Yitzi's unofficial SMAX patch 2.4c

[Yitzi]

Ok, thanks, it should be included in the next patch.

[Dio]

I have found another minor bug that I can fix. This involves the weapon attack graphics. For some reason the attack graphics for the missile launcher appear as an energy weapon and the attack graphics for the Gatling Laser appear as though they are for a projectile weapon.

This bug can be fixed by changing mov ecx, terranx_.00787118 at address 0045144E to mov ecx, terranx_.00787124. Then you change mov ecx, terranx_.00787124 at address 0045145D to mov ecx, terranx_.00787118. Lastly, you simply swap the weapon names, attack and cost values in the Alphax.txt file. To save you time, I am attaching a copy of your most recent patched alphax file with the needed change.

[Yitzi]

Ok, thanks, but won't that also switch their locations in the unit workshop?  Or is that what the assembly changes you described deal with?

[Dio]

Ok, thanks, but won't that also switch their locations in the unit workshop?  Or is that what the assembly changes you described deal with?

First, you are correct that these changes will cause the weapons to swap places in the unit workshop. In addition, these changes to the assembly fix the graphics placement without having to swap the weapon caviar files in the game folder. Lastly, the swapping of the missile launcher and gatling laser should have a neglibile effect on gameplay while still fixing the attack graphic bug that I described above.

[Geo]

I have found another minor bug that I can fix. This involves the weapon attack graphics. For some reason the attack graphics for the missile launcher appear as an energy weapon and the attack graphics for the Gatling Laser appear as though they are for a projectile weapon.

You have quick eyes you can see the difference.

This bug can be fixed by changing mov ecx, terranx_.00787118 at address 0045144E to mov ecx, terranx_.00787124. Then you change mov ecx, terranx_.00787124 at address 0045145D to mov ecx, terranx_.00787118. Lastly, you simply swap the weapon names, attack and cost values in the Alphax.txt file. To save you time, I am attaching a copy of your most recent patched alphax file with the needed change.
[/quote]

Simply swapping the caviar files wouldn't solve it?

[Yitzi]

Ok, thanks, but won't that also switch their locations in the unit workshop?  Or is that what the assembly changes you described deal with?

First, you are correct that these changes will cause the weapons to swap places in the unit workshop. In addition, these changes to the assembly fix the graphics placement without having to swap the weapon caviar files in the game folder. Lastly, the swapping of the missile launcher and gatling laser should have a neglibile effect on gameplay while still fixing the attack graphic bug that I described above.

Swapping their positions in the unit editor will indeed have negligible effect on gameplay, but so does the attack graphics bug; you're essentially trading one display bug for another, and the position-in-workshop one seems to be a bigger bug to me.  So I don't think this change is worth doing; if, however, you can find how to just fix the actual attack graphics with no detrimental side effects, I'd include it.

[Dio]

Ok, thanks, but won't that also switch their locations in the unit workshop?  Or is that what the assembly changes you described deal with?

First, you are correct that these changes will cause the weapons to swap places in the unit workshop. In addition, these changes to the assembly fix the graphics placement without having to swap the weapon caviar files in the game folder. Lastly, the swapping of the missile launcher and gatling laser should have a neglibile effect on gameplay while still fixing the attack graphic bug that I described above.

Swapping their positions in the unit editor will indeed have negligible effect on gameplay, but so does the attack graphics bug; you're essentially trading one display bug for another, and the position-in-workshop one seems to be a bigger bug to me.  So I don't think this change is worth doing; if, however, you can find how to just fix the actual attack graphics with no detrimental side effects, I'd include it.

However, if you look at the order of the weapons in the flavor.txt file that is in the game folder, you can see that the gatling laser is placed after the missile launcher in the sequence of weapons. This leads me to believe that they had intended the gatling laser to be placed after the missile launcher for the purposes of graphics and gameplay.

[Yitzi]

However, if you look at the order of the weapons in the flavor.txt file that is in the game folder, you can see that the gatling laser is placed after the missile launcher in the sequence of weapons. This leads me to believe that they had intended the gatling laser to be placed after the missile launcher for the purposes of graphics and gameplay.

And then they changed their minds, probably because they realized that having the gatling laser be 5 attack, and the missile launcher 6, worked better than the other way around.

[Dio]

However, if you look at the order of the weapons in the flavor.txt file that is in the game folder, you can see that the gatling laser is placed after the missile launcher in the sequence of weapons. This leads me to believe that they had intended the gatling laser to be placed after the missile launcher for the purposes of graphics and gameplay.

And then they changed their minds, probably because they realized that having the gatling laser be 5 attack, and the missile launcher 6, worked better than the other way around.

I will go with your final decision because this is your patch and you ultimately decide what to include or not.

[Dio]

I think I have found another bug. This bug involves the map that appears when you select a unit and tell it to go to a specific destination. When the screen is first up you see a different map then the world map but if you click on Sort:Dist, Sort:Size, or Sort:Name then the alternate map is replaced by the standard world map and does not appear again unless reopen the window. A fast way to see this bug is by pressing G during the game and then follow the instructions above. If you need a before and after screenshot for the bugged screen, I will gladly supply them.   

[Yitzi]

I think I have found another bug. This bug involves the map that appears when you select a unit and tell it to go to a specific destination. When the screen is first up you see a different map then the world map but if you click on Sort:Dist, Sort:Size, or Sort:Name then the alternate map is replaced by the standard world map and does not appear again unless reopen the window. A fast way to see this bug is by pressing G during the game and then follow the instructions above. If you need a before and after screenshot for the bugged screen, I will gladly supply them.

That sounds likely to be a pain to fix and is too minor to make the short list, but feel free to provide screenshots (and if you want to work on a fix and let me know when you have one, go ahead).

[Dio]

I am currently trying to find out exactly what is causing the map to disappear. Also, does anyone know the general underlying reason for why the road attack combat rule is bugged?

[Dio]

Yuck. Another bug involving the exact same map. Here is a screen shot illustrating how the map does not cover the faction diplomacy landscape while you are trading bases. Note: I do believe the this map's proper development name was the political map because it shows a faction's territory.

[Dio]

I have a hypothesis as to why the political map disappears and is replaced with the regular world map when you select sort dist, sort size etc. I think it has to do with the fact that the game either refreshes the screen after you press any of those buttons it freezes the map-cursor interface before you press those buttons. The reason it could be either of those options is because you are unable to move the cursor around the map before you select any of those options but afterwards you can move the cursor around the map.

[Dio]

I also noticed that their is coding for labels of buttons or selections such as zoom, auto off, and cancel destination. I think these where going to be features but they decided to cut them out by having the assembly language jump over them.