================================================= Vassal Module for A Time for Trompets (2020) v2.0 ================================================= Created with Vassal v3.6.6 Released 2022.04.01 The new version v2.0 of the Vassal module for aTfT is released on the Vassal site. The module is almost 107MB with all scenarios included (naked it is 55MB). You can also download the Module User Guide, which can also be found in the "help" menu of the module. It is highly recommended to read it before starting to play. You must use the latest version of Vassal 3.6.6 to open the module. The module offers to play on of the 10 scenarios described in the Scenario Book. Warning: The Campaign Game and The End Game Campaign take a little while to download. Indeed they have almost 2000 pieces each on map and charts. The download time can vary between one and several minutes depending on the power of your computer (ie couple processor - memory). It is recommended to increase Vassal's Heap Size so as not to risk having an "out of memory" message. You can allocate up to 60-65% of the total memory capacity of your computer (preference menu, in the vassal main window and in the module window). This is not necessary for playing the scenarios but for one of the 2 campaigns probably. However, note that increasing the heap size will not necessarily reduce the loading time of the 10 modules offered in a noticeable way. Once loaded, everything works perfectly. The module offers a whole bunch of automations to make the game more enjoyable and comfortable to play. For exemple the activation system (Rules 13.0 to 16.0) is fully automated and supports changes of subordination, transfers and attachments. Some end game turn procedures that involve removing a whole bunch of markers (which takes a lot of time) are also been automated. For example, the "61.0" menu button accomplishes actions detailed in rules 61.1a through 61.2.o in sequence. Everything is done with a single click. For more details, everything is explained in the manual. The counterpart is that some commands for these actions take a bit of time to process. We just need to educate ourselves to be patient. A greedy action (Remove all fired markers or actionate the "61.0" button as an example) can take maybe up to 10 seconds which is not bad at all compared to the time we would take to search for the markers or counters at each step and removing them one by one manually. It is a considerable time saver. Indeed, for some action, the entire board is scanned in search of the desired pieces (such as remove all fired markers). So the action time depends on the number of pieces on the board, the more counters you have, the slower is the command time. Some other actions take a few seconds and some are instantaneous. And again, these action times will also depend on the capacity of your computer. The more powerful and efficient it is, the shorter these delays will be. Wait for the complete end of compilations before moving on to another action to prevent a "vassal freeze" (although I have never seen this happened). If you notice errors, omissions, misprintings, bugs, wrong setups or anything else please fell free to contact me by email and report it to me. I will make the corrections accordingly. Enjoy Jean Philippe B. jphbiron@orange.fr