Panzer Corps Basics Guide or Wiki - UPDATE 29.08

[orlinos]

I’ve read on the forum about a project to create professional Panzer Corps guide, but I have not yet seen its results. I will not probably be able to fill this void, but I would like to try at least a bit. My first idea was to make a big guide with all the things that were not mentioned in the manual; and providing deep strategic insight; and solving world hunger.

Since, as we all know, huge and ambitious ideas are often fast abandoned, I thought it better to start small, so today I begin with a quick primer on Infantry, its traits and peculiarities and share my few thoughts on putting them in clear or close terrain.

Mind you, since I am a rather mediocre player (although a stubborn one) don’t expect hardcore strategy tips. I am much closer to being a casual tactician, and one of the ideas of the name for the file was “How I play Panzer Corps and why you shouldn’t follow me – unless you want to lose badly”. Still, I hope at least newbies might benefit – with the arrival of Afrika Corps we might greet some newcomers on board.

I would be glad for all feedback. On language mistakes, content mistakes, rule mistakes, maybe if the content is too obvious? Any topics anyone wishes to be covered? Since I hope to summarize in one package much of what is already in the FAQ, I will try to give credit to authors and link to forum discussions.

As I used images from the game, I ensured the icons of units are of low resolution; I hope it is alright with developers.

The guide is in PDF format, below I give a screenshot of the first page as a teaser.



The Guide by Orlinos

[VPaulus]

This a good initiative, Orlinos.

[lordzimoa]

Please do guys, you have our blessing and support, if more people can come into this that would be great, we are willing to publish it officially if the guide evolves into a good document.

I was thinking myself in getting up a Panzer Corps gameplay Wiki webpage, so editing and adding content is easier, but we sadly have no time to do this ourselves.

If some veteran players, modders and fans would start such an initiative and get organized, we off course would support it, give feedback, proofread and help with final editing...

[fsx]

I’ve read on the forum about a project to create professional Panzer Corps guide, but I have not yet seen its results. I will not probably be able to fill this void, but I would like to try at least a bit. My first idea was to make a big guide with all the things that were not mentioned in the manual; and providing deep strategic insight; and solving world hunger.

Since, as we all know, huge and ambitious ideas are often fast abandoned, I thought it better to start small, so today I begin with a quick primer on Infantry, its traits and peculiarities and share my few thoughts on putting them in clear or close terrain.

Mind you, since I am a rather mediocre player (although a stubborn one) don’t expect hardcore strategy tips. I am much closer to being a casual tactician, and one of the ideas of the name for the file was “How I play Panzer Corps and why you shouldn’t follow me – unless you want to lose badly”. Still, I hope at least newbies might benefit – with the arrival of Afrika Corps we might greet some newcomers on board.

I would be glad for all feedback. On language mistakes, content mistakes, rule mistakes, maybe if the content is too obvious? Any topics anyone wishes to be covered? Since I hope to summarize in one package much of what is already in the FAQ, I will try to give credit to authors and link to forum discussions.

As I used images from the game, I ensured the icons of units are of low resolution; I hope it is alright with developers.

The guide is in PDF format, below I give a screenshot of the first page as a teaser.

TOP!
Did you wrote, that infantery with transports could not enter thick forest, but without? Also the airtransport is not possible with truck (question for "left the truck on earth" if you choose air-transport).

The "hidden" features like the movement reduction if infantery uses trucks needing more and detailed illustration.

[Longasc]

This is a fine example of a game related Wiki that developed very well:

http://www.stowiki.org/Wiki/Main_Page - for Star Trek Online
see also
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Main_Page - Guild Wars. Though this Wiki has a nasty history, as the official Wiki supplanted and IMO destroyed the fan made Wiki as many core editors left for the official Wiki. This happened after the inofficial Wiki became really good.

I have no idea how to set up a Wiki but would like to contribute. Nevertheless the most important thing is to get the Wiki started. Started means that a few people have to do a lot of basic work to lay a solid foundation that attracts future editors. This also means creating masks and templates that people can fill out to add units. Also, having a proper and working backup system - STOWiki lost a lot of data to vandalism and a not-so-great backup system. I am sure the community will support you and the Lordz can probably provide art assets for unit icons and screenshots and all that.

I hope you find some experienced people to cooperate with, I am afraid I cannot help at all in the crucial early phase.

[orlinos]

This a good initiative, Orlinos.

Thank you!

Please do guys, you have our blessing and support, if more people can come into this that would be great, we are willing to publish it officially if the guide evolves into a good document.

Hey not so fast, the world is spinning. I see the fame, the women, the death at age of 27. Damnit, I'm already past that point...

TOP!
Did you wrote, that infantery with transports could not enter thick forest, but without? Also the airtransport is not possible with truck (question for "left the truck on earth" if you choose air-transport).

The "hidden" features like the movement reduction if infantery uses trucks needing more and detailed illustration.

I guess the topic of moving units should get its own chapter with a big illustration. Troops, assemble!

