Level I Update Link 2.51
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ap7XOIkiBuUwg-8ZqLaG9QbsVHAolg
This is a comprehensive update in that it contains everything.
However, almost as planned, it is focused on the pwhexe.dat file set -
and related changes to the location files because working with the map
always reveals them - and along the way folding in some eratta which
projects of this size always entail.
Although it was my intent to release all pwhexe.dat files today,
I am instead releasing all the Winter files - of both series - from
start to the end of the war. Invisible to you, all but the last file had
to be reworked 3 to 6 times - because of various developments
which were not planned. When I get into the swing of doing
pwhexe files - with four displays - three of them large - my eyes
begin to integrate data such that I spot bad hexsides - and
at this stage - not wanting to go back later - I corrected them in
every file (of the Winter series). Also - 1941 population data
came in and required changing one hex (Keijo) to Urban Heavy -
while two others - the big cities on Formosa - went to Urban Light.
The rest of the population data did not change pwhexe files,
but did change major city location files for Japan. Using
the gross population change, and the current city population
to project backwards failed for big cities because urbanization
has been considerable - a greater proportion of the people lived
on the land in 1941. Except for Seoul (Keijo) - which for some
reason was ahead of the curve.
Related to population and the discovery of incomplete application
of RHS standards to Japan, Japan lost between 500 and 1000
resource centers on the Home Islands. This means Japan must
use more shipping to import OR not be able to run HI all the time -
and that means losses in production for aircraft, engines, vehicles,
ships, ordnance, and expansion. Players who commit too much
of the merchant fleet NOT to importing resources will actually hurt
their own ability to fight. That effect is now somewhat increased
due to fewer resource centers locally. I have "rules" that
consider the area in a hex (if it is mostly water, there can't be
many mines or farms) as well as its population which limit
resource production in the hex. But to work they need to be
applied to every hex.
Other very technical developments include removing the need for
players to find, read and honor certain house rules. Now there
is no refinery or oil source at Whitehorse in Japan Enhanced
Scenarios 99 & 105: instead they can develop such at Kenai.
98 and 105 use the JES pwhexe files - and they do NOT have
the CANOL project (a nearly total waste of resources - taking
until June 1945 to get production of fuels at Whitehorse -
and then on a very unreliable and limited basis - at greater cost
than the ALCAN - which finished in only a few months and which
was practical to a considerable degree. This sort of work means
that the intended features for a scenario are not present in others -
and no need for players to use them by some special "rule."
Perhaps the most obscure discovery was related to an island between
New Britain and New Guinea. It was used for small boat convoy sopport
by Japan - which ran extensive small craft convoys in the area (hard
to stop with submarines or even mines). It is inhabited - but only has
a subsistence economy of the most marginal kind. Its military potential
is essentially what it was used for - as a potential port: it is too volcanic
and mountainous to be a great air base - although a minimal field could
be built - none ever has been. At the time it was called Rooke Island -
a change to our map name - because this isn't how it appears on modern
maps. They call it Umboi Island. But the cool thing is what Umboi means!
It is the local name for a Peterosaur! A LIVING reptilian "birdlike" creature.
Fossil evidence indicates they reached North Asia and in one case
Australia - unlike what was long believed. Other evidence indicates living
species exist on this island and on the New Guinea mainland. This includes
a 17 second video which passed examination by a physicist. This peculiar
animal is photo-luminiscent - it "glows" as it flies in the night sky! Most
human contact, however, is on this island, and eyewitness accounts also
stand up to critical examination. Not at all what I was looking to learn!
There is new supporting documentation - the urban hex list is updated -
and the seasonal construction file is updated considerably. This is now
so well developed it is not only easier to read, it permitted the last file
I did (JES45WINTER) to be generated in about 20 minutes. This means
work on other seasons will be much easier. This document is a plan
for the entire war (which in RHS can go well into 1946) and it now is
fully fleshed out with details. It also has a number of historical comments
added - and many more historical project names than it used to have.
If you look at the 45WINTER and JES45WINTER files - change the name
to pwhexe.dat and load any scenario - and press Y or R keys to see railroads
or roads - you can see the full extent of construction during the war (nothing
important occurs after Winter 1945). The standard series shows historical
projects actually built (to the extent they were built - including peculiar
cases like the Baikal Amur Mainline which only result in trails on the map -
but which were MOST of the work in terms of foundations, bridges and even
tunnels. The ALCAN as well was only completed as a secondary road -
so the historical series shows that. The JES series, on the other hand,
shows the effects of implementing historical plans - and the huge capacity
of the Allies for long distance projects. You can see the almost fully developed
BAM, the Trans Canada Alaska Railroad (to Teller Alaska NW of Nome),
the trans Australia rail lines fully surveyed over almost level ground that were
not regarded as needed, etc. The Burma Road and the Ledo Road - and the
ALCAN to Fairbanks - are upgraded to primary roads. Japanese projects
tend to be smaller both in length and often in extent - secondary roads and
minor railroads vice primary roads and primary railroads. They often merely
connect nearby projects, or extend them - so the extant rolling stock simply
has more options (regardless of if it is truck or train - Japanese industry had
peculiar wheels that permitted trucks to use roads or tracks! Just as it was
mandatory all civil motor vehicles be "self fueling" and not require gasoline!)
ALL these pwhexe files show off the new Adam's Bridge between India and Ceylon -
never mind it was built before WWI it has never been on the game map. It really
is a rail line - its ability to handle vehicle traffic is very marginal - but I found a technical way to achieve that. In effect it is treated as a long causeway (except
a natural one) combined with a major river bridge - which it has - and a combination
of rail and non rail ferries - the former being more efficient than the latter because of the mechanisms chosen. A few other things were modified - a couple of railroads
lost a hex - etc. A few ports gained access to the sea - which really existed - where they lacked it previously. But several lost facilities - they are potential ports only.
There are two or three cases of overhead tramways used mainly for logistical purposes - and not really useful for moving troops (because of excessive delays to entrain and detrain) - reflecting their reality.
It is now possible to begin working on Test Nine Axis turn. This will take some time - and during that time I will be generating Spring - and then Monsoon- and finally Fall pwhexe files.
After that I will work on air art (to add three defined types not now present - all late war - and all of them will add to existing games) and ship art for Scenario 99 - which needs a few types for non-historical ships.
After that I will work on the off map area. I finally have the editors and materials needed to do that. There are problems - mainly the Allies are not able to treat the
Russians as full allies - even if active - but within those limits all the RHS off map features should come to pass. This means the Russians and Canadians will gain
some off map movement options.