Potzblitz V25.0 OCT 18th 2024

[Robotron]

Isn't it a bit unnecessary to be informed that one's cypher is safe?

Historically no-one could have such level of certainty, very much to the contrary when it comes to intel/counter-intel warfare. It would actually bring a measure of realistic tension to leave players in the dark about that.

I've rewritten that part:

"cipher safe" on your own nations will be displayed in two cases:

1. the cipher is indeed safe because your alliance's SIGINT on that nation is equal or higher than that of the enemy and you have more INTEL assigned to make sure that this is indeed true

2. the cipher is in fact broken but nobody noticed yet because the enemy's SIGINT and INTEL are higher than your own, giving you a false sense of security.

"cipher broken" on your own nations will then only be displayed when your own SIGINT is lower and you have more INTEL than your enemy.

[nehi]

"cipher broken" on your own nations will then only be displayed when your own SIGINT is lower and you have more INTEL than your enemy.

how to make evil more evil...

[Robotron]

Don't despair, I've tuned down "INTEL hell" (as you call it) for 7.5 already and counter-INTEL will be twice as effective.

[nehi]

Don't despair, I've tuned down "INTEL hell" (as you call it) for 7.5 already and counter-INTEL will be twice as effective.

what happened, if command structure was infiltrated?

sometimes it tells exactly whats doing, sometimes just something in general like this...

[Robotron]

From the list I posted before:

being infiltrated by successful INTEL action (? x per game):
diplo points reduced to 0 if D100 roll is less than diplo (else diplo halved)
enemy gains one time diplo bonus according to year:
1915: 2D6
1916: 3D6
1917: 4D6
1918: 5D6

So, hows your MP match going anyway? What turn are you in, plans chosen etc.? It would really be helpful to get some info about stuff happening.

[nehi]

From the list I posted before:

being infiltrated by successful INTEL action (? x per game):
diplo points reduced to 0 if D100 roll is less than diplo (else diplo halved)
enemy gains one time diplo bonus according to year:
1915: 2D6
1916: 3D6
1917: 4D6
1918: 5D6

So, hows your MP match going anyway? What turn are you in, plans chosen etc.? It would really be helpful to get some info about stuff happening.

then command structure infiltrated is about diplo points? code deciphered means some fighting bonus? sabotage is clearly described

westfront is stalemate just now, as argentum moved all against russia, germans got collapse points for failing their war plan goals, austria is now making counter attack through galicia, during initial russian push ive seized for one turn budapest, so i guess austria is (was) collapsing, shackled to corpse played like turn or two ago...

britain is still neutral (i guess for next 2 turns at least), so ottomans are fully equiped (industrial warfare) and waiting for more than 10turns to make some blitzkrieg in egypt, if there will be just 5/10 garrisons, there is no way to be stopped, suez will be lost in no time, cairo shortly after that, then im anticipating egyptian revolution, so whole north africa could be lost in like 5 turns, maybe revolution first and cairo falling later, as ottomans and senussi will be there vs no one

russia is in deep defense, quite stable so far, but it wont last long as they lost wilnia and close to lose riga, warsaw is now almost first line as novo-gorgievks fallen

turn 17 or 18

another player left cp side in 9th turn, as entente in 11th, so its always the same, its not about the game

[Robotron]

Thanks a lo for the detailed report.

About infiltration message boxes (will add this to the manual):

There are 5 possible infiltration actions. Which one will be played is totally random.

1. TECH STEAL
Text: "spies have procured technology blueprints from..."
Effect: a random technology was stolen and will be unlocked for a random nation that does not already have said tech

2. ARMY CODE BROKEN
Text: "code breakers have managed to decipher the ARMY cipher used by..."
Effect: the infiltrated nation suffers -3 to ground attacks when attacking for 3 turns

3. NAVAL CODE BROKEN (only for France, Britain, Germany, AH, and Russia)
Text: "code breakers have managed to decipher the NAVAL cipher used by .."
Effect: the infiltrated nation suffers -3 naval attack when attacking for 3 turns, "Magazine explosion" event added to the event pool (must be played to be in effect), the player who broke the code is immune to sea mines for 3 turns

