Terif

Yep - just have a look here. In July/August there were still 33 active SC1 players with games reported .

Yep, I have the english version of SC2, but fortunately the german patch 1.03 is also compatible with the english version - so if someone wants to train his german language knowledge he can already update and play with version 1.03 (you find it in the Panzerliga update list ) . In 1.03 the most changes have been bug fixing and AI improvements. But for gameplay there are in deed also some things : - There will now be a battle for Skandinavia, so either Axis or Allies will attack in the north now and Denmark/Norway will be a battlefield for sure since if Axis doesn´t want Norway, then Allies will take it. - Middle east is now a bit of a roulette game since there is a 25% chance for upsetting Turkey that can even result in them joining Allies. I am sure many players will do the roulette game and then simply surrender if they have no luck...from my point of view this should be changed. A good player will avoid DoWing Iraq, but bad luck can now make a huge difference here, contrary to the situation in 1.02. - much better is the improvement in the defence area: with weaker corps (offensive power reduced) and more important now useful fortifications and improved Anti-air defence of defenders in cities, defence now gets a slight change - at least at the right spots with enough time to prepare defences. Offence is still the best defence in SC2, but it goes into the right direction . - Sealion: amphibious transport range is reduced and allied convois go to Egypt/Russia in case of a conquered England. On the other side US readiness increase has been reduced and USA will not join during a Sealion any more. The reduced amphibious range makes it easier for Allies to defend the med if they want, but it doesn´t prevent a Sealion: if Axis concentrates its air in France, then it will get England without a doubt. But Allies can make it pretty expensive for Axis if they concentrate on the island defence and sacrifice the Royal Navy in the suicide attempt to get some transports, so Axis can be too weak to face Russia then. Alternatively Allies have the choice to more or less abandon England and declare Africa their home - with the reduced amphibious range it is much easier to defend Africa now for Allies.

Patch 1.03 is out for the german version. So the multiplayer guide has been updated for this version: see here The official league is already becoming active - since July at the moment 18 players with finished + reported games and around 100 new registered players in the examination league. SC2 league: here Examination league with new players: here

Patch 1.03 came out 12 hours ago - but only for the german version so far . Last time the english version came first, this time the german one - so the patch for the english version should probably be not far away .

Yes, at the same computer you can install SC2 as many times as you wish with only one license necessary. So you can still finish 1.02 games by keeping a second install at the same computer. So when the patch is out, just install the game again in a different directory and update only one of your now 2 installations to 1.03 This way you can start new games with 1.03 and finish your old games with 1.02. P.S.: Preferably the one you update should be the new installation, especially if you have user made scenarios since otherwise they can be lost - or just save them first in another directory. To upgrade your scenarios to 1.03 you need to follow the instructions in the mod section forum here at Battlefront (Thread " Attention modders"). [ August 18, 2006, 12:20 PM: Message edited by: Terif ]

You can still finish 1.02 games by keeping a second install at the same computer (this way you even don´t need your second license since at the same computer you can install it as many times as you wish ). So when the patch is out, just install the game again in a different directory and update only one of your now 2 installations to 1.03. This way you can start new games with 1.03 and finish your old games with 1.02.

If you could get Sweden via diplomacy it would be worth it - but against a not too bad human player you won´t get it in V1.02 unless you are extremely lucky . Since Sweden starts with 20%, with Russia in the war Allies have no problem to counter it if they take a look at the diplo screen and feel its necessary. They can even wait for some Axis hits first and then block it. So you can try it, but against the same opponent it will only work once - if at all .

You can send only 2 units to attack Moskov...if they survive the attempt is a different question...against a human player this will most likely not be the case .

