Well?

[MarkShot]

Has anyone actually put a few hours in with Build 3137 (aka Patch #1)? Comments?

[Vanguard]

Last night I downloaded the patch and finished The Tempe Gorge Crisis Scenario, playing as the Allies, painfully realistic orders, historical everything and the AI was awesome!![:D] My poor 21st NZ Inf Bn was not given a moments grace to get any sort of planned withdrawal going - the Germans were all over me like a rash! My 2 Aussie Battalions had the same treatment and the AI headed my withdrawals off by taking quicker routes a number of times.

I am pleased to say I scored a decisive victory - a bit of a hollow victory though, because I just succeeded in stopping the Germans from getting their victory conditions, but in real life all 3 of my ANZAC Battalions were cut off, completely knackered and not moving anywhere......

One tiny issue - probably me being stupid though - my supply base never sent out any supplies in the whole scenario - ie my artillery ran out of ammo on day 1 and was never resupplied. I had one message that supplies were at the base, but no "supplies arrived at x Coy" messages in the entire scenario. I don't know if this is designed (ie my base had no artilery rounds, just basic stuff and I didn't need it) or something else?

I've been lurking so this is my first post, but have been playing HTTR for a while, then COTA and this patch is awesome - I really felt the pressure and intensity of trying desperately to disengage from the Germans.[&o]

[Arjuna]

Vanguard,
 
Welcome. Nice to see a lurker make a post. [:)]
 
Bases can only despatrch supplies if they have supplies themselves, they are deployed, they have some trucks and the enemy is not threatening them or the supply routes to the drawing units. So ensure you locate your Bases in nice safe spots, preferably near a road ( that will speed things up ) and leave it there. It takes a Base several hours to deploy. Next ensure your units can trace a route back to the Base that is not interdicted by enemy units or their firepower influence - in general this means keep the enemy 3000m away. The actual range varies depending on the firepower ranges of the enemy.

[piotre]

Mark, I'm really not an expert of the system so it's hard for me to tell the small differences and nuances that would be apparent to you, but so far so good.

I've played Tanks at Platamon and Storm over Iraklion as the German (both decisive victories - I know, thay are easy scenarios) and Iraklion Historical (draw).

The AI seems indeed to be more aggreesive, engaging from further distances, but also more prone to surrender, both individual units and the whole game.

Pietro.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: MarkShot

Has anyone actually put a few hours in with Build 3137 (aka Patch #1)? Comments?

Had a couple of hellacious charette design efforts in our firm this week which has meant no time or energy left for gaming, but I intend to replay the Malta scenario this weekend and compare it to the game I posted the screenshot of where I tounced the AI in 5 days. I'm hoping the new AI will force me to go the full distance of 9 days and struggle for that Decisive victory.

[MarkShot]

For those interested, we mainly tested AI aggressiveness playing as the Allies in:

First Clash at Veve
First Clean Break
Elasson Rear Guard

They are fighting retreat scenarios covering most of the map. Particulary, in that type of scenario the difference in AI attack behavior should be quite apparent.

[Robin le guetteur]

Good, very good ! Yes, this patch is excellent !
I always play as Allies, and this is the first time, this evening, at Storm Over Iraklion, that I see German units surendering. More than that : 24h before the end, the whole german army offered me to surrender.
Wouahou... !
Usually, each german units continue to try to take some ground and very rarely surrendered when isolated or laking supply... That is over !
So, now the game is very more dynamic and realistic. It's an obvious for me.
The CoTA team made a very good work, Mark, and I must thank you all as you made almost perfect a game I consider as the best WWII wargame ever made...

PS : what a big pleasure to see now the ammo level on the units. It was a very little bug, but the only thing that make me sometime nervous against that game... Lol.

[Vance]

ORIGINAL: Vanguard

my supply base never sent out any supplies in the whole scenario

I have seen that on the pre-patched version when the footprint of the base wasn't entirely on the map. Could that be the case?

