Inadvertent firing of smoke - Windows Surface Pro 2 with keyboard - SOLVED

[David G]

Hi. I may have to figure this out myself, but I've got a problem with smoke being automatically selected when I fire. It's intermittent. It is more of a problem in indirect fire, as I might not realise my error until I see all that lovely smoke descending repeatedly on the same hex when I get the turn back from my opponent, a frustrating way to burn through all my smoke and fail to do any damage to the enemy

It is clearly a product of my using my Surface Pro 2 tablet with the touch keyboard. I will no doubt have to figure out the cause myself, but just in case anyone else has had it?

(And if anyone should raise an eyebrow at attempting to play on such a device, it is good for everything else including Office, and now what I travel with on the train each day given my old XP netbook's OS is no longer supported by Microsoft ...)

EDIT -it's the Type keyboard I have not the Touch.

[David G]

Apparently there may be an issue with the alt key sticking (electronically not physically). Quite a few threads on Internet ... so not Campaign Series specific but where the problem manifests most for me..

[David G]

If anyone is wondering about playing on a Surface Pro 2 (with a Touch keyboard) it seems I solved this problem by disabling the "tap trackpad to click mouse" or whatever it is called (and instead just use the trackpad "buttons"). It looks like I was inadvertently clicking and selecting all kinds of stuff.

And here's my thoughts on playing the game on a Surface Pro 2 Windows 8 - works fine, but:
- you will need a keyboard cover as that has a trackpad (essential) and keyboard (for shortcuts - useful)
- you'll miss your big monitor, but I'm playing a couple of larger scenarios (including a complexity 10) and it's manageable
- in addition to turning off the trackpad tap thingy described above, you'll also want to turn off the TRACKPAD swipe in that loads up the charms which annoyed me for a while
- the feel of the trackpad button and general ergonomics aren't great, but I'm doing ok - but I may get a USB mouse as that would remove the last bugbear.
- Once the docking station comes out, I'll probably junk my desktop computer and run the tablet on my home monitor when I'm at home
- Needless to say, presumably the game does not work on a Surface RT, I am talking about the Surface Pro (2)

Mini-review over, if relevant to anyone out there.

[Crossroads]

Mini-review over, if relevant to anyone out there.

Thanks for the "mini-review" David! Wow, to be able to carry JTCS where ever one goes...

Windows RT is basically a windows phone isn't it, not able to run any windows programmes right?

The beauty of the older game engines such as this is that they are so light for any modern device, having a decent CPU in it. So apart the user interface you discuss, you did not enter any code related glitches as such?

I don't think we are including a tablet in our "official" test HW set up, but it was interesting to learn that the game together with its GUI is usable on a tablet as well...

[David G]

Yes, as far as I am aware, the game would not run on Windows RT. For that reason you would need the Surface Pro as the Pro version of the tablets run the full version of Windows 8. (I have the Surface Pro 2, presumably my thoughts also apply to the original Surface Pro.)

In answer to your question I had a few problems initially with the game (inadvertent firing of smoke, apparently unable to enter some hexes), but they all ceased once I disabled the trackpad tap-to-click-mouse feature (and instead just use the trackpad buttons). For that reason I have concluded accidental clicking was the source of my problems. It's been a few weeks now without any problems at all.

I'm also regularly playing one turn on my desktop, the next turn on my tablet when I'm on the train or whatever, without any issues.

(Wider thoughts: I have to say the Surface Pro had exceeded my expectations - it's a little heavier than an iPad, and more so with the keypad cover (essential for JTCS and other serious work ), but unlike the iPad it's a proper computer with a proper OS.)