Battle of the Bulge 1.19 patch!

Discuss John Butterfield’s Battle of the Bulge: Crisis in Command Vol. 1
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AlbertoC
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Battle of the Bulge 1.19 patch!

Post by AlbertoC »

Hello everyone!

We are releasing a minor patch for Battle of the Bulge, bringing the game to 1.19, fixing a few bugs and implementing the messaging system.

You can download the patch here:

PC
Mac

Changelog:

Game fixes:
- Wrong replacements numbers fixed.
- iOS map zoom runs smoother.
- iOS sound problems fixed.
- Mac corrupted icon fixed.
- Mac intro video working.
- Tiles now change their owner correctly if the units are vanquished during night phase, because of isolation effects.
- PBEM urls updated.
- Most of the Multiplayer desynchronizations fixed.
- You are no longer allowed to close the Chat panel at the end of the turn by accidentally hitting "Esc" button.
- You should now be able to see the Combat Legend panel in tutorial.
- Axis units that are isolated at the end of 28th December are now considered destroyed, as stated in the rules.
- Tweaked tournament scores.
- Reinforcements are no longer displaced on friendly but contested spaces, as stated in the rules.
- Air support icon is now displayed in the combat preview.
- Turn indicator during combat bug fixed (this also caused team switch bugs).
- Resign when other player is taking his turn bug.
- Combat half infantry elite defense bonus applies correctly now.
- Tournament scores calculation updated.

Game features added:
- Messaging system.
- Added a desynchronization checker for multiplayer, with the Restart option, which should fix the game state.
zakblood
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Re: Battle of the Bulge 1.1.9 patch!

Post by zakblood »

thanks, now back will give it a spin and see if everything is better, thanks :wink:
AlbertoC
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Re: Battle of the Bulge 1.1.9 patch!

Post by AlbertoC »

Added the link to download the Mac patch.
Redwing6891A
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Re: Battle of the Bulge 1.19 patch!

Post by Redwing6891A »

The good news:
  • It's finally playable on the iPhone 5 and iOS 7.1.2 (yes, I am an electronic dinosaur who doesn't like where the iOS saga is going), and it's good to be back in the virtual Ardennes after a self-imposed exile of six months or more, out of sheer frustration over 'what have they done to my favourite game'.
  • The UI on the iPhone is still Shenandoah Mark II in black, rather than the ancient (and in my view ugly) Shenandoah Mark I in grey (which sadly it is on the iPad - again).
  • I've finally dared to go into multiplayer as I got bored with winning against the AI. Despite the PBEM clunkiness, this is great fun - the best I have had so far with the game. Turns (and games) can take a long time when you're in different time zones but you get to cross swords with some truly excellent (and friendly) players.
  • In game chat is a rudimentary yet functional way to communicate which adds a nice personal touch to the online games.
  • The support desk is still as helpful as ever, even though it's limited what they can do.
The bad news:
  • The intro video is still only optimized for iPad screens and looks tiny on the iPhone.
  • The loading screen in iPhone zooms in too far, just showing the snowy field and a gloomy forest. No boot prints or medals to be found here.
  • The second save slot for AI games does not work. You can only save one game, which is the same as the autosave. Save games will be automatically updated with game progress, whether you save or not. It is impossible to go back to an old save and try a different option. Is this deliberate?
  • In the Axis pre-dawn turns there is a space missing between number of turns and 'of' as in '1of 3 ...' instead of '1 of 3'. Call me a stickler for detail but I like my spelling and grammar straight.
  • Battle prediction screen sometimes gives a double retreat. What does that mean?
  • The game tries to connect to the PBEM server even when playing against AI and when off-line. This causes annoying reminders at every turn that 'the server can't be reached' and needlessly reduces battery life.
  • The little PBEM message counter (just the number) is visible through all in game menus, like a yellow ghost number. Why?
  • The airplane sound is still on far too early in the game; it should only be heard after the weather clears on the 23rd but now is on from the beginning. But at least there is sound!
  • The red pencil circles on the re-inforcement allocation screen are sometimes out of whack.
  • To read the in-game history vignettes you still need a microsope.
  • When trying to accept a password protected online game and, not knowing the password wanting to back off, you'll find that the close button does not work; the game has to be re-started.
  • Close button on the in-game help section is halfway off screen.
  • The Wiltz - Beaufort borders have a weird green or blue dash (of the opposite colour) into their respective fields.
  • General von Manteuffel and General Patton apparently were twins, both wearing US uniform (on the new game AI selection screen). Some cunning Axis deception plan or a new revelation about WWII history?
  • The AI is still severely lobotomized. I really am no Manstein, and winning the 'Race to the Meuse' in the original Shenandoah game took me two weeks. After I'd finally won it, I really felt I learnt a lot and achieved something. Now I regularly waltz over the AI like a Tiger tank over a bicycle: even 'General Patton' makes some silly mistakes like evacuating Liege or Verviers late in the game so that my panzers can drive straight in without a single shot being fired. Old Blood and Guts would be spinning in his grave.
  • The in-game impulse counter (visible on the pause menu where you can check date and victory points) is always blank. Unless you have an eidetic memory or are happy to take gazillions of screenshots, there is no way to check what time it is and how many turns you have had - which of course is crucial information. A panzer leap across the Meuse late in the day might be a winning move, while early in the day it can spell disaster. Not so much of an issue if you play only one game at a time, but if you play multiplayer with several partners this can really spoil your day. Of course there is always the emergency back-up option of re-downloading your partner's move but then your account gets flagged for being naughty.
  • The 'Luck of the Draw' scenario is unplayable in multiplayer, as it desynchronises on the first turn and then gets stuck in an endless 'please restart' loop. This is independent of whether the challenge gets initiated from an iPhone or an iPad, or the version of the operating system is iOS 7 or later.
Summary:
It's still only a shadow of its former glory, but at least it is playable and compliments to the developers who keep on trying to fix the disastrous first port. If 'Luck of the Draw' online were working and the AI could attend staff college, that would go a long way of removing the tarnish from this former gem of a game.

