The Battle for Normandy

I am playing a solo game of The Battle for Normandy but some months ago I changed computers.

I have reinstalled Vassal and the Dietrich module, but for some reason my save games will no longer allow me to play solo: only as observer or one or other of the sides. This gets very frustrating.

Normally I would restart, but in this case I have been publishing an AAR

(aargmtsthebattlefornormandyexpa … press.com/)

and I don’t want to have to stop now.

To make it clear - if I start a new game offline, I can select “Solo”, but if I load a saved game, no option.

The Vassal help does not seem to address this problem. To be honest, I don’t know if it is VASSAL or the module

I have tried starting a new game and then “continuing” but it will not load. I also tried “retiring” - it will not give me the option to go solo.

I thought of editing my save games, but do not know how to open them.

Any advice on how to be able to play my save game as “solo”?

To add to this, originally I was playing with Vassal ver 3.2.16 but have now updated to ver 3.2.17.

Still no “Solo” option when I load the save game, but it does give me an option to play “Both”. Sadly, this seems to let me play neither.

I am not sure what I am doing wrong - please don’t tell me I have to manually move every unit to where it should be before I can continue. Is there a way someone who had not coded since Fortran IV to amend either the save game or the module to allow me to play both sides?

The module password you selected on your new computer differs from the module password that was in use on your old computer. If the old computer is still running and available you can try determining what the module password was, or just try changing the module password on the new computer to different ones you might’ve used in the past.

You initially set this password the very first time you open a module on a given computer–thereafter you aren’t prompted for it, and have to open the module and go into its preferences to subsequently change it. It is this password that “locks” a player side in a module.

Here’s a very simplified scenario to demonstrate how someone can run into the problem you’re experiencing:

I open a module on my home computer for the first time and choose the module password “dog”. I start a game using the Solo player side, play a bit, and email myself the saved game file.

The next day I open the same module on my work computer for the first time, but choose the module password “cat”. Then I try opening my saved game. Because my module password now differs from the one in use when I created the saved game file, I am NOT placed into the Solo player side, and in fact it is unavailable for selection. I go into the module preferences, change my password to “dog” and then try loading my file again. I am successfully placed in the Solo player side and can pick up where I left off.

Make sense?

Makes complete sense.

Only problem is that I cannot ever remember being asked for a module password. Of course with the old computer that was years ago, but with the new one that was only a few months ago.

I can see there is a password there, and it looks the same length as the one I typically use for games where security is not an issue. However, when I type that password, nothing happens.

Sounds as if I am stuffed.

Thanks for the prompt help though.

One other thing - what does “both” mean in the side selection? Seems to be like “observer” but I can’t see why another one needed.

Another thing - I placed my latest save game as a “set up” and then started a new game with that. Worked fine except goes straight to “finish” without letting me choose “Solo” by way of a “next” choice.

Seems to me that there is a marker on the save game. Is there a way to remove or modify that? I don’t seem to have a program to edit .vsav files- is there one?

I have about reached the end of my expertise ie can’t think of anything else to try, so if you think I should just accept my fate, so be it. It does seem to me though that it should be something quite simple to fix and I can’t really see why a game started as “solo” should ever be modified to restrict access. After all, I can see all the counters so there is no way it be used for a two person game.

This may be a little late for you, Uriah. The procedure for setting up a pre-defined scenario setup is in the Vassal Designer’s guide on page 96. The key is saving the .vsav while logged in as an observer. You do the setup as each side, retiring between setting up sides. For example, log into a new game as the german player and do the German setup. Retire and then log in as the Allied player. Retire and then log in as observer. Save the file and then it’s ready for use.

As an aside, i’m working on a project to add all the scenarios to the module. Hope to get that done in the next month or two.

Matt

If you still have your old computer.
open the game then retire.
save the game.send the new “.vsav” file to your new computer.

Kevin