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Hello all,

There is a revised Public Beta now available. You can find it in the Members Club as a Registered Download. It includes Interface improvements and some Rules Changes, along with a number of Bug fixes. Below are listed the changes from the last patch, with a link to the previous changes.

This is a beta, so please lets us know of any issues you may find.

Best Regards,
Andrew


V1.04.14 – April 28, 2011

New Features and Rule Changes

1) New Interface – Added the ability to enter the amount of factories to be moved. You can now click on the number of factories being moved in the city display and a popup box will appear allowing the player to enter the desired number of factories to be moved. 2) New Interface – The hex pop-up now shows factories that are not yet active. 3) Formula Change – Limited morale gain for partisan units (related to national morale). 4) Formula Change – Added code to make low experience combat elements expend more ammo when they fire.

Bug Fixes

1) Fixed a bug with vehicle production. 2) Fixed a bug where factory sizes could get very large when the factory was relocated. 3) Fixed a crash bug caused by an air base converting to Guard status. 4) Fixed a bug where battle reports could show incorrect info when a unit surrendered. 5) Fixed a bug which was merging empty duplicate squad slots. 6) Fixed a typo (perecent). 7) Fixed a bug that was sometimes preventing the AI from flying recon missions. 8) Fixed a bug where pressing the On Train button to detrain a unit (when the unit detail screen is active) will prompt a message re merging the unit. 9) Fixed HQ detail screen to show FBD/NKPS that are attached to the HQ. 10) Fixed a bug causing the incorrect amount of planes to show on the battle report. 11) Fixed a problem where the map could scroll diagonally instead of down if a unit on the eastern edge of the screen is selected. 12) Fixed a bug where a reserve unit could show up with a CV of 999 when joining a combat. 13) Fixed a bug where ground support aircraft of the non-active (defending) player were not including bombers in the combat. 14) Made it possible to target factories at locations with no population.

1.04.10 Changes

Thanks Andrew.

Can you advise as to what, if anything, is in the pipeline that addresses winter effects and overall play balance?

Cheers.

Can you advise as to what, if anything, is in the pipeline that addresses winter effects and overall play balance?

Most of of winter effect changes and balancing were introduced at the initial release of 1.04.

Ah, OK. Thanks. I got the impression that there was further balancing on the cards...

At the moment we are in bug fixing mode while awaiting feedback and analysis on the changes made to date. Although we're always discussing possible improvements, there's nothing that would hold me back from playing the latest 1.04 public beta version as we think it's an improvement over 1.03.

3) Formula Change – Limited morale gain for partisan units (related to national morale).
Would that mean end to tens of partisan units I have to hunt down every turn?

Morvael:

Be sure to properly garrison the cities you capture with security/static units. That will cut down the number of partisans created significantly.

Mark

All of them are in the blue (>100%) from the moment of capture, I heard in the previous beta there was too many partisans even with garrisons.

I played 3 turns of a GC vs. the AI. It's hard to be sure as I have learned a lot since buying the game, but my feeling was:

1. The Axis seemed to have a harder time eliminating pockets on turn 2 than in previous versions, which felt more authentic.

2. There were minimal cases of magically routing units, if any - great.

3. Up to turn 3 the AI hadn't yet placed a massive carpet in front of me, which I am sure it was doing by that stage in earlier releases. Happy about that!

4. The air unit cross attachment restrictions seem to have a clear effect and I like that fact that making a manual resupply or bombing attack in one sector doesn't deplete air forces in other sectors. Is that how it is now, or am I imagining that change?

I stopped playing when I read about the partisan issues. Will try again once that is fixed.

ORIGINAL: redmarkus4


4. The air unit cross attachment restrictions seem to have a clear effect and I like that fact that making a manual resupply or bombing attack in one sector doesn't deplete air forces in other sectors. Is that how it is now, or am I imagining that change?

I stopped playing when I read about the partisan issues. Will try again once that is fixed.

Yes, the air unit restrictions will do what you are seeing. You aren't likely to get the massive airstrikes that you could in the past. The stage base is now more critical as the stage base determines what units can fly in the mission (notice no more flying through German army recon air bases to stage bombing missions).

As for the partisans, I think the jury is out. Pavel already made a change to bring down partisans. Part of what is getting reported may be due to 1.03 games where partisans were broken and suddenly start working with 1.04 in the middle of a game. It's possible that the number of attacks will need to be brought down in the future, but the big issue is with the key rail lines going into the Soviet Union in 1941. First, remember that there are no partisan attacks in the Baltic States area until Dec 1 41, so you need to focus on protecting the key lines outside of this area. Second, I'm not sure about this, but my tests indicate you can use regiments to protect 3 rail hexes (their zocs seem to protect against attacks) and HQ/airbases to protect the hex they are in. I need to get this confirmed by a programmer though. By staying on top of the partisan threat early on, it may not be as bad as what you see later on. There may be another change needed, but some more data is needed. AI tests have shown that the number of partisans getting created is not the issue, so if an additional change is needed, it will be the chance of a successful attack (or series of attacks).

