The 1.03 UPDATE

[Jason Petho]

Ladies and Gentlemen

Well, we missed Christmas 2007, but we're really early for Christmas 2008.

Things are on track for me to send over everything to Matrix tonight. The only thing that will not be included is the instructional video for scenario design. That will have to wait until the 1.04 UPDATE.

How long it will take to get to you, I am unsure. The heavily revised manual will have to be formatted by Matrix using the software they use. That is what will take the longest, I figure, but I don't know how long for sure. Could be a day, could be a week, could be longer.

Once that is done, the 1.03 UPDATE can be compiled, a last test of the 1.03 UPDATE installer and then it is released.

After my final tweaks tonight, 1.03 will be good to go.

I cannot recommend enough that everyone read the updated manual and play the new bootcamp scenarios. There will be a seperate MCS_BOOTCAMP_EF_WF.doc that you can use for the new bootcamp scenarios.

There are a number of new features and enhancements and I'm sure there will be plenty of questions. Bare with me as I try and answer them.

Thank you all for your patience.

Thank you to the BETA Brigade for their efforts!

Jason Petho

[dgk196]

Mucho thanks, and congratulations!

Dennis [&o]

[paulsalayko]

This is good news. As earlier stated somewhere, i believe, all DCG's will be wiped. So the only question is where will i start on the fields of the eastern front, and whom will i be?

how i hope that this patch fixes the DCG bugs, for ten years have i played this game and never once have i been able to finish a campaign from 41 all the way to 45. It would always be somewhere in 43 after recieving the panthers that the game would start to bug hard and ultimately lock and die after dozens and dozens of missions.

I applaude Jason and the Beta brigade for there unyielding support and devotion over this time, and look forward to sitting back on some lazy sunday afternoon in the near future and letting slip the dogs of war in the safe confines of my study. As always Semper Fi

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: paulsalayko

This is good news. As earlier stated somewhere, i believe, all DCG's will be wiped. So the only question is where will i start on the fields of the eastern front, and whom will i be?

how i hope that this patch fixes the DCG bugs, for ten years have i played this game and never once have i been able to finish a campaign from 41 all the way to 45. It would always be somewhere in 43 after recieving the panthers that the game would start to bug hard and ultimately lock and die after dozens and dozens of missions.

Hi Paul

The DCG's will not be wiped, but the organizations that they used to function were rebuilt from the ground up. The new order of battles correct the notorious upgrade bugs that were prevelant with the Talonsoft version.

I have also put back in the Talonsoft Campaign OOBs for the Germans for those that prefer them. These were NOT fixed, so user beware.

NOTE: If you are playing an East Front DCG, you will have to RESTART it after you update to the 1.03 UPDATE.

ORIGINAL: paulsalayko

I applaude Jason and the Beta brigade for there unyielding support and devotion over this time, and look forward to sitting back on some lazy sunday afternoon in the near future and letting slip the dogs of war in the safe confines of my study. As always Semper Fi

Thank you, the support is definitely appreciated!!

Jason Petho

[Mraah]

ORIGINAL: Jason Petho
The only thing that will not be included is the instructional video for scenario design. That will have to wait until the 1.04 UPDATE.
Jason Petho

Does this mean the explanation for designing your own DCG didn't make the 1.03 release or is that in the new manual?

Thank you and the Beta Brigade for your time and work! [:)]

Rob

EDIT NOTE : Could you put this thread as a sticky so we can find it faster and check on status? thanks

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: Mraah

ORIGINAL: Jason Petho
The only thing that will not be included is the instructional video for scenario design. That will have to wait until the 1.04 UPDATE.
Jason Petho

Does this mean the explanation for designing your own DCG didn't make the 1.03 release or is that in the new manual?

Thank you and the Beta Brigade for your time and work! [:)]

Rob

EDIT NOTE : Could you put this thread as a sticky so we can find it faster and check on status? thanks

Hi Rob

The document explanation of DCG's will be included as a PDF in the Manuals folder of the 1.03 UPDATE installation. You will be able to find the Manuals folder in the following location of your install:

..\Matrix Games\John Tiller's Campaign Series\Manuals\

A HUGE thanks to Richard for compiling that document!

Jason Petho

[Mraah]

ORIGINAL: Jason Petho
The document explanation of DCG's will be included as a PDF in the Manuals folder of the 1.03 UPDATE installation. You will be able to find the Manuals folder in the following location of your install:

..\Matrix Games\John Tiller's Campaign Series\Manuals\

A HUGE thanks to Richard for compiling that document!

Jason Petho

Excellent!!! You scared me for a moment ... Thank you Richard !!!

P.S. I don't mean to sound rude but which Richard here in the forum is the Richard you speak of?
I'm new so I might have been sleeping online [>:].

Thanks again Jason (Do we send the case's of beer to your house?)

