Silent Storm

Patch ver. 1.2 for English version

November 28, 2003

Content

Important notes
Bug fixes in update patch version 1.2
    Game interface and balance bug fixes
    Improvements made according to users' requests
    Changes to game balance
    Game sounds are not played correctly
    Bugs fixed in the Game Editor
Bug fixes in update patch version 1.1
    Game interface and balance bug fixes
    Improvements made according to users' requests
    Changes to game balance
    Bugs fixed in the Game Editor

Important notes:

This update patch includes all changes to the game introduced by patch version 1.1 as compared with version 1.0, as well as all new bug fixes for the game, the Editor and MODs, plus some improvements made according to specific requests by users.

Most of the changes will work correctly with games saved using update patches versions 1.0 and 1.1, provided the games were saved on global map. Before installing update patch 1.2 it's recommended to save your game on global map, quit the game, install the update patch, launch the game and load the last save. Still, we cannot guarantee that all changes and bug fixes will work correctly with games saved using update patch version 1.0 or 1.1.

If you have updated the game to version 1.2 you'll need to update the Editor to version 1.2 as well, otherwise you won't be able to use it.

Bug fixes in update patch version 1.2

Fixed the bug causing the game to "hang" during ally's turn;
Fixed the bug causing the game to "hang" after Interrupt;
Fixed the bug causing the game to crush during movement of camouflaged characters;
Fixed the bug occasionally causing the game to crush after several objects have been blown up (detonated) one after another;
Fixed the bug occasionally causing the game to crush when the sound of shot is played;
Partially fixed the bug occasionally causing loss of sound in the game;
Fixed the bug causing game script to "hang" on English Town zone in Axis campaign;
Fixed the bug causing incorrect functioning of Better Evasion ability;
Improved functioning of Quick Short Burst ability;
Fixed the bug occasionally causing characters to have negative VP values;
Fixed the bug causing incorrect work of the game on systems with ATI Radeon R6/7200 video cards;
Fixed the bug occasionally making impossible to select characters using mouse in real-time mode;
Fixed the bug making Panzerkleins stored in base hangar unavailable in Allied campaign;
Fixed the bug causing dead bodies in Panzerkleins to disappear;
Fixed the bug with animation of characters in Panzerkleins' movement if multiple destination points were set in real-time mode;
Fixed the bug with animation of characters carrying dead bodies' movement if multiple destination points were set in real-time mode;
Fixed the bug with animation of characters' movement if they have a grenade in active slot;
Fixed the bug with animation of characters setting up mines;
Fixed the bug with animation of characters changing positions.

Game interface and balance bug fixes

Characters can now walk to points where items are located. Now it's possible to set a destination point with a weapon, a dead body or documents lying there, without the need to pick those items up (Shift + Click);
Changed balance in Swiss Factory and Organisation's Base missions;
Change Sound Mode in Options screen is no longer available;
Changed visualisation of End of Turn/Start Combat button;
Improved the AI logic;
Added new hot keys: [Ctrl + K] - show/hide leaves.
Fixed the bug causing incorrect work of Backstab.

Improvements made according to users' requests

Look command which does not involve changing direction the character is looking at, has no AP costs now;
It's now possible to switch visualisation of selected character (game_selectionmode line in config.cfg);
It's now possible to switch visualisation of weather effects (game_showweathereffect line in config.cfg)
Characters now get used to various weapons quicker;
If characters cannot move due to calculation of route, message to that effect is now displayed after calculation is completed.

Changes to game balance

Fixed the bug causing the game to crush during a series of explosions if a MOD is loaded;
Various MODs can now work together;
Made changes to all MODs.

Game sounds are not played correctly

Symptoms

When you play Silent Storm, you may experience the following symptoms with sounds in the game:

Sounds may not be played
Sounds may be played quietly
Sounds may be distorted

Cause

This behavior can occur if any of the following conditions are true:

The sound driver for your sound card is outdated.
Your sound card does not support the necessary hardware features that you need to play sounds in the game.
The game is not properly configured to play sounds.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, use the following methods in the order in which they are presented. Check Speakers Connections and Volume Make sure that you connect your speakers correctly to your computer and turn up the volume on the speakers and in Microsoft Windows.

