Combat Mission Shock Force - Marines Patch v.1.21a

Description
version: v.1.21a USThis patch will update your Marines module and the base game to v1.21. NOTE: this is an updated patch already including the 1.21a hotfix. This is a slightly modified version of the original Combat Mission: Shock Force Marines campaign "Semper Fi, Syria!". The modifications fix known problems with scoring in the scenario "Afternoon Delight" in particular, but do not offer new functionality to the campaign itself. Combat Mission: Shock Force v1.21 PatchPLEASE READ ALL OF THE FOLLOWING BEFORE CONTINUING WITH THIS INSTALL!!!COMBAT MISSION SHOCK FORCE VERSION REQUIREMENT (EXTREMELY IMPORTANT):This v1.21 is for you if one of the following applies to you:- you have the original Battlefront.com version of the base game, Combat Mission Shock Force only, patched to v1.10 or v1.11- you have at least one module from Battlefront.com, either the Marines module or the British Forces moduleIf one or both of the above applies to you, then this patch will allow you to select during installation which elements of the game you would like to patch. The choices include:- CMSF + no module (you select this if you have just the base game and no module installed)- CMSF + Marines Module (you select this if you have the base game and the Marines module, but no British Forces module)- CMSF + British Forces Module (you select this if you have the base game and the British Forces module, but not Marines module)- CMSF + Marines + British (you select this if you have all three items installed)If all you have installed is the base game of Combat Mission Shock Force and NOT the Battlefront version, but a so-called "retail" version from Paradox Interactive or Gamersgate or another distributor, then DO NOT INSTALL THIS PATCH. A separate patch for your specific version of the base game will be released at some point. Check www.battlefront.com/patches frequently.PREVIOUS SAVE GAME COMPATIBILITY NOTE:NOTE: Save games from v1.20 ARE COMPATIBLE with v1.21, provided that you save your turn-based games in the COMMAND phase (not the replay phase) before upgrading to v1.21. If you are upgrading from an earlier version than 1.20, e.g. 1.10 or 1.11, then save games from these versions are NOT compatible with 1.21. In this case, we recommend you backup your existing "CM Shock Force.exe" file before continuing with this install by renaming the file to something like "CM Shock Force old.exe". You can still launch the game with that renamed exe and finish your previous in-progress battles. Using that old exe however, you will not have access to all the new features of v1.21. Once you have finished your old games, you should delete that old exe file.COMPATIBILITY WITH MODS:Due to the potential of conflicts with pre v1.21 game Mods, we advise uninstalling any mods prior to installing this Game patch. Mod authors will need to updated their mods using the v1.21 strings.txt embedded into the new "Version 121.brz" file.CMSF CUSTOM HOTKEYS.TXT NOTE:Due to changes added in the v1.21 game code, your existing hotkeys file (which contains any customized key command settings and bindings) will be overwritten with this installer. If you had assigned custom hotkeys in the past, you will want to backup your Data\hotkeys.txt file before installing this patch. Once the patch is installed, you can compare your setting within the old (saved) file with the new one and copy in your old settings. Do not simply overwrite the new file with the old one though, that will not work and could cause the game to malfunction.GAME MANUALS:Included with this patch is a pdf version of the newly updated CMSF manual. You will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader in order view these manual. That program is free and can be downloaded from Adobe's website here: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.htmlIn addition to the standard version, we have also included "printer friendly" version suitable to printing. You will find those versions in the "Battlefront\Combat Mission Shock Force" Program Group, under the 'Docs' Folder.NEW v1.21 GAME FEATURESThis patch will update your core CMSF game and all modules to v1.21, which includes many enhancements and improvements. Below is a brief list of some of the new v1.20 game features.Combat Mission Shock Force v1.21 featuresSoldierso Soldiers on rooftops receive better cover.o Speed difference between Fast and Quick moves is slightly increased.o Soldiers tire more quickly moving across difficult terrain or in very hot weather.o Split teams that are in close proximity but on different vehicles will not attempt to join.o Teams that rejoin will retain the target orders of one of the teams instead of erasing them all.o Buddy-aid will not pick up heavy weapons from a different Team.Vehicleso Passengers manning a vehicle weapon may use it even