
********* EAW main executable patcher for night missions v1.1 ************


This utility creates patched executables named NIGHTEAW.EXE, DAWNEAW.EXE and DUSKEAW.EXE that generate night missions in both campaign and single mission modes. The regular executable can be then recovered. 

The utility patches any version (v1.0, 1.1., 1.2, 1.2a, no CD ...) of the main EAW executable. This executable is usually named as EAW.exe.

NIGHTEAW.EXE generates full night campaign missions. Single night missions are available by selecting 'Day' while on the single mission screen.

DAWNEAW.EXE generates campaign missions in the early to late morning. Single full night missions are available by selecting 'Dawn' while on the single mission screen.

DUSKEAW.EXE generates campaign missions in the early to late evening. Single full night missions are available by selecting 'Dusk' while on the single mission screen.

Known bugs : 
             The previous version of the utility displayed 'very futuristic' dates like 15th September 12343411. This bug is partially fixed in the present version. As a matter of fact, both NIGHTEAW.EXE and DUSKEAW.EXE now display 'normal dates' either when using already-existing career files generated by the regular EAW.EXE or when starting new campaigns. However, there is a time gap between the dates of career files generated by the regular EAW.EXE and those displayed by either NIGHTEAW.EXE or DUSKEAW.EXE. These gaps are 122 and 170 days for NIGHTEAW.EXE or DUSKEAW.EXE, respectively. That's to say that if you use a career file generated by the regular EAW.EXE and stopped on April 8th 1941, NIGHTEAW.EXE and DUSKEAW.EXE will continue that campaign on August 8th 1941 and September 25th 1941, respectively. Same thing if you start a regular campaign with either NIGHTEAW.EXE or DUSKEAW.EXE : a campaign normally starting on April 8th 1941 will begin on August 8th 1941 and September 25th 1941, respectively. 

TO NIGHT CAMPAIGN MAKERS : a simple tip to solve the 'time gap' problem is to set 122-days-earlier dates in the Camp**.dat and Sq**.dat files. Then, the campaigns will start on the right day. For example replace 95030707 with 95030307 to start a full night campaign on August 8th 1941.

Unfortunately, in that concerns DAWNEAW.EXE, the 'futuristic date' bug still exists ! Sorry but, at the moment, I didn't succeed fixing it.

From these still-existing date discrepancies, it is recommended not to switch from one EXE to the other one during the same campaign. I hope the next version will definitively solve these remaining bugs.


Contents of the zip *****

Nightpatch.exe (main executable)
Nite.fil
This readme


Using this utility *****

Drop the three files into your main EAW folder (the one which contains the main EAW executable (usually EAW.exe)) or into any folder containing the executable to be modified. If the first version of the utility is already installed, just overwrite the files. Run Nightpatch.exe and enter the name of the executable to be patched. It will work with any version of the EAW executable.
At the end of the process, file named NIGHTEAW.EXE, DAWNEAW.EXE and/or DUSKEAW.EXE files will be present. These are the patched versions of the regular executable. You can then rename them as EAW.EXE (put the regular one in a safe place before) but you can also leave them with their patch names. In that later, the two/three/four executables may co-exist in the EAW main folder and they can be run separately.

Running the patched executables will allow to play night/dawn/dusk missions in any campaign (starting or still-in-use campaigns not modified with the provisional night missions generator) or in single missions. For campaigns, I strongly advice you to make a backup copy of the career??.sve files you use. As a matter of fact, the patched exe will irreversibly modify the career files.

Have fun.

Dominique

Dominique.Legrand@univ-lille1.fr

December 2001