Configure the Sound Settings in the Game
To configure the sound settings in the game:

In the Silent Storm startup screen, click Options.
Click Audio.
Move each of the following volume sliders to the level that you want:

Sound Volume
Music Volume

Verify That the ADPCM Codec Is Installed Correctly
For additional information about how to change audio codecs in Microsoft Windows, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Update the Sound Driver for Your Sound Card
To update your sound driver, contact the manufacturer of your sound card to inquire about how to obtain and install the latest version of the sound driver for your sound card.

Bugs fixed in the Game Editor

Added new tables to the game database allowing to change and fine-tune a larger number of game parameters when creating your own MODs;
Added new opportunities to edit weapons parameters;
When you create new MODs the Editor now takes into account that they might be used together;
Improved the working of ScenarioZones in the Game Editor.

Bug fixes in update patch version 1.1

Fixed the bug causing AI to "hang" during enemy turn;
Fixed the bug causing AI to "hang" during ally's turn;
Fixed the bug with passing the turn to the opponent while the game is being saved overwriting an existing save;
Fixed the bug with losing opportunity to pick up a new ability (before, character moving up to the next level did not get an opportunity to choose a new ability);
Fixed the bug with switching between characters while passing the turn to the opponent;
Fixed the bug causing grenades to disappear from character's Items panel after automatically rearranging items;
Fixed the bug causing the game to crush during the opponent's turn if enemy character tried to use vertical ladder;
Fixed the bug with incomplete healing of character after mission has been completed on Normal difficulty level;
Fixed the bug with animation of characters' movement if multiple destination points were set in real-time mode;
Several characters lying on the ground can no longer occupy the same point;
Fixed the bug with incorrect working of Second Skin ability;
Fixed the bug with receiving a Russian medal in German campaign;
Fixed the bug making it impossible to use vertical ladders in some zones;
Fixed the bug causing the game to crush at nightfall in English Commandant's Office mission in Allied campaign.
Fixed the bug with characters' moving across grille when getting out of Panzerklein near a grille;
Fixed the bug with engineer's field of vision: now engineer cannot see through walls or other non-transparent objects any more;
Fixed the bug with aiming at destroyed object which used to be an exit point: now such objects are not selected when cursor is placed over them;
Probability to hit target is now displayed next to the right screen edge;
Corrected script logic for Russian Commandant's Office zone in Allied campaign: now during the final dialogue the Hero is looking at the commandant;
Fixed the bug causing high-level enemy characters to appear in minor skirmishes at the beginning of the game;
Made changes to interiors of script game zones where it could have a negative effect on passability calculations (furniture in houses is now positioned correctly);
Fixed the bug with characters' movement in real-time mode (possible problems with calculation of routes);
Fixed the bug with picking up items which characters cannot see (before, it was possible to pick up items we did not see or items located on another floor);
Characters under the player's control did not get experience after blowing enemy characters to pieces;
Fixed the bugs with animation of characters reloading stationary machineguns;
Fixed the bug causing damage to saved games after the game was played for a long time;
Fixed the bug with characters located inside objects;
Fixed the bug with grille in the second section of Organisation's Warehouse zone: now the grille cannot be destroyed;
Fixed the bug with Panzerklein hangars at bases: now there are no zones where characters cannot put on Panzerkleins;
Fixed the bug causing the camera to "hang";
Fixed the script bug on Organisation's Base zone: it's now impossible to lose the game automatically;
Fixed the bug causing loss of aim during a sniper shot;
Fixed the bug with route calculation mechanism after character jumps from the second floor to the ground;
Fixed the bug causing spontaneous reset of options in Options screen (mouse inversion);
Fixed the bug causing the game to "hang" after characters pass through partially destroyed doors in real-time mode;
Fixed the bug causing the game to "hang" after script video clip German Laboratory in Allied campaign was skipped by pressing a key;
Fixed the bug causing the game to crush if a large number of dead bodies piled up in the same place;
If there is not enough disk space to save game, the game no longer crushes and "Cannot Save Game" message is displayed;
Fixed the bug causing items to "hang" in the thin air;
Fixed the bug with mismatch between the name of user-created character and the name in their biography;
Fixed the bug occasionally causing characters to move to a point in "vacuum" and consequently die on Organization's Warehouse zone in northern England, in both campaigns;
Fixed the bug causing characters' lines to be played by the interface even if this option was switched off.