if the crew has bailed out.o Top gunner in a Humvee can use a personal weapon if his vehicle-mounted weapon is out of action.o Vehicles do a better job using alternate crew to replace MG gunners who become casualties.o Tanks won't waste APFSDS ammo on lightly-armored targets when alternative ammo is available.o Refinements to vehicle damage from mines.o Added radio to UAZ vehicle.o Bradley IFVs and CFVs carry some 40mm grenades for their passengers.o Vehicles move more smoothly in PBEM and hotseat replay.Weaponso Times to set up SPG-9 and most ATGMs are reduced.o Powerful projectiles like sabot can penetrate trees and be slightly deflected rather than stopped.o Heavy weapons set up near the edges of buildings won't drop to the ground after an explosion.o Corrected a small problem where automatic weapons had a pause between the first and second rounds that was slightly longer than it should have been.o MGs on bipods are a bit more stable than before.o Corrected a rare instance where ATGMs could fly too low and hit the ground when they should not.Terraino Roads are smoother when traversing rough ground or steep slopes.o Large rocks (flavor objects) are more of a deterrent to navigate over.o Flavor objects tilt to fit slopes when necessary.o Trees are less resistant to damage from heavy artillery.Artilleryo Updated behavior for artillery/air support time-to-target. Conventional Red formation leaders are now allowed to call in artillery from batteries at battalion level or below (e.g. light mortars).o Corrected some issues affecting artillery arrival time after target adjustment.o Corrected the display of artillery mission type in PBEM games.o Artillery battery and aircraft pilot voices use the correct nationality when they differ from that of the spotter.User Interfaceo Troops may be given simultaneous Hide and Face commands, but changing facing often requires a soldier to change position slightly, during which time he will not be "hiding".o When acquiring missiles from a vehicle, it is now possible to take the last missile without its reloadable launcher (e.g. Javelin).o "Scenario Author Test" may be selected as a Skill Mode (1-player only). It will cause all enemy units to be fully displayed to the player, but not additionally "known" to player's troops.Editoro AI Plan #0 can be deactivated in the editor provided at least one other plan is active.o In the map editor, some buttons were shifted from "Flavor Objects #1" to "Flavor Objects #2".o Corrected some small issues with elevation controls in the editor.Miscellaneouso Large saved games that take longer to load do not advance the game clock in the process of loading.o Corrected a slow framerate problem on the first PBEM turn.o Small bullets kick up a tiny bit of dirt and dust when they hit ground.o Computer-player air strikes aim at smaller areas, reducing friendly fire.o Corrected a problem where some ATGM teams would appear to leave their ATGM launcher temporarily behind when embarking on a vehicle.o Corrected a problem that caused the turn-based computer player sometimes not to dismount troops fully when instructed by the scenario AI plan.o Corrected a PBEM synchronization problem caused by saving and reloading the game.Marines Module Onlyo US Marines sometimes have M203 grenade launchers instead of M32, especially at lower Equipment Quality settings.o Added US Marine Mk11 sniper rifle (equivalent to Army M110).o The US Marine sergeant in the scout team wears infantry gear, not vehicle crew gear.British Module Onlyo Jackal GMG (aka grenade launcher) can now be found in the Fire Support Section of the British Infantry Rifle Company, when the equipment rating is good (otherwise they get a WMIK).o Loader on Challenger 2 Enhanced will not reload the top-deck MG unless ordered to unbutton.o Warrior has slower (hand-cranked) gun elevation.o Gunner in LMTV will use his personal night-vision gear when appropriate.o LMTV carries more passenger weapons and ammunition.o British Engineer Troop has 3 TUM ST vehicles, not 6.o Corrected a problem with a US IBCT soldier carrying a British rifle.TROUBLESHOOTING INFO:The troubleshooting guide is located in the game folder (filename Troubleshooting Guide.html) as well as in the "Battlefront\Combat Mission Shock Force" Program Group located under the Start Menu.ONSCREEN UNIT COMMAND MENU:In order to view this new onscreen list of clickable commands, select a unit and press the SPACE BAR and a popup menu of available commands will appear. It's similar to the old CM1 command interface. The menu can be dismissed with another press of the space bar or a mouse click anywhere outside the menu.HOYKEYS CUSTOMIZATION HELP:Combat Mission has two distinctly different approaches for using unit Commands via the keyboard; Relative and Direct. The Relative system involves a set of 9 keys centered around three rows of three consecutive