4. HQ INFILTRATED
Text: "SPIES INFILTRATE COMMAND STRUCTURE!"
Effect: chance to lose all or 50% diplomatic points for victim, enemy gains variable amount of diplo points next turn

5. SABOTAGE
Text: "Widespread Socialist defeatism and industrial sabotage suffered by (enemy nation) Arms and ammunition factories incapacitated and stockpiles destroyed!")
Effect: if infiltrated nation has more than 10 PP or ammunition it loses half of each, 1 ammunition factory destroyed, if failed morale check on D100 loses 10 morale, gains 1 collapse point if failed morale check on D100 and already has 7 or more collapse points .

[nehi]

About infiltration message boxes (will add this to the manual):
There are 5 possible infiltration actions. Which one will be played is totally random.

ok, thanks

[nehi]

not such unexpected, war declared to britain, port said seized in one move (the reason of dow)

5/10 garrisons are just useless

even vs basic units, especially vs upgraded

[Robotron]

Losing Egypt won't kill you: it's +1 British collapse point for eventual Egypt Revolt.
Sudden Death for Britain only kicks in at 10 collapse points AND Britain must be starving or you must have lost London first, so take it easy for now.

[hnox]

"cipher broken" on your own nations will then only be displayed when your own SIGINT is lower and you have more INTEL than your enemy.

You can always know that something is wrong when your DPs don't grow as fast as they should. Small differences can be due to one time events, but a 30% less means something serious is going on. VG: if you grow by 60 DP when you expected 100 more as the last turn, that means that you've been hacked!

[nehi]

Losing Egypt won't kill you: it's +1 British collapse point for eventual Egypt Revolt.
Sudden Death for Britain only kicks in at 10 collapse points AND Britain must be starving or you must have lost London first, so take it easy for now.

but losing egypt leads to hunger? anyway its not right that britain cant do anything, there should be some units or at least 10/10 garrisons in better positions

funny image, how brits in warmongering world around them just sit and watch

i know it wont kill me now, but its bad first step in british campaign, russia is going to collapse, it just matters, how long they can stay

lost of major ally makes more collapse points

losing kuwait or abaddan oil do anything? i guess its not even worth to try pick these events, it will be surrounded by thirsty ottomans

[Zombo]

@zombo: I'm all ear to devious designs, let's hear it.

I had nothing particularly devious in mind, I would just hide that information from the players, so that they are never sure that they are immune, or for all that matter that they have been decyphered

You may want to add a "cypher broken suspected" or something like that ( which would have a chance of being displayed if cypher is actually broken, but also if it is not, but close to being) in order to encourage the player into taking countermeasures

[Robotron]

You can always know that something is wrong when your DPs don't grow as fast as they should. Small differences can be due to one time events, but a 30% less means something serious is going on. VG: if you grow by 60 DP when you expected 100 more as the last turn, that means that you've been hacked!

Good point, but in the heat of battle one might not spot the difference if it's only a slight loss. There are 50 more occasions for both alliances to lose minor amounts of diplo by events but I won't list all of them because the list would get too long and confusing.

funny image, how brits in warmongering world around them just sit and watch

*sigh* okay...when Turkey DOWs, Britain will DOW too then...

[nehi]

*sigh* okay...when Turkey DOWs, Britain will DOW too then...

some kind of bad joke?

why there are useless units?

why in egypt are just useless units?

why they are still there while world is at war for such long time?

suggestion, at least 10/10 garrisons (not just there, so they can survive at least one attack of any unit if trenched) for each month of war (or british delay) +1 corps in british queue ready to be placed (if its possible)

still it will be very tough vs upgraded ottoman armies, but egypt wont fall immediately, at least

[Robotron]

some kind of bad joke?

No, it's called a compromise. You better reconsider your sense of entitlement for a free mod for a game you seem to care about.

why there are useless units?

Strength 10 Smallgarrisons in fortresses were able to stop whole Army Corps, that's why they are max 5 now. Britain can directly deploy Garrisons and Cavalry in Egypt which will use up transport moves in case you did not notice.

why in egypt are just useless units?

