Courier Issues

[kjdunc9443]

So I usually play a modded game. Specifically I use the "small couriers and maps" mod. I have been having problems recently with couriers. The units ignore the fact that I have courier set on Brigade and above and still move immediately when my courier reaches their commander. The other funny thing is that the commander still sends couriers to his subordinate units but its pointless because they are already moving.

I tried to mitigate this by keeping a fresh downloaded and unmodded copy of the game in case this happens. Somehow the same bug has creeped into the unmodded game as well even though they are stored on seperate drives! This leads me to believe that it is some registry or cache that is causing it to not read the configuration settings but I havent been able to find one. I have confirmed in the "sowg config file" that the courier is set to 4.

Perhaps it could be an issue with the "shout" radius. Im not sure if this is the correct term for this but it is the radius that you can issue orders to a unit without needing a courier. Perhaps the game is issuing that order as well as courier orders?

Any help with this would be wonderful as this is a game breaking bug for me. I have searched the forums and havent come up with anyone with the same issues but please point me in the correct direction if I missed something!

[kjdunc9443]

Here are the contents of my config file for yall to take a look at. Thanks!

[Options]
difficulty=3
keepdead=0
showsmoke=1
artyeffects=1
showpath=1
noeffects=0
showtarget=1
autosave=0
uniformlvl=2
wraptrees=1
transtree=110
transall=0
ambientsnd=1
marchmusic=1
nonavmove=0
realism=0
MPdifficulty=3
MPuniformlvl=0
MPrealism=0

[Initialization]
Full Screen=1
Screen Res=0
AntiA=0
Anso=0

[Custom]
ailvl=0
moralelvl=0
regstrength=100
plyrradius=0
courierlvl=4
minimap=2
MPplyrradius=0
MPcourierlvl=0
MPminimap=2

[MapPerf]
densityfact=100
visradius=2
objlevel=3
worldwrap=1
maxdecals=20
CamFwdSpeed=50
CamPanSpeed=50
CamUpSpeed=50
CamTurnSpeed=25
ObjClip=1000
UnitClip=1000
TreeClip=1000
MPobjlevel=1

[Variables]
#optdifficulty=3
#optkeepdead=0
#optkeepsmoke=1
#optkeepboom=1
#optshowpath=1
#optnoeffects=0
#optshowtarget=1
#optautosave=0
#optuniformlvl=2
#optfullscreen=1
#optscrres=0
#optailvl=0
#optmoralelvl=0
#optregstrength=100
#optplyrradius=0
#optcourierlvl=4
#optmaplvl=2
#optdensityfact=100
#optwraptrees=1
#opttranstree=110
#opttransall=0
#optvisradius=2
#optmapobjlvl=3
#optworldwrap=1
#optmaxdecals=20
#optambientsnd=1
#optmarchmusic=1
#optnonavmove=0
#optgospeed=50
#optstrafespeed=50
#optrisespeed=50
#optturnspeed=25
#optobjdrawdist=1000
#optunitdrawdist=1000
#opttreedrawdist=1000
#opttimewarp=1
#optrealism=0
$lobbypass=
$lobbypasscheck=
#followmode=0
$lastscreen=SANDBOXSP
$param1=
$param2=
$plyrname=General
$plyrhandicap=100
$lobbyname=General
$serverip=
$gameport=31791
$multiscreen=loadscreen:MultiplayerSelect
$lobbyscreen=loadscreen:Lobby
$mainscreen=loadscreen:Main
#biamserv=1
=
ID=
#D=-1
$scenMPoff=
$scenMPoffID=
#scenMPoffID=-1
$chatgame=
$scenMPfileID=NetServ
$scenMSfile=GB MP00-Multiplayer Demo (Div)
$scenMSfileID=GB MP00-Multiplayer Demo (Div)
#scenMSfileID=-1
$scenMSoff=1 Army - Maj Gen George G Meade
$scenMSoffID=
#scenMSoffID=-1
$ranmap=Gettysburg
$ranmapID=Gburg
#ranmapID=0
$ranoob=OOB_SB_Brig_Div_Day_1
$ranoobID=oob_sb_brig_div_day_1
#ranoobID=0
$ranofficer= Corps - Maj Gen Abner Doubleday
$ranofficerID=OOB_U_ADoubleday2
#ranofficerID=0
#ranscore=20000
#ranobjpoint=20000
#ranobjnumber=3
#ranobjtime=25
#balance=0
#rantime=0
#ranstart=7
#ransize=3
#rantype=4
#ranarmy=1
#myid=0
$high00score=
$high01score=
$high02score=
$high03score=
$high04score=
$high05score=
$high06score=
$high07score=
$high08score=
$high09score=
$high10score=
$high11score=
$high12score=
$high13score=
$high14score=
$high15score=
$high16score=
$high17score=
$high18score=
$high19score=
$high20score=
$high21score=
$high22score=
$high23score=
$high24score=
#carry00enable=1
#carry01enable=1
#carry02enable=1
#carry03enable=1
#carry04enable=1
#carry05enable=1
#carry06enable=1
#carry07enable=1
#carry08enable=1
#carry09enable=1
#carry10enable=1
#carry11enable=1
#carry12enable=1
#carry13enable=1
#carry14enable=1
#carry15enable=1
#carry16enable=1
#carry17enable=1
#carry18enable=1
#carry19enable=1
#carry20enable=1
#carry21enable=1
#carry22enable=1
#carry23enable=1
#carry24enable=1
$scenfile=NetServ
$scenfileID=NetServ
#scenfileID=0
$scenoff=
$scenoffID=
#scenoffID=-1
$loadsavescen=3/1/2010 0:49:13\Restart Current Level.sav\SandBox
$loadsavescenID=Restart Current Level.sav
#loadsavescenID=0
#optMPdifficulty=3
#optMPuniformlvl=1
#optMPplyrradius=0
#optMPcourierlvl=0
#optMPmaplvl=2
#optMPmapobjlvl=1
#optMPrealism=0
#optspriteratio=0
#optautocourmess=1
#screenstate=5
$courmsg=Use Roads for Your Unit
$courmsgID=1
#courmsgID=1