[fsx]

My tutorial (animated gif for DMP-MOD HGN) for moving.

http://www.designmodproject.de/forum/vi ... 8#p1163758

[orlinos]

My tutorial (animated gif for DMP-MOD HGN) for moving.

http://www.designmodproject.de/forum/vi ... 8#p1163758

What do you say to that?!



I updated the original file. The only change is the big movement page, but it took me all day. And I still believe there is much to add... (I've made no screenshots with bridges, for example).

[fsx]

(near) TOP.
Near, because for me its to much in one illustration.
Perhaps you should explain it for one unit type with tracked, halftracked, horse, wheeled and no transport vehicle.

[orlinos]

(near) TOP.
Near, because for me it’s too much in one illustration.
Perhaps you should explain it for one unit type with tracked, halftracked, horse, wheeled and no transport vehicle.

Yeah, it got out of control a bit.

I mainly concentrated on differences between Gebirgsjäger, Infantry and more powerful, Move 2 troops, because for my style of play (cautious, slow, with few self-propelled artillery units) this is very important. If I use ordinary Infantry on terrain with hills or Grenadiers in the woods, I become too slow and cannot make fast "jumps" with tanks and Stugs and Infantry plugging close terrain gaps. etc.

I’ll probably try splitting the picture in two or three separate parts and make another one as you suggest, to only compare differences between transport types. But it will have to wait, GIMP wears me down a lot.

[orlinos]

OK, more content. I've added an additional page of truck movement and started an article on Zone of Control. Players better than I am, I humbly ask you to criticize my troop positioning, it probably still contains some newbie mistakes.

The link with the updated document is both here and in the first post.

Picture previews:

[VPaulus]

It's looking great, Orlinos.
Please continue.

[fsx]

WOW!
Each time it looks better than before!
Now the reader can easyly compare movements dependig from type of movement & transport.

[kop101]

good job, keep it up!

[Tarrak]

Really great work so far.

[sbdb]

Orlinosm, this is the most positive contribution I've seen anyone made on this forum. My hat off for you!

I'm anxiously following your progress.

[orlinos]

Wow, thanks for support, everyone! It's nice to read such praise. I have to say, I have a tiny bit of writer's block, but decided to post what's already done. The topic of spotting and ambushing is definitely not one to cover in few words or pictures and turned out to be harder to arrange in the scenario editor, than I thought. The AI is much brighter than I thought. I should cover it more in the future.

I guess it’s a god idea to start using more real-game examples, so for today I turned into an old Albert Canal save and tried showing how to position and move units at the beginning of a scenario. Again, I hope more advanced players might correct my mistakes.

I have finally started DLC '43 now, so I should probably add movement illustrations with mud and snow. I was surprised how slow my troops became after the Stalingrad.

Are there any suggestions for topics any one wishes to be covered?

Also for today, pin-up girls! The updated guide is at the old link.

[lordzimoa]

Hi Piotr,

Love your cover picture! Do you made that yourself?

Cheers,

Tim

[orlinos]

Lordzimoa: Absolutely not! I have no graphical skills, I am afraid. I found it here:
http://www.wartoyz.com/Merchant2/mercha ... egory_Code

I provided the link to the shop in the acknowledgements section, but it will probably have to go away in some time, it might be not fair to the owners. In that case, the picture will probably be exchanged for this:
http://www.skylighters.org/puweek/index72.html


I have a soft spot for pin-ups, but there are no tanks on this one.

The picture at the end of the guide, "the girl he left behind" seems to be a true old war propaganda poster, so I think it's alright to put it.

[deducter]

Here's another screenshot illustrating how to spread forces out to maximize zones of control. Although my front appears thinly held, all of my artillery are actually safe from the AI's attack. The artillery near the VH is safe because the AI is programmed to capture VH as its top priority, and it will always immediately attack any adjacent unit regardless of combat odds. I believe what happened during the AI's turn was that the BT tank took the VH but took heavy losses when it attacked, and the KV-1 tank moved to attack my towed 5 cm PaK and took moderate losses on the attack.

Note that in that Albert Canal picture the recon unit has a spotting of 4, which means orlinos either has a hero on his recon unit or he is showing that scenario using the GC Unit Revisions equipment file. In the standard eqp file all recon has a spotting of 3.

Using a stuka as bait for a fighter trap is extremely risky. The loss of strength points, especially overstrength points, is rarely worth the damage to the AI's fighter. Especially in 1943, the Red Air Force field increasingly large number fighters, and they can and will shoot down Stukas after firing through the fighter escorts. I often like to escort a stuka with at least 2 fighters for this reason.

Fighter traps with ground units is a much better idea. Typically after the attacking fighter has suffered losses/suppression, it won't be able to inflict much damage on a ground unit. The danger here is if you were actually using your fighter to cover valuable ground units, like an overstrength artillery or Tiger tank, which may then be subject to further bombing by the AI. Thus, I always arrange my fighter traps in such a way that only cheap units are exposed.

Simply by luring the AI's planes into the range of FlaK is usually good enough. One or two hits from a Flak followed by a fighter attack or two is often enough to finish off a air unit. This is the key to defeating Il-2 or the more advanced Russian fighters (La-5FN, Yak-9, Yak-3, La-7) with low losses.