Maps, scenarios, and resources

[Patrick Proctor]

Gents,

Just a quick note to let everyone know that, in addition to the files in this forum, there are a ton of BCT, ATF, Raging Tiger, and Falklands War resources at StrategyZoneOnline:

http://www.strategyzoneonline.com/forums/downloads.php?do=cat&id=10

There is also a very active forum, with a lot of players exchanging ideas, news, and multiplayer challenges. The forum is here:

http://www.strategyzoneonline.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=20

[Werewolf]

Tried using the ATF scenario pack files (Bihac and Saudi) in TSATC but no joy. I put the files in the DATA directory and then opened TSATC and selected begin imported mission.

Both missions were there but when I selected Bihac (same result for Saudi) I get a save window with *.smg in the file name row. Entering a file name or doing nothing ends up with same result. An infinite loop back to the save window. I had to ctrl-alt-del and end the TSATC application to get out of it.

What has to be done to import missions from other ATF series games.

[Patrick Proctor]

And I am sorry to hear you are having problems.

The ATF Scenario Pack is built for ATF. In otherwords, you must have ATF for the Scneario Pack to work. It relies on database elements, vehicle icons, and other assets that only ship with ATF.

By backwards compatibility, we DO mean that you can run scenarios from earlier versions of the ATF Engine in later ATF Engine games. But you must have the complete scenarios in order to play the scenario. And, unless an industrious scenario designer starts from scratch, creating all new maps, databases, and vehicle icons, this probably means that each scenario is dependent on the version of the ATF Engine with which it was made.

What you CAN do with backwards compatibility is the following. If, for example, you own ATF, Raging Tiger, and The Star and the Crescent, you can install them in this order:

ATF -> RT -> TSATC

The game will then be upgraded to the latest version of the ATF Engine (The Star and the Crescent), but allow you to run scenarios from ATF and RT (including user scenarios made with those games) in TSATC. However, for instance, if you got a user made scenario made with The Falklands War 1982, it probably will not run in your "uber-TSATC" install, since that scenario will rely on assets found in TFW, that you don't have.

In your situation, you COULD use assets from the ATF Scenario Pack (such as the all new maps and graphics in those scenarios) in your own user-made scenarios. But, as you found, you cannot load the scenarios themselves, because they rely on database files only found in ATF.

Please let us know if we can clear up our marketing in any way to make this clearer. I hate for someone to by one of our games thinking it can do something it can't. And, again, sorry for the confusion.

[Werewolf]

You solved the problem, Patick. I don't have ATF installed and I'm not going to uninstall TSATC, put ATF back on my HD and reinstall TSATC for 2 just two scenarios.

I would suggest that ProSim update the TSATC web page to make it clear that in order to run prior ATF engine scenarios in TSATC that those ATF products need to be installed. That aspect of the compatibility is a bit ambiguous right now.

Part of why I bought TSATC (which I am very glad that I did) was the compatibilty claim. The claim is true but with caveats. Those caveats should IMO be made more clear to prospective buyers.

[Patrick Proctor]

You can also just copy and paste all of the contents of your ATF install directory to your TSATC install directory, and get the same effect.

JUST MAKE SURE THAT, IF YOU DO THIS, YOU ANSWER NO TO ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT OVERWRITING FILES. If you accidentally overwrite files, it is not the end of the world, you will just have to re-install TSATC. You won't lose any save-games or anything.