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Since when does CC3 not work in Windows XP? Well, it does give an error message at exit, and the scenario editor can crash, but the game itself works fine. There is nothing special about the GoG release of this game: It is just the classic v3.0b with the usual No-CD patch applied, nothing else.

He has a good point.
Promises failed so often in the past, so I am afraid they mean nothing now. Just play they games you actually have and enjoy.

I had a look at the CC3.exe in the recent GoG release. I compared it with an original CC3.exe v3.0b with a no-CD patch applied that I made in 2003 (See http://members.quicknet.nl/lm.broers/download.htm, which was cloned from the no-CD patch for the unpatched game ). The result is: No byte differences found, files are 100% equal.

It is not all bad, after all CC3 was brilliant for its time. I am talking improvement.

As for ini files:
Keeping soldier uniform colors in the exe, now that is an idea. (sarcasm)

Interesting posts here, especially by Sulla.
The background sounds plausible, considering how the re-releases turned out.
I am sorry it turned out the way it did. At least, it is just a Game.
But since for Sulla his health and income were and are at stake; just take care of yourself.

Back then in 2007? I hoped and actually expected CoI to at least change the data formats. Change them from proprietary to something similar to Quake 3, Strike Fighters, or the Allegro game programming library. You know: PNG/JPeg graphics, ZIP for archives, INI files for loads of game parameters. This in itself would give a much more comfortable working and modding environment. But alas. I complained at CSO about the lack of INI file settings for AI armor purchases, right after release of CoI. I am still puzzled at to why it was programmed without such conveniences.
If there were just two entries in the registry or ini file:
"AI_soldiers_girly=1"
"AI_armor_cap=5"
It would have made all the difference.
About 16-bit graphics, it is hardly a noticable drawback for the user, and already miles better then 8-bit paletted colors in that regard. 16-bit is just a little annoying for the devs, because one creates things in 24 bits true color (=rrrrrrrr,gggggggg,bbbbbbbb) then slightly shrinks everything for publishing (=rrrrr,gggggg,bbbbb). I think by 2007 hardware was just fine with smooth-scrolling 24-bits, so no need to have stuck to the 16. It adds to an uncomfortable working and modding environment.

Doubt if open source CC would lead to a great things, as it has a bit of anarchy in it. Contrary to one good vision.
Maybe one day we will see something like what happened to the Thief 1+2 and System Shock 2 games. An anonymous source distributed new executables, which fixed and enhanced the engine in numerous areas. These games are now good to go on modern systems for years (DirectX 9 API), and sparked new interest in mapping new levels.

Had some problems with Tintin's tools requiring MS Java Virtual Machine. So wrote a small converter myself.
Its a bit superfluous since I later found that CC2-Tools by Mafi has most functionality too.

CC3Tool on GB Homepage (250kB)
Does CC3 maps .bgm .ovm .mmm to 24 bits bitmap and back.
Does similar map files from CC2 to 24 bits bitmap but not back.
Does CC3 maps .txt (elements) to an elements preview bitmap and a seperate heightfield preview bitmap.

PS. one small problem with CC2-Tools is that the downsizing to .ovm/.mmm minimaps is not bilinear/trilinear, so they do not look smooth, better use a proper imaging program for that.

For a year now I have been using the old Atomic games CC3.exe and the latest Matrix Cross of Iron CC3.exe from 2011 in the same game base install.
Using the classic exe to play the game without 'girly soldiers', using the new exe to access the scenario editor without crashing.

The only difference I found, COI has more files in the campaigns/operation/battles folders which the old executable does not tolerate. Workaround:
-replace any existing campaign with coi campaign, and put new camp_ops in camp_ops
-put the coi operations in games\battles (custom battles)

Yes I don't expect to see the CC3 linear campaigns, in fact the screenshots already show the strategic map.
But if it is done right it should be enjoyable even for a CC3 player like me.
Allthough when I tried LSA some things were just odd, The logic and the looks of the LSA battle group setup screen was not quite there yet.

PS. I my previous post I wrote about an earlier version of COI not having the girly soldier problem, I read that somewhere. But it is not true of course.
But now I did manage to play COI with the original CC3.exe v3.0b from the year 2000. It requires the new campaigns and ops to shift places a little,
but then it works fine. That fixed things. Surprisingly COI with the 2011 patch works with the exact same game data as the original from 2000.

In COI the campaigns and ops are also fixed inside the game, very strange. I can only imagine that they did that to force them to appear
in the list in the order they desired, instead of alphabetical.

I was thinking, it looks good enough, as it does not really matter much. Of much greater importance is wheter the the graphics can be modded more easily.
I still use an older Cross of Iron (2009.9.4.1) as the base for all my Close Combat gaming. It would be nice if the Panthers in the fog game could be considered a solid base to convert mods to. But then it should not contain any show stoppers, such as the girly soldier problem of later COI versions.

Today I was surprised to see a new Close Combat game, at least screenshots of it.
32-bit vs 8-bit graphics? I was in the impression that CC was at least 16-bit to begin with.
Testing a COI screenshot shows me that it contains more then 256 colors (8-bit), so it has to be 16-bit at least.

Generally not to impressed with how the 32-bit tactical game looks. Seems a bit blurry, the suggestion of heights and shapes is just so so..

...Wish someone else had to source code of this series.
Last week saw an unnofficial and anonymous patch for the games Thief / Thief II / System Shock II.
Very impressive work on that upgrade for these older games (1999/2000).

Yeah it is good that refit system is gone because one could cheat with it. But Being used to CC3/COI I do miss the normal refit option quite a bit, the one you have to pay points for. Do I really have to disband a unit when the amount of men gets about half the original size?

I see the superstructures of certain bridges are now totally gone, like at Best and Nijmegen. I guess they could not make it work properly.

Kind of a mixed feeling about this 21 beta patch. The new bootcamp and messaging bugs are really obvious. Force strength indicator still useless. I only hope the armor vs armor, mortar strength, and infantry vs armor issues have been addressed well.

This source uses an A in a square as the AA symbol. but then again it uses a different symbol for tanks then the game...
US WW2 - The War in the Pacific goto "Basic Military Map Symbols"

Thanks a lot zcharles,
I tried the Hell's Highway Campaign with your mod and it it was fun.
Not sure if it was possible before, but I was now able to support one infantry group with a marder III and another With Panzer III.
The new sounds are an improvement as well.

Beware though that since the last patch your mod misses one column in the elements file, without that column the game cannot start.

continued

With CC2 LSA v5.60.02b

-Strange greyed out slots in Battlegroup screens in battles, operations and campaigns. usually totally grey, sometimes slightly greyed out.
-Bridge graphics draw over minimap and soldier windows when a unit is on the bridge.
-Strange vehicle shadows at night when the vehicle is at the top of the screen/window.
-Battlegroup screen: All with cusualties can be restored to full strength by just swapping a unit with full return value a few times, force strenght number is not affected by this?
-After battle, on the strategic map one can see certain enemy battlegroups. When going back to the main menu and then continueing the game: most enemy battlegroups are no longer shown.

minor:
- SS battlegroup icons do not have the same outer glow as the other icons
- Off-map Artillery cursor is a little sluggish.

(images continued in the next post.)


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