Rob

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: Mraah
Excellent!!! You scared me for a moment ... Thank you Richard !!!

P.S. I don't mean to sound rude but which Richard here in the forum is the Richard you speak of?
I'm new so I might have been sleeping online [>:].

Thanks again Jason (Do we send the case's of beer to your house?)

Rob

Richard aka: simovitch

Thanks again, Rob!

Jason Petho

[Jason Petho]

Here is an UNOFFICIAL, basic list of what is included with the 1.03 UPDATE as "lifted" from the manual.

20.0 What’s New?
The following is a summary of what the John Tiller’s Campaign Series offers including additions that are included up to the 1.03 UPDATE.

System Updates:

All-In-One (1.00): All three Campaign Series World War Two games are now available in one package, accessed from one Main Menu.
Vista Support (1.01): The Campaign Series now works on Vista!
Save Game Counter (1.03): This counts how many times the game has been saved and reopened, and will display that information in the turn dialogue at the start of a turn for the opponent. This information is installed in the registry of the game so it cannot be tampered with. After TWO saves from player A, the game is supposed to flash a warning to the Player B that the file has had multiple saves. While not perfect, it should help curb some replaying.
New Encryption (1.03): The other anti-cheating measure is a new encryption system for the platoon files to ensure that everyone is using the same platoon/weapon files. It was a problem in the past, and I recently received an email yet again about it. The new Encryption Tool will not be available to the general public. Instead, there will be a place available on the forums for requesting new unit types or revisions.
Campaign Save Location (1.03): The Campaigns now automatically save, the save game dialogue box no longer appears.


Game Play Additions:

There are a number of adjustments that will alter how we tactically play.

TRAINS (1.00): A variety of functioning train platoon types that operate exclusively on rails.
WARSHIPS (1.00): A variety of functioning warships including transports, frigates, destroyers, etc.
CAVARLY (1.00): Cavalry can now fire while mounted. Unmounted horses can now move by themselves.
BUNKERS (1.00): All bunkers have a defensive benefit of 10 for all games.
PONTOON FERRY/SELF PROPELLED BOATS (1.01): Two new platoon types that allow ferrying across deep water hexes. Unlike the Talonsoft version boats, these self-propelled boats can be loaded onto engineer trucks, unloaded into shallow water, be loaded with infantry, cross the water body, unload and then return for more.
CONCEALMENT (1.02): Concealment has been adjusted, removing limitations that were set before.
ARMOUR PENALTY (1.03): Armour suffers a 50% penalty (attack and defence) when assaulting villages, towns, suburbs etc. It is best to assault with infantry when capturing towns/cities – which is proper practice anyway!
HIDDEN ANTI-TANK (1.03): This provides small anti-tank guns (57mm – 6pdr or SMALLER) a 50% chance to remain hidden when it fires. This also applies to Bazooka/Panzerfaust/AT Rifles
SPECIAL FORCES (1.03): This provides a very few select units to remain hidden when shooting. This is a new code primarily for snipers and/or small commando sized units. This will be a rarity.
ARTILLERY VS ARMOUR (1.03): Artillery now has a 5% chance of disabling armoured vehicles.
PANZERFAUST/BAZOOKA (1.03): These have Assault Values remaining at 1. These are designed to be used differently than the Soviet ATR platoons, they should be rarity on the battlefield.
SNIPER (1.03): These have an Assault Value of 1 to prevent automatic overrun by an assaulting unit. They should be rarity on the battlefield.
TRUCKS (1.03): Truck Victory Points are now worth 3 per Strength Point. Use them wisely.
TRUCK CARRY (1.03): Only 3 Trucks are required to carry a 6 Strength Point infantry platoon. MG and crew served weapons still require the same amount of trucks per SP to carry. (A 4 Strength Points MG Platoon requires a 4 Strength Points of Trucks)
HALFTRACK *** (1.03): Designate halftracks with improved firepower. They are worth 6 Victory Points per Strength Point, but fire similar to a normal MG. These are new units, and will only affect new scenarios where they are included.
ENGINEER TRUCKS (1.03): Increased to 6 Victory Points per Strength Point. These are specialty vehicles that can haul pontoon ferries and crewed boats.
MAINTENANCE UNITS (1.03): AKA Recovery Platoon, AKA Werkstat, AKA Dozer. These are units that can REMOVE 2 WRECKS PER TURN. They act similar to engineers in that respect. You move the unit into a hex with wrecks and leave it there for a turn to start removing wrecks. At this point, these ARE NOT combat units but have some defence, so you will have to secure the area they intend to operate prior to sending them to the frontline. Again, as a new unit, these will only affect new scenarios.
BRIDGING ENGINEERS (1.03): These are special engineers that can build medium bridges across hexsides. See Section 5.17.1 for more information.
MINE ENGINEERS (1.03): These are special engineers that are capable of laying a one strength minefield. See Section 5.17.2 for more information.
CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERS (1.03): These are special engineers that can build a block and trenches. See Section 5.17.3 & 5.17.4 for more information.
RECCE (1.03): These are ON MAP aircraft that provide some intelligence to the operating commander. They can fly pretty much anywhere, but cannot take points. Again, as a new unit, these will only affect new scenarios.
BOMBERS (1.03): These are ON MAP flying bombers that have a limited strike function. They can fly to a target on the map, fire at it and since it has run out of ammunition, it will be best to fly off the map. Again, as a new unit, these will only affect new scenarios.
ANTI-AIRCRAFT (1.03): Small anti-aircraft guns are now coded to target Recce and Bombers. Obviously, AA has a purpose on the map now as opposed to just being meat grinders.
TRAINING (1.03): There are numerous new infantry types with Green or Veteran designations. This represents the combat effectiveness of the platoon. Green stands for infantry that has been rushed through training and have had no combat experience. All of the Stock Units are classified have no visual designation and are classified as Regular – having infantry training with little or no combat experience. Veteran platoons have had ample combat experience. The differences are in the Assault and Defence numbers as well as the weapon attack numbers. A Veteran unit is more likely to put more shots on target than a Green unit in a combat situation. Again, as a new unit, these will only affect new scenarios – the stock units did not change.