Will we experience a rebirth? I think I'll hang around this time to find out - for now.
Attachments
Battle prediction double retreat.PNG
Battle prediction double retreat.PNG (94.6 KiB) Viewed 5379 times
Blank impulse bar.PNG
Blank impulse bar.PNG (110.94 KiB) Viewed 5379 times
2nd save slot not working.PNG
2nd save slot not working.PNG (77.77 KiB) Viewed 5379 times
Redwing6891A
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Re: Battle of the Bulge 1.19 patch!

Post by Redwing6891A »

Hmmmm - all quiet on the Western Front. Either a sign of a major secret offensive in preparation, or - ahem - nothing. I hope the developers are still working on the next patch. Would be a shame to leave the job unfinished.
Redwing6891A
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Re: Battle of the Bulge 1.19 patch!

Post by Redwing6891A »

Knock, knock - anybody there?
zakblood
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Re: Battle of the Bulge 1.19 patch!

Post by zakblood »

always
Redwing6891A
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Re: Battle of the Bulge 1.19 patch!

Post by Redwing6891A »

Do you know whether BotB bugs are still being ironed out by the developers or has this project been abandonded? In the age of electronic immediacy I am mildly disconcerted that after several weeks there hasn't been any 'official' response to my post.
zakblood
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Re: Battle of the Bulge 1.19 patch!

Post by zakblood »

as far as i know, it's still work in progress regarding patching so yes it's ongoing, but if you want an official reply as the thread starter, as he may have more information on it, or the developers etc
Redwing6891A
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Re: Battle of the Bulge 1.19 patch!

Post by Redwing6891A »

OK, thanks for your reply. Let's wait and see. Maybe the developers are still on Summer holidays. Everyone deserves one of those!

Glad that someone is still watching the boards - though they are very quiet. A far cry from the old Shenandoah days or the great hooha after the first Slitherine port.
zakblood
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Re: Battle of the Bulge 1.19 patch!

Post by zakblood »

sign up for the next one, as there latest beta is on going now
Redwing6891A
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Re: Battle of the Bulge 1.19 patch!

Post by Redwing6891A »

Do you mean another port (DoM / DF) or the new Gettysburg?
zakblood
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Re: Battle of the Bulge 1.19 patch!

Post by zakblood »

Gettysburg for pc
Redwing6891A
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Re: Battle of the Bulge 1.19 patch!

Post by Redwing6891A »

Ah - thanks for clarifying. I'll take a pass on that one. Hex gaming and US civil war are not my thing. I'd rather spend my time with Moscow and Desert Fox, although they are not as good as Bulge.
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