KS Napoleon Mod Version 1.33 and KS Supplemental Maps 1.23 Has Been Uploaded

The latest version of the KS Napoleon Mod and Supplemental Maps has been uploaded.
Changes/additions include:
Numerous AI changes.
Sprite sizes have been reduced by 1/3.  This has allowed us to easily increase the size of some of the smaller maps by 50%.  It also results in the units being spaced farther apart.  This helps to prevent the congestion seen in many battles.
In MP battles the host can now prevent all players from removing the vegetation from the battlefield. This keeps all players on an equal footing.
He can also prevent the target list from being displayed. This removes the radar effect where players would be aware of enemy units which are normally out of sight. These new features are implemented by the latest version of the KS Scenario Generator.
New maps have been added: Eckmuhl, (enlarged by 50%) and Mittelberg.  Thanks to Crikey for these fine, new maps.

The download links are in the first post of this thread: KS Mod Download Links

Many thanks Uncle Billy for your continuing efforts to improve Waterloo. These all sound like excellent changes .

Martin J

Hi,
I've just bought the game and downloaded the latest version of the mod.
In the mod manual there's a section on restarting the game. It says that I should load the game only from defsave.sav
The problem I have is that this save is not generated when I save the game (single player, user scenario).
It was generated at the end of short QB scenario I played (from user scenarios) - when it finished, but when manually saving, there's only my manually named save and "Restart Current Level.sav"

Loading the game from the manual save doesn't produce any error (that I could see) and the game seems to continue fine, although I'm afraid some problems might not be evident at first and I would hate to loose some progress if I'm not doing it right.

Could someone shed some light on the subject?
Thanks.

Saved games in single player mode work fine as the default game.

The saved games feature the KS mod adds is for multi-player.

Hi SirBullGod - welcome to the forum.
Just quick answer - the system for restarting game is required for multiplayer only - you'll be fine playing single player just using your normal saves. Well, I guess because I have very little experience in single player, but I can't remember saving and loading game in SP being an issue either in vanilla game or KS mod.
In multiplayer however you can't just go and load your save game. I mean it would be clearer for you if you tried to restart multiplayer game.

ps. answer not quick enough as Digby provided lightning fast response

Your reply was more eloquent and polite though Miko

Thank you both, gentlemen.

It is better to use the defsave.sav file for both SP and MP. The reason is that the mod creates/updates a number of variables for each unit in the game. These values are stored in the file, KSData.bin. This file and defsave.sav are written to disk approximately every 3 minutes. It is automatic, it is not a manual operation. If you use a different game save file, the information in KSData.bin may not be in sync with that save. The game may or may not crash. It just depends if the data are in sync.
Restart Current Level.sav is created at the very beginning of the game, before there is any movement or fighting.

Thanks for replying Uncle Billy
I've tried couple of scenarios included in the mod, like f.ex KSFrenchScenario12, which I've played for over an hour and neither KSData.bin or defsave.sav was created at any time.
Weirdly, when I choose one of the scenarios that come with the game, like "QB03 - Braunschweig" (selected from User Scenarios) it works and those files are created very quickly.

I'm slightly confused, but I understand this mod is made mainly for MP, so maybe I should forget using it on SP games?

SirBullGod, I have played the Mod in SP a lot and don't recall save game problems. I just create a manual save and go back to it later. In SP the save game process is a lot simpler than in MP or so I understand.

Alternatively if the time zone issue isn't a deal breaker you are very welcome to join us for MP games.

Thanks, Mr.Digby, but before I'll even consider playing with others, I need to learn how to handle this game first.
My attempts to command Corps via couriers ended in spectacular disaster

Thanks, Mr.Digby, but before I'll even consider playing with others, I need to learn how to handle this game first.
My attempts to command Corps via couriers ended in spectacular disaster Laughing

we never play at such a large scale per player... usual force at player's disposal is a division and often having more players than divisions, someone just takes a brigade.

We have a lot of people who say they need more practice before attempting MP but we have found over many years playing that MP is the fastest way to learn the game. Our games are never very competitive and we often play co-op vs the AI so you will have plenty of time to relax and take things at a pace that you dictate rather than an opposing player pushing you harder than you'd like.

We like to have new players join us so we encourage any questions and help out as best we can either in-game with technical info or afterwards in the post-battle frothing session. Its never an us and them situation and we often have a good laugh about the games.

As Miko says players can take a brigade at first and go up the chain of command as confidence with the game interface grows.

I have Windows 10. Until the most recent KKS update, all has worked well. The following Mods are enabled: Expanded Toolbar Vlll, KS Mod 133, KS Spirits 107, KS SOW Supplemental Maps 123. The game starts normally, but when I select a map, as it loads, a fluctuating black bar has replaced the the installation messages. When the map appears it is covered with black boxes enclosing all the features. What have I failed to do?

Hi, welcome to the forums.

You need to disable the Expanded Toolbar Vlll mod, the KS Mod has its own toolbar which is critical to how the mod works so other toolbar mods are not compatible with it. Make sure you are running the game in Win7 compatibility mode which may need Administrator access. The most recent update hasn't changed anything about how the game is run in Windows.

Thank you for your prompt reply. It works fine now.

Hi,im pretty new in this game and i just download your mod. I watch videos from DarkRob and i very like scale and realism of your mod.I dont want make a new topic for my 2 newbie questions.
1.On the mod maps i cant see any building i can see only stone foundations of buildings? Do u have someone same problem? Its in the settings? All my setting are on best.
2.Which setting u use for HITS? i mean max camera distance from u and HITS move (which i really dont know what is).

Thanks and your mod looks looks as a game itself,very hard but satisfying wargame.

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the kind words.

1. The maps with the word Random in the name will not have any building in them. If you are not seeing buildings in the other maps, you may not have the terrain settings properly set. On page 2 of Options the 3 terrain setting should be set to Best.

2. On page 1 of Options, set the Difficulty level to Custom. Then set Max Camera Distance From You to 10. Set Orders by Courier to Brigade. Set Map Icon Display to Bare Map. Don't forget to disable the context menu, (check box at the bottom right of page 1). Now you will be playing in true HITS mode. It is the most difficult way to play the game and gives a true feeling of what combat must have been like during that period. You will find this style of play a little disorienting at first. Also the AI will likely beat you quite badly. With practice you'll start winning more frequently and the view from the saddle will seem quite natural. Remember there is a manual describing the mod in the Manuals sub-folder of the KS Mod. You should read it as it will give you advise on how the AI fights and why. Good luck.

Thanks for answer,yes i check it and in Britishscenario 3 is randommapportugal so i guess this is a issue. I didnt try lot of scenarios,maybe 2-3 and on all i got instead of buildings only stone foundations.Now i try map scneraio with map name and its have building so thanks .And yes i read your manual,its very helpful. But game itself is very hard so i still loose everything.
And i have another question, do u guys use some smoke mod? becouse vanila smoke its not very satisfying, i try smoke and flares mod but its not looks much better.

Yes, the smoke has been modded.

Just to let you know guys I won't be playing any more MP games until the new brigade morale/collapse system is reworked so that it affects un-TC'd and fully TC'd brigades EQUALLY, regardless of how many battalions are TC'd in a brigade - none, some or all.

When that change is implemented please let me know. Or if the system is disabled in the meantime so that un-TC'd and TC'd brigades are treated the same I'm happy to continue to play MP games on that basis.

Apologies to all but the mod needs to be fully inclusive for all playing styles, not just those used by some players.

We've discussed possible solutions after game and Kevin will apply easy tweak to his code. It will help but it won't make it equal with un-TCd brigade.
currently if you got 3 battalions brigade all TC-d and fight with one battalion which gets disorganised that means the brigade level check is triggered - that's where I'm not 100% sure because it checks the number of disorganised units vs number of units that the brigade commander thinks he's got. But if the unit that is disorganised detached itself then the number of units in a brigade would be actually Zero?
Anyway...the quick fix supposed not to trigger the brigade level check if the number of disorganised units in a brigade is not higher than one (it was originally set to zero).
So that would work until 2 units in a brigade are disorganised... for 3 battalions brigade it would be fair because that's when the brigade would get over 65% of it's battalions disorganised and would withdraw regardless of TC/unTC state... but the same would happen with 4 or more battalions...

My suggestion was not to trigger the check if Brigade commander doesn't think he's got more than one unit - but this would be bad too, as you could just circumvent the mechanics by TCing all battalions...

Probably the best solution would be if possible to have another variable per brigade that tracks the number of battalions on the field? at the start of the battle everything is un TC-d so could be recorded from there on... and do the check versus this number rather than what AI brigade commander "thinks"...

my two cents...

I looked at the data from the game and there is something confusing, Martin. You fight the first part of the battle solely with your two skirmish btns. you detach from their respective brigades. At 16:41 and 16:43, the Guard skirmishers are charged and forced to retreat. They are ordered to move up again at 16:46. By this time however, they are completely disorganized and withdraw from combat at 16:47. The other two btn., 2nd and 3rd Guards, stay in place. They do not withdraw 800 yd. as they should if the entire brigade had withdrawn to reorganize. At 16:59, you move the 2nd Guards forward and at 17:04, the 3rd Guards also advance. They halted and suffered a large number of casualties from artillery fire. At 17:44 you send them forward into the French line to do battle. The Guard skirmishers never reorganized and were unable to fight.

My conclusion is that the entire brigade never detached itself and never withdrew. Only the skirmishers did.

oh... so that's yet another version of events - If I remember correctly, Martin un-TCs his brigade commanders so they can roam around and provide the morale bonus but keeps all battalions TC-d... so, would that mean that Brigade commander doesn't take the TC-d battalions with him when pulling back after all? so the skirmishers pulled back and the brigade commander then said - brigade is disorganised and pulled back too? I'm confused...

I don't think the other 2 btns. or brigade commander ever detached themselves.  The only unit to do so was the skirmish btn.

Update:
I tested a several scenarios with Byng's brigade; TCing 2 btns. and detaching the skirmishers, TCing 2 btns. and not detaching the skirmishers, not TCing anyone. TCing everyone. In all cases, things worked as expected. The tired skirmishers would withdraw to reorganize while the other 2 btns. stayed in place. Only when a 2nd btn. withdrew, would the 3rd follow suit. However if that 3rd btn. was guarding a battery, it would not withdraw.