Reform units and save games?

[borsook79]

I'm really confused how this works - do I have to type "reform units" when I continue my game from a save or not? Is there any way to check if this is on or not?

[Longasc]

Very good question!

I hope this becomes an official feature soon. With a checkbox. Right now it's indeed confusing when and where you have to enter the cheat. AFAIK during the deployment phase.

[boredatwork]

If you turn it on it will persist for the remainder of the scenario. If you save your game with it on it will remain on when you reload the game. If you restart the scenario entirely or play a different scenario it will be disabled by default.

You can enable (or disable) the cheat at anytime during the scenario. If you can't remember if you turned it on or not and a unit is in a risky position, save the game. If it dies and is not in your reserves, reload the game and turn the cheat on.

[borsook79]

If you turn it on it will persist for the remainder of the scenario. If you save your game with it on it will remain on when you reload the game. If you restart the scenario entirely or play a different scenario it will be disabled by default.

You can enable (or disable) the cheat at anytime during the scenario. If you can't remember if you turned it on or not and a unit is in a risky position, save the game. If it dies and is not in your reserves, reload the game and turn the cheat on.

Ok, thanks! I was typing it after each reload and was suprised when it did not work... now it's clear. Is it the same for other cheats e.g. "chess"?

And I too hope it becomes an option (even in a text file)

[boredatwork]

Is it the same for other cheats e.g. "chess"?

AFAIK Chess and "all eqp" function similarly - off by default, once you turn them on they stay on for that scenario regardless of how many times you save and load unless you turn them off.

Making them an option would be more convenient. Even splitting them into 2 seperate cheats: "Reform units ON" and "reform units OFF" would enable peace of mind as to whether or not the cheat was active.

[captainjack]

I'm in favour of Reform Units as a startup option, but the next best thing would be some way to see if it's on or off. Without knowing this, it has much less value, especially when restarting a game after a few days away.

From recent experience in France, it's a bit dispiriiting when a +3 attack hero SE Panzer 3 with 73% chance of a kill rolls nothing over 20 twelve times, loses six points to a counter attack with a lot of 90s in it, and then having to watch as it's finished off by a bunch of Somau and Renault tanks in the following turn. It's about ten times worse when you think Reform Units was on and it wasn't.

If Reform Units is available, please at least let me know oif it's working!

PS
I don't mind the random numbers ganging up on me from time to time, as it also works for me as well as against me. The real lesson is that suppressing units before attacking them really is a good idea, even when they look quite a pushover.

[shawkhan]

From what I see, people like reform units to conserve their heroes. I would like to see the ability to assign heroes to different units rather than just the same unit type. Men were transferred throughout the war and should be able to change positions. For example, Michael Wittman was originally in sturmgeschutzen, His transfer to tanks came later. Hans Rudel may have been famous as a Stuka pilot but he was equally gifted as a fighter pilot. I think interchangeable heroes would be a great improvement in the game. It would be nice to have historical figures but if that is not possible, the ability to re-name them would be better than nothing.

[captainjack]

To me, heroes in Panzer Corps look more like unit characteristics rather than individuals. Speed + 1 is more likely due to a good team of good mechanics, great preparation and good route planning, rather than Michael Schumacher driving your tank. Attack heroes probably cover good fire control, and an eye for a good firing position rather than someone carrying an extra big gun. Maybe +1 spotting could be due to someone exceptional in your unit (eg Rommel or Chuck Yeager - both biographies are worth a read if you're puzzled why I chose these two), but it could also be good understanding of cover, tell tale signs of enemy activity etc.

In that context, I am comfortable that if all my tanks get blown up or damaged, then reform units is a way of acknowledging that rather than disperse the survivors, I have an option to decide that they are good enough to be worth building a new unit around. This probably means that heroes could be transferrable to other units, but I think that within the game it might spoil the effect if they could be moved around to the units that suited you. Also, would you, as unit commander, let your elite team of mechanics be shifted to another unit - probably not!

It can be an interesting challenge to learn how to get the best out of a good hero in the wrong unit - eg is it best to use pioneers with +3 initiative for attack or for defense?
What benefit can you get from a +1 spotting hero on artillery (other than hope that next time they get another +1 spotting so that you can finally see as far as you can shoot)?

Actually, if anyone does have a good idea for how to benefit from artillery with +1 spotting I'd be interested to hear it, because it's got me stumped.

[shawkhan]

Well. sometimes one has to make lemonade when given lemons! In my last playthrough I wound up with a pioniere unit with two spotting heroes, so started using it instead of a 'normal' recon unit.
Inappropriate heroes are one of the frustrations of the game.

