Rolling Thunder: Operation Rising Bear - Software versioning

Recently Ssnake posted the following:

Speaking of which, we are preparing an Open Beta test with a version where DirectPlay will be replaced with a new network stack. This should be particularly good for Windows 8.1 users that currently have trouble logging on to network sessions. After the test has been successfully completed we will probably consolidate it into another (free) update, probably in about three to four months.

Here:

http://www.steelbeasts.com/sbforums/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=255824

I'm awaiting a response as to when this "open beta" is going to come out.

The good news is that is should fix some things.

The bad news is that it is possible we could see the same disruption that occurred to TGIF and OP VARIABLE when 3.011 came out.

I've asked:

Any ideas as to when this will be out and if people can still multi play with a mix of 3.011 and the "open beta"?

PLEASE, please, please tell me it will be out either well before (so we can try it and make user it works) or after the 5th of April?

I'd hate for it to come out just hours before the ROLLING THUNDER activity with the resulting impact similar to what was seen in the last mission of the OP VARIABLE activity.

To which Sean responded:

The two versions are completely incompatible. Everyone will need to use the same exe.

So at least we know the two versions can not co-exist in the one multi player session (what I thought would be the case).

So given my plan to give the combat team commanders draft copies of the missions beforehand to assist planning:

23 March - "Draft" Missions and ORBAT posted on Forum.

23 - 29 March - Final "tweaking".

30 March - Final Missions, OPORD and BattleBook posted on Forum. FRAGOs to cover differences (if any).

30 March - Publish INTSUM from SF showing any obvious/significant heat signatures or other deep recce type reports.

30 March - 05 April - CT Commanders develop their plans.

06 April cross LD.

The four "BG ANZAC" Thursday nights between now and the 6th will also be allocated to this. This Thursday will be to test the "save plan" feature in multi play as that will save a lot of work if it works again.

Key takeaway:

If you are a CT Commander you will have at least a week for rough planning and a second week for detailed confirmatory planning (maybe even a CT rehearsal!?) before you cross the LD.

The impacts will be:

1. Best outcome from my point of view - it is released after ROLLING THUNDER is over.

No impact on the activity.

2. Workable outcome from my point of view - it is released prior to ROLLING THUNDER is over.

In this instance we will remain on 3.011.

People can of course install both, but if you have upgraded and deleted 3.011 you won't be able to participate.

My logic is exactly the same as Tacbat's:

a. 3.011 is pretty stable and I don't want the whole activity to collapse because of a currently unknown issue (esp. as ROLLING THUNDER is a one day event - no putting it off for a week if it crashes in the first mission).

b. Scenario development and play testing to date is under 3.011 - we know what works and what doesn't.

c. CT Commanders will be getting the scenarios soon to start planning. I don't want to have them create plans in 3.011 that no longer work in 3.0XX and they have to effectively start over on the night.

d. If people know now that can ensure they retain a copy of 3.011, should they choose to upgrade to 3.0XX.

e. I don't control the server it will be run on and I don't want last minute issues because the normal version of 3.0XX is out but the server version isn't, or the server version is out but hasn't been installed on the PzBtl 911 server, etc.

BOTTOM LINE: You need to either not upgrade or at least retain a copy of 3.011 to participate in ROLLING THUNDER.

All in all releasing it on the 7th of April would be a FAR better solution from my POV.

FWIW, I'll simply stay on 3.011 until after RT regardless. I'm committed to most, if not all, of the RT scenarios and I don't have a burning requirement to switch to a newer SB version beforehand.

FWIW, I'll simply stay on 3.011 until after RT regardless. I'm committed to most, if not all, of the RT scenarios and I don't have a burning requirement to switch to a newer SB version beforehand.

Same here.

...open beta version around June, probably.

Assuming the open beta mentioned in that link is the same as the one with the new networking, I don't think we'll have to worry about which version to use during Rolling Thunder.

