Strategic Command v1.09.09 Beta available – fixes possible AI / Balance issues

[Benedict151]

Hello Everyone
An updated version of the 1.09 beta is now available for Strategic Command. This is v1.09.09
This primarily fixes a number of AI issues that could be related to what everyone is feeling is giving the Allies an advantage when playing the AI so we'd be very interested in hearing if you still think the game is unbalanced towards the Axis (in single player after this update (and if so, how)

Save games from 1.04 onwards should be compatible with v1.09.09 beta (although campaign changes won't take effect until you start a new one).

If you are playing a PBEM game we recommend you finish before updating, and for new PBEM games both you and your opponent will need to using version 1.09.09

If all continues to go well with this update we will release this is an official update in early October

You can download it from -

Members:
http://www.matrixgames.com/members/publicDL.asp?gid=504


Public:
http://ftp.matrixgames.com/pub/Strategi ... 9-Beta.zip


v1.09.09

HQs can now only be linked if the first HQ has a supply value >= 3, lowered from a previous threshold of >= 5.
fixed an AI Carrier unit combat error that caused the AI to hang for up to 30 minutes.
fixed an AI HQ and other support unit reorganization error that didn't allow the AI to maximize the potential offensive and supply positions of these units.
improved AI calculation speeds.

CAMPAIGNS
fixed several event popup texts for the French versions of the campaigns.

[hendriks65]

"If you are playing a PBEM game we recommend you finish before updating"

That is not possible as when you try to log into the PBEM server, it tells you you have a client mismatch and need the new BETA...

I hope these constant BETA updates do not destabilize the ongoing games, it would indeed have been better if those updates are not needed...

[Hubert Cater]

I believe the server was down likely causing this issue, is it still not working or have you been able to connect?

[Amadeus]

My problem is I play 2 Multiplayer games at the moment and a PBEM match is pretty long. I would like to update and test the new version too. But I do not like connecting issues. Anyway could I update and play 1.09.09 AND proceed in my Multiplayer without problems?

[nnason]

Note I am doing PBEM which started at 1.09.08 and we both upgraded to 1.09.09 Thursday and so far have not had any problems. We are in Dec 1940.

[Amadeus]

Thanks for note. I just made an additionally folder copy for 2 different versions and it seems to work also.

[dhucul2011]

Just played through another as Axis on Veteran with 10909.

The Axis are still extremely hard pressed to make significant gains in 1941 and early 1942 in the USSR and be any where able to meet the expected 1943 D Day.

Some suggestions:

1. Since we have HQ Kuchler in 1939 go ahead and also add HQ List in Slovakia.
2. Bump up HQ Leeb to May 1, 1940.
3. Reduce the costs of HQs slightly.
4. Compensate by removing that extra chit in German C and C.
5. Churchill was extremely concerned over the lack of destroyers in 1939 and 1940. The UK starts with enough when you add the Polish. Move the DDs in the PQ to 1941 or remove.
6. What the UK did have a dearth of was what Churchill called the small ships, Corvettes, Mine Sweepers, Patrol Boats etc. Add a second MTB to starting OOB.

Just some thoughts to enhance the Axis Barbarossa and U-Boat war.

[sillyflower]

It seems to be impossible to log onto PBEM server unless you have latest beta. That's how I learn that a beta is out [X(]. This is very annoying.

I haven't been playing SC that long, partly as have been playing Wite ever since it came out, but I have nearly 50 years of wargaming experience. Game is v. enjoyable but let down by being highly skewed in favour of the allies even under 1.09.08. " main reasons:
1: The weakness of Barbarossa

2: The ability to do large seaborne invasions at a very early stage when IRL the allies had little real capacity until '44 as most of the assault craft were going to the Pacific theatre. Also the limit on shipping only applies to the turn, so if you use all the capacity in 1 area, it is immediately available elsewhere which was not the case.

[Birdw]

So if I read the notes correctly only the HQ supply chain has been changed for pbem\server? Did you lower Russian starting MPP?

