Feature Request

[Kreissig]

I'm not sure its been requested, but here is my question/wish: Could you add some early-war British armor?

[Hailstone]

I'd like to suggest another feature that helps game play for me. How tough would it be to make the game sound volumes independent. I like the background sounds but I find it too loud over time. I prefer the game sounds to be louder or the background lower in volume rather than being the same. Just my thoughts after a couple of beers playing your great game. Thanks[:)]

[Hailstone]

Okay Peter, after having a few beers and playing TotH I have another thing to add to the wish list. How about a day/night indicator on the game screen? It beats looking at a chart showing which turns are day or night. Besides being a beer drinker, gamer, and wargamer I keep coming back to TotH. Yet, watching the latest war movies with their incredible realism forces me to experience these games differently. I even debated playing anymore with the movie visions popping up during the various phases. Then, I thought, would the actual participants object to being immortalized in this way? [&:]

[Peter Fisla]

ORIGINAL: Hailstone

Okay Peter, after having a few beers and playing TotH I have another thing to add to the wish list. How about a day/night indicator on the game screen? It beats looking at a chart showing which turns are day or night. Besides being a beer drinker, gamer, and wargamer I keep coming back to TotH. Yet, watching the latest war movies with their incredible realism forces me to experience these games differently. I even debated playing anymore with the movie visions popping up during the various phases. Then, I thought, would the actual participants object to being immortalized in this way? [&:]

The day and night cycle only matters when playing a CG. The Scenario Attributes dialog shows day and night icons

[Hailstone]

True, I've seen the day and night icons in the CG but I don't see it in the custom scenarios that include day/night turns. Maybe an editor addition?[:)]

[Peter Fisla]

ORIGINAL: Hailstone

True, I've seen the day and night icons in the CG but I don't see it in the custom scenarios that include day/night turns. Maybe an editor addition?[:)]

You can already fully simulate that for a scenario by reducing LOS (visibility)

[Hailstone]

Cool, that's one way. I was kinda thinking along Close Combat series where their night scenarios are actually darker and star shells will bring it back to normal lighting in its area of coverage. I understand this could be too involved to introduce and it is nowhere near the top of my wish list for TotH so I'm somewhat indifferent but if it was a simple thing to code I figure why not ask. Thanks Peter, for your replies.[;)]

[fran52]

But for the night scenario we have no star shells.

[JunoBeach]

Can we have it so clicking on a hex selects all the units in that hex?

+1

I would also want to take this a step further, and have it so that clicking on a hex selects all eligible units in that hex. In other words, during the movement segment, clicking on a hex selects all units that can move. During the (say) fire segment, clicking on it selects all units that can fire. Then the user can change the selections if he or she wants to deviate from this.

Whenever I click on a hex, 99% of the time I intend to select all eligible units. This should be the default. It would also avoid those inevitable times when I inadvertently click on a broken unit during the movement phase, get a pop-up telling me that I can't do that, and then re-click everything again.

Making this one adjustment would change this from the great game that it is, into an even more awesome game. It would also speed up play as I spent a lot of time ctrl-clicking every turn.

[UP844]

A small, but not negligible issue: would it be possible to have the ammo depletion numbers reported below an AFV/Ordnance description, with a X to represent out of ammo status for a particular type of ammo? If this is not possible or not worth the effort, can such info be added to the AFV/ordnance description in the manual?

I learnt the hard way that most TDs have a very limited HE ammo supply (1 or 2 shots); the reverse is also true for infantry support vehicles (e.g. 105mm Shermans). I would like, however, to have a reasonable chance to assess if firing a specific type of ammo is worth the risk of exhausting its supply.

