A little help with "Silence that Gun!" from Paratrooper?

[DougRim]

Just to visualize what we are talking about:

This is a pre-made setup how I do them:

View attachment 14836

Features:

1. Picture (which might be a cause of trouble if the web-source is no longer available).
2. VC & SSR (which will not show on those pre-made setups at vasl.info for copyright reasons).
3. Special Rules needed for this scenario
4. ROAR Rating at the time of the creation of the VASL file. Beneath VASL version with which this file was created and creation date.
5. VP and CVP counters (if required by scenario), similar for PF, THH Tallies
6. Sample AFV used in scenario. Before play, these are marked with CTRL-I to display Ammo and other backside information.
7. Terrain alterations already done (snow, orchards out of season etc.)
8. Manual terrain enhancements by draggable overlays (a special SSR Paved Road in this case)
9. Setup and Entry Areas
10. Setup instructions, SAN/ELR

Of such a VASL file, much can be used as a template. For example, the position of the units offboard can be reused for any scenario with a comparable playing area with only minor adaptations. VC/SSR can be copied/pasted from a PDF into the HTML template, etc.

There is also a tool created by Pacman Ghost that can ease some of the stuff I do manually for my setups described in this thread, which will soon (or does already) integrate ROAR and/or ASL Scenario Archive information. It can also automatically add vehicle notes for vehicles selected.

von Marwitz

AFAIK, if a set up like this was created in a VASL version < VASL6.5.0 then when you opened the file in => VASL6.5.0 most if not everything should work EXCEPT for the counters (which I agree are kind of critical). Replacing the counters by dragging new ones from the counter palette is certainly time-consuming. Have you noticed anything else that does not carry over to VASL6.5.0/1 or VASL6.6.0?

 

[dwardzala]

I tried to load AP014.vasl (wrong file, I know) but received the error below. I renamed it to AP014.vsav and received the same error.

View attachment 14840

Are you opening with VASL or VASSAL? VASL is correct.

 

[Michael R]

Are you opening with VASL or VASSAL? VASL is correct.

VASL

 

[von Marwitz]

AFAIK, if a set up like this was created in a VASL version < VASL6.5.0 then when you opened the file in => VASL6.5.0 most if not everything should work EXCEPT for the counters (which I agree are kind of critical). Replacing the counters by dragging new ones from the counter palette is certainly time-consuming. Have you noticed anything else that does not carry over to VASL6.5.0/1 or VASL6.6.0?

As far as I can tell, it is indeed only the counters that need to be manually repulled and relabelled for an update.

Text Labels carry over, OBA does, also SAN/ELR & Booby Trap Level. Overlays and Draggable Overlays work as do boards and terrain alterations selected per the menu.

There is an issue with pictures, though:
In older versions of VASL (don't ask me until when it worked, I reckon roughly until 2018), if a link to a picture somewhere in the net was no longer available, instead of the picture, a "broken picture"-symbol would show when opening the VASL file. Since then, in such a case VASL will crash and is unable to open the VASL file any longer. As it used to work "back then", I reckon this would not be too difficult an error to catch and fix.

BTW for this reason many .vasl files on vasl.info won't work any more. They would work if they wouldn't contain a draggable overlay with (a now unavailable / dead link) picture.

von Marwitz

 

[von Marwitz]

Well, I played on VASL for the first time yesterday and it was really neat! I hope to be on the ladder soon!

However, here is what my original question was:

I was trying to find "Silence that Gun" from Paratrooper. Here is what I found, in the "Old" Categort.

Para
ASL011.v53
ASL012.v53
ASL013.v53
ASL014.v53
ASL015.v53
ASL016.v53
ASL017.v53
ASL018.v53


Which of these is 'Silence that gun!'

When I try to open ASL 11 after downloading, here is the message I get.

"This file does not have an app associated with it for performing this action."

Here is what I'm using: VASSAL 3.2.17. VASL 6.5.1 (at suggestion of a current opponent).

Thoughts?

~John

What you found are veeeery old VASL files. The file extension .v53 denotes VASL v5.3, which must be something close to 15 years old and is obsolete.

