2.01 Coder Diary available at the Matrix site

[Crossroads]

There's an update on 2.01 at the Matrix site. HERE

Getting there, we are...

[Boisforas]

Could you explain in layman's terms what exactly all this means in real play? thanx, Eric

[Big Ivan]

Looks like some pretty cool stuff happening in the coming new CS update.

Glad to see the CS program code itself is being worked on with bug fixes, better random generation and other goodies.

Thanks CS team for the look see.

Cheers!

John(ItB)

[Crossroads]

Could you explain in layman's terms what exactly all this means in real play? thanx, Eric

Layman's terms? Bug fixes for everyone, with lots of cool stuff opened up for those interested in modding and tweaking the game content.

[Crossroads]

Glad to see the CS program code itself is being worked on with bug fixes, better random generation and other goodies.

At least, better error handling. And new timelines made available. The generator logic itself was not touched, but with specific timeboxes and specific formations to go with it, the generator will be able to do a better job.

Also, before jumping into play, if one tweaks the generated scenario with editors, any randomly generated scenario will quickly improve.

Perhaps I will write a developer diary later on as how to have more fun with Battle Generator. I am not an expert at it at all, as I wrote there I had mostly ignored the whole thing. My loss! I often learn better when I write as I go, for most part I did my AARs for that particular reason too.

[David G]

Exciting stuff, only the other day I was thinking how great this game is, after what 15 years.

But I'll make myself unpopular by saying I don't understand Matrix's strategy with all this. Here we have a 15+ year old game being patched. Whenever it was we bought (or re-bought) the thing, we've all had our money's worth. If I were Matrix I'd say right, here's an enduring game ripe for a new version, new interface etc. Let's put big resource into rewriting the code, release it as a new version (JTCS II/III or whatever) and charge people for the new product.

Of course a free patch is nice, but I don't mind paying a fair price for a product I use. I must have had hundreds of hours out if it just this year. And perhaps a fundamental rewrite might have made the whole upgrade process easier rather than multiple patches.

Anyway just my personal 2p worth. Really looking forward to 2.01 and beyond....

[berto]

Also, before jumping into play, if one tweaks the generated scenario with editors, any randomly generated scenario will quickly improve.

That is a most excellent suggestion!

---

Exciting stuff, only the other day I was thinking how great this game is, after what 15 years.

But I'll make myself unpopular by saying I don't understand Matrix's strategy with all this. Here we have a 15+ year old game being patched. Whenever it was we bought (or re-bought) the thing, we've all had our money's worth. If I were Matrix I'd say right, here's an enduring game ripe for a new version, new interface etc. Let's put big resource into rewriting the code, release it as a new version (JTCS II/III or whatever) and charge people for the new product.

Of course a free patch is nice, but I don't mind paying a fair price for a product I use. I must have had hundreds of hours out if it just this year. And perhaps a fundamental rewrite might have made the whole upgrade process easier rather than multiple patches.

Anyway just my personal 2p worth. Really looking forward to 2.01 and beyond....

No, not so easy, practically speaking well nigh impossible.

telemann:/games/matrix/cs/devel # find "Campaign Series" -type f -print | wc -l
760

telemann:/games/matrix/cs/devel # find "Campaign Series" -type f -exec cat {} \; | wc -l
162483

760 files with over 160,000 lines of code. Any "fundamental rewrite" would require at least one full-time programmer years to accomplish. Redoing the graphics would require so much more. Then there's the issue of a thoroughgoing code rewrite introducing how many bugs? So add in personnel and time for QA testing.

There's little prospect of Matrix/Slitherine recouping their investment.

No, the current development model is working fine. I won't second guess M/S' marketing.

[David G]

760 files with over 160,000 lines of code. Any "fundamental rewrite" would require at least one full-time programmer years to accomplish. Redoing the graphics would require so much more. Then there's the issue of a thoroughgoing code rewrite introducing how many bugs? So add in personnel and time for QA testing.

There's little prospect of Matrix/Slitherine recouping their investment.

No, the current development model is working fine. I won't second guess M/S' marketing.

Yes, I should imagine it would be a team of programmers, and the other people you mention, hence my saying "big resource". Presumably they are putting that level of resource into the new games they bring out, and I would have thought this one would be a far more certain hit than some of the others, given its track record.

[Crossroads]

It is a nice thought David...

There is new development of course. M/S and John Tiller Software, to name two, are seemingly hoping to find a new market for many old titles in pad computers. This often means a mobile phone OS and a simple user interface. How many of them can be "dumbed down" though, to support the touch UI? And would anyone want to do that, even?

As for the PC based war gaming market, the leading platforms are still there, they still have often small but always dedicated teams, still churning out top, top releases. The teams for most part seem to be folks who do this for the love for the games, and do it part time, with a real job doing something else to earn the living.

For a genre to be able to finance the luxury of full time team of professionals, hex based war gaming is not it. Like it or not, there just isn't enough revenue to be had to cover the costs of modern ICT development teams and processes.

It is not doom and gloom though. M/S, John Tiller Software, HPS Simulations, what have you, they continue to be still able to provide a commercial platform, or home, to numerous game platforms.

Under these commercial umbrellas the game platforms continue to exist, and continue to bring in new titles even. Even as there is not much of business to have. So don't expect any major projects to take place in this genre, anywhere.

But what we have is not too bad either.

My three favourite games:

- JTCS (1998 / 2007)
- The Operational Art Of War (1998 / 2006)
- Rome Total War (2004) (Roma Surrectum II Mod, to be precise)

Our favorite games are still being sold, and we still get to play them, even after all these years



(These are my personal thoughts only, of course)

[Crossroads]

Could you explain in layman's terms what exactly all this means in real play? thanx, Eric

My Coder Diary entry was targeted to those already familiar with many aspects of tweaking the game. So you're right it probably did not make too much sense to anyone else

I hope THIS makes more sense as what I was driving at!