Game interface and balance bug fixes

Added new hot keys: [M] - Carry On command, [SCROLL LOCK] - Show FPS Statistics, Video and Textures Memory;
Changed upper section of Swiss Factory zone, positioned additional enemy characters, added script scene when Panzerkleins appear, reduced the number of civilian characters and changed their behavioural algorithm;
Added grenades to AI-controlled soldiers' Inventory;
Now soldiers can be blown to pieces only by grenades;
Significantly increased difficulty of Organisation's Base mission;
Added opportunity to block video options which cannot be changed in current video mode;
Changed AI-controlled civilian characters' behaviour during shoot-outs;
Added route visualisation on the first mouse click on destination point if "Move on Double-Click Only" option is selected;
Changed AI's combat tactics, reduced probability of "Get out - Shoot - Get Back In" action sequence, added characters' reaction to encountering dead bodies, added new panicking conditions;
Changed parameters of Panzerkleins' grenade launchers and mortars: now they cause much heavier damage;
Changed parameters of high-explosive grenades: now they cause much heavier damage;
Message informing that character cannot perform action because route is being calculated is now displayed at appropriate times;
Made changes to Credits.

Improvements made according to users' requests

Added opportunity to save games at Impossible difficulty level in the same way as at High level.
Changed colour coding for probability to hit target: red for zero probability and green for all other cases;
It's now possible to control the camera during the opposition's turn;
It's now possible to provide medical help to all friendly characters;
Your characters can now change places with friendly and neutral characters (e.g. in doorframe);
Changed visualisation of camouflage;
Changed probability of playing various acknowledgements;
Start Combat/End of Turn button is now blocked for two seconds after it's pressed (to avoid passing the turn to the opponent accidentally).

Changes to game balance

The following MODs have been added:

AP expenditure in Items Panel (spending APs for picking up items, moving items from Items Panel to slots and back and giving items to other characters);
Head shot is terminal (precision shots to various body parts, especially head shots are much more difficult but hitting the target causes much heavier damage);
Always critical damage (hitting various body parts inflicts light temporary critical damage);
Backstab is more efficient (stabbing unsuspecting character in the back causes much heavier damage).

Please refer to User Manual for details on using MODs. The following MODs can be loaded only individually:

Head shot is terminal
Always critical damage
Backstab is more efficient

If you load two or more of the above MODs simultaneously, only the one loaded last will actually affect the gameplay (see also note to Bugs Fixed in the Game Editor section)

Bugs fixed in the Game Editor

Fixed the bug causing the Editor to crush when it was loaded in 16-bit colour mode;
Fixed the bug making it impossible to create a MOD when the Editor has been launched for the first time;
Fixed the bug causing the Editor to crush when viewing scenario (Scenario tab);
Fixed the bug with texture export (before, if there was a space character present in the path to converted textures destination directory, exporting didn't work);
Fixed the bug causing the Editor to crush after switching floors;
Changed resource tree selection dialogue (View -> Select Resource tabs): now it's configured dynamically based on the data in res\resources.txt file (brief description can be provided for each resource type, displayed in the dialogue as tool tips);
Added several resource tables to the Editor (difficulties, rpgaps);
Changed the way items are issued to characters (now there's DifficultyID field for each issued item).

Possible problems:

Incompatibility with old MODs due to serious changes made to the database structure. Most MODs assembled using the old Editor should still work normally with the new version of the game. The new version of the Editor should work with old MODs but would probably display error messages when you try to use some older tables in MOD database (it can also happen when you launch the Editor). These are not critical errors and you'll be able to edit most resources; however, assembling versions using the new Editor without applying special tricks might produce a "bad" game.db file.

To assemble versions of old MODs please launch the following command from the game directory for each MOD, before you install the patch:

.\tools\dataimport "\game_original.db" -dbserver localhost -database A5GAME

NOTE:

Modifications system does not allow to make two MODs changing the same entry in the database and working in the game simultaneously. The game will only work with the entry which was loaded last. For example, HeadshotShouldKill MOD makes changes to all rows in DifficultyConstants table - and so does ImprovedBackstab MOD. If you load both these MODs, changes in DifficultyConstants will be made according to the last loaded MOD. If you want a certain combination of difficulty MODs to work, you must create one combined MOD containing all the relevant constants.

Other changes

Fixed the bug causing loss of sound in some configurations;
Changed fMod.dll version.

Important notes:

Most of the changes will work correctly with games saved using update patch version 1.0, provided the games were saved on global map. Before installing update patch 1.1 it's recommended to save your game on global map, quit the game, install the update patch, launch the game and load the last save. Still, we cannot guarantee that all changes and bug fixes will work correctly with games saved using update patch version 1.0.