[rico21]

Let's see:

54h/5c == 10%
8 turns == 16shots x 10% == 1.6 shots

Peter right, you're wrong, I'm wicked[8D]

[Ticonderoga60]

Hi all. Peter, when I select my AFV or Ordinance, is possible segnalate if a type of ammunition is esaurited for that unit? Is not simple to remember what AFV have not more High Explosive shot (for example)
When Update 4?.......
THX

[aaatoysandmore]

Multiplayer and take away that annoying AI turn button feature. I shouldn't have to press a button for every AI move unless there is an opportunity for an opportunity fire like in Steel Panthers and you really already have that implemented in the movement phase.

[rmmwilg]

Peter and gang, first of all, as an old ASL grognard from back in the 80's and 90's thank you, thank you! [&o][&o]! Finally! If there was ever a game that cried out for computerization, it was (A)SL!
I can see from the previous post's date, that I'm a bit behind here, but as I start to delve into the TotH world, I can't help but look back to the boardgame, and having watched some of idjester's YouTube, I hope it's not too late to add my suggestions and comments; although, I see that a lot has already been covered in this forum already.

I apologise for the length of this, and while I started to write thoughts on Idjester’s YouTube, perhaps it’s better if I leave that below and make my suggestions first, but the rationale for them is in the paragraphs below.

- The one thing I always imagined and prayed for in the computerised version was for the computer to replace all the table referencing with a ‘simple’ (not coding wise, or course!) highlight of the percentages of damage a potential shot had. Exactly the same way we mentally did when consulting all those die roll charts! In other words, I click on unit A, tell the game I want to know about shooting at unit B, and it will tell me I have an X% chance of MC, Y% chance of 1MC, Z% of KIA, or Pinning them, etc., etc. The same with AFV firing: X% chance of a hit, Y% chance of a kill, and so on! Wasn’t this the very essence of what made ASL what it was and governed our tactics and decisions therein?

- Also, imagine a future scenario with a para drop! Instead of 30min of die rolling just to positions all the counters, after which you needed a break just to recollect your “Now what?!” thoughts, it’s all done in a matter of seconds!! Same for amphibious assaults, etc., etc.

- And can it really be as fun without having to dis/re-assemble those heavier weapons? All that was a significant factor in turn-by-turn decisions – do you have the time for such a move or should you stay put or just drop the stupid thing and leave it behind!? For that matter, I don’t see where a unit can drop a weapon or decide not to pick it up; seems like it’s automatic?

Yes, it’s all complex, but nowhere near as much so when a computer is doing the number crunching and showing you what happens to your movement ability and range, etc. as you ask it for “What if?” answers. I’m sure most here are familiar with Talonsoft’s Campaign Series that McNamara and other, original SL designers went to after leaving Avalon Hill, so much of what I’m putting forward here was already done by them back in those games. Granted, for a one-man band, I’m unable to say how long it would take to re-create such efforts, but do y’all remember the rich details of Heroes, Human-wave charges, Berserk units, Sewer movement, Snipers that made every activity a risk, Bunkers, Wire, Minefields (never enough issued!), Entrenchment and Trenches, Hull-down and crest concealment, Concealment in general (could still be re-created in TotH, and even enhanced!), Commissars (do they still function in TotH as they did in ASL?), infantry smoke/WP, IFE fire with AP ammo, set v’s thrown demo charges, just to name a few(!)… ? I also saw an early reviewer of TotH suggest that routing should all be done by the computer rather than allowing player control – Yes! That was never possible with cardboard!

Lastly, why still bother with ‘boards’ at all? Why not just create scenario maps? The Kursk stuff looks fantastic by the way!

Idjester suggested in an early video that losing a lot of the complexity didn’t really impact the gameplay, but…really? Wasn’t it that very complexity that gave the game such realism, rich detail and variety? The same decision would never play out the same way twice! And wasn’t the numbers-crunching, the very thing that often made the difference between whether to fire or move? Another friend of mine, also new to the game but without the ASL background, is feeling the lack of not being able to gauge whether firing in many instances is worth it. I still have enough memory of the various units’ and weapons’ capabilities to still know, but for a newbie, he’s finding his decision making ability hampered and also frustrated by my descriptions of how it used to be, because he can see the potential for the fun without the dice tedium!