[Hubert Cater]

Hi Sillyflower,

1. Is this under a brand new game started with v1.09.08 or a continuation from an earlier version? I only ask as the latest campaign and balance changes only take effect when starting a brand new game from the latest Beta. Right now we are at v1.09.09 and I'd suggest trying a new game with that version for the latest and greatest as we've made a number of balancing changes to help the Allies throughout the process of the v1.09.xx betas.

2. Is this under PBEM++ or versus the AI? The clarification will help as some of the difficulty settings against the AI can boost Allied AI income and as a result offer the opportunity to execute an earlier D-Day as men and material will be available sooner. If this is a PBEM++ game, did your opponent execute the North African Torch landings as well as an earlier D-Day? Usually it is one or the other as the resources, if not used for Torch, would in theory allow for a more substantial landing in 1943 than having to wait for 1944.

Hubert

[Hubert Cater]

Hi Birde,

Here are the cumulative changes for v1.09.xx up to now:

- HQs can now only be linked if the first HQ has a supply value >= 3, lowered from a previous threshold of >= 5.
- fixed an AI Carrier unit combat error that caused the AI to hang for up to 30 minutes.
- fixed an AI HQ and other support unit reorganization error that didn't allow the AI to maximize the potential offensive and supply positions of these units.
- improved AI calculation speeds.
- fixed a PBEM++ server version number error.
- fixed a Diplomacy screen error for when there are no active majors in a campaign for a particular side.
- fixed a spotting error that allowed non belligerent and non active Majors such as Italy to spot non friendly units in active Minor territories such as Egypt.
- units that swap will now lose a single entrenchment point rather than being reset to 0.
- units at 0 supply may now suffer desertion losses if they are adjacent to at least 2 front line ZoC enemy units that have a minimum strength and supply >= 5. They will then have a 50% chance of 1 strength point loss per adjacent unit. If they are reduced to 0 strength then the unit surrenders.
- units at 1 supply may now suffer desertion losses if they are adjacent to at least 2 front line ZoC enemy units that have a minimum strength and supply >= 5. They will then have a 20% chance of 1 strength point loss per adjacent unit. If they are reduced to 0 strength then the unit surrenders.
- weather information will now display in the lower left hand corner geo locator panel on resolutions >= 1280x1024. Previously this only displayed on resolutions >= 1680x1050
- HQs will now show their full attachment range when clicking on them a second time, similar to how intercept and escort ranges can be shown with fighter units.
- AI naval is less likely to bombard resources unless it is for an Amphibious assault.
- AI Axis early naval improved for the 1939 and 1940 campaigns.
- AI will attempt to upgrade less during good weather turns which should help it during OFFENSIVE opportunities.
- fixed a PBEM++ server communication error.
- added a LARGE ADDRESS AWARE flag to the game EXE that should improve performance and memory issues on systems running at resolutions >= 1920x1080
- fixed a convoy MPP transfer amount error in the Convoy Map screen for some custom campaigns.
- fixed a map update issue that did not show the updated fog of war status, and subsequent port strength, for previously hidden ports once a naval unit completed its move adjacent to the port.
- fixed a fog of war shroud display error that did not lift some sections of the shroud due to the spotting range of units.
- fixed an AI naval combat error that had some naval units strike targets beyond their normal strike range.
- Air units will no longer receive supply from an HQ unless they are attached.
- under supplied Air units, due to not being attached to an HQ, will be indicated by a red hatch beneath the applicable Air unit.
- under supplied Air units, attached to an HQ but not to the most optimal supply giving HQ, will be indicated by a purple hatch beneath the applicable Air unit.
- units that are temporarily removed from the northern coast of France due to the Atlantic Coastal Gun construction decision, will now be re-placed at the end of the turn on the same turn, instead of a turn later.
- improved AI calculation speeds for when the campaigns near their end dates and there are many hundreds of units on the map.
- Ports will now switch control if you've captured an adjacent resource. The only exception will be if there is another enemy resource adjacent to the port, that resource will need to be captured as well. All other port capturing rules remain the same.
- Ports no longer exert automatic control over adjacent and empty enemy hexes.
- units at 0 supply will have their morale, after recalculation, further reduced by 50%.
- units at 1 supply will have their morale, after recalculation, further reduced by 25%.


