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With the release for WWI just around the corner we thought it might be a good time to list some of the New Features that have been developed for the upcoming game :)

* New Interface - Much easier to use with all the game buttons on a single screen as well as a more intuitive expected combat results area located at the bottom center of the display. MPP display also updated for easier reading.

* Zoom - Default view as well as an additional two levels of zoom using the mouse wheel that will be of great benefit while playing one of the large scale campaigns, especially one involving a lot of naval action.

* Faster AI - Several options to increase the playback speed of the AI turn including those to skip the display of AI moves and combat entirely. This will be very noticeable on the smaller campaigns where for example, an AI-vs-AI test run of the Gallipoli campaign at the fastest settings, had the game play through 35 complete turns in under 3 minutes!

* New Unit Slots - Garrison, Cavalry, Rail Guns and Airships are now included.

* Retreats - Units will now retreat during combat under the proper in game conditions.

* Artillery - Artillery units can now save and stockpile unused shells for multiple bombardments at a more preferred offensive moment in the game.

* Trench Warfare - Regular ground units can now 'Entrench' by building fortified trench lines while Engineers can build 'Fortresses'. All default 'Maximum Entrenchment' values are considered as 'Ground Cover' while those units that are located in a 'Trench' position will be considered 'Entrenched' and benefit from applicable TRENCH WARFARE research levels.

* Fog of War - Spotting past enemy Trenches or Fortresses will now be blocked thereby increasing the importance of using Recon Bombers (as well as Seaplane Carriers) to target unknown enemy tiles in order to find hidden enemy units and resource strengths. The last known firing position of enemy Artillery and Rail Guns will now also be shown under FoW.

* Supply - Out of supply land units will now have a maxium Action Points = 1 except for Partisans.

* Armistice - Nations can now be modeled to withdraw from the war rather than outright surrender such as having Russia withdraw as they did historically in 1917. New nations can also be created under this model, even from active belligerents, such as having Finland formed when Russia signs an Armistice with Germany.

* National Morale - Shown at the top center of the game play area with the values decreased by the number of MPP unit losses and by the number of home resources controlled by your enemy. Values are increased by the number of enemy resources occupied. National Morale is critical in determining where to attack in order to secure or defend the various National Morale objectives shown on the map as well as an additional factor determining when a nation will surrender, usually when their National Morale is < 1%.

* User Manual - Now accessible in game from a menu button.

* WWI/WWII - WWI/WWII Editor switch that allows you to easily designate which engine your custom campaign should correspond to. Two game engines in one at the flick of a switch!

* Unit Swapping - Adjacent units can now have their positions easily swapped with a new in game swapping mechanism.

* Movement Path - Movement path is now also highlighted under friendly units to show the full reach of a moveable unit.

* Air Units - Air units can now move at 50% of available action points when located on a snow, rain and sandstorm tile.

Further additions include (helpful to modders and those more interested in WWII custom campaigns):

- The ability to highlight Alternate Capitals on the map.

- The ability to highlight National Morale objectives on the map, and also (for modders) the ability for reductions in National Morale to be used as a trigger for DECISION events.

- The ability to customize whether or not a specified unit type should be able to upgrade with all applicable research categories or just some or none.

- The ability to upgrade HQs with AA and Motorization.

- The merging of Infantry and Anti-Tank Weapons so that infantry units have a free slot available that can be used by AA.

- The ability to upgrade naval vessels (but not carriers) with AA.

- The ability to turn raiding options on/off for naval units, so as not to give away your position if you end your turn on a convoy route. This is very important when attempting to sneak some naval units past the enemy.

- The ability to set a minimum purchase date for new units such as not allowing the purchase of WWI tanks prior to 1916.

- Subs will no longer prevent enemy subs from raiding convoys, as this was a gamey tactic.

Hubert

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So the NM value is affected by your unit losses. How does the MPP value of the lost unit(s) equate to the reduction of said NM? What is the equation for determining the % reduction, is it cumulative or is there a % recovery per turn? Does the NM value affect the algoritm for computing the units' specific morale value and hence taken into the combat prowess of the unit?

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The MPP cost of your unit equates to the NM loss whenever it is damaged or destroyed. Thus a unit that costs 200MPPs to buy, will reduce your NM by the same value if destroyed.

The actual starting NM figures are quite large, in the tens of thousands, so the actual % drop due to a unit being destroyed is generally quite small. But heavy casualties will have an impact, and these can only be offset by successes, i.e. by capturing resources belonging to enemy Majors, including prize possessions like Verdun, Metz and Strasbourg that are really valued.

Low NM does have some impact on a unit's own morale, but not a great deal as otherwise it would prevent a country from launching successful counter attacks.

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So there are fore more unit slots than before? (That can be modded)

Two new ones, and two that have different features in the WWI engine than in the WWII engine, to reflect their different and unique roles.

The two new ones are Garrisons and Rail Guns. The former have a maximum strength of 5 so they aren't really suitable for front line duties, and

the latter are pretty neat the way they zoom along the railways. Just don't get their escape route cut off!

The two that fulfill totally different roles and therefore have their own unique characteristics in the WWI engine unlike theirs in the WWII

engine are Cavalry and Airships. These use the slots that in WWII games will be used by Anti-Tank guns and Rockets respectively.

