Panzer Battles 2 - The Official Teaser Thread

[Xaver]

Thanks for the info, i remember have problems with unit portraits when try rework a portrait removing something in background, this is why i know is possilbe draw a full portrait with background included BUT i never try do it with the area under unitname box.

Well, increase dark contrast in counter was one thing i do first day in PzB1 but never looks very well because the internal square with unit colour break it the fun thing is that is possible do it in 2D with no zoom using a mod from PzC... maybe i cant adjust my mind to have grey SS and semiblue wehrmacht.

Ummm on map sure see BBs and monitors is not going to be common but DDs is other history. Maybe i feel that naval arty needs a penalty to prevent an excesive perfect use of it in attack, i refer that you dont have friendly fire and no chance to hit the wrong hex... you can naval arty exactly in the moment you need it maybe here i feel that kind of heavy arty (i accept DDs and CLs and non heavy arty) needs use plot system to at least need 1 turn to have the support over the area you need.

Again thanks for the info, good luck with test.

[Ricky B]

From the PzC system, and my experience with PzB2 is the same, naval units fire once or twice and become unavailable for a few turns, then randomly can fire again. So they don't get a huge opportunity to fire, and if like in PzC Normandy firing at bunkers, even BBs are relatively ineffective. Whereas firing at troops in the open, they should be, historically, much more effective, but the opportunities will likely be fairly few in the included scenarios.

Rick

[ComradeP]

Due to their more limited ranges, I assume destroyers and the like will only be able to hit the actual beach and perhaps a kilometre or two beyond, with only battleships being able to hit targets well inland.

Xaver: keep in mind that artillery can't fire at targets that were spotted during the turn, but were not spotted at the beginning of the turn unlike in PzC, so like with plotting there's often a 1 turn delay before you can hit something.

[Xaver]

Yes, i have in mind this but i think could be "interesting" that light arty support (like 75-76mm guns and mortars between 50-81mm) needs more value in game...

I think in something like add an optional rule to work with arty over 76mm like in FWWI with a plot system, maybe is not a rule to use in all games in serie like in last part of war with a lot better comunication between first line and arty but if they cover early war actions or something like Krete assault made medium-heavy arty harder to use but with light arty and mortars more flexible on their use increaseing their value (i think to that mortars and in general arty need at least increase enemy fatigue IF is not heavy dug-in... under 50% of cover in the hex they allways win fatigue for example).

Well, DDs are more medium arty but with an extra buff in firepower and range... 127mm VS the usual 105mm and around 16,000 m VS the usual 12.000m a buff of 16 hexes.

Well, is not like we are going to see a lot of naval support in the serie... is not like it needs a special thing for them, if they do their role i am happy.

[Strela]

Without owning PzB Kursk i think a limit of opportunity fire sounds very logic.
Especially for Infantry combat i would expect the casualties to be very low in ranged engagements as long as no mortars are involved. Fatigue and the Broken Status are the way to go i would think.

I realised I hadn't commented on this post.

Limited opportunity fire was deliberately removed from Panzer Battles as compared to 
Panzer Campaigns where there is a 3 shot limit.

With more manuever units we knew there was potential for abuse by using low value units to 'soak up' opportunity fire before committing larger units. This was a tactic that had been used on occasions with Panzer Campaigns.

It's important to keep in mind that the opportunity fire settings will impact hidden units and it's an important first action that players should check the overall settings. Individual units should be adjusted as required. The scenario default settings are usually designed to maintain hidden units, so players need to adjust accordingly.

There is a lot of subtlety to setting up defences using opportunity fire, hidden and revealed units. It's easy to surprise both sides with various configurations including infiltration due to hidden units not having a zoc or alternatively trapping advancing enemy units in a network of defences.

David

[Xaver]

Well, again is weekend time... or how i like call it LEAKTIME!!!  

I think you can start leaking OOB manual (if is ready or on work) because with the amount of diferent formations in both sides you can leak 1 per week and not finish in release day

PD: I am one year older... and at certain age birthdays lose all their "glamour" and joy... maybe a bonus leak put a smile on my face, something with Luftwaffe or Luftlande troops

[Strela]

It seems that Xaver expects a 'leak' every week - I never committed to that but as it was a holiday here in Singapore today, I have had time to get something posted. 