[Vanguard]

Thanks for the response - the base was fully on the map, enemy no where near, fully deployed and had supplies - I'll have to check if there were trucks[;)]. I am still not totally up to speed on the supply model - I think I will replay the scenario and take a closer look.

[Arjuna]

Vanguard,
 
We did have a bug that was preventing resupply in some cases. I believe we fixed this and testing indicated we had. However, given the complexity of the code, there may still be some case we have not catered for. When you play, can you please "save early and save often" and if you notice this behaviour, post in the Support forum and include a saved game from prior to the behaviour ( as close to it as you can ). That way I can then get it to repeat and so track it down. There's details about bug reporting in the support forum. Thanks.

[loyalcitizen]

Just played a Sarantaporon battle as the Germans with Favour Allies Reinforcements. Tried to order a BN to make an In-Situ attack and just got a ping. It wouldn't let me press the In-Situ formation button.
 
Did you guys mean to take this feature out? I used it on ocassion to have units attack from their current spot and not form up at a new location. Good for close quarters attacks where the enemy is too close for a FUP.
 
loyalcitizen

[MarkShot]

Here is the explanation ...

I believe that I had reported a bug (CTD) when setting formation to "in-situ" with an attack task. I was simply trying to get them hold in place for a while. Since it was deemed that "in-situ" is invalid for a move oriented order, the resolution to the bug was to prohibit its use.

[MarkShot]

One more thing ...

I believe the proper use of the UI for an attack at very close range is simply to place a single waypoint (the attack task marker) and specify the route type of shortest. I believe this makes the units pretty much launch the attack from their current positions towards the task marker. Of course, if said units are vehicles, then the shortest path may not necessarily be a straight line.

I hope that helps.

[Titus]

I tried the Malta Campaign's Axis attack scenario. Haven't played it after finding out of supply bug, but now after patching I tried again. After couple of days first paratroopers to arrive were out of basic supplies. For testing, I restarted the scenario with option "Axis - More supply", but again after couple of day basic supplies started to end, and first to arrive paratroopers were useless in the third day, because of fatigue regardless of their distance to supply base. I noticed that 7th Flieger Base was lacking all of supplies despite of having a good position near road and near SEP. The base unit was detached from her superior unit, and wasn't moved after initial placement.

I also tried highway based SEP scenario (one involving Leibstandarte AH attacking) and the supply trace was ok. I managed to carelessly lead my initial two battalions to a total massacre, my ingenious invention of making thorough recon, but there was no total lack of supply when the supply base finally arrived.

But is there still a problem with supply tracing especially with airdrop/airlanding SEPs?

[Arjuna]

Titus,

Please send me a saved game from Day 3 or later and I will step through the Resupply Determination event.

Did you start this game from scratch or from a previous saved game made before the patch? If the latter, then it won't work. You need to start from scratch. Saved games from prior to the patch may not work.

[Titus]

Both of the games were started from the scratch with patch installed. I might have some troubles sending you a saved game for the next couple of days (might take to the end of this week), but I assume from your answer, that you or someone from the beta test group haven't been able to reproduce it in Malta scenario?

[Arjuna]

Titus,
 
We're always busy, running here, running there. Of course the beta test team is eminently capable but I'm also sure that, like me, they would greatly appreciate a saved game to shorten the hunt. So if you can provide one later this week that would be great. Thanks. [:)]

[HansBolter]

I played Malta over the weekend.

I didn't experience any supply glitches with regard to basics.

By the end of day three I had swept most of the island and was up against the fortress city and expected to take it in another two days duplicating my last 5 day conquest of the island. While the AI did a better job it was still not up to the task.

Seeing that Malta was turning into a repeat of my last game I tried tanks at Platamon and got a decisive victory with the Germans.

I started a Charge of the Centaurs scenario and the Italians are having a much, much more difficult time in moving forward against the allies than the Germans ever have.

[Titus]

Hans,

In Malta scenario, did your paratroopers, who landed in the first day, still have basic supplies left and was there any supplies in the 7th Flieger base in the end of the third day?

[HansBolter]

I still have the saved game so I can check when I get home from work this evening and will follow up with a detailed report.