CAMPAIGNS

- fixed several event popup texts for the French versions of the campaigns (Bertrand).
- Changed the trigger on DE 664 - Germany: Dummy Event for Romania to switch sides from 25 to 50% (Mithrilotter).
- Removed the USSR from being a Variable Condition in the US Mobilization_3 script #NAME= 1942 (USA->Allies) that fires from the 1st January 1942.
- The Red Army’s 1st Tanks and 4th Paratroops are no longer assigned to arrive at Moscow in the 1939 and 1940 campaigns, so the player can now deploy them freely on their arrival date.
- Increased the strength of the German Heavy Cruiser Lützow at Kiel from 5 to 6 in the 1940 campaign as this will ensure it joins the correct AI fleet script.
- Added some Fortifications around Moscow in the 1941 campaign and also restored all the missing Fortifications from various German language campaigns (HvS).
- In the 1942 campaign, hexes 209,55 and 209,56 near Novgorod now start in Axis hands so that the German HQ near Leningrad has some supply (HvS).
- Land hex changed to number 563 at Long Island, and the island is now connected by road to the mainland.
- Chance of Storms reduced in the Mediterranean (Mithrilotter).
- Ports’ Sub Defense Bonus increased from 3 to 4. (Leadwieght).
- Vienna is now an Industrial Center, while Breslau, Cologne and Dresden are now Secondary Supply Centers.
- Intelligence & Spying research can now only have 1 chit invested at a time (HvS).
- Increased Germany’s AA Build Limit from 4 to 6 and the UK’s from 2 to 4.
- Increased AA units’ base attack values against Strategic Bombers by 1 (Goodmongo; dave123).
- Increased the base Strategic Bomber Defense values of Capitals and Major Capitals from 1 to 2.
- Starting Fighter Interception Range increased by 1.
- Italy’s starting MPPs increased in the 1939 Campaign from 80 to 110 to compensate for having to transport units to North Africa that previously deployed there directly.
- Batumi port added and railway connecting Poti to Tbilisi added (Mithrilotter).
- Trans-Caspian railway added (SPzAbt653).
- verhindern changed to behindern in the German Language Partisan scripts (HvS).
- HQ names corrected in the German Language campaigns so that they match the translated names in the campaigns (HvS).
- German resource names and Map Text corrected (HvS).
- Set up a dummy DE 676 to trigger the Axis Gibraltar Supply Event for all plausible Axis Minors as well as German units occupying Gibraltar, and linked the Supply script to that.
- Surrender_1 script amended for #NAME= DE 105 - UK Moves Government To Toronto, so that:
1) the Port hex at 25,96 at Yarmouth Nova Scotia will no longer transfer to the UK.
2) the coastal hexes at 37,89 and 36,89 and 34,82 and 29,48 will now transfer to the UK.
- Settings expanded for the National Morale script #NAME= USSR - USSR Morale Boosted From Allied Landings In Italy = (Mithrilotter).
- 1939 & 1940 campaigns have had the Date, Condition and Failsafe dates for the event #NAME= British Forces Mobilize In Egypt changed so that these units will generally deploy earlier. The settings are now:
#DATE= 1940/01/01
#FAILSAFE_DATE= 1941/02/01
#CONDITION_POSITION= 204,125 [7,7] [1,1] [1] [0]
- US Mobilization_2 script added to penalize the use of 2 or more US ships in the Atlantic prior to the USA’s entrance into the war (nnason).
- DE 603 corrected so that it now requires Casablanca to be in Axis hands (Sugar).
- Changed #AI= 2 to #AI= 4 in some POP UP scripts so that they will appear in Multiplayer too (Ice).
- Some amendments made to Anti-Tank Research levels and investments from the 1941 campaign onwards (Mithrilotter).
- German Tank unit added near Vyazma in the 1942 campaign (Numdydar).
- Ground Attack Weapons’ attack values for Tactical and Medium Bombers against all ground units and resources now increase by 0.5 per level rather than 1. Their starting values have been increased by 0.5 against these target types so that their quality in the early/mid war isn’t affected. De-Moralization now increases by 10% per level of Ground Attack Weapons research.
- Logistics Research corrected for all Minors so that their HQ Build Limits will not increase.
- Anti-Tank Units' Hard, Light Armour and Tank Defense Values increased by 1, so their new values are respectively 2, 5 and 6.
- Resources upgraded with AA will receive a 0.5 increase in their Rocket Defense value per level (Mithrilotter).
- Reduced Fighters’ Strat Bomber Attack value from 2 to 1, and Strat Bombers’ Fighter Defence value from 2 to 1 (HvS).
- Germany can now build 3 Motor Torpedo Boats, Italy 2 (Ice).
- More Garrison unit names provided for Italy, the USA and the USSR.
- Italy’s Fighter Build Limit reduced from 5 to 4.
- Moved Helsinki port from 196,52 to 194,52 (Jack59).
- Fighters’ Escort Range increased from 7 to 9.
- Strategic Bombers’ Strike Range increased from 12 to 13.
- Long Range Aircraft research will now increase Fighters’ Escort ranges by 4 per level, and Strategic Bombers’ Strike range by 3 per level.

