Official Game First Impressions thread!

[Mad Russian]

The "0" key as in zero toggles trees on and off not the F12.

Not sure I understand your orders issues but I can tell you when you have any kind of problems issuing orders the FIRST thing I would check is to see if the unit or the HQ is mounted. Either in/on a building or a vehicle. If they are you won't be able to issue orders for them.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Lützow]

Neither mounted nor in building. Like in the screenshot excerpt.

[Mad Russian]

That screen shot shows that you are in a reaction phase. You don't have a full range of orders available to you in a reaction phase. Go to the next phase and  see if you don't get a full range of orders.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Lützow]

You're right. Didn't realize the difference between reaction and order phase.

[junk2drive]

F12 is for PCK. Press the K key in game to see all the new hotkeys or look at the PCO manual.

[Lützow]

Well, manual says:

F12 – Toggle trees & shadows on/off (press once off / again 1/2 off / again full on)

[junk2drive]

This is what should have been there


Panzer Command Hotkeys

Function & Control & Alt Keys

F1 – System performance statistics (FPS, memory use, etc.) on/off
F2 – Show map coordinates on rubberbands on/off
F3 – Create file with unit position information (disabled for PBEM games)
F4 – Allow unrestricted unit placement during setup phase of set battles vs AI (disabled for Multiplayer games)
F5 – Decrease size of message box
F6 - Increase size of message box
F7 - Message box on/off
F8 - Take screenshot (bmp placed in Screens folder)
F9 - Decrease playback speed
F10 - Increase playback speed
F11 - Rewind playback
F12 -

Escape key – Exit current screen / Bring up menu
Esc + Arrow Keys + Enter - Select menu items
Esc + S - Save menu (no unit selected)(insert text and press enter to save and return to game)
Ctrl + Click - Set waypoint when giving orders (not all orders have waypoints) maximum 3
Alt - Cinematic view (removes HUD) Also controls tilt and rotate camera - press and move mouse
Alt + Tab - Minimise game from full screen
Alt + F4 - Kill game
Ctrl + F4 - Restart game

Other
' - Increase unit size displayed
/ - Decrease unit size displayed
K - Keys - Display the list of hotkeys
O - Orders - View Briefing in game on/off
S – Spec - Show unit specification for selected unit on/off
U - Unit/platoon/side movement and target rubberband display
I - Icon - Unit floating icons (no icons/side icons/type unit icons)
Q - Quiter - Surrender
Y - Rubberband display over/under objects
5 - Display of underlying color coded terrain map on/off
6 - Display Setup Zones
7 - Map Grid on/off (does not work with legacy maps from OWS or K)
8 - Victory Flag on/off
9 - Map Labels on/off
0 - Trees off/half/full
Backspace - Grasses on/off
| - Shadows on/off
Spacebar - Pause playback
Shift + Click - A message in the message box during replay to rewind back to the event



Camera Control Keys

~ or Home - Return camera to starting viewpoint - Commander view - center of mass of your side
- (minus) – Decrease current camera zoom
+ (plus) – Increase current camera zoom
Number pad 4 – Rotate camera counter-clock wise
Number pad 6 – Rotate camera clock wise
Number pad 9 – Tilt camera up
Number pad 3 – Tilt camera down
Alt - Hold down and move mouse to change view - tilt and rotate camera
Stand alone arrow keys – Move camera in direction of arrow
Tab – Commander Viewpoint (click unit twice to select then Tab)
Tab/Tab – Unlock Commander Viewpoint
1 - View level close
2 - View level middle
3 - View level far
4 - View level far and rotate to match minimap



Unit Order Hotkeys

Spacebar - Orders menu for selected unit (press again to cancel orders menu)
Note:When a unit is selected the spacebar opens the orders menu, when in video playback, the spacebar pauses.
Shift + (order) - Forces subunits to follow Commander orders, pathing and SOP - Select unit, press and hold shift, select order, click destination.

Setup Phase Only

P – Place/Mount/Load unit
G - Place group
F – Face unit
V - Face group
L - Line of sight

Orders/Reaction

> - Go to next unit
< - Go to previous unit
} - Go to next Commander
{ - Go to previous Commander

L - Line of sight
P - Pathing Direct-Fastest-Cover
A – Advance
C - Charge
R – Rush
W – Withdraw
D – Defend/Move
H - Orders Phase = Defend/Stay
H - Reaction phase = Halt
B – Bound
M – Engage/Move
T – Engage/Target or Target (depending on current phase)
X - Cancel Target
Z - Infantry - Mount/Unmount
Z - Tank - Button/Unbutton


Multimedia keyboard keys can be used as follows

>/|| - Pause / Play playback(spacebar may also be used to pause)
>> - Increase playback speed
<< - Decrease playback speed
[] - Rewind playback


Main Menu Screen

C - Campaign
B - Set Battle
L - Load (saved) Game
M - Multiplayer
O - Options
R - Readme
X - Credits
Esc - Exit Game


Set Battle Campaign Selection and TO&E Screens

Enter - Advance to the next screen
R - Random
N - Next
Esc - Back
1-5 - SetBattle screen - Filters battles by las digit of year - 0 resets

Multiplayer Messaging

Enter - End turn and send
Esc - Cancel sending to return to game
? - Read opponent's message

Note: All buttons will have a Hotkey shown through Tooltips

[rickier65]

ORIGINAL: Lützow

Well, manual says:

F12 – Toggle trees & shadows on/off (press once off / again 1/2 off / again full on)

You are right. Sorry about that it looks like we missed that.

thanks!
Rick

[Lützow]

No wonder that insert, delete and F12 didn't work for me. I was refering to the hotkey reference (page 124) of demo manual.

