JTS Panzer Battles - Kursk Update v1.01 Released

[Compass Rose]

JTS just release Panzer Battles - Kursk update v1.01.

Changes for Battles of Kursk - Southern Flank V1.01
    - Added Hard Fire Modifier to balance hard attacks.
    - Fixed AA range calculation to use new range effect.
    - Added fire benefit when direct firing at a target at a lower elevation.
   - Added Highligh Recon Units feature.
   - Modified unknown strength to show highest digit when unit is in unobstructed terrain.

The update can be found here:  http://johntillersoftware.com/Updates.html

[Cyrano]

Great news for a great system.

Doug and I are having at each other...actually, he's methodically killing Soviets (hey, I think that's a thing with him), and I'm attempting a dignified retreat...and I'm still getting my head around the system.  As obsessed as I am with PzC, the scale thing leaves me a smidge off-kilter...

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)

[Tuna]

Has anybody made any graphic mods for this like MapMod caliber?

[Cyrano]

Not to my knowledge...Doug and I were talking about this just last night.  I love the system, but it needs some JIson...IMHO.

Mind, this is for the terrain.  The counters are really cool stock.

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)

[panzerde]

Agreed, on the terrain - though I'm eager to see the terrain changes included in this patch. I know Strela has been hard at work on the graphics for both terrain and counters.

The counter graphics are very nice, with three different options. I've personally come to appreciate the top down graphics, which somewhat resemble more modern tactical board game counters.

It's a really good grand tactical system. I'm finding I'm enjoying playing this as much as I enjoy playing Tiller's Campaign Series.

As for my performance as a commander, Jim is just trying to throw me a bone after absolutely wiping the floor with me last week in a CMBN Market Garden match. He reminded me of the benefit of fire superiority while also illustrating the trenches have no overhead protection from mortars.

[Strela]

Not to my knowledge...Doug and I were talking about this just last night.  I love the system, but it needs some JIson...IMHO.

Mind, this is for the terrain.  The counters are really cool stock.

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)

Jim,

We have been listening. As Panzerde says, we have a new iteration of the terrain graphics and top down in the patch (examples below). Compass Rose pulled the very brief John Tiller-esqe changes.txt list - there is a truckload of fixes in this first patch that were not listed. We have pulled in a few of the features that are included in the second title that is currently under development.



Here is the Changelog for the Patch;


Game System Enhancements and Additions

•   Hard Fire modifier added to the PDT to allow scaling of combat results
•   Elevation modifier in the PDT additionally has an inverse relationship when a unit fires at a unit at a lower elevation. Please note this modifier is per elevation differential.
•   Ability to highlight reconnaissance units. Menu View\Highlight\Recon units
•   Revised Fog of War. The first X strength of an enemy unit's strength is shown if they are in a clear hex (or hex with + defensive value such as beach, shallow or water). Showing the first X means single value units would show their exact strength, double digit; #X and triple digit; #XX. The rationale is at this scale unit numbers would be able to be approximated in hexes without cover. Fortifications (IP, Trench, Bunker, Pillbox) are considered cover for the purposes of this rule.
•   AA range calculation fixed – it was quartering the impact
•   Breakdown percentages quartered in the PDT file (1 for both sides).
•   AOF orders revised so that individual unit orders will always override global orders. Resetting global orders will reset all individual orders.
•   HQ's & Naval units will now save movement points when save movement cost is selected
•   Isolation determination phase adjusted; corrected a phasing issue for engineers clearing minefields.
•   Removed undiscovered minefields showing on the jump map.
•   Corrected railroad unit's inability to move through stacks in a railroad hex.
•   Fixed a defensive fire issue where indirect firing units were immune to defensive fire when the artillery dialog was open.
•   Passengers that disembark from a fixed vehicle/carrier will become fixed.
•   Nato Symbol for M3 Stuart corrected.
•   HQ Symbols removed from vehicular HQ's
•   New scenario; #0708_07 Gresnoye by Jeff Connor
•   New top down graphics for all units.
•   Optional terrain, features & symbols files included (see appendix at the end of changelog)

Scenario Changes

#0704_01 Gertsovka   
•   Additional AI hold orders included
•   All Soviet units begin in fixed status.
•   +2 turns to 12 turns long
•   VP's dropped by 10 for each victory level
•   New supply source in NE corner
•   Supply source in (5,4) removed

