Comrades,

This update brings balance tweaks, AI enhancements, major overhauls to two of our featured maps, bug fixes, and more!

General changes

Ambient objects

• Fixed various map objects lacking object cover and impass completely (certain statues, hay bails and large rubble piles).
• Tractors now provide heavy cover instead of light cover.
• Standardized metal fuel barrels to all provide heavy cover instead of a mixture between light and heavy.

Ostheer

Kubelwagen

• MG34 upgrade ammo cost: 25 → 15

Landsers

• Damage output (short/mid/long): -7%/+9%/-4%

Panzer III

Dev note: Panzer III upkeep was lowered in an earlier version, and due to the last set of buffs it is reasonable to revert the upkeep back to the original values.

• All Panzer III variants upkeep: 8.08 → 10.75

Spearhead Operations

• Panzerfusiliers
• Now use reliable Kar98k rifles (visual change only)
• Scoped MP44 package ammo cost: 50 → 75

Siege Operations

• Riegel mines
• CP cost: 2 → 1
• Flammpanzer III
• Flamethrower will now launch multiple, shorter bursts with a small pause inbetween
• Elefant
• CP cost: 4 → 5
• Accuracy against antitank guns: 50% → 20%

Joint Operations

Dev note: In some situations the abilities of the right side of the doctrine tree proved to be too spammable.

• Honved Combatgroup
• Call in cost: 260 mp → 270 mp
• Hungarian Strategic Reserves
• Recharge time: 180s → 300s

Soviets

Conscripts

Dev note: dp 28 will now be slightly more effective against large groups of infantry.

• Veterancy requirements rank 1/2/3: 6/14/28 → 6/12/28
• DP-28 light machine gun acc incr. 1.03 → 1.05

Strelky

• Veterancy requirements rank 1/2/3: 10/20/40 → 9/18/36

Observer Team

• Now use their own armourtype tp_infantry_scout. This fixes an issue with Observers not dying except when they're on extremely low health in some situations.
• Enemy sniper shots will no longer one-shot-kill Observers with full health
• Squad will be slightly harder to hit while they are on the move
• Hitpoints 65 → 70

SU-76

• 76mm Artillery Barrage
• Increased the overall damage area by 12%

SU-100

• Manpower cost: 450 → 400
• Fuel cost: 100 → 90
• Improved ammunition tech affects SU-100 (+10% penetration)

Urban Combat Strategy

• Naval Infantry
• Hitpoints: 80 → 85 (squad health 320 → 340)
• Resilience mechanic now also reduces weapon reload by 10%
• 52K 85mm cannon
• Base penetration (short/mid/long): 1.0/0.92/0.88 → 1.25/0.83/0.66
• Base damage: 200 → 180
Dev note: This might look like a major nerf, but it isn't. The gun had some unintentionally high penetration values which are put in line with other flak and long range AT weapons

Breakthrough Strategy

• M1937 107mm Heavy Mortar
• CP cost: 2 → 1
• Call-in recharge time: 90 s → 180 s
• Breakthrough Artillery
• CP cost: 2 → 3

Panzer Elite

Upkeep Threshold

Dev note: this value determines how many population points are free of upkeep.

• Required population points: 8 → 5

Panzer Grenadiers

Dev note: The weapon is mostly meant as an anti-garrison weapon that can be used in addition to incendiary grenades. Playtests showed it was slightly too powerful in open combat.