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National Morale will force you to throw some of your previous SC knowledge overboard.

Now it actually does make a difference if your nearly destroyed battleship survives the war or not. Where you once would have used this unit maybe to block a tile ("let is sink, i can't afford to repair it anyway"), the loss of the ship will now lower your national morale. Just like it would in the real world.

Honestly: don't waste your units thoughtlessly. There will come a time, later in the war, where you'll regret the useless or unnescessary death of your precious units.

So stay alert while on duty...

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Thanks for the replies Bill. I see your point xwood, no more can you make those gamey withdrawals or suicide missions with your exhausted troops.

Now I'm ready to sample this "Queen" of the battlefield, the new artillery rules, not to mention the AA attachments for ground units. "We've come a long way baby."

Thanks to Hubert, Bill and all the Betas, this is obviously the best SC yet.

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It was a bit long in the tooth for the 'New Features' list but here are the more specific details for retreats:

- units will now retreat during combat under the following conditions:

- only defending land units from HQ->Artillery + Tanks + Partisans will retreat

- only attacking land units from Guard-> Cavalry + Tanks + Partisans will cause a potential retreat

- defenders will only retreat if their entrenchment/ground cover = 0

- defenders will only retreat if their strength <= 5

- defenders will only retreat to friendly tiles if available

- defenders will attempt to retreat to a tile with the least number of adjacent enemy units, i.e. preferably 0

- once the above is satisfied, defenders on a resource, except a City, Capital and Fortress, have a 10% chance of retreating, while anywhere else it is a 50% chance

- if a defending unit retreats the attackers' losses are halved

- no additional losses to a defender

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Hi

Something that has bothered me both in WW1 and WW2 is the lack of better adjusting the game as you like when it comes to experience and resources.

I would want a more detailed choice when it comes to the choise of those.

Both for play against the computer but also against a opponent.

I assume this would be rather easy to manage as well.

Example if I play against the computer in WW2 I would want to be able to choose +1 experiences for Germany and England while having -1 experience for France and Italy.

Example two if I play WW1 I would want to have Germany and England +1 experience while having Russia -1 experience but +50% resources.

All in all one should be able to pick the experience from -2 to +2 for the major powers and same for the resources from negative -50%, -25%, to positive +25%, +50%, +100%, this for both sides regardless what side you play.

This should make the game much more enjoyable and more historical.

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Thank You Hubert! That would be awesome!

I dont know how hard your coding is but it seems it should be fairly easy to do this and it would really make for the possibility to make a easier and better balanced game both against the computer and against a opponent.

Really looking forward to this if you manage to do it!

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I would also like to see adjusting the difficulty level of different nations in the future.

In the meantime however the editor could mimic alot of those difficulty adjustments, such as increasing +1 soft attack for German, English Corps, while lowering Russia's Corps -1. Industrial modifier would increase Russia's Resources, or you could swith some towns to cities etc.

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Funnily enough, countries like Russia, Italy, Austria-Hungary and the Ottomans already do have worse stats and (generally) lower starting experience than do the other Majors.

This is why it can be wise for the Central Powers player to use German units (supported by HQs) to assist their lower quality allies in the Balkans, Eastern Front, against Italy and possibly even in the Middle East. Just as they did in real life!

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Yes I know but this was not in reference to the units but the possibility to set the experience and resources to different settings for each major country

in both WW1 and WW2 instead of just one side.

As it works now you can only affect the computer side and only in a positive way. I would want it so i could change the experience and resources both for the player side and the computer side (Both sides that is) seperate for each major country as well as being able to change both downwards and upwards and preferable in lesser steps.

Experience -2, -1.5, -1, -0.5, 0, +0.5, +1.0, +1.5, +2.0

Resources -50%, -25% , 0, +25%, +50%, +75%, +100%.

There is many reasons why this should prove beneficial but mainly it provides the players with more flexibilty. Example of this would be if I would play WW2 for instance and wanted to boost the axis I dont mind giving german and japan +1 experience but I would not want Italy to have it because then taking Italy would be very hard and unhistorically as well.

All in all it is just a matter of preference but I think it would be well worth doing it since it opens up some many more possibilities for the game.

This would make it much easier for a player to obtain a more balanced and enjoyable game depending on his level of expertise and also when playing

other players with various skill you can use it as a very good handicap.

I think many with me agree on this and I should think it is not to hard to code to makeit possible.

I for one hope you will incorporate it :)

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Yes I know but this was not in reference to the units but the possibility to set the experience and resources to different settings for each major country in both WW1 and WW2 instead of just one side.

Hi

Hubert is right in that I was replying more to Jestre and Crispy, apologies for not making that clear as I realize that what you're suggesting is more specific and focused, rather than being a comment on the default settings in the game itself.

And it's certainly an interesting idea!

Bill

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Hello Bill and Hubert!

Thats fully alright I didnt take anything personal I just thought I better

clearify it towards Bill since i thought his post was directed towards me.

You will have to excuse me because albeit my english is good enough to

talk and read and write I often fail to see feelings, sub meanings in texts

since english is not my main language.

Me=:confused: :D

You two are doing a great job with this game and it is by far my favorite strategy game! Keep the good work up!

I have some other suggestions as well but I will getback to them after playing WW1 some more. have a good weekend now.

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