlift (Operation NICKEL GRASS) which occured in our timeline, Nixon approved NICKEL SPEAR (a made up name); which consisted of the movement of elements of the 82nd Airborne Division from CONUS; along with the 1-509th and 2-509th Airborne Battalions in Europe (at that time attached to 8th Infantry Division at Lee Barracks in Mainz-Gonsenheim) to the Sinai.*
*
At sea, the US Navy's two carrier battlegroups (INDEPENDENCE, F.D. ROOSEVELT) and amphibious group (GUADACANAL, IWO JIMA) stood ready with the USMC's Regimental Landing Team 34, consisting of BLTs 2/6 and 3/6.*
*
On the 25th of October, the Egyptian advance finally met the American forces in the Sinai as elements of the Egyptian 23d Mechanized Division crashed into the 82nd's defensive positions, igniting what would become known as the Middle East War.

[MarkSheppard]

I'm play testing and changing things around.

Giving the Egyptians more artillery since they'll need it.

Removing the USN EA-6Bs for F-4Bs, research shows that CVW-1 and CVW-6 didn't have EA-6B units; at the time (1973), those were given priority to Vietnam and WESTPAC.