SITREP Fri 1 May 2020
Hi all,
I have finished writing the code changes to address the forces going on hold issue. This occurs when a subordinate abandons its mission plan, but the boss fails to respond appropriately. Initially, the boss would replan all its current missions. But this was having some bad effects, causing attacks to be called off and then restarted, objectives being given up only for the force to try and retake it. My earlier solution to limit the amount or replanning, though, caused too many forces to go on hold. More nuance was required and that is what these latest changes provide.
The code that responds to the abandonment of a subordinate plan now better assesses the situation. It determines if the abandoned plan is significant, based on either direct victory points or derived ones. It determines if the abandoning force is significant relative to the rest of the boss’s total force. It determines if the abandoned plan is till feasible and there is enough time for it to re-execute the plan. It determines the suitability of other plans (within the boss’s opPlan) to be reinforced by the abandoning force; to be partially replanned; or to be exempt from replanning. Finally it determines the best option, either to allow the abandoning force to recover and resume its mission; have the abandoning force reinforce another current plan; do a full replan of all missions; or to partially replan, exempting those plans where an attack is underway, the objective is about to be achieved and a replan would forestall that or where the objective is achieved and enemy are nearby.
It has taken me quite a while to hone this code down. But the game is now back up and running. I have begun testing and stepping through each of the changes I have made and, in particular, ensuring that each option works as intended. I’m about a quarter of the way through that. I hope to finish this off next week and then autotest.
As I foreshadowed in last week’s SITREP, after that I intend to merge my code with Pavel’s and then put out a new public beta build on both Steam and LNL. More or less concurrently, I intend to release the new Bradley at Bay (BAB) module.
I expect that we’ll need to do one or more cycles of tweak, build and test before we can declare the new game version to be a final and the same goes for the BAB module. I’m going to need your cooperation and support during this process. By going out to a wider audience, rather than the traditional in-house beta testers, I’m hoping to speed up the delivery of the final version while giving you all something new to play with during this difficult Covid 19 period.
We will be charging for the BAB module, but there will be no cost associated with the new game version. You will be able to play all your existing modules with the new game engine. It will either automatically convert these, or you will be able to download a converted version of your existing modules without additional charge.
I know this is a break from our earlier pricing model. I know it’s not seeking any recompense for all the work we have put in to develop this new version. But I’m hoping that you will show your support by buying Bradley at Bay and any other of the existing modules that you don’t already have. It’s been a long two years of development with little in the way of sales. So please, don’t let me down.