[FNG]

One other thing to mention about function keys: if you have an issue, check that there isn't another utility trying to use it. I had a problem with F8 not taking screenshots and that was due to a background utility taking precedence using it as a hotkey. Once I changed that, all was well.

[FNG]

I thought I'd mention a great improvement over PCOWS and PCK, even though it is frustrating the hell out of me at the moment! [:)] It used to be the case that once an AT gun was spotted, it was pretty much dead in a very short time. In PCO, it is much harder to retain a visual contact on a gun that is not firing and this seems far more realistic to me. I am playing hide and seek with 45mm and 76mm guns at the moment and they are proving quite tough to kill.

[junk2drive]

Sometimes it is hard to track down too. When we started using F8 I had Windows Media Player start every time. Turned out to be a setting in Yahoo Widgets.

F12 is not used and is perfect for FRAPS. Make sure you check the FRAPS settings so that the other F12 default is none.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: FNG
I thought I'd mention a great improvement over PCOWS and PCK, even though it is frustrating the hell out of me at the moment! [:)] It used to be the case that once an AT gun was spotted, it was pretty much dead in a very short time. In PCO, it is much harder to retain a visual contact on a gun that is not firing and this seems far more realistic to me. I am playing hide and seek with 45mm and 76mm guns at the moment and they are proving quite tough to kill.

I'm glad you noticed that. [8D]

Regards,

- Erik

[sztartur2]

ORIGINAL: FNG

I thought I'd mention a great improvement over PCOWS and PCK, even though it is frustrating the hell out of me at the moment! [:)] It used to be the case that once an AT gun was spotted, it was pretty much dead in a very short time. In PCO, it is much harder to retain a visual contact on a gun that is not firing and this seems far more realistic to me. I am playing hide and seek with 45mm and 76mm guns at the moment and they are proving quite tough to kill.

I like what I read here [:D]

[sztartur2]

After playing a few days here are my impressions. If I can describe this game in one sentence this is a rough diamond with great potential but needs serious work.

In general I like the platoon level command and I red in one of the threads that the concept is to take the game towards battalion+ and even more levels. That is good.

Positive
-Openness of the system.
-Covering East Front from 41 till 45
-Lots of equipment
-Platoon command concept
-I like the platoon commands once you get used to the logic it makes sense
-Armor warfare
-I like the graphics as well (except grass graphics but that will be modded I'm sure)
-Infantry model is not bad already (but needs further work on)
-smoke!!!
-campaigns!!!

Negative
-non-destructible buildings not able to set terrain on fire
-small maps
-not able to place trenches obstacles and mines in deployment
-not able to choose my force in random battles
-not able to tow guns
-things missing fom infantry model (crawl command and a more than 3 step loss would be required)
-lot of good things missing which we already had in CMX1

All in all I congratulate the staff for making the game and I hope their attitude towards listening to gamers' request will not change. I hope modders will activate themselves as well.

[Mad Russian]

ORIGINAL: sztartur

-lot of good things missing which we already had in CMX1

What specifically are you missing that you had in CMx1 that you would want to see in PC?

I've played a lot of CMx1, as have many others here on these forums. So we can discuss those with you in detail.

PCO is not, nor was it ever intended to be, a clone of CMx1. However, we are open to suggestions on how to make PC a better game series and if the features from any other game series will make this one better, then we need to discuss those features.

Good Hunting.

MR

[junk2drive]

I've already posted this but repeat again, try the X2 Battle plan from the dropdown. That will give you twice as many units as your points total and not purchase anything for you.

Before the auto purchase you had as many units as you had points and you had to click every unit on the list even though you knew you were going to buy them all. So the autopurchase eliminated that tedium.

We may be able to add a x3.

You could also use the X2 and not purchase the full amount of points. Generate a 2000 point X2 and only purchase 1000 points. Allow the AI 2000 points and play on easy mode so that the AI can't spend them all.

[Erik Rutins]

Hi Sztartur,

Thanks for your feedback!

ORIGINAL: sztartur
-not able to choose my force in random battles

If you are comfortable working with XML files, you can make a new preset that has your force exactly the way you want it for random battles. It's not as elegant a solution as having force selection built into the random battle generator, but it does work.

-things missing fom infantry model (crawl command and a more than 3 step loss would be required)

Although we could use more animations to make this clear, it's worth noting that Defend -> Move is effectively our "Crawl" command in terms of game effects.

All in all I congratulate the staff for making the game and I hope their attitude towards listening to gamers' request will not change. I hope modders will activate themselves as well.

Thanks!

Regards,

- Erik

[sztartur2]

@ Mad-Russian: wrote them in the wish thread

@ Junk2drive: I used that as you explained me already. It works to a certain extent but you cannot alway buy all the equipment you want and it generates losses to your formations. More usable then editing XML for sure.  I would need to comfortably choose the equipment I want in quantity I want.

@ Erik:
I can edit XML as I worked as a programmer for 10 years but you cannot expect the average player to do that. 
No need for additional animations for infantry: the looks is perfect for me after having edited the XML files to show full number of soldiers.No need to simulate inf on 1:1.
In defend order you can move only small distances and is not really intuitive. Crawling forwar for recon or stelth approach is not defense.
The losse model is abit rough could use more steps that's it. Regarding infantry I very much appreciate the bound command. excellent.

And last but not least: Keep up the good work [8D]

[junk2drive]

I just tried editing the 1default 4040 x2 to 3 and it worked as far as I can tell. I was able to purchase from a pretty long list. Not sure how high you could go without crashing.

I've played SPWAW random campaigns and pbem battles so I know what you want and we aren't able to do that. SP was special in its day and still is. But you could make xmls for all the variables and share them here so that people can get close to what they want.