Please forgive the lengthy, but excited prose! Hope I didn’t lose anyone along the way!

[rmmwilg]

And there I go in all the excitement and forget what I wanted to suggest as a win-win, given the enormous amount of work all these upgrades/mods would require, and that is - sell them! Maybe $5 or $10 a mod? You know there are ASL fans out there such as myself who have waited, literally decades for someone to finally computerize the original game rather than their version of what they think it should be and would be more than willing to spend the money for all such mods! Not really fair that all this extra work that's being asked for should be done without compensation! That way, those that want to keep the game simple can do so at its current level, but those of us who crave the full experience could do so, and you, Peter (and perhaps other contributors, would be properly rewarded!

[LeeChard]

+1

[fuselex]

One of the best things about Toth ?
I can indulge in a couple of scenario`s while having a beer without having a degree in ASL.
no offense meant but I`m getting stressed thinking I need to know something rather than enjoying the game .
ASL , here we come

Not my quote-
Granted, for a one-man band, I’m unable to say how long it would take to re-create such efforts,
but do y’all remember the rich details of Heroes, Human-wave charges, Berserk units, Sewer movement,
Snipers that made every activity a risk, Bunkers, Wire, Minefields (never enough issued!),
Entrenchment and Trenches, Hull-down and crest concealment,
Concealment in general (could still be re-created in TotH, and even enhanced!),
Commissars (do they still function in TotH as they did in ASL?), infantry smoke/WP, IFE fire with AP ammo,
set v’s thrown demo charges, just to name a few(!)… ?
I also saw an early reviewer of TotH suggest that routing should all be done by the computer
rather than allowing player control – Yes! That was never possible with cardboard!

Lastly, why still bother with ‘boards’ at all? Why not just create scenario maps?
The Kursk stuff looks fantastic by the way!

my quote-
Wow , I just play Toth for fun

[rmmwilg]

Hi Fuselex,

Yeh, ASL was complicated, but my hope for the computerised version was always that it would make it so much easier to just play without having to become a number cruncher; hence my suggestion for a pop-up showing the likelihood of success for any attack (have since found the TotH does, in fact have a basic one, but think it can be improved on), but also my suggestion that the mods be sold separately, so that for folks like yourself who want to keep it simple, it can be, but for those who pine for the rich variety and detail that was ASL can also indulge our addiction. That way, I would hope, all can benefit to their desired level?

[rico21]

Peter has already put in HIS game all he could. It's nice to hope for more but it's useless to want to play a version of the game that will NEVER exist.
We, the followers simply wait for a DLC with new units to be able to play new scenarios in new lands.

[rmmwilg]

Alright, well since this is the request a feature section, and being new to TotH, I thought I'd give my requests and suggestions, and in that vane, having had a great afternoon with some more of the scenarios, I'll leave these here, more related to just TotH and leave it at that. Sorry if I offended at all.

- Spotted (Indirect) Fire
- Ability to pickup enemy weapons (I tried to pickup a RU LMG as German, but it kept saying wrong side weapon)
- Concealed and Hidden setup even when in LOS
- When Prep Firing a unit, particularly an AFV, it stays selected, so that even if MA loses ROF, I can just fire immediately it again with any available MG's without having to reselect
> Similarly when a moving AFV is fired at, it remains selected after attack resolved (unless, of course destroyed)
- Not display covered arc unless unit selected
- Next unit selection function, so that one can review any units that are still capable of doing something in that phase, just like in the Campaign Series games. Helps to make sure you didn't miss one when there's a lot of units you're dealing with!
- Double-clicking on a unit mentioned in the Action Log Window will take me to that hex
- Automatically advance thru other phases like Close Combat or Rout if my side have nothing to do
- When Fog-of-War enabled, at the end of the game, all units, for both sides to be revealed.