1939 Campaign
- Put the USSR back to having only 1 chit invested in Production Technology.
- Reduced the USSR's starting MPPs back from 150 to 45.
- Gave Germany a chit in Command and Control.
- Removed the UK's Infantry Warfare level 1.

1940 Campaign
- Gave Germany a chit in Command and Control.
- Removed the UK's Infantry Warfare level 1.

1941 Campaign
- Removed the invested chit and gave Germany level 2 in Command and Control instead.

[Birdw]

Hubert,

Thank you for the complete rollup of changes. Making the game better all the time!

[dhucul2011]

I have made a few changes using the editor and play tested. Things are turning out better for the Axis in the USSR. It is still extremely tough on Veteran but much better balanced, especially in 1941 and 1942.

1. Added HQ List to Slovakia in 1939.
2. Moved HQ Leeb to May 1, 1940.
3. Removed the extra chit in German C & C.
4. Added a NM script where "Stalin is Shocked by the Axis Attack" to trigger when Axis DOW USSR that reduces USSR NM by 20000. It does not happen if Axis allow USSR to join the Allies before attacking them.
5. Boosted the "USSR NM improves as the war continues...." script by 5000.
6. Reduced the cost of HQs by 25 for all nations.
7 Reduced the USA start troop transport build limit to 4, amphibs to 1 and long range amphibs to 2.

[sPzAbt653]

This is a silly thing to bring up, but I see these types of Movement Paths quite often and it just looks wrong [that the HQ would rather move thru the swamp instead of along the road]. I'm sure since Hubert has nothing better to do he could easily add in a command line to encourage units to move along roads [all else being equal] [;)]

[sPzAbt653]

Hey, I can see the weather in the lower left corner now ! [&o]

Pertaining to the new Air Unit/HQ rules, the Luftlotte I shows Purple [seen in the inset]. When I select it, it shows that it is attached to the 18.Army HQ. I would expect the Air Unit to be at 7 supply [the Supply Grid shows 7 in that hex when hitting 'S'], but it is at 4. Due to poor weather nothing changed next turn and everything stayed the same, but the second turn after this screen shot the Air Unit was a 7, and nothing else changed that I could tell [neither unit moved].

[BillRunacre]

The purple hatch shows that the air unit could receive better supply if it were attached to another HQ, so you may wish to change its commander to get better supply.

[sPzAbt653]

But if that Air Unit is attached to that HQ, shouldn't that Air Unit be at 7 instead of 4 ?
And, although you can't see the whole situation in that screen shot, there isn't another HQ that could provide better than 7, although there is one that can provide 5, which is better than 4.

[sPzAbt653]

Another example, inset shows the purple highlighted Air Unit, the Air Unit is selected showing that it is attached to an HQ that should be providing 7, but the Air Unit is only at 2.

Edit: I don't assign units manually, I let the computer do it.

[Hubert Cater]

Can you send me a saved turn of any of these examples? Please send to support@furysoftware.com, thanks!

[Hubert Cater]

Thanks for your info here as well as the turn as I've been able to track this down, consider this fixed for the next update.