[ThvN]

For me, the current hero system is quite nice, of course you get the occasional dud but transferring heroes would end up with having the exact same sort of upgrades to units all the time. You could just as well choose the heroes as soon as they are awarded, for all the randomness such a system would give. SE units are nicely random too, of course they can be upgraded, but you can't change your Gebirgsjäger into a tank. Imagine just buying them, it would be very boring to me.

It's the same with heroes, as soon as you get control over the way they are distributed, the min-maxing 'gamey' set-ups start appearing. There's nothing wrong with that, if people want to have it as an option I'm all in favour, but please keep the current system available for the flavour it gives.

I once ended up with a +move hero on a towed 30cm Nebelwerfer. It was great fun to use with a Grenadiere and some AAA cover, I called this formation my 'two-step snake' (after the urban legend). Sure a range hero would have been more useful, but I like changing and matching unit types due to the random heroes they sometimes get. A Tiger with two spotting heroes? Well, deal with it I think, it didn't get worse, just different.

And some of the heroes on bonus units should stay with their original unit, some of these are simply too powerful to be exchanged. Although I would like to see 'logistics' heroes, which would grant more ammo/fuel to a unit, just to add even more variety.

[fliegenderstaub]

As usual (in my case): Reform units as an option? YES!!!

Referring to heroes. In General I like the system very much except - as a few others already mentioned - spotting heroes on artillery units. The best way to cope with that is for me upgrading them to StuGs. I use StuGs close to the front and in the front, so a sighting bonus comes quite handy. I am just playing GC 41 on field marshal and three out of my eight artillery units have a spotting hero (as well as two of my tanks). There must be a spotting hero sale somewhere on the eastern front...

[captainjack]

Thanks Fliegenderstaub - I hadn't thought of upgrading to a Stug or similar.
I once had a +2 spotting Panzer IV G in AK, which was very good on deployment as it could withstand most things (other than my putting it in the wrong place) and worked very well with a conventional recon unit which could go forwards in relative safety for a good look.

I have started to like +1 movement on towed artillery - it's very good for following grenadiers and pioneers, and the extra +1 on SIGs keeps them up with most tanks.
Someone recently suggested upgrading range hero artillery to nebelwerfers. I haven't tried that yet, but I have found that a Stug or a Brummbar with 2 range comes in quite handy.

[Anfield]

I just started trying the reform units and will agree like all, that not knowing if the damn thing is on or off is a pain, cause you know the battle you fight with it off youll lose something!

As for Heros, I like the system now, and wouldnt want to be able to move them around to other units. And while its true you do get some bad heros for the units sometimes, thats part of the fun. However I would like to see the odds go up for getting Heros that are useful to that type of unit.

[robman]

Pending the possible introduction of "reform units" as a game-menu switch, here's a workaround that I have found very useful: As soon as a scenario begins, before you do anything else, enter the "reform units" cheat and then save the game as "Turn 0." If, later in the scenario, you wonder whether "reform units" is on, then simply look to see if there is a saved game "Turn 0." And if you should wish to restart the scenario, restart from "Turn 0" (and DON'T enter "reform units," as that would turn it back off again).

[GSlapshot]

An easier suggestion is to enter the code and save the game as scenario + Reform

[Magic1111]

As soon as a scenario begins, before you do anything else, enter the "reform units" cheat and then save the game as "Turn 0." If, later in the scenario, you wonder whether "reform units" is on, then simply look to see if there is a saved game "Turn 0." And if you should wish to restart the scenario, restart from "Turn 0" (and DON'T enter "reform units," as that would turn it back off again).

As soon as a scenario begins, before you do anything else, enter the "reform units" cheat and then save the game as "Turn 0." If, later in the scenario, you wonder whether "reform units" is on, then simply look to see if there is a saved game "Turn 0." And if you should wish to restart the scenario, restart from "Turn 0" (and DON'T enter "reform units," as that would turn it back off again).

All good solutions, but what we need with the next patch is a check-box in Options-Menu for this feature...!

[borsook79]

OK, one more question - what about restart scenario? does it change those "cheats" or not? Will it turn the off?

[Rudankort]

Restart scenario is essentially a game saved at the very beginning of a scenario, before you had a chance to enter the cheat, so yes, it does cancel "reform units".

[borsook79]

Restart scenario is essentially a game saved at the very beginning of a scenario, before you had a chance to enter the cheat, so yes, it does cancel "reform units".

Thanks!