Order of Battle Additions:

A lot of time has been spent on revising the Russian/Soviet (West Front and East Front), German (East Front) and American (West Front) Order of Battles. These three countries have been extended from 1930 to 1953. The Germans, while extended to 1953, a limited to a set of Type 45 divisions, as the German army was defunct after the war.

All of the Order of Battle changes are based on TO&E or K.St.N., with a few exceptions. We have spent a lot of time researching to ensure the quality of the additions. While not perfect, they provide designers an excellent starting point to creating “accurate” combat units. While we have created organizations to Divisional sized units, these divisions are based on perfect world structures. Eventually, we will create some historically accurate division structures and these will be included in future UPDATES.

These Order of Battle changes also affect the Dynamic Campaign Order of Battles, especially for the East Front campaigns for the Germans and Russians. Try them out and see the new force mix as well as new upgrade system! In addition, the Talonsoft Order of Battles for the Dynamic Campaign were reinstated with the 1.03 UPDATE by user request, but were NOT revised. Crashes that happen while using the Talonsoft Order of Battles are out of our control.

A huge thank you goes out to Larry Schaeffer and his vast knowledge for assisting in the generation of these Order of Battle additions. Expect to see more with the 1.04 UPDATE.


New Scenarios and Campaigns:

A number of new scenarios are included with John Tiller’s Campaign Series. Most of these are noted with a ** in front of the scenario title. With the 1.03 UPDATE, West Front has been the focus, with well over a dozen new scenarios been added to the scenario mix. A new Dynamic Campaign Game as also been added to West Front. Future UPDATES will see both the scenario selection for East Front and Rising Sun being expanded.

You will find an additional set of bootcamp scenarios in East Front; ** Bootcamp 5, ** Bootcamp 6, ** Bootcamp 7, ** Bootcamp 8, ** Bootcamp 9, ** Bootcamp 10, and ** Bootcamp 12. ** Bootcamp 11 is in West Front.


User Made Modifications:

You will find a USER MOD folder as part of the 1.03 UPDATE. This includes a variety of User Made Modifications to the Campaign Series. There is documentation on what they are and how to incorporate them if you wish to use them; as well as remove them if you find you wish to return to the stock way.


Manuals:

You will find a MANUALS folder as part of the 1.03 UPDATE. Obviously, the primary manual has been updated to be current with the 1.03 UDPATE. While this is not a printed version, you are able to print the sections you require at your leisure. Additionally, due to the hard work and kindness of Jim Mays, there are a couple of Excel tables that provide new PLATOON LISTS for the Germans (East Front) and Russian/Soviets (West Front and East Front). The West Front, East Front and Rising Sun bootcamp documents have been moved to this location as well, for convenience.

You will also find a document on creating and editing Dynamic Campaigns put together by Richard Simonitch. Richard has gone the extra mile in dissecting how the Campaigns are put together which is an excellent effort that should be highly praised.

An OFFICIAL list will be provided when the 1.03 UPDATE is released.

Jason Petho

[1925frank]

I have the impression the game is about to take an evolutionary jump and that everything up to this point has just been the appetizer.

[Jason Petho]

This is a SAMPLE from the MCS_BOOTCAMP_EF_WF.doc

** Bootcamp 11 -- Night to Dark?
WEST FRONT --- PLAY AS ALLIED

Details: This is designed to play as the ALLIED player, to be played with Fog of War and all options ON.

