Version History

Version History


Comments About Version Numbers:

I have a convention about the use of version numbers that give information about the edition of a certain piece of software. I use three numbers separated by dots, in the form of: A.B.C. The number A is the major version number - this changes whenever I do a complete rewrite of the application source. The number B represents a large change to the application that doesn't involve a complete rewrite of the source but still adds features to the application that the user can detect. The number C represents a minor bug fix, where no functionality is added, but one of those inevitable bugs that arise in software is fixed.

When it comes to registering and changes in version numbers, I only ask that people re-register after the change of the first number A, as this is a massive amount of work and really should be rewarded. Changes to the other numbers (B and C) won't result in the need to re-register.


Version History:

7 February 2000.

  • Joy Of Hex 1.4.0:

  • Threads have been including to make more polite use of the cpu.
  • A return to shareware with registeration codes has occured.
  • A new About dialog has been included.
  • The preferences icon has been fixed.

  • 16 November 1999.

  • Joy Of Hex-Map2PICT 1.0.0:

  • A utility to convert the edited maps into PICT images is included.

  • 27 June 1999.

  • Joy Of Hex 1.3.0:

  • Quick key commands have been provided for movement, attack, defend and artillery commands.
  • Instead of using the arrow pad to get about the map, you can now use the numberpad on extended keyboards.
  • When units have their supply paths broken you can now tell by how the units supply level descriptor turns red.
  • For heavy snow conditions the movement costs for half-tracked and fully tracked units had been the wrong way around. This has been fixed.
  • The registration codes were switched off, turing the project into freeware.
  • You can now use the preferences to decide whether or not to display the mottled background or just a plain black background.
  • Joy Of Hex Editor 1.3.0:

  • Common to both game and editor:

  • The ability to modify the various game graphics has been institutionalised in the form of mod packs.
  • 14 June 1999.

  • Joy Of Hex 1.2.0:

  • The game AI was worked on.
  • Joy Of Hex Editor 1.3.0:

  • Common to both game and editor:

  • Drag and drop has been added.

  • 9 June 1999.

  • Joy Of Hex 1.1.0:

  • The game AI was worked on.
  • The autoplan calculations have been made more accurate.
  • Joy Of Hex Editor 1.2.1:

  • Common to both game and editor:

  • On some Mac hardware/OS combinations the unit graphics wouldn't appear correctly. This has been fixed.

  • 3 June 1999.

  • Joy Of Hex 1.0.0:

  • The game AI was worked on.
  • Motorised units are no longer allowed to cross cliffs without roads.
  • A bug that sometimes caused a crash when certain running order combinations were executed was fixed.
  • The battle animation graphics were slightly improved and sped up.
  • Some of the game parameters were adjusted to improve the game play.
  • Graphics are no longer scaled to stop them from being drawn out of bounds of the drawing area. Instead the image is clipped to fit.
  • Artillery units can no longer fire while on a long ferry.

  • 27 May 1999.

  • Joy Of Hex 0.3.0(beta):

  • The unit supply calculations have been sped up making the times when the computer thinks a whole lot shorter.
  • Holding the cursor for a few moments over the unit orders buttons will now result in a verbal description of these buttons appearing after a slight delay.
  • The buttons which are used to give dig in commands, now only become selectable if the unit is able to dig in.
  • The button which is used to give repair bridges command, now only becomes selectable if the unit is next to a bridge that can be repaired.
  • The button which is used to give destroy bridges command, now only becomes selectable if the unit is next to a bridge that can be detroyed.
  • The destroy hex order has now been restricted to only villages, cities and factories.
  • It is now possible to rotate the stack of units with the Administration Toolbar selected.
  • Where it makes sense (in situations where fractions of units are damaged instead of complete units) battle damage to units is expressed as a percentage.
  • When you first click on a unit a default order is already selected if yo decide to take it - either artillery barrage for artillery, or walking for the rest.
  • A colour pattern was added to the background.
  • Joy Of Hex Editor 1.2.0:

  • Common to both game and editor:

  • When trying to open a map that is too big for the memory allowed, one previously found that the application wouldn't stop and would try to open a window anyway. Now when there is a problem, both of the applications now recover in a much more satisfactory way.
  • Efforts to come to a consistent terminology has been attempted. Hopefully the use of the expressions "units" and "hexes" shall be less confusing from now on.

  • 24 May 1999.

  • Joy Of Hex 0.2.0(beta):

  • A previous bug, where if you saved a game during the After Action phase and returned latter you would find yourself in the After Action phase but you wouldn't be able to read the old battle reports, has been fixed.
  • Some looseness in the flow of control of the Play By Email game has been improved.
  • The battle calculations have been adjusted so that the casualties are not so serious.
  • Armour Overrun has been adjust so that it doesn't happen as freely as it did.
  • A bug where the game still recieved Mouse Events while in the background has been fixed.
  • The initialisation routines have had a slight improvement in the time it takes. I would like these initialisation routines to be a lot faster, but I've now got it down to those routines that I really need and I can't think of any other tricks to get more speed out of them ... for the moment, at any rate.
  • The items of difficulty setting and opponent have been added to the side bar.
  • The Fog Of War model has been slightly refined and made more consistant.
  • Units that had their own HQ to unit structure that were not present on the first turn are now set so that they can draw supply correctly.
  • The dotted arrow of covert movement has been correctly included.
  • Sounds of battle have been added to the battle animation phase. This has also resulted in a change to the Preference dialog.

  • 18 May 1999.

  • Joy Of Hex 0.1.0(beta):

  • The fog of war calculations have been sped up quite a bit as the scenario turn initialisation routines were very slow. This is not to say that there aren't parts of the initialisation routines that still could go with a speed boost.
  • A bug that interfered with units who tried to cross lakes by using ferries has been fixed up.
  • The AI has been worked on - although there is still a lot that needs doing.
  • Joy Of Hex Editor 1.1.0:

  • Previously, when you made a change to the hex map the update could take a lot of time - especially on the larger maps. These map updating routines are now a lot faster.
  • A bug in the Map Text dialog, that caused erratic behaviour, has been fixed.
  • Common to both game and editor:

  • Clock-faced animation cursors have been added to both the game and the editor application startup stages so that it becomes possible to know when both of the applications have finished loading up.
  • Previously, the various graphics that went into making the hex maps were stored as two separate resource copies - one for the game and one for the editor. These graphics have since been moved into a single file, so that there is now only one copy of them and this makes for a smaller net file size.

  • 11 May 1999.

  • Joy Of Hex 0.0.0(beta):

  • Joy Of Hex Editor 1.0.0:

    The Joy project begins with a beta release.

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