keys each. These 9 keys match the 9 Command Buttons in the user interface's Command Panel. Each hotkey controls the commands RELATIVE to the position on the screen. For example, by default the U key activates the Top Row Left-Most key which would be FAST, TARGET, and SPLIT depending on which Command Group is visible (Movement, Combat, and Special respectively). The Direct system, on the other hand, assigns a unique hotkey for DIRECT access to each Command. No attention is paid to the graphical representation on the screen. For example, if so assigned, F would issue the FAST command. T would issue the TARGET command, H would control the HIDE command etc... no matter which Command Group is visible on the screen.There are pros and cons to each system. The Relative system allows the player to keep one hand stationary on the keyboard and does not require any "hunting and pecking" to find the right hotkey. The downside is that when you wish to use two Commands in a row that are in different Command Groups you have to first switch the proper Command Group (now done using the F5-F8 keys). The Direct system allows you to string Commands together without concern for which Command Group they are in, but does have the drawback of requiring the hand to move and locate a specific key, which may or may not be easily memorized. Which is "better" comes down to personal player preference, therefore both are provided. Whenever possible, the order buttons under the various Command Panels will display the assigned "direct" key in highlighted green text. Note, we recommend that you decide which system you prefer and then assign the keys as you wish by editing the hotkeys.txt file. The default key assignments have all 9 Relative keys assigned (UIOJKLM,.) as well as a selection of the most commonly used commands mapped to new Direct keys (Move Fast, Move Normal, Reverse, Target, Target Light, Face, Deploy, Pause, Hide, Dismount, Vehicle Open Up and Pop Smoke) to give you an idea of how the two systems work. We have found that using one or the other systems exclusively seems to have the best results and do not recommend mixing the two systems together. While it's possible to do, it could mean getting the worst of both systems and not really getting the benefits. Therefore, if you wish to use the Direct system we advise that you edit the hotkeys.txt file to unassign the 9 Relative hotkeys. Also, be aware to not double assign any keys to multiple functions.In order to change the hotkey assignments, please see the hotkeys.txt file located in the game DATA folder.CHANGING GAME RESOLUTION:By default, the first time the game is launched, the games internal resolution and refresh rate are set to whatever your desktop display is currently set to. We have added two ways to make adjustments to this settings.From inside the game, go to the Main Menu, then select the Options panel. From there you can select the game to run at the following resolutions: Desktop = (the game will run at whatever resolution your desktop is set to) 1024x768 1152x864 1280x960If you want to run the game in a resolution and refresh rate not listed, you can manually configure these settings by editing the "display size.txt" file located in your game directory. Simply change the numbers that you see there with the width (in pixels) and height (in pixels) and refresh rate (in Hertz) you wish to run the game.Example: For 1440x900 at 75Hz refresh rate, you would delete the numbers in that file and replace with "1440 900 75" (without quotes).If you put in all zeroes example: 0 0 0, the game will revert to using your desktop resolution and refresh rate. Exercise caution and only use a resolution and refresh rate supported by your monitor as damage to your monitor or display adaptor could occur, especially if you use too high a setting. MULTIPLAYER INFO:Combat Mission: Shock Force uses the UDP and TCP port 7023 for all multiplayer games. If you are trying to HOST a TCP-IP game make sure and open port 7023 for both UDP and TCP traffic.BATTLEFRONT.COM INTERNET BROWSER COMMUNITY TOOLBAR:This new game demo includes the optional install of a new, and we think, exciting tool. This tool seamlessly attaches to your internet browser (currently Microsoft Internet Explorer and Firefox supported) and gives you instant access to Battlefront.com game news, patches, demos, chat channel as well as other popular browser toolbar *gadgets* such as realtime weather reports (unique to your hometown!), a spell checker and pop-up blocker. Fully user configurable and expandable, your new Battlefront.com Community toolbar unlocks the full potential of your internet browser to keep you connected with the ever-growing world of Battlefront.com games and resources! You can find more details on this new free utility here: http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=388&Itemid=212