[Biohazard]

Howdy everyone, thanks for the attention and positive response! Just days after release, we're already approaching 4000 downloads! The day after release, we had over 1500 site hits! It really feels good to know that the months of work that into this release mean something to you all.

So, as a bit of thanks, I've got some Tips From The Pros ™ to perhaps make your gaming experience a bit better.

First off: Play online! There are often several people online with Blitz II R2.5 just waiting for a game. If noone's online, hop onto the forum and look up some IM addresses, leave your own, and schedule some games. The experience is so radically better when playing with real people than when playing with the currently broken AI that it's hard to believe.

Second: If you play online and have access to a microphone, get something like Ventrilo or TeamSpeak. Most voicechat-enabled players currently use TeamSpeak. In team games, which are very frequent, voice chat ability makes for deadly tactical cohesion and immensely fun games.

Third: Some people have complained that the Shellmap either lags them, or, in some cases, actually makes them motion sick. If you would rather have the static image than the shellmap, there is an easy fix available! Go to your Blitz II launcher shortcut, usually on your desktop. (If you don't have a shortcut, make one). Find the "Target:" tag and add -quickstart to the end, outside the quotation marks, like so...

This should cause the game to skip the preload and use a static image as the backdrop instead of the shellmap.

Fourth: For playing against the AI, the only AIs that work are the German and Russian Hard and Brutal. Allies have an AI, but it is utterly broken and almost never works. For the others, they're also rather moronic, and often require you to "sacrifice" men to them before they'll tech up and offer a fight. Release 3 should feature a working AI. Until then, play online!

Fifth and last: If, for some reason, you can't or really really don't want to play online, I've got a gift for you. Since it's very difficult to tech up versus the incompetent AI, here's a tiny patch (roughly 1kb) that will allow you to have 15 tech points from the start, allowing you to get all the sciences for your subside. Teching up sometimes also causes the German AI to spring into high gear. This patch can NOT be used online, and must be removed before online play is attempted.

To install: go to the main Zero Hour install directory (C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Command & Conquer Generals Zero Hour\) and place the .zipped folder titled INI in the "Data" folder. To remove, simply delete the INI folder.

http://biohazard.ragegamers.com/XP%20Debug%20Patch.zip



Good hunting! Enjoy the game!

[UAV]

If you're playing a game with me I can let you use my clan's ventrilo. It's like a 60 man server and the sound quality is top notch. Way better than any ts one.

[mastermind]

As a suggestion, try adding -noshellmap instead of -quickstart. That way you still get most of the benefits of quickstart, but still see the beautiful DS video, and a few other things.

[Pranadevil]

I really need to get my computer issues sorted out.

[DrShrinker]

Is Ventrilo free? Like TS is.

[IconOfEvi]

This is waesome - good job folks! Too bad I cant play online yet but oh well.

Now to conquer the world...

[cubeos]

Firstly, and im sure many of the team/forumers will reflect my views,
SHUT UP! If you are just going to post useless, nasty, and frankly insane comments like that then go to another forum.Blitz 2 was never meant for AI fights, if you dont like it then go and create your own mod. See if it matches up to the standard that Blitz reaches.
That being said..

The problem with playing online is with the generals netcode. There are alot of bugs,mismatches and other such game ruiners.
The other problem is that Brits like me have to wait until about 9 o clock until we get a game. That means that a long game is ruined because it finishes at about 12 pm-1 am. It's good to see that the blitz team are fixing it for those of us who find online play annoying.

Finally thanks for making the best release of blitz ever! Even without decent AI I think that blitz is the best RTS ever due to its amazing fighting scenes and good realism.

[DrShrinker]

I dont understand you Nipthecat. Most MODs i have played have no Ai at all. Well, the "Generaks" do, but they just use the Generals:ZH Ai. But this is a TC.
Honestly, I think that is the last thing a MOD should be "graded" on.

As far as the netcode goes, I find that playing online does have its limitations.
1. everyone needs a fairly high bandwidth connection.
2. A decent CPU/RAM/Video card
3. no more than 5 people in a match (any more than 4 or 5 will lag) 4 being the best.
4. and use a map that isnt HUGE or has too many objects. All the offical maps fit that criteria.

I played a massive 2vs1 (me being the 1) last night with units up the wazoo. No crashes. No lags. and i am a spam-a-holic.

This post has been edited by DrShrinker: 29 June 2005 - 06:50 PM

[cubeos]

Was that constructive critism? Why did you say it then? Do you honestly think i will take you seriously if you resort to calling me a 'fucker'( oh and do you not consider fucker to be nasty).


By insane, I mean, how much are you paying for blitz?


You are not forced to play blitz, and the team are obviously aware of the problems surrounding AI. So why do you post another useless post about AI complaints. There has already been a rather large post about AI complaints on the forums..

@bio
You forgot that playing on the 8 playered map that i forget the name of, with 7 brutal axis AI on a free for all tends to easily trigger the AI off. It makes for some brilliant games

This post has been edited by cubeos: 29 June 2005 - 07:14 PM

[SuperS4]

cubeos, just ignore him, he isn't worth it. He obviously hasn't read why the AI doesn't work, that being the code got broken over time due to new units being added as well as tons of other codes, and the team didn't feel like wasting months fixing it for R2.5 when R3 will just break it yet again, so they will wait til R3 to fix the AI code with all the new units in R3.

With that being said, Nip, if you've got problems with the game, then post real constructive criticism. It isn't constructive if all you say is "why did you release a crappy mod". That isn't constructive, it's just plain criticism. If you think you can code a better AI, then do it, and show everyone you know what you are talking about, if not, pipe down and play online if you don't like the AI.

[Biohazard]

Why actually did you spend any time to create a never working AI?

Because when the AI was first made well over a year ago, it was actually pretty good, if incomplete.

Why did you release a mod with crappy AI?

Because this was to be a visual/balance update for people who like to play multiplayer, and the people in the studio who can make an AI are all busy on other projects.

Why do you like to see your name(s) beeing ruined?

Blitz II was always designed to be primarily and online game, not a singleplayer game. I hardly see this as our name being ruined.

Why do you expect people playing against a broken AI? At least you did expect because you created the AI.

some people have dial-up. It's the least we can do to offer something that allows them to experiment with the stuff.

Pffffft, sorry folks, I don't understand your politics. Hah, anybody ask me and I won't recommend Blitzkrieg II. Who is responsible for the AI? Have a break, have a kitkat.

Talk to RVMech. He made the AI. He also stopped modding Generals approximately a year ago. We were going to use TFH's AI coder, but he too left the community. If you can code AI, be my guest to hop aboard and start working on an updated one.

[BlckWyerve]

Instead of bitching about something you don't understand, the simple solution would be to not play the mod and go away.

If you feel like you must critisize something, offer a solution then.

[cubeos]

Yay the team agree with me!!!
Anyone fancy offering a ban, im not sure calling someone a 'fucker' on this forum is allowed.

[AbbaZabba]

AI is for dumb people..... they are blind..... let them be

[BlckWyerve]

AI is for dumb people? Fuck off.

[UAV]

Ok now that is enough f-bombs in one thread. Please Shut the fuck up now.

[Havocide]

quit fucking swearing!