Slitherine

I'd like to see Panzer IIIE and Panzer IVC in Poland. Of course, they should be very expensive so no more than one of these should be affordable.

Someday in the distant future I may add some few units and dual modes to various other units (most notably the various other FlaK), but for now I'm focusing on just changing the current units.

I am 95% finished with changes to GC44, but I am attempting to rewrite a detailed, reader-friendly description for the mod.

It'll easily be over 20 pages long, possibly quite a bit more.

There's been some positive feedback so far, but I still honestly have no idea what people think of say GC43 under these settings.

Any news when the new version of your e-file will be available?

Well, I can finish it today if necessary, I could even release it as is, since all I have left to tweak are the files for the few American planes that show up in 1944.

However, writing the description is really, really long. I only realized now how much work I've put into this mod. I have hundreds and hundreds of changes, and documenting them is a long process. Just the infantry and tank section is already almost 20 pages, and I have so many other sections left to go.

I may try to release this mod while I work on the description.

It's really beyond my understanding how you manage with all you projects - the AAR's, you mode, etc... Maybe it would be a good idea to release the new version prior to the description, if it's going to take you a long time... But I don't want to rush you Just for the record, I am about to start the 43 DLC, not 44 DLC and would like to check out how the motorized infantry changes worked out.

I just want to point out that the video AARs take a tiny fraction of time to make. All I do is hit record when I play, then when I go to sleep I compile/upload.

On the other hand, the mod consumes pretty much all the time I have.

I think I'll upload the mod today, description complete or not. But there is one critical thing I was thinking of changing: adding nopurchase flags to all the Soviet top-end equipment (KV-85, SU-152, IS-1, IS-2, etc.). This would lower the difficulty for DV in 1943 and 1944, although the mod is hard enough as is that running into that final brick wall is perhaps too punishing. I'm honestly not sure about this, as I am in favor of making DV very hard...

The Soviets would still buy some units, I think T-34/43 in 1943 and T-34/85 in 1944.

What does "nopurchase flags" means? Would it mean that the best Soviet equipment wouldn't appear at all or would it appear in smaller quantities? If the second is correct, then I would fully support this option.

In a few hours I will give you feedback about my first impressions in regards to 43 DLC played with your equipment file.

nopurchase means the AI does not purchase that units. No IS-2 spam at the end of a scenario. The AI should buy T-34/43, if I did it correctly, or possibly defensive units like ART/AT/AA. All existing units on the map are exactly as is.

v1.55 is pretty good, but v1.6 is even better. So many more changes, even in 1943. Admittedly most of them are fairly small, and the experience should be comparable.

For instance, in v1.6 the La-5 is called the La-5FN in 1943, with better stats.

Note v1.55 does NOT have half-tracks as soft targets. All other infantry changes are of course implemented.

deducter wrote:nopurchase means the AI does not purchase that units. No IS-2 spam at the end of a scenario. The AI should buy T-34/43, if I did it correctly, or possibly defensive units like ART/AT/AA. All existing units on the map are exactly as is.

Then I am 150% in favour of this option.

deducter wrote:Note v1.55 does NOT have half-tracks as soft targets. All other infantry changes are of course implemented.

Why makig halftracks a soft target increases their survivability on the battlefield?

It increases half-track survivability against tanks and especially SPAT. This is because AFV have SA values that cap out around 8 or 9, with a few exceptions above 9. The HA value of AFVs is higher and much more variable, in 1943 everything from 12 for a T-34/41 to 20 for a SU-152 in assault mode.

Consider the T-34/43. In my mod, it has a SA of 8. It is common for them to have 2 stars in 1943, so the effective SA is 10. It will also have an effective HA of 15.

The Sdkfz 251/1 has a GD of 4. You should have infantry with at least 2, if not 3 stars or more. That give it a GD of 5 or 6.

10 SA - 6 GD or 15 HA - 6 GD is a huge difference, it works out to 2-3 strength points of expected losses on average.

Consider the SU-85, which I think has a SA of 5 but a HA of 17.

5 SA - 6 GD or 17 HA - 6 GD. The former will take few losses, while the latter would be almost completely wiped out.

Btw the effects of experience are extremely noticeable with infantry. Green recruits perform poorly, while experienced/overstrength infantry dominate the competition. A 13 strength 3 star 43 Wehrmacht infantry should wreck any tank in close terrain without breaking a sweat, but a green infantry might take more losses than expected.

Ok, thanks for the explanation. Makes sense to me. Will I be able to update the e-file with the latest version and continue with my current 43 DLC?

I know the latest official patch does not update each new scenario with a new equipment file, but using supposedly the beta .exe file does. Someone more knowledgeable about the various game versions should help me out here.

