Why a Multiplayer Beta?

[Shards]

Hi,

So, why does Order of Battle, as long in the tooth and reliable in multiplayer as it is, need a multiplayer focussed beta test?

OOB was released in 2015 and uses Slitherine PBEM++ system for it's asynchronous multiplayer gameplay. In ~2020 we updated PBEM++ to Version 3 and newer games are using that system. OOB has been running on a legacy interface up to this point.

This beta is to enable us to test OOB running on proper Version 3 of PBEM++.

Why are we doing this? Well, we are continuously developing new features for PBEM++ and Order of Battle, with it's great online community, is a game that we want to keep refreshed with these features. This is only possible if it's running on V3 however!

With the current version of the multiplayer beta we are testing:

- Behind the scenes change to use your Slitherine User ID's rather than Usernames within OOB's interface
-- This means that logins no longer need to be case-sensitive (currently shards and Shards are treated slightly differently in OOB!)

- Addition of Elo Rankings to multiplayer games
-- All Tournament Games are "Ranked Game"
-- Players can choose to have their normal multiplayer challenges to be "Ranked" as well
-- We'll be making online leaderboards available where people can see who are the top ranked OOB players

- Addition of the ability to have a single challenge create a set of Paired Games for any map
-- Just like how Tournament Challenges are setup

- Improved error logging for when any issues occur
- Restarting a replay of a multiplayer game will just reload the game rather than redownload the game turn again
-- This had caused some players to be flagged as "cheating" when they weren't

We've also made the below changes, but they're less risky and therefore in need of a multiplayer test than the above:

Single Player:
Afrikakorps, WinterWar
- added options to play with skinned AI units

German trilogy:
- added options to play with skinned AI units
- added AI commanders in many scenarios
- included few later added units for more AI variety
- increased player RP in several battles
- deactivated some "RP transfer" events
- minor other changes

Soviet trilogy:
- added options to play with skinned AI units to the early DLCs
- added AI commanders in selected scenarios
- minor other changes

Bug Fixes:
- one-shot Nuke bombers don't give back CP
- disbanded units reappear on core import in linked DLCs
- Kursk objective fails, then corrects itself

- Added bebro's updated roster data from the other beta test thread

Multiplayer Map Updates:

Updated Bootcamp Battle - GBvUSSR
- Tweaked Jungle and Hills slightly
- Fixed issue with reinforcements arriving one turn late for British

Updated Wake Island Assault [Tournament Settings]
- Pre-deployed Medical Jeep as Auxillary Unit in North East
- Added new Japanese deploy point in mouth of lagoon
- Fixed VP Awarding for disbanded units
- Fixed visibility on Marshall Islands
- Fixed unflagged Supply near USA HQ
- Updated HQ Victory Points to new standard (121 starting pool, reduced by 8 per turn)

[Celeborn]

Wow...this is so encouraging.

FWIW I would be willing to pay for some sort of subscription for the game to be updated irrespective of whether new DLCs are added.

[Erik2]

Wow...this is so encouraging.

FWIW I would be willing to pay for some sort of subscription for the game to be updated irrespective of whether new DLCs are added.

+1

[pupski]

Short question about the Single Player changes. Will the changes show up in new campaigns or also during new scenarios in ongoing campaigns, started before the Update? I have an ongoing single player German campaign as an example that I continue in the new Beta.

[Shards]

You'll need to restart the scenario that you are on, but any changes will show up in any scenario that you start (inc ongoing campaigns)

[terminator]

I think we should also add more AI commanders in the last DLC released.
For example, the Germans and the Russians had no AI commanders in the last scenario (Race to Berlin).

[bebro]

Short question about the Single Player changes. Will the changes show up in new campaigns or also during new scenarios in ongoing campaigns, started before the Update? I have an ongoing single player German campaign as an example that I continue in the new Beta.

As Shards said, changes show up in the next scn.

One thing gets only set at the start of the campaign, in the 1st scenario -- that is the variables for using AI skins or not. So if you want to see the AI using those skins it's better to restart the cam.

[Erik2]

A few mp scenario notes.

2vsAI_BataanJapan:
Objective map markers missing.
Japanese aux infantry are '42. Players can only purchase '41 units.

2vsAI_DoubleDragoons:
There is hardly enough resource income for repairing existing units. Still there are about 16 command points available (yellow Chinese). Why?

1v1_ArcticFox:
Same issue here, a trickle of income resource (15 pr turn) and about 17 unusable command points (Soviet).

[Shards]

A few mp scenario notes.

2vsAI_BataanJapan:
Objective map markers missing.
Japanese aux infantry are '42. Players can only purchase '41 units.

2vsAI_DoubleDragoons:
There is hardly enough resource income for repairing existing units. Still there are about 16 command points available (yellow Chinese). Why?

1v1_ArcticFox:
Same issue here, a trickle of income resource (15 pr turn) and about 17 unusable command points (Soviet).

These are quite old maps that haven't been touched for a while, so I think their balancing is unexplained

[Shards]

I have found that I was trying to do an updated version of Arctic Fox in 2019... maybe I'll try to knock that into shape

[bebro]

A few mp scenario notes.

2vsAI_BataanJapan:
Objective map markers missing.
Japanese aux infantry are '42. Players can only purchase '41 units.

2vsAI_DoubleDragoons:
There is hardly enough resource income for repairing existing units. Still there are about 16 command points available (yellow Chinese). Why?

1v1_ArcticFox:
Same issue here, a trickle of income resource (15 pr turn) and about 17 unusable command points (Soviet).

I'm working a bit on Artic Fox now.

Done for now:
- gave both sides "Drop Tank" from start as the early fighters have low fuel only
- moved one of the gold flags for each side from map edge more towards the center, so that people don't have to go all the way to the edges to win
- doubled start RP to ca. 1000, slight income boost too, gave Sov a slight +5 advantage (more expensive units)

Ideas:
- reduce the Soviet defensive line in the east, Finland's will stay -- because IMO Sov has quite an advantage in unit choices, esp. when there are more RP (Fin doesn't even have tanks or AA at this pt, and only one type of arty)
- I might deny the option to field Sov paras, Fin doesn't have any, so paradrops may be unfair?

[pupski]

Last week or so I played ArcticFox multiplayer. As the Fins just fielding a full infantry army with just a few ski-troops gave me an easy win. The soviet tank and arty couldn't repair themselves due to the low income. They hit me a bit, got surrounded by all the little white men and it was over in no time. As the soviets I did the same, more lucky to find my opponent not fully prepared for this situation and with far less units due to his choice to buy 3 air planes.
Droptank sounds clever.

- The gold flags a bit closer would be good, I think it will be mostly decided if you reach the flag.
-A bit more starting income is nice but too much could lure players into the 'unable to repair trap' when they buy expensive units. This can alos be seen as a fact of live, learning to read the income before buying units.
- A bit more income is almost a necessity, + 5 sounds like it will make an important difference overall.
- I would have to play it some more to get a feel for the ideas you have.

Nice to see that those scenarios are still worked on, thanks!

[bebro]

Thx for the feedback

My thinking is that Sov will be able to take advantage of its better unit roster when both sides get more RP to actually use their CP. I could be wrong, hard to say beforehand, maybe that approach to mass-use Fin inf is still valid

I'll also push back the start date to mid or late Dec 39, this gives Fin few more unit choices (incl. AA).

I'll post a test version tomorrow with changes (in the other thread with updated maps)