Purpose: The purpose of this scenario to show the variable visibility, the changing capabilities from night play to day play in the same scenario and to show off the extended Order of Battles allowing for post World War Two battles.

Situation: As the ALLIED player, your mission is to clear the highway to Radom with your Task Force and exit into the suburbs.

Difficulty: This scenario is rated as Difficult.

Scenario Play: You start off the scenario at night, with reconnaissance elements coming on as reinforcements in the Southwest portion of the map. It is up to you, the player, to decide on the best approach to work your way to your ultimate objectives in the Northwest.

Your Task Force will arrive piecemeal, although in a somewhat orderly fashion. As they arrive, you will notice an interesting assortment of vehicles you have at your disposal.

As the first couple of turn’s progress, you will notice that the night visibility fluctuates between one and three hexes. This is intentional and a new feature of the 1.03 UPDATE. After turn 6, there is a chance that it will become daylight. Depending on your position, this could be highly advantageous, or it could the end of the scenario. In different playtest’s of this scenario, I noted day breaking on turn 7, turn 10 and turn 14. Even after it turns to day light, you will notice that the visibility continues to fluctuate.

These features have been added to help the longevity of the Campaign Series and provide replay-ability of many of the scenarios. Even the most common scenarios can offer some new challenges now with variable visibility.

Let us get back to the scenario. As you advance, there are ample places to be ambushed, so advance with caution. Try to use your reconnaissance forces to the best of your abilities as they can provide excellent intelligence later on in the scenario – when it counts!

You will be facing a more modern enemy than you are used to. Expect to take losses if you plan on fighting it out.

Limitations: There are two types of scenarios available to the scenario designer; Night to Day and Dusk to Night. Both of these types work on the same principle that on turn 6 there is a percentage chance that it will turn to either day or night, depending on the type chosen. If the test fails, it will continue trying at the beginning of each turn thereafter until successful.

Design Considerations: The 1953 Order of Battles are based on organizations that I have been able to find through various sources. While not perfect, they offer a good basis for typical combat organizations of the time. The unit graphics themselves were mostly borrowed from the Divided Ground and Vietnam games. The design intention of the varied visibility is described above. The primary design consideration of the Night to Day is that when choosing this setting in the Header section of the Scenario Editor, it is important to make sure the “Night Scenario” box is checked.

Obviously this describes the new VARIABLE visibility function and the NIGHT TO DAY function, which are new for the 1.03 UPDATE.

Jason Petho

[Jason Petho]

There you go, a teaser until the official release!

Jason Petho

[1925frank]

Thank you for the teasers.
 
Regarding concealment 1.02, in the last patch, East Front was given an experimental concealment adjustment.  Does this mean that the other games are getting the same adjustment?  Or does this mean the East Front experimental concealment adjustment was removed?

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: 1925frank

Thank you for the teasers.

Regarding concealment 1.02, in the last patch, East Front was given an experimental concealment adjustment.  Does this mean that the other games are getting the same adjustment?  Or does this mean the East Front experimental concealment adjustment was removed?

It was fixed, it's new but fixed so it works as it was intended.

Jason Petho

[Arctic Blast]

Wow! That looks like quite the substantial list of upgrades/improvements/changes. I was seriously thinking about ordering the game (now that the bank has finally sorted out the problems with my stupid credit card), but I'm now thinking it might be better to wait for the 1.03 editions to be the ones shipping, and order it then, rather than getting it, learning to play...then installing the patch, and learning to play all over again. [:D]

[e_barkmann]

Save Game Counter (1.03)
New Encryption (1.03)

Excellent policy decisions, well done!

cheers Chris

[Borst50]

I think now you can be elected President of the US....congrats....where do I send the slave girls?

[Arkady]

I like the encryption feature, except one thing....new units creation will be difficult now
It will be fine for future release to allow add platoon/weapon files for custom made units and original files will be never altered except official releases (hash check in exe files to enforce this rule).

Are off map aircrafts worth some points when shot down now ?

And my favourite question, new nationalities ? [:D]

Arkady

[Jason Petho]

The 1.03 UPDATE was sent to Matrix last night.

Jason Petho

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: Arkady

I like the encryption feature, except one thing....new units creation will be difficult now
It will be fine for future release to allow add platoon/weapon files for custom made units and original files will be never altered except official releases (hash check in exe files to enforce this rule).

There will be a thread available to put in requests for custom units, which could be added to the primary files.

ORIGINAL: Arkady
Are off map aircrafts worth some points when shot down now ?

No, not that I am aware of. Although you do get points for shooting down the On Map aircraft.

ORIGINAL: Arkady
And my favourite question, new nationalities ? [:D]

Two for Rising Sun that are escaping me and Bulgarians and Spanish for East Front.

Jason Petho