Panzer Battles 2 - The Official Teaser Thread

[ComradeP]

SSG's Kharkov: Disaster on the Donets and its Across the Dnepr 2 expansion have a similar system, where initial deployment  locations and areas of operations of some forces are different in a number of variants. If you start the scenario with a random variant, you never know where all the enemy's forces are or where they can go. It adds unpredictability to the scenarios.

However, for a game the scale of PB in terms of units, and without areas of operations, it will be difficult to implent.

What I would like to see at some point is a feature where units can "evolve" into another unit whilst remaining in place. Playing East Prussia '14, it's quite inconvenient that 2nd Army HQ will disappear and reappear at some point because it can't evolve.

[Xaver]

Its an interesting point, maybe for me other way to do this is when scenario start do it with "operational decisions" like in game but to select alternative deployments for certain formations... i refer that over create new scens have the same scens BUT with a rule to activate in first player turn the option to select if use historical deployment or use alternatives... even players can play using house rules here, something like german player can take 2 op decisions and allied player 1.

The "easier" way is create what if scens, for example for D-Day scens i feel that is needed at least 1 variant per beach with a stronger german defense... and other variant with stronger german defense + better initial deployment for allies on beaches (and maybe add some extra units).

For me more scens with diferent situations for the same action is allways good.

[ComradeP]

The way releases work also results in some variability, either through the way they're triggered (T or not, by formation or by unit) or through the percentage chance that they're released, but they're still the same unit.

SSG games also has an "unknown units" feature which gives units slightly different statistics each time, but for a stricter historical approach like in PzC and PB that's less ideal.

[HeinzHarald]

HeinzHarald,

Firstly, welcome to the Blitz!!

It's really appreciated that you bought Kursk - it allows us to continue to bring further games out for everyone.

Secondly, yes the dark ground condition is due to two factors, soft (wet) ground condition and low altitude. We have colour graduation per height level and that sector is low and made worse by the soft.

If you saw the same map section without the soft condition I would be surprised if anyone would comment on the fields.

I went back as promised on JC's blog to check if the fields required tweaking and I'm ok with what we have.

The beauty is that JT games are very moddable and its not hard to tweak graphics to personal preferences.

David

Thanks for the welcome!

When I first saw the AAR I thought it was a "night map" and because of this was one of the readers who found the fields a bit odd. I thought they looked the way they do to make the terrain visible despite it being night. But knowing what I do now puts them in a completely different light, so to speak.

[HeinzHarald]

The "easier" way is create what if scens, for example for D-Day scens i feel that is needed at least 1 variant per beach with a stronger german defense... and other variant with stronger german defense + better initial deployment for allies on beaches (and maybe add some extra units).

For me more scens with diferent situations for the same action is allways good.

Do we know if we will be able to use the provided scenarios to create variations ourselves? Would be an interesting exercise.

[jimcrowley]

The "easier" way is create what if scens, for example for D-Day scens i feel that is needed at least 1 variant per beach with a stronger german defense... and other variant with stronger german defense + better initial deployment for allies on beaches (and maybe add some extra units).

For me more scens with diferent situations for the same action is allways good.

Do we know if we will be able to use the provided scenarios to create variations ourselves? Would be an interesting exercise.

Probably but the problem with that approach is that you know what variation you are playing, having designed it yourself, thus negating any FoW element. Essentially you would be back to square one.

[HeinzHarald]

Yeah, preferably more than one person would create and share such scenarios.

[mariandavid]

Quite apart from the much larger allocation of tanks on the British beaches (in some cases three times the density) than the American - the other key factor in the greater British success was the landing of the DD tanks very close to (in some cases on) the beach as opposed to the disastrous decisions by the US landing craft commanders.

That being the case - is there an option for or a chance of the US DD tanks being more effective?

[Strela]

A very big thank you to Julio over at Real & Simulated Wars


He has put up the final two entries for his Verrieres Ridge after action report;


Panzer Battles Normandy - AAR, Part 5: Violence of Battle

Panzer Battles Normandy - AAR: Epilogue


To get seven blog posts by him was way more than we expected and we hope it's a reflection of how much he enjoyed the game...!

David

[Xaver]

Well, thats the problem with what if scens, you can know what variant are you playing... now is posible with actual engine skip this but using operation system to in first turn provide player the chance to select diferent deployments of own troops... and VS humans both sides can start selecting from a diferent list of options but this means time and well, this is something very valuable and hard to "buy".

Ummm the way to made DDs more effective is increase the unit strenght, i asume that when DDs appear in battle (in first turn or ready to appear in reinforcements) they do it with a certain strenght... if you want increase their value for USA beaches you can open scen with editor and increase their strength and save scen with other name... if you need touch them whe are avaliable using operations is harder edit them... remove them from operation, edit unit and save it sending them to the same operation.

In my case i want try edit one of the landing scens adding an extra german unit... regiment to division, depends of scen size in the area between Pz21 and coast defenses... have it fixed... until 12:00 or 13:00 and see.... other more complex edit is move forward Pz21 to the area behind coast defenses and leave Caen garrisoned by a 2nd line unit... like 17th LD if is avaliable in the OOB or one of the 2nd line troops avaliable as reinforcements... could be interesting see Pz21 ready to fight UK airborne landings and with the chance to send units to an early counterattack or at least early roadblock in the UK exit from beaches.