The bottom line is, it might be best to wait a few hours and start GC43 again. You can try test it out a bit if you'd like though, with cheat codes to zoom through the scenarios, try out Kursk briefly and see how it feels, etc. Just remember that DV is not the default outcome anymore, but MV should be doable on all maps.

Alright, I'll start the DLC 43 again when the new e-file will be available ( hopefully soon enough ).

Two things that occured to me in regards to the last version:

1. The lowering of the amo for the German planes.

I play with a very numerically modest fighter force - 3 fighters and 1 fighter bomber. I didn't want to have too many planes in order to keep the historical ratios in the game. But lowering of the amo in your mode makes my small airforce much less effective. Given the swarms of the soviet planes in the 43 DLC, even the worst AI would case me eventually to rely mostly on the AA systems. In the summer of 1943 the Germans were still using Luftwaffe as an offensive asset, so I think that lowering of the amo of the German planes was a step too far.

2. Tigers.

Ah, the Tigers... I like everything about the Tigers in you mode except for the fuel capacity that is too low IMO. It should be mabe doubled to 30 or so. Your Tigers are expensive and slow which I like, but the extremely low fuel capacity makes them practically immobile. Unlike the early the Panthers, Tigers gave a good account of themselves during the Kursk offensive and they were often spearheading the attacks of the SS panzergrenadiers. Such a low fuel capacity makes them not very usefull in the offensive actions and they are too expensive for the role of an immobile, defensive asset. The price, low movement range are spot on, but if your intention was to be more historically acurate, then the fuel capacity of the Tigers should be increased.

1. I'll agree to giving to +1 ammo to all German fighters (not fighter-bombers) starting in 1943, but I'm going to remove their +1 AD bonus. The other German air units can still enjoy the +1 AD bonus.

If you only have 4 aerial AA units, you'll need at least 4 SPAAG to help out. This game isn't meant to be played if you just let the Soviet Air Force run rampant. Be sure to overstrength your SPAAG and fighters too.

2. Tigers aren't actually slow, they have 5 move, so that's as fast as medium German tanks. The low fuel capacity means they can't move far, but when they have fuel, they can move fast.

Keep in mind that the first map Kharkov43 has a few turns of snow at the start. During those turns, the Tigers are practically useless on the attack, which I think is good. Every other map in 43 is clear terrain, so the Tiger can move about 2.5 times, or 12 full hexes before having to refuel again.

However, I'm willing to up fuel to 15, so a Tiger I can fully move 3 times. Given their low ammo, they'll probably need to resupply by that time anyway. The fuel in the base game is 31, allowing the Tiger is travel almost as far as a Panzer IV or a Panzer III. I'm afraid I'll need much a much better reason to increase fuel too much more.

The Panther D has a fuel of 14, but I think that's fine, because from what I've read, that tank has very, very serious problems. Of the 200 during starting Kursk on July 5, half broke down by July 7.

Cool that you will add amo for the German fighters I do have three 8.8cm flaks and three SPAAG in my core. They are all overstrengthed

Maybe I was wrong about the Tigers, because I was moving them in the snow. Let's see how will the do under more favorable conditions ...

As to the Panthers, please leave them with 14 fuel capacity as in the summer of 1943, they definitelly should have stayed in the factories in Germany for further tests, instead of being rushed into the battle.

Finally updated to GC44East. Most of the content in GC44East is untested, but GC43 feels pretty good to me.

I have a reason for every unit stat in the game. This will be detailed in the description, but for now, simply ask any question. You might disagree with my answer, but I hope we can have a constructive dialogue and I will make changes if I am persuaded by a good reason.

I am always open to suggestions and constantly tweaking values here and there.

ivanov wrote: Maybe I was wrong about the Tigers, because I was moving them in the snow. Let's see how will the do under more favorable conditions ...
:

Please note that all units consume double the fuel in snow. But there are only 5 turns of snow in all of GC43 I believe, so yeah, it's a minor inconvenience at worst.

Anyway, Tigers now have 15 fuel, allowing them to move 3 full times. I had to either lower the movement or fuel of the Tiger. From what I read, the Tiger is actually pretty fast (when it works), but the problem was that if one drove 100 km, it would probably break down. If it was static, it worked extremely well. Hence, in my mod, a Tiger deployed to a sector more or less stays in that sector, and if you move it significantly you have to constantly fuel it.

Also note that SE tanks have +20% fuel and ammo, which actually makes a bigger difference for low ammo/fuel units like the Tiger. In 1943 all SE tanks except the Panther and Tigers also get a 10% discount in price. So that SE Panzer IVH with high fuel/ammo and a cheap price should be pretty appealing.

I have downloaded the new file and restarted the 43DLC. The last minute changes of fighter amo and Tiger fuel capacity are looking good;)

Anyway, what was the issue with the +1AD bonus of the German planes? Do they have such a bonus in the original e-file?