To have a chance to work nowadays, it needs to be a .vasl file

The regrettable thing is that currently you cannot see with which version of VASL a .vasl file has been created on the vasl.info website. As the pre-made setups there have accumulated over the years, only the smallest part has been created with the newer versions of VASL.

That's why I am advocating an 'update' function to become part of VASL. If such a thing existed, vasl.info would provide a usable rescource of a couple of hundred setups. Currently, I'd expect that you may have around 50 created with VASL 6.4.x (which you cannot discern by looking at the filenames...).

von Marwitz

 

[DougRim]

As far as I can tell, it is indeed only the counters that need to be manually repulled and relabelled for an update.

Text Labels carry over, OBA does, also SAN/ELR & Booby Trap Level. Overlays and Draggable Overlays work as do boards and terrain alterations selected per the menu.

There is an issue with pictures, though:
In older versions of VASL (don't ask me until when it worked, I reckon roughly until 2018), if a link to a picture somewhere in the net was no longer available, instead of the picture, a "broken picture"-symbol would show when opening the VASL file. Since then, in such a case VASL will crash and is unable to open the VASL file any longer. As it used to work "back then", I reckon this would not be too difficult an error to catch and fix.

BTW for this reason many .vasl files on vasl.info won't work any more. They would work if they wouldn't contain a draggable overlay with (a now unavailable / dead link) picture.

von Marwitz

Very helpful reply, thanks.

I note the dead link issue and will add it to the bug list on Github.

 

[von Marwitz]

Very helpful reply, thanks.

I note the dead link issue and will add it to the bug list on Github.

Still, it is a bit mysterious.

I dabbled around a bit and could make VASL crash in one instance and have it work normally in the other (see below).
In use were VASSAL v3.2.17 and VASL v6.5.1.
I created a "New Game" using only bd0.

Then I created a Draggable Overlay Label, deleted Line 2, and copied/pasted the following code into the Label.
Upon pressing ENTER, VASL crashed: "Eek! A Bug... Uncaught Exception" message that came up in the instant when I pressed enter after pasting the below HTML into the Draggable Overlay Label. Remarkably, the link

http://www.ww2incolor.com/d/343304-4/Snow+camo+MG34+gunner

was normally available and alive in the net.

<HTML>
<TABLE WIDTH=400 BORDER=0 CELLPADDING=2 CELLSPACING=0>
<COL WIDTH=400>
<TR VALIGN=TOP>
<TD WIDTH=400>
<P>
<IMG SRC="http://www.ww2incolor.com/d/343304-4/Snow+camo+MG34+gunner" ALIGN=BOTTOM WIDTH=400 HEIGHT=300 BORDER=0>
</P>
</TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
</HTML>


Next, after restarting VASSAL/VASL, I tried another available and live link usind the same procedure:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/PzIV_Saumur_000a5s6s_noBG.jpg/300px-PzIV_Saumur_000a5s6s_noBG.jpg

Nothing but the link was changed in the HTML code. This time, no issues...


<HTML>
<TABLE WIDTH=400 BORDER=0 CELLPADDING=2 CELLSPACING=0>
<COL WIDTH=400>
<TR VALIGN=TOP>
<TD WIDTH=400>
<P>
<IMG SRC="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/PzIV_Saumur_000a5s6s_noBG.jpg/300px-PzIV_Saumur_000a5s6s_noBG.jpg" ALIGN=BOTTOM WIDTH=400 HEIGHT=300 BORDER=0>
</P>
</TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
</HTML>


I have no idea why that is, though, but apparently it has to do something with the link.




This is how the other link should look like:




Maybe this helps to resolve the problem.


von Marwitz

 

[BigAl737]

@von Marwitz,

Thanks for your ongoing efforts to make VASL better!

There’s an HTML placeholder in the Overlay extension. Instructions for use are in the help file. It’s a long shot but using that instead of the draggable counter label option may resolve the issue.

Al

 

[von Marwitz]

@von Marwitz,
Thanks for your ongoing efforts to make VASL better!

Oh - my most humble efforts pale in comparison to thy shining example, master...