To clarify things (here for Siberians): - either there are enough enemy units within range of the condition positions OR the failsafe date is reached (Siberians: January 1, 1942). Then the event will be triggered with the appropriate Trigger percentage (here: 40% chance) at the end of each turn. - units defined in the condition position: Both numbers (min,max) give only the range from which SC2 selects a random number each turn that will be used as the minimum number of enemy units necessary to satisfy the trigger. - Range defined in the condition position: Same as for unit number: SC2 selects a random number each turn within the given range by min, max in the script that will be the maximum range where enemy units will count for the check if the trigger is satisfied or not. I.e. in the siberian example (Moskov), SC2 first selects randomly each turn a range from 2-4 (e.g. 3) and then checks how much enemy units are within this range (unit in Moskov + units 1 hex away + 2 hex away + 3 hex away). Then it selects a random number from 3-5 (e.g. 4) for the units and compares it with the current number of units within range (in this example: if 4 or more units are within a range of 3 hexes around Moskov, then there is a 40% chance at the end of the turn that Siberians will arrive). Summary: Don´t worry about Siberians, they will arrive sooner or later in any case. If Axis advances fast, they will arrive earlier, otherwise there is latest from January 1942 on the 40% chance for them to arrive - so if Allies are not extremely unlucky and Axis don´t approach too aggressively, Siberians will usually arrive around spring 1942 . [ August 11, 2006, 06:59 AM: Message edited by: Terif ]

Only 2 at Leningrad and 3 for the central swamps (Kiev+Minsk included) are necessary - just have a look at the scripts again .

Sorry, no bug : In SC 2 the landscape is deciding (not only for partisans ): Guard units can only protect hexes adjacent to them that have a direct land connection, not if water is between them (lakes/sea) - so e.g. at Leningrad they can´t protect hexes accross the lake southwest of it. But partisans are certainly not overpowered - Axis need only a few guard units and no partisans will appear (e.g. 2 around Leningrad, 3 for Pripjet swamps and then in some of the conquered cities (just have a look at the scripts in which ones you need guards).

I tend to agree with Sombra: It is necessary to know how diplo works, but changing it from how it works now will probably do more bad than good - especially concerning Spain. At least it would need some more work to fix the side effects. Perhaps better to leave it as it is .

Yep, a bug that survived from SC 1 : If a ship is standing on a combined sea/land hex and it is not in spotting range of the enemy, then a land unit marching onto this hex will result in disappearing/loosing of the ship.

Yep - as it is now, 5 UK chits will prevent Axis from getting Spain and usually Allies have enough time to buy them before Spain joins. When it is percentage based, then Axis will get it nearly for sure with 10 chits and around 2 years time before Russia comes in to help blocking. So then a compensation is necessary (either a mechanism to prevent Spain from joining too easily or ressources/units for Allies in case of a joined Spain).

Just tested it a bit more... : SC2 internally obviously uses the exact numbers, so a unit more or less can not really reach 0% - it is still a bit above and be it at 0.01%... So sooner or later a morale 0 unit will reach 1% and then slowly but surely recover if at high enough strength+supply - it may take some years, but it recovers . (operating/transporting has no influence) However, since Hubert already noted this to be improved, it will most likely be fixed in the next patch(s) anyway, so nothing to really worry about .

Reinforcing increases the strength points - but concerning morale it doesnt help you if you have no supply or already no morale. If you multiply something with 0, then it always results in 0 even if you increased this something by reinforcing .

Yes, agreed - for customization this is certainly the best way and also gives a better historical feeling .

If chits only: Allied chits cancel out first Germany´s (same strength), then Italian ones. Axis chits cancel out UK then USA, Russia and last but not least France. If percentage based: Then I propose to set all nations to 5% effect and reduce the maximum number for the "weaker" nations like France and Italy (e.g. 3-4 chits instead of 5).

Yep, either based on a percentage base or change it so one chit cancel out exactly one enemy chit. I personally would prefer the last one since it is simpler to calculate for the players and reduces the luck factor a bit. Italy has only a 3% chance/chit, so percentage based would lead to the situation that only german chits would cancel out a UK chit and italian vs UK results still in 2% chance for UK (e.g. with 1 chit each in Norway, Sweden etc. the result then depends on luck) + long term increased disadvantage at the diplomacy front for Axis with USA/Russia in the war.

