Partisans

[ComradeP]

Is there a penalty to pre-winter 1941-1942 partisan operations?

The partisan movement wasn't very effective up to the Soviet winter offensive, there were few organized groups and partisans lacked weapons and succesful insurgency tactics. During the winter offensive, when there was more or less no fixed frontline, NKVD personnel and other infiltrators moved through gaps in the Axis line to train partisan units. That's according to Moscow to Stalingrad: Decision in the East.

Up to October, partisan attacks had been fairly negligible at least in Army Group Center's sector if we are to believe Guderian.

[elmo3]

There are areas of the map where partisans are less likely to be created so this might simulate what you are describing.  I have not looked that closely at them.  

[critter]

I assume the black dots in your ss are towns? What affect do they have?

[elmo3]

Yes the black dots are towns.

Control of certain cities/urban areas/towns can affect Axis Ally surrender or unit release, they provide manpower to the side that controls them, if large enough they can assist in fort construction in their hex, routed units are more likely to displace to them, they some provide protection from blizzards, and there are various combat affects.  Can't think of anything else right now but may have missed some things.

[HannoMeier]

A turn replay would be a very important feature I think. Most (all) modern game optimized for PBEM offer this (WitP, TOAW, ACW etc.)
 
Regards,
Hanno

[elmo3]

PBEM is not implemented yet so it's not clear what we'll have, but I agree a replay would be great.

[vinnie71]

Well the war in the East was essentially a continuous war to control these islands of civilization and human habitat in a sea of land...

BTW re fortification, will there be a specific command for units to fortify or just by staying in one place for sometime, a unit could be considered to be fortified?

Last question - will there be a time when certain areas are swept completely free from partisan activity? Is it even possible?

[elmo3]

Non-depleted combat units will build entrenchments/fortifications automatically.  Some support units can assist if the parent HQ has them and is in range.  Lots of other factors affect how quickly a level of fortification will be completed.

I'm not sure you can ever be certain to be free of partisans in an area unless they are not allowed there at all.

[hank]

Will Engineer or Construction units speed up the process if they reside in the hex being fortified or entrenched?

[elmo3]

They would need to be assigned to the combat unit building the fortification I believe.  If they are assigned to that unit's HQ then the HQ can be up to 5 hexes away and they will still speed up the process.  Many other factors are taken into account than that but hopefully you get the general idea.  Since the details could change I don't want to provide them all and then have to retract it later. [;)]

[ComradeP]

Along the line of the earlier comment that fortifications decrease over time if left without a garrison, can we assume fairly permanent fortifications are possible as long as there's a garrison?

Is the quality of fortifications abstracted into a generic level as in, say WitP without a clear difference between actual bunkers and the things creative infantrymen put together in a few days? Is it possible for the player to build an "Ostwall" or new Stalin line, or do higher fort levels indicate concrete or otherwise protected/armoured fortifications?

Do the Axis get fortress units in 1944? If I may be so bold as to make a suggestion, adding empty fortress unit cadres which the player can decide not to fill (historical) or fill (ahistorical, but a possibility, eventually the units intended to man the fortifications were absorbed into Volksgrenadier units and most died in late 1944 in the West or surrendered along the Rhine). Fortress units would have basically no mobility, but a high heavy weapons:manpower ratio (as in: more access to heavy weapons).

I always thought the plan, explained by Guderian in Panzer Leader, that fortress battalions/fortress units should be formed to man a defensive line on the eastern frontline (which meant Poland at the time) to hold the Soviets was a pretty good idea, but as Guderian says: the assets that could be used for that were wasted elsewhere.

Thanks for all the answers by the way, you guys must be pretty tired by now just from answering the questions that pop up every few minutes[;)]

[elmo3]

Forts remain as long as occupied.  They have levels ranging from 0 (under construction) to 5 ( 3 max in a swamp).  There is no other distinction than the level.  As with everything else about this game there is a lot more to it but that is the general idea.