#0704_01a Gertsovka   
•   Additional AI hold orders included

#0705_02 Hill 228.6
•   +2 turns to 12 turns long
•   Air support added for Axis
•   Remainder of II./SS-PzGr.Regt.2 LAH enters on turn 6

#0705_03 III PzK - July 5: The Right Flank
•   HQ in hex (43,46) moved to hex (48,46)

#0705_04 Krutoy Log - 7th Panzer through the Marshes (HTH & AI versions)
•   HQ in hex (29,2) moved to hex (34,2)

#0705_05 Solomino - Swamp Tigers
•   Victory points dropped by 5 per level

#0705_06 XXXXVIII PzK - July 5: The Left Flank
•   Units in Hex (21,21) rearranged to (18,20) & (21,19). Hex (21,21) is now a minefield.
•   Hex (11,12) now a Bunker
•   Objective moved from (21,21) to (21,19).
•   Breaks in the anti-tank ditch between (29,22) to (40,20) corrected.
•   Anti-tank guns adjusted (various hexes)

#0705_07 Korovino - Clear the Hill (HTH & AI versions)
•   Units in Hex (21,17) rearranged to (18,16) & (21,15). Hex (21,17) is now a minefield.
•   Hex (11,8) now a Bunker.
•   Anti-tank guns adjusted (various hexes)

#0705_08 Cemetery - Where the Panthers come to die
•   Units in Hex (5,9) rearranged to (2,8) & (5,7). Hex (5,9) is now a minefield.
•   Objective moved from (5,9) to (5,7).
•   Breaks in the anti-tank ditch between (13,10) to (15,10) corrected.
•   Anti-tank guns adjusted (various hexes)

#0706_01 II SS PzK - July 6: Breakthrough!
•   Number of turns increased from 28 to 35
•   Victory points increased by 300 for each victory level
•   Hexes (28,90), (32,89) & (46,82) now fixed
•   Totenkopf withdrawals changed to 50% chance from 1200
•   Incorrect Totenkopf withdrawals corrected
•   Soviet artillery at (16,48), (31,48), (31,49), (32,47), (36,55), (48,57), (49,58), (50,58), (65,38), (65,39), (67,39), (70,48) now unfixed.
•   Soviet front line battalions release on contact with the enemy. This is determined on a battalion by battalion basis.
•   AT Ditch breach added in hex (44,99)

#0706_02 Shuravlivny Woods - 155th Guard's Last Stand
•   Added a hasty minefield to hex (15,5) and obstacles to (16,5)
•   AT Ditch added between hex (0,7) & (19,15)

#0706_03 Yakovlevo - Breaching the Second Line
•   Soviet artillery at (10,13), (25,13), (25,14), (26,12), (30,20), (42,22), (43,23), (44,23) now unfixed.
•   Victory location in (25,16) moved to (18,13). The German player has to commit to the high ground on the left flank.
•   Soviet front line battalions release on contact with the enemy.  This is determined on a battalion by battalion basis.
•   Axis smoke allocation adjusted to 20 fires.
•   1st Guards Tank Brigade armored car in hex (25,16) is removed and now controlled as a strategy option allowing the Soviet player to choose its starting location. This removes some certainty for the German.

#0706_04 Nechaevka - Das Reich's Full Force
•   Soviet artillery at (29,3), (29,4), (31,4), (34,13) now unfixed.
•   Soviet front line battalions release on contact with the enemy. This is determined on a battalion by battalion basis.
•   Axis smoke allocation adjusted to 20 fires.
•   All German StuG's unfixed.

#0706_05 Pokrovka
•   Full TRENCH in hexes (19,16), (19,17), (20,15)

#0706_07 Nepkhaevo - The Meeting Engagement
•   Victory point value in hex (7,1) reduced to 50 from 100.
•   Minor adjustments to the Soviet setup. Hex (24,11) and environs.

#0707_01 III PzK - July 7: If at First You Don't Succeed...
•   Corrected mis-stacked units in hexes (34,34), (34,37).

#0707_02 Batratskaia Dacha - The House on the Hill
•   Corrected mis-stacked units in hexes (8,9) and (8,12).