It's been a busy week with some solid testing underway. With the latest version sent out a few weeks ago a lot of focus has been put on a few of the larger scenarios. All in all most things are working as we expected. There have been some good learnings come from the Panzer Battles tournament that Dog Soldier has been running here in the forum. We have changed some of the 'standards' we have used in scenario design to fix some anomalies that have become evident. We have also had some exe changes that will be beneficial to all games in the series.

Post the release of the latest build we have had two new scenarios turn up. Both are in the small to medium category and as usual Jeff Connor has turned out a super little scenario that handles a challenging situation for both sides. I'm really pleased with the range of scenarios you can play - surprisingly, I personally love fighting in the bocage, talk about cat and mouse!

A team member has been critical of some of the choices of pictures for the units. Fortunately they provided examples of where we were being too generic and I have spent quite a bit of time updating unit graphics. The end result is another step towards an authentic look and feel.

Unfortunately, changing the unit pictures wholesale breaks a lot of the Visual OB that Mike Avanzini has worked on. Mike is that particular that if I even change a unit designation in the OB, it has to be correctly reflected in the Visual OB. I think he is ready to shoot me after this week!

Some examples follow, but one section that hasn't changed in the OB is the 7th Armoured Division that we shared a regiment from a few weeks ago. I thought I'd put up a page covering the 131st Infantry Brigade. This page only shows two of the three member regiments - be assured all are in the Visual OB.

See below and note that this was a motorised brigade but that the HQ companies (which includes the support platoons) are predominantly in Bren carriers - again note that these are full size documents and you can expand them;





As mentioned, we have been updating many of our more generic graphics.

Following are some examples. The first group are British Airborne/Commandos. In all the following screens, the image on the left was the original we have/had in game, the shot on the right is the new replacement;











This next group are the proposals for German Infantry (Landser) and Panzergrenadiers. The shots on the left would be familiar to anyone who has Kursk. The right is the equivalent for Normandy;











Especially for Xaver, here is some Luftwaffe Feld troops. Both infantry and the battalion HQ. Happy birthday, Xaver! Again this has the original shots on the left and the replacements on the right;











It will be evident when you see them, but using Patton & Eisenhower as Tank Battalion commanders was controversial...! As you can see they are present there on the left, but the replacement graphics on the right have banished them off to the upper echelons of the military...!











Finally, I'm personally getting better at 'colouring' these graphics. Here is my attempt at 2nd Tank Battalion above. It's amazing the skills you learn in this hobby...!






Till the next update (whenever that may be!!!)

David

[Compass Rose]

Super great stuff!

Thanks for sharing!

[ComradeP]

Great update.

I'm wondering how representative the motorized infantry image is, if it's the current one. As far as I know based on squad composition in other wargames, rifle sections included 8 riflemen, a Brengunner and a man with a Sten.

Aside from any .30 cals mounted on the carriers, I believe motor sections also used British weaponry by this point.

[Xaver]

Thank you, nothing like a leak to survive one week more, leaks are now for me/us like fuel to mantein Patton Shermans on the road

Well, the extra leak help me to wait next 10/9 or 9/10 as you prefer

The new art looks great as usual:

-Is strange the look in the UK troops more than have a helmet look like they have a white cap, remember me the  old recon guy in Kurks that in first version looks like is weaing a gas mask but here is the oposite thing, light colour is the confusion.

-The commando HQ ... you dont think in use the old Royal Eng pic as HQ??? the guy looks like is reading a map.

-Maybe i allways link caps with 2nd line troops (support or units like Ost troops) but the new wehrmacht guy remember me the one used in Volcanoman mod for Minsk???

-The german mech guys are with you that fight in the bocage is more fun than do it in the east

-New Lufftwaffe guy looks more "bocage" now and the HQ guy... when i see it i remember Michael Caine in one of his movies... you know what??? there are paratroops and cigars hehehe.

-Well, i see ok remove Patton´s degradation to battalion commander... i dont want see him leaving his tomb with his guns ready to say what think about it... is much better use Robert Shaw and he had experience commanding tanks

The only problem is poor Mike Avanzini... be carefull with more changes in unit portraits or a judge can understand what he did after the 1000th full rework in visual OOB and here your new color skills cant save you

Small/medium scens help a lot a title like this with the amount of diferent actions you can cover every new scens is allways wellcome.

And nothing more, keep working to have title ready ASAP or before Mike decide finish with all the art departament...

"OK guys, to show how i am very comprensive i give you the chance to trade 1 portrait for 1 bullet... who is the first one??? i dont have all the day i want take my breakfasts"