[kjdunc9443]

So I may have narrowed it down some more.

I realized I was removing mods improperly. I made sure to deactivate it before I erased it from the folder. Once I did this I was able to get the basic courier system working again.

I tried putting back in a fresh download of the "Couriers and Maps" mod from the forums. Even without activating it immediately breaks the courier system even without activating it. Its like it has corrupt files that immediately activate regardless of me activating it or not.

Well I figure I would keep giving information as I find it.

Thanks!

[Davinci]

Are you sure that none of the other activated Mods don't have a "couriers.csv" in them?

But, if I gave\give a Brigade Commander a marching order, all of the regiments will immediately start moving.

davinci

[kjdunc9443]

davici,

I am doing a complete reinstall just to get a clean slate and I will try adding the courier mod again. I think I improperly installed some mods in the past that may have left residual files (if thats possible). What makes me think this is that even though I had only the courier mod placed in the mod folder (but not activated) it still caused the issue. The minute I removed it from the mod folder it fixed itself. So I could only think somehow it was conflicting with residual files.

I usually play at division or higher. When it is working properly I send a message to BDE command and he sends couriers to his subordinate regiments. With the bug the second the courier reaches the BDE commander the regiments immediately begin moving without receiving a courier. At the same time the BDE commander still sends out a courier to each of the regiments even though they have already received the order to go.

[Davinci]

Hmm, I doubt that I would do a Complete Install - since the game is designed so that Mods don't affect the core game.

After reading your post I was not under the impression that the Brigade Commander sent couriers to their Regiments when giving an order to move.

SO, I sent a Brigade Commander a "Order" containing a "Take-Command-ON" which would place all of its Regiments under "TC" - followed by a "Move" command - followed by a "Take-Command-OFF" and it did send a courier to each of the Regiments.

Never Played that way before, interesting!

davinci

[DarkRob]

Hi Kjdunc, without specific examples or video clips, its tough to say what is really going on, but I just want to point out that there could be a myriad of things going on in the game that can cause units to move without orders. There are also some things that can change automatically without the use of a courier, especially if you are using some of the TC on/off all subordinates commands.

What is their proximity to the enemy? Is the visability changing such as at dawn or dusk? Did you change the officers stance? How about a higher ranking officers stance within the same chain of command? These stances change instantly and can drastically affect at what distances units begin responding to the enemy.

As an example if you have a brigade whose officer stance is set on hold to the last there could be enemy units that are far enough away to not trigger any movement from them, but change the officers stance to all out attack and those same units might now respond to the presence of the same enemy that are to far away to be responded to while in hold to the last, causing subordinate units to begin moving towards them on their own before even receiving move orders and a courier from a brigade commander. Stance changes can begin moving down the chain of command instantly, especially if transmitted as a result of one of these "all subordinate" commands I mentioned earlier.

Im not saying this is what is happening to you, or even if it is, not in every case. Its just one example of any of a number of things that take place "under the hood" of the game that you may not even be aware of.

Also if this is the case, then the couriers your brigade commander subsequently sends out are not "pointless" as the unit was simply responding to the presence of the enemy and moving of its own accord. The subsequent arriving courier from the brigade commander would then correct its movement to what the brigade commander wants, assuming it hasn't already engaged the enemy.