HQs only increase readiness for the supported units and have no effect concerning morale (except if they provide better supply). Morale is (simplified) calculated by multiplication with supply, strength points and the old morale from last turn. So if any of them is low, then the new morale will be low too - so morale needs a long time to recover from low values and if it drops to 0 it will never again increase (V1.02).

You can play on both computers the same game (switched sides, or making one turn with the computer and another turn with the laptop) without causing a reload as long as you don´t load the same turn in both of them. I.e. you can choose which of your 2 PCs you use to answer the PBEM turns and you can switch it any time.

Does that mean 2 UK chits block both 2 german chits AND 2 italian chits ? From my games so far I have the strong impression it is this way, cause in all of them so far when UK had 5 chits, then Axis never again got a hit in Spain despite 5 german and 5 italian chits in it. So each UK chit effectively cancels out 2 axis chits: one german and one italian if they are invested into the same country ?

It is always the task of a commander to decide on which front to spend the available ressources - if it makes sense is another question : Sure, with enough airpower it is possible to kill one of the defence units and move into enemy territory, but as fast as you are in, as fast you are out...the invading unit dead and the spot reoccupied by a defender . Even if you can manage to advance - which often is possible (and happened here) during the initial stage of the invasion when Russia has not enough units - any invasion force can be thrown out when siberians arrive: Since without Turkey, Axis have no supply in Caucasus and conquered cities only go to strength 3, they can neither reinforce their units deeper into russia nor operate units there - so they are toast if Russia wants this area back. P.S. Same the other way around: Since Iraq, Iran and Syria have UK as parent nation, Russia doesn´t get supply if it liberates them, so it has also no chance to move deeper into enemy territory - nevertheless it is better for Axis to simply stop them already at the border.

Caucasus was no more than a diversion in this game and certainly not back breaking since russians did the right thing and operated enough forces there to be able to throw Axis out of this area. In deed it was even a bit overkill with Russia at IW 3, AT 3, HT 3: 3 russian elite tanks and several armies + corps + 2 airfleets against one single german tank, 1 paratrooper and 1 corps on russian soil there . Fortunately the Iran-Russia border is pretty much the only area in the SC2 world where defence makes sense and is possible. Entrenched in mountains behind a river it is possible to hold the line and so Axis expeditionary forces immediately retreated after their raid to this position. For the rest of Russia it looked much darker since Stalin decided to defend nearly every city with 2-3 strong units (tanks/armies). But since defence is pretty much impossible in SC 2 V1.02, they were only cannon fodder and good target practice for the german units on their way in the russian interior and a nice mpp drain for Russia . In May 1942 the last battle occured and with Leningrad, Moskov and Kharkov conquered by Axis, the allied commander surrendered. Sidenote: before this battle, Russia was 4:1 superior in tanks against Axis (= 4 russian tanks vs 1 german tank) since Germany only built a lot of corps . P.S.: Caucasus can only be deciding if one of the both sides makes a huge mistake - otherwise it will always end in a trench warfare at the border river and its mountains since neither side can cross it if the opponent at least has some corps there for defence

2 other things: 1) if a unit drops to 0 morale, then it never will be able to increase its morale again and it will stay at 0 since the formula multiplies with the old morale value. Also at low morale values it needs a very long time to recover due to this. I would propose a base increase (connected to strength/supply) in the formula each turn or a minimum morale value. (it only needs to be at low supply or strength for a while, or with the morale loss by surrendering/liberated countries and morale goes to 0 and will stay there till the end of game or till the unit is destroyed) 2) Already mentioned in the SC2 forum, but a major bug that should be fixed as soon as possible: In the production screen it is possible to buy as many units as you wish by simply pressing the enter key. Mpps go into minus, but then it is only necessary to reinforce a unit (press max button) and mpps are positive again. Seems a validation check is missing at both buttons.