Expanded Toolbar - Grog

[DarkRob]

I don't know if this was by design or not, when you give the run command you can't turn it of unless you cancel the current movement order. Before you just pressed the run command to turn it of.

Hey Roy, there's now a new button that appears called "walk" for this purpose. Reb had to add the new button because once you hit the double quick button the button turns into a scrolling indicator rather than a button. So the walk button was added to return to a walk without having to cancel the move order.

Thanks Rob, I can't believe I missed that

Hey don't feel bad man, I apparently forgot that mod prioritization was a thing and I'm the guy that teaches other people how to play the game on YouTube. Talk about a rookie mistake. How embarrassing lol.

[DarkRob]

Reb what were you thinking giving me a formation like that corps line formation?? Wasn't I savage enough already and you give me something like that? It's a thing of beauty man, I love it, but God have mercy on the enemy, for I shall have none.

[dicarlon]

Hello Reb: So I played a Les Cent Jours scenario with the new toolbar and the old bugaboo reoccurred where the Austrians don't shoot back. I have the new toolbar activated below Les Cent Jours on the mods list like you suggested in response to DarkRob. (I deactivated 8.5) Should I deactivate 9.5 and use 8.5 instead? Your post seemed to suggest that the new tollbar would work with 9.5 but I may have misunderstood. Love the changes you've made. Nick

[RebBugler]

Nick,

The Les Cent Jours mod has been a challenge to get it compatible with the grog toolbar because of its additional sprites. For now try this temporary fix: Download, unzip and find two logistics files ... copy and paste these two files (discard folder) into the grog toolbar's logistics folder, rename or overwrite present same-named files.

unitglobal_unitpack.zip

(7.01 KiB) Downloaded 38 times

I may have to just include these files even though they create errors in the log file when Les Cent Jours is disabled. As long as it is enabled both mods should run error free. Please let me know how this fix works for you. Thanks for the report.

[dicarlon]

Many thanks Reb. I will download and give it a play this weekend. Really appreciate all you do to make gameplay of SoW so enjoyable.

[dicarlon]

Reb: Played three LCJ scenarios with the patch you posted. Worked like a charm. Thanks again!

[RebBugler]

Grog Toolbar Update Version 9.75 - April 28, 2023

- Morale (high, confident, etc.) and fatigue (energetic, rested, etc.) levels now display in real time. Previously they only updated when units were unselected then re-selected in the OOB.
- The fatigue level 'winded' now displays the 'yellow' background alert. Winded is the fatigue level when most units lose their ability to charge, melee or run.
- Added animated effects to the following: Volley Hold Fire and Artillery Hold Fire.
- Added animated effects when using the Context Menus to the following: Charge, Melee, Retreating, and Routed.
- The volley command now only displays when a infantry unit is engaged.
- The formation 'Line Fight, Can Move' is now available on the battalion formations popup menu. It replaces the 'Line Fight' formation option.
- Re-designed various buttons to better represent their unique functions.
- All 'Charge' command buttons when highlighted now display their 'respective side' flags, British or French.
- Narrowed the distance between rank divisions of British, Prussian and French Assault Formations (full spread versions).
- Added more commands to the Context Menus, mainly 'attackmarch' commands to help with player control.
- Finalized adjustments to make the mod 'Les Cent Jours' compatible. Had to allow log errors (unknown packed sprite) when this mod is disabled. After thorough testing these errors appear to cause no issues.

[DarkRob]

Speaking of the context menu Reb, I have some ideas for it I wanted to run by you. I've never used the context menu because I always do everything from the toolbar, but I've been messing with it this past grog patch and I think I see some possibilities that might make it worth using, especially in HITS, but not without some tweaking.

The main benefit of the context menu seems to me to be the ability to right click on orders and essentially "cue" them up, and then execute them all at once with a single courier. That would be huge in HiTS where couriers dying is a thing.
Currently your brigades or divisions can end up in some hairy situations doing everything from the toolbar, because you know, what happens if 2 out of 4 couriers end up dying enroute and the officer only follows the orders he actually received. (You can use your imagination on that one)

If all the orders were attached to one courier, then at least if that courier dies enroute, the brigade or division doesn't end up doing something to put themselves in a bad situation, and if they do receive the orders, then you know they've received them all.

In theory this sounds way better than each individual order being its own courier from the toolbar.

The problem is not all the necessary orders and commands are part of the context menu. You would absolutely need to be able to to select officer stances and destinations on the command map in order to be able to right click and cue up those commands from the context menu.

So yea, basically what I'm asking is that something you could do? I imagine the officer stances being added to the context menu wouldnt be that big a deal, it's more being able to open the command map and right click destinations I think would be a little hairy. I'm not sure the command map will work that way

EDIT: or what about the reverse? Would it be possible to take the context menu ability to right click and cue up orders and apply it to the toolbar itself? It might be 6 of 1 half a dozen of the other, but my brain is just rolling this stuff out right now

[RebBugler]

Rob,

Your 'Edit' suggestion is more feasible, I don't see a way for the Context Menus approach to work for stacking courier orders and sending them bundled, so to speak. I've always thought that a 'quick send' courier menu available on the toolbar would be a valuable feature for the game, thereby allowing courier play to be included in competitively oriented scenarios. The present courier system is too slow, demanding too many steps, to be included with time restricted scenario designs. Not to mention the unreliability elements.

Folks,
The most recent update announcement got buried with this latest discussion. If you missed it, check out the latest features and fixes Version 9.75 offers here:
viewtopic.php?p=82137#p82137

As always, the latest update download (April 28, 2023) is on Post #1

[RebBugler]

Update/Upgrade...

Grog Toolbar Version 9.85
- Adjusted casualty status readouts to accommodate lower resolution totals and avoid clipping of end numbers.
- Added the 'Artillery Double Line' formation to all relevant context menus. This line formation has proven to be more effective in defending against cavalry attacks.
- All formation popup windows have been adjusted so formation buttons are similarly sized across all windows.
- Found and corrected various minor mistakes, primarily button sound fixes.
- Major re-scoring of scenarios WL10 and WL20. Now, scoring 100,000 for a Major Victory should prove competitive. Both scenarios have been tested twice and pass muster according to my play-testing. Previously, before this fix, I was able to score 400,000 points on each scenario.
- Under the hood, consolidated all button texture sheets to one sheet. This consolidation should show a slight performance boost.

Spent most of the time between updates playing the two 9-hour scenarios three times each. First, scoring the originals, and then testing the scoring adjustments twice. Here are the end results of the second play of the WL10 and WL20 scenarios.

WL10 last second, 2nd run...

WL10 last second2.jpg (494.8 KiB) Viewed 5968 times

WL20 last second, 2nd run...

WL20 last second2.jpg (467.93 KiB) Viewed 5968 times

Both scenarios are immersive play at its best. I thought nine hours of play would result in overkill and lulls, but the battle fought fiercely through the eighth hour, then finally fading for the last hour. With lots of variants built in, there are still no predictive outcomes, just predictable entertainment.