Panzer Battles - Kursk Version 1.01 released

[Strela]

Hi All,

After a significant amount of work we have the first patch for Panzer Battles - Kursk ready to release.

There are quite a number of changes here and I suggest players take a copy of their existing Kursk directory if they are currently playing any PBEM games. You can apply the patch to one of your versions of the game, but I suggest you complete any outstanding PBEM's using a pre-patched installation. Any new games can use the new 1.01 version. Dogsoldier will give instructions to those of you in the current tournament.

You can get the patch from here;

http://www.johntillersoftware.com/Updates.html




Here is the 1.01 Patch changelog;



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.

Please feel free to post any observations or issues in this thread.


David