#0707_03 Iastrebovo - A Tale of No Crossings (HTH & AI versions)
•   +2 turns to 9 turns long

#0708_01 Voronezh Front - July 8: While the Cats Away...
•   Repositioned  Soviet Katyusha  batteries in hex (52,30)
•   Minor adjustments to German setup

#0708_03 Kalinin - The Northern Attack (HTH & AI versions)
•   Repositioned  Soviet Katyusha  batteries in hex (52,30)

#0708_06 Gostishchevo - 2nd Guards Tank Corps Attacks (HTH & AI versions)
•   Minor adjustments to German setup
#0711_02 Oktyabrskyi State Farm - SS vs Para's
•   Removed the release of SS-Werfer.Abt.102, the unit is not present in this scenario.

#0712_02 Hill 252_2 – Avalanche
•   +3 turns to 15 turns long

Appendix – Changing terrain Graphics

New terrain graphics have been provided with this patch. Two new directories are now present under the 'MAP' directory. They are 'Terrain – Default' and 'Terrain – Original'. Terrain-Default contains the new terrain graphics while Terrain-Original contains the originally released game graphics.
There are three different terrain graphics;
•   Base terrain graphics; these are used for the base hex graphic with differentiation for elevations and ground condition. There are 12 files in all with Normal, Soft, Mud and Snow included with three zoom levels of 100, 50 & 25.
•   Hex Features; these files include in hex features such as villages, towns, woods, fields etc. Items that are within a hex are usually within this file. There are 3 files in total covering the three zoom levels.
•   Hex Sides; these files include all graphics that impact hex sides such as streams, rivers, bridges, cliffs etc. There are 3 files in total covering the three zoom levels.
•   Symbols; these files include all graphics that modify hexes or are game markers such as fortifications, air strikes, supply sources, arrows etc. There are 3 files in total covering the three zoom levels.
•   Primary; these files are darkened primary roads as compared to the original release for better visibility at lower elevations. There are 3 files in total covering the three zoom levels.

This patch will automatically replace the originally released graphics. If you would like to restore to the originally released graphics just copy the contents of 'Terrain-Original' back into your Map directory. This can be done selectively if only certain elements are to be changed. For example a player who wanted the original fortifications would have to restore only the Symbols files - the remainder of the new terrain would remain in place.
The 'Terrain-Default' folder is included to restore the new graphics after any changes are made with the Original graphics.





Here are some example shots with version 1.01;


This update goes beyond just some graphics tweaking but includes some enhancement to the game engine. An example is the new Fog of War changes. Units in hexes without a negative defensive value (think clear) will provide an indication of their size. The left most 'X' will now be a value;






Jeff Connor's new #0708_07 Gresnoye - The Thrust to the West scenario covering Liebstandarte & Das Reich's Panzer Regiment attack to the west on July 8th. This was the operation that was underway when Voronezh Front launched their first major counterattack as represented in #0708_01 Voronezh Front - July 8: While the Cats Away...






Here is the 'Cats Away' scenario showing a range of different terrain at the second zoom level;






Here is Nepkhaevo with the new terrain applied - current ground condition, normal, highest zoom level;






New top down graphics at Prokhorovka, ground condition soft;






200% view of the new top down graphics. More shading has been added to give depth and vehicle colours adjusted to match the side graphics. Finer details such as brown SS smocks and Soviet green helmets have been added;






Thanks to both John Tiller and all on the testing team who have assisted with getting the patch this far - all have been an immeasurable help.


Strela

[jomni]

Those screens look good.

[Cyrano]

This attention and responsiveness is definitely why I said what I did about the Tiller games in my look-ahead piece.  Very exciting.

Will this patch affect on-going scenarios?

Doug owes me a turn :).

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)

[Strela]

This attention and responsiveness is definitely why I said what I did about the Tiller games in my look-ahead piece.  Very exciting.

Will this patch affect on-going scenarios?

Doug owes me a turn :).

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)

Jim,

The engine changes will impact ongoing scenarios, the scenario changes (such as additional turns etc) are only set at the time you begin a scenario - so they will not have an impact.

My recommendation is to finish any ongoing scenarios before applying the patch to be safe. If you don't you may get 'data mismatch' messages due to some of the base files having changed since you started the scenario.

if you 'have to have' the patch just copy your Panzer battles directory to another place and use one version pre-patch for completing current games and the other can be patched for new games. You can tidy things up once you finish your outstanding matches.

Strela

[panzerde]

Glad Jim asked about impact to in-progress games, because my mouse finger is poised above the "install" button after looking at those. I'll have to restrain myself until I've beld my landsers white against Jim's defenses at the State Farm.

That really is looking good, Strela.

[Boggit]

Thanks Strela. I'm d/ling now. It looks really nice! O0