Because the AI would send all useful units to Serbia in SP and MP is only getting tested now by just 2 powergamers who want to win by any means and try weird tactics and/or reload like hell to get ideal results. Normally Britain would have several turns before Turkey would join the war to build up forces in Egypt.
It's not my fault your opponent is not playing by the book.

[nehi]

1
Strength 10 Smallgarrisons in fortresses were able to stop whole Army Corps, that's why they are max 5 now. Britain can directly deploy Garrisons and Cavalry in Egypt which will use up transport moves in case you did not notice.

2
Because the AI would send all useful units to Serbia in SP and MP is only getting tested now by just 2 powergamers who want to win by any means and try weird tactics and/or reload like hell to get ideal results. Normally Britain would have several turns before Turkey would join the war to build up forces in Egypt.
It's not my fault your opponent is not playing by the book.

1
10/10 and lower defense value?
fortresses are build to be tough to beat, why garrisons shouldnt be able to surive at least one turn - in trenches one attack, in fortresses two
garrisons are not upgradeable, so they will be more and more vulnerable as the game goes on, its better to have two 10/10 than five 5/10, which are just useless

2
british delay is set to 10+ or more turns if ost marsch / belgium yields happens, so hes maybe power gamer, but goebens escape + closing dardanells + shelling sevastopol are not as rare events, then britain in war before ottomans is nearly impossible (except succesfull campaign in france)

power gaming can show greatest imbalances, which for me is such open egypt, i know i can place some units there, but there wont be time for it, 1st ottomans turn suez blocked, 2nd closing to cairo, 3rd falling cairo, then i will be able to place first 2 corps, but ottomans + senussi vs 2 corps, isnt it like loud calling for revolution?

if ai is moving units out, then what about setting garrisons on borders? or its impossible? or at least in front of crucial suez hexes at full strength, even ai is more vulnerable because of them, as its filling gaps in line of defense with 5/10 units...

the same for egypt, but ai can place new units immediatelly and has some bonus armies, actually ai can do better than any player there

*sigh* okay...when Turkey DOWs, Britain will DOW too then... * - i see no compromise in this, i werent talking about mod, but this sentence

i know its free, but players can be scared if they will meet some sharp situation like in egypt, so my motivation is to blunt it

they are leaving for less, unfortunately

[Robotron]

Britain will get some extra Arab colonial units to defend the Suez in case Turkey DOWs before Britain then.
As a counterweight Egypt Revolt now causes 2 collapse points instead of one.

[nehi]

Britain will get some extra Arab colonial units to defend the Suez in case Turkey DOWs before Britain then.
As a counterweight Egypt Revolt now causes 2 collapse points instead of one.

ok, lets see next time how it will look like

btw. warsaw fallen, army 10/10, eff 9, only 2 neigbhour hexes accessible, replay showed two attacks making just 1 damage each, but some hidden intel event happened, can it be next "lucky" hit or replays are such inaccurate?

even in vanilla during winter its showing sometimes non-senses and no aircraft attacks were shown this time, which can make the real difference, but if it can boost +8 damage in such situation, i would like it to be less, much less

rare event as hoffman, once per game ok, but such miracle just by "luck"...

whats good side of potzblitz, is its limited economy, which make a lot of intense situation, but if u dont have enough pps to make proper defense, u have to think twice of each 1 spent pp and then something like this blow your foundation stone away, its frustrating

this "lucky" hits should do like +1, +2 but not +8

if its not possible, nevermind, then i dont understand, why replay showed only -2/10 if it was -10/10

[Robotron]

Maybe Argentum used the Hoffmann event to capture Warsaw (which is indeed the way I meant it to work).

Maybe it was the "Russian Code deciphered" event: a special event for Germany that boosts German attacks against Russians until Warsaw is captured.

I don't know why he's not willing to report here so I can only guess.

It would be very helpful if you guys would play an open match with comments about stuff you were doing here in the forums, so I could see what is going wrong.