JTS France '14 Update 1.04 Released

[Hoplite]

Thank you Volcano Man.
Support for FR'14 amazing, looking to buy near future EP'14 for cross campaign.

As for AI orders I rarely use them, I think it is much easier to move them manually than Panzer Campaigns for road stacking.

[ComradeP]

Just wondering: what version is now the most balanced, the alt version or the new one? Increased movement rates sound good, but if the French can still hold a forward position and win, that's a problem.

[Volcano Man]

Just wondering: what version is now the most balanced, the alt version or the new one? Increased movement rates sound good, but if the French can still hold a forward position and win, that's a problem.

What is the "alt version"? The simple answer is that the scenario files in the latest patch are always considered the most balanced, but if you want to refuse the patch and continue playing the old stuff then no one will stop you. ;)

Edit:

Maybe you are referring to the new version of the campaign where all the objectives have been moved south? In any case, the VP levels were adjusted so that excessive casualties will now influence the result and the objective values in the south were increased too. All this is based on feedback. I think what you will find too is that the French / Allies have no incentive to hold all these objectives up front and should be encouraged to fall back now since A) they actually can fall back because of how disrupted unit movement works now, and B) if they hold the area where there is no objectives too long, then they just risk losing a large amount of strength as both sides can now move quicker (meaning the Germans can now develop the situation faster than before).

This doesn't force the Allies to play a certain way though, and if they want to try to hold-to-the-last-man then they can certainly do so, although they are warned that casualties are no longer irrelevant (they were before because the VP levels and amount of objectives were so high). Whether or not further tweaks to the campaign are needed, only time (and experience with new version) will tell...

[ComradeP]

My bad, I thought your casualty/objective VP changes were in an alt version, but they're included in an official update from earlier this year.

[Volcano Man]

My bad, I thought your casualty/objective VP changes were in an alt version, but they're included in an official update from earlier this year.

Ah yes, this is actually version 3 of the early campaign. There was a previous v2 earlier this year (or was it last year?) and this one builds upon those improvements and incorporates the new early termination feature. :)

[-72-]

Looking at the user guide, and the unit portraits in both East Prussia '14 and also now in the France '14 update, it looks like maybe a revision in the credits might be in order since Jan ( < that being the only Swedish looking smiley I could find ...) has now done more than just the 2d maps.

I am not sure who did the 3d maps (maybe those were still from Mark Adams maybe?) Not sure, but I would like to get it down correctly for the site.

Nice, job, though Ed - your level of detail always in impressive - and mind you, even more so considering you also fit in an update to SB:WWI.

[Volcano Man]

Thanks, yeah, just trying to catch up on my sleep now.

As for the credits, it should be up-to-date in the user manual for both games, I think the credits are for 2D graphics (which includes the map and the portraits, info boxes etc). You are right, the 3D graphics are the same as before so either we need to update them at some point or get rid of them altogether. ;)

[tquinn]

My vote is to update the 3D map graphics. Please don't eliminate them. The game has a better "feel" with these. Suggestions would be to:

+ All place names (including forts/redoubts) appear as in 2D maps
+ Objectives values are more easily discernible
+ Bridge classes identifiable

[Volcano Man]

Right, ideally the 3D view should be reworked - even in such a way to where it provides useful information over the 2D view (to make it complimentary to the 2D view, and useful). But the trouble is that redoing the 3D view is easier said than done, it requires lots of work and money. ;)

If it comes down to either/or, then I am just saying that if it cannot be updated then the possibility exists that it *might* get removed because it is obsolete (especially since so many complaints are heaped upon it).

[Hector42]

Can i ask is the First World War Campaigns going to have battles from 15-18? Just as the first year (1914) is so fluid..i am wondering how the static warfare in those later years can make a good game?