ORIGINAL: Joel Billings


As for the partisans, I think the jury is out. Pavel already made a change to bring down partisans. Part of what is getting reported may be due to 1.03 games where partisans were broken and suddenly start working with 1.04 in the middle of a game. It's possible that the number of attacks will need to be brought down in the future, but the big issue is with the key rail lines going into the Soviet Union in 1941. First, remember that there are no partisan attacks in the Baltic States area until Dec 1 41, so you need to focus on protecting the key lines outside of this area. Second, I'm not sure about this, but my tests indicate you can use regiments to protect 3 rail hexes (their zocs seem to protect against attacks) and HQ/airbases to protect the hex they are in. I need to get this confirmed by a programmer though. By staying on top of the partisan threat early on, it may not be as bad as what you see later on. There may be another change needed, but some more data is needed. AI tests have shown that the number of partisans getting created is not the issue, so if an additional change is needed, it will be the chance of a successful attack (or series of attacks).

Joel:

To begin, all my observations are from a game started with 1.04.10 and then switched to 1.04.11 about turn four. From the limited amount of testing that I have done, there seem to be two parts to this. First, a partisan UNIT will not appear in the zone of control of a combat unit or in a hex occupied by any unit, but it will appear adjacent to a non-combat unit. However, the second part is that a rail BREAK created by that unit will appear in a hex occupied by a non-combat unit or adjacent to a combat unit. I have not observed a rail break appearing in a hex occupied by a combat unit, but that is inconclusive (it's hard to prove a negative).

Hope this helps. I have autosaves available.

Now an additional observation, in games started under 1.03 there were a lot of partisans but they were only a nuisance only. In all previous games, I only recall one case of an FDB unit that was unable to build due to upstream partisan activity. In this 1.04 game it has occured with one or more FDB units on virtually every turn since Dec41. Also note that I have always garrisoned to yellow or better from T3 on so there has been no significant garrison change from past games.

Thanks for the additional info. Are you saying that you have played a 1.04 game past Dec 41, and in this game you're having lots of problems after Dec41? Did you not have a problem before Dec41? Too bad that the units aren't blocking the partisan attacks. I thought that would provide a way to minimize the issue with the key rail lines, but I guess no such luck.

Thanks Joel. As mine was a new game started with the latest beta I will play on a bit to report what happens on the Partisan front.

The Russian units seem more durable even on turn 1. I had a NKVD unit with a CV of 99 on turn 1. Now his modified value went to just 1 but these still seems strange.

ORIGINAL: Andrew Loveridge
7) Fixed a bug that was sometimes preventing the AI from flying recon missions.

AI is still not performing recon missions with my game. Strange...

Though since the AI knows where everything is, I'm not all that bothered by it.

Joel:

The game was started with 1.04 and is now in feb42

Spotchecking back through the saves, I find that on 11dec41 there was a major break ten hexes from the railhead on a mainline. The partisan unit appeared two hexes from a garrisoned city and the rail break was adjacent to a HQ. There were a total of four partisan units that turn.

Moving back in time, I find the following:

4dec41 5 units
27nov41 4 units – one mainline break
20nov41 9 units- one mainline break
13nov41 4 units
6nov41 2 units
30oct41 0
23oct41 1 unit
16oct41 1 unit
9oct41 3 units
2oct41 4 units
25sep41 2 units
18sep41 0
11sep41 1 unit
4sep41 2units

Now I can’t guarantee that each “unit” listed above is a NEW partisan since I am sure that there were times when I could not swat all of them in the turn they appeared. But I can say that usually they were all eliminated in the turn they appeared (mostly due to the sheer number of security units on rail lines by October).

Since a mainline beak can effectively lose the game for an Axis player vs a human, there should be a way to prevent it if a sufficient number of resources are made available for the task. being able to Repair and Restore a line immediately in the turn would be good. Like re-opening a pocket, but with supply restored etc. Alternatively if the X percentage damage on the line reduced reduced the supply delivered to all units serviced by that line by that amount, then that might be more elegant, if it is codable. Finally, how about RHG units with intrinsic RR repair capability that are human contolled?

It is dissapointing that there's nothing in the patch directed at toning down Partisans.  Is there something in the works?  Or will this remain status quo for the games depiction of partisan warfare?

3) Formula Change – Limited morale gain for partisan units (related to national morale).

ORIGINAL: kswanson1

It is dissapointing that there's nothing in the patch directed at toning down Partisans.  Is there something in the works?  Or will this remain status quo for the games depiction of partisan warfare?

Well, you have to note that there was something in the patch "directed at toning down Partisans"

3) Formula Change – Limited morale gain for partisan units (related to national morale).


I think you can depend on them to work this as best they can. It should be quite clear that the increased effectiveness of partisans in 1.04 was not an intent; quite the opposite in fact.

ORIGINAL: pompack

3) Formula Change – Limited morale gain for partisan units (related to national morale).

ORIGINAL: kswanson1

It is dissapointing that there's nothing in the patch directed at toning down Partisans.  Is there something in the works?  Or will this remain status quo for the games depiction of partisan warfare?

Well, you have to note that there was something in the patch "directed at toning down Partisans"

3) Formula Change – Limited morale gain for partisan units (related to national morale).


I think you can depend on them to work this as best they can. It should be quite clear that the increased effectiveness of partisans in 1.04 was not an intent; quite the opposite in fact.

It's not actually clear what is meant by this change. 'Limited morale gain' gives no clue as to weather this is in the partisan's favour or to their detriment.