Assuming the open beta mentioned in that link is the same as the one with the new networking, I don't think we'll have to worry about which version to use during Rolling Thunder.

Yes you do - please RE-READ Sean's post above where he says:

The two versions are completely incompatible. Everyone will need to use the same exe.

What part of "completely incompatible" makes you think they will work together???!!!!????

IF it comes out in mid June - great. That means "we" are safe and there is a month before the LNoT in July for any issues to be resolved.

IF not, then its an issue.

If it didn't matter I wouldn't have made the post.

You completely misunderstood me. I was simply indicating that ssnake mentioned an open beta that might be released around or after June, which would mean no conflict at all for Rolling Thunder.

I suppose it's possible they might have another open beta planned to be released sooner that would be an issue, but would seem to be unlikely considering the typical time between public updates for Steel Beasts.

Yes on reflection my post was a bit of "overkill" and happy to apologise for overstepping the mark.

If it is June, we are good.

I just wanted to avoid people upgrading straight away (if it were to come out earlier) and basically excluding themselves from participating.

All good?

It's all cool. I remember the "fun" that happened with TGIF when 3.011 came out, so I completely understand your wanting to avoid anything like that.

Looks like the beta did actually come out early. :eek2:

The good news is the update is only a new executable for the sim, and it even comes with a copy of the old .exe, so anyone who tries the beta can just have a separate short-cut to the beta version and 3.011 without worrying about weird problems from mixing versions.

Looks like the beta did actually come out early. :eek2:

The good news is the update is only a new executable for the sim, and it even comes with a copy of the old .exe, so anyone who tries the beta can just have a separate short-cut to the beta version and 3.011 without worrying about weird problems from mixing versions.

Yes which is why I posted about it.

"Time and Space" in the eSim universe remains relative.

Ah thanks for clearing that up.

I'm assuming though that scenarios edited in 3.012 will not longer run in 3.011 due to that Mission Editor version flagging?

If that is the case my team will have to be very careful (and or keep constant backups) so that they don't accidentally open a file in 3.012 and "ruin it" for 3.011.

Mission creation etc. should still be done in 3.011. Maybe we should simply disable the mission and map editor in those beta versions.

That would be a good idea, and maybe should be a SOP for short life Betas?

Unless something needs to be tested with the editors in that beta...

Ssnake,

Thanks, but given this is a one off event where it took a poll with multiple options run over a couple of months to work out the "least worst" date and where people have set aside up approx. 15 hours of dedicated SB time, I don't really want to risk Mission 1 crashing and then trying to work out an alternate date all over again.

So the scenario development team are using 3.011 and only 3.011 to build / edit the scenarios and we will play it using 3.011.

That way we have removed a possible risk (albeit slim).

Things have of course moved on since March.

So we now have two possibilities:

1. Pz Btl 911 receives their dongle before next weekend and we can run it in 3.019.

2. Pz Btl 911 do not receive their dongle before next weekend and we have to drop back to 3.011.

3.019 would be better both from a performance point of view and in terms of making it easier to join.

If we are using 3.019 I suggest you "tune" its networking needs to about 80%. I don't want lots of people dropping from TS or SB because some external network spike has overwhelmed it.

As soon I know which version is available, I'll confirm here.

Just in case though read up on port forwarding and if necessary Hamachi.

Hi guys,

Yesterday I visited our server provider with the 3.019 license Dongle.

He is plugged in now. We have now problems to start the 3.019 version.

All the time we get the message "Install win7 or greater".

So please as the reserve plan, check your portforwarding. We have only a limited account for hamachi users.

cheers

D u k e

-Hacke Tau-

Hope you Hamachi is good.

If there can only be a limited number of player able to join through Hamachi, I'm happy to give up my spot so someone else can play. If that should happen, I can try to rejoin a later mission once people start to disappear for the night.

Well if it comes to that I have a 32 seat license for it.

So we'd just need to get the server connected to that network and then others can join there too.

Hopefully though "we" get 3.019 running and it becomes a mute issue.

Copy.