There’s an HTML placeholder in the Overlay extension. Instructions for use are in the help file. It’s a long shot but using that instead of the draggable counter label option may resolve the issue.
Al

Tried this with the same link that caused problems (see post above).

<html> <img src="http://www.ww2incolor.com/d/343304-4/Snow+camo+MG34+gunner"> </html>

Goes "Eek! A bug..." the same way.


von Marwitz

 

[Actionjick]

The results of Fish and I playing Silence That Gun on July 5th, 1993.

Germans = Darryl (was given them )
U.S. = Fish
Turn 3A Darryl wins

Germans = Darryl ( was given them )
U.S. = Fish
Turn 3B Darryl wins
Fish says, " If I could only roll what he rolls. "

Germans = Darryl
U.S. = Fish ( balance )
Turn 4B Fish goes berserk, tears up board 2
Darryl wins

Lmao! ??????

I believe in the Guryev's Headquarters Series Replay I wrote that I had never seen Fish loose his temper because of a bad result. Those were the good old days.

April 30th/May 1st, 1993
Tanks in the Street
Germans = Darryl
U.S. = Fish
Turn 3A Fish demonstrates telekinesis, he makes the boards fly across the room.
Darryl wins

May 2nd, 1993
A New Kind of Foe
Germans = Darryl
Russians = Fish
Turn 2B The game that caused Fish to quit playing ASL. ????

Two more playings of A New Kind of Foe on May 8th. I won the first as the Germans, 2B. Fish won the second as the Germans. 8B.

 

[Actionjick]

The results of Fish and I playing Silence That Gun on July 5th, 1993.

Germans = Darryl (was given them )
U.S. = Fish
Turn 3A Darryl wins

Germans = Darryl ( was given them )
U.S. = Fish
Turn 3B Darryl wins
Fish says, " If I could only roll what he rolls. "

Germans = Darryl
U.S. = Fish ( balance )
Turn 4B Fish goes berserk, tears up board 2
Darryl wins

Lmao! ??????

I believe in the Guryev's Headquarters Series Replay I wrote that I had never seen Fish loose his temper because of a bad result. Those were the good old days.

April 30th/May 1st, 1993
Tanks in the Street
Germans = Darryl
U.S. = Fish
Turn 3A Fish demonstrates telekinesis, he makes the boards fly across the room.
Darryl wins

May 2nd, 1993
A New Kind of Foe
Germans = Darryl
Russians = Fish
Turn 2B The game that caused Fish to quit playing ASL. ????

Two more playings on May 8th. I won the first as the Germans, 2B. Fish won the second as the Germans. 8B.

I don't want to give the mistaken impression that it was only Fish who could become " colorful ". That notebook is filled with my comments after losing a scenario concerning various acts, natural or unnatural that Fish had or could perform. I don't remember ripping a board in half though. That wasn't the only time.
IIRC board 5 suffered the same fate. The San Grofaz Fault was very active at times. ?

 

[Eagle4ty]

Very sound advice. I know next to nothing about VASL and wasn't aware that there were pre-made scenario set ups. Very interesting. I suppose it would save time and being thrust into a situation you didn't manufacture has some real world flavor about it. You arrive at the front and suddenly you are in charge! Not how I would play a lot but does have an appeal to it.

Normally the pre-set scenarios give you the maps, misc. info and the OB's off to the side. They NORMALLY aren't set up with a predetermined defense/attack-positions. FYI. As stated previously however, it is always good to check the assets provided against the actual card you're using because many of the scenarios have had OB changes since their original publication and this is especially true of all the scenarios form the original Paratrooper and Yanks 1.

 

[Actionjick]

Normally the pre-set scenarios give you the maps, misc. info and the OB's off to the side. They NORMALLY aren't set up with a predetermined defense/attack-positions. FYI. As stated previously however, it is always good to check the assets provided against the actual card you're using because many of the scenarios have had OB changes since their original publication and this is especially true of all the scenarios form the original Paratrooper and Yanks 1.

Thanks for the clarification, makes sense. The total pre-setup does have a limited appeal.

On occasion I have thought about scenarios that start with broken units, support weapons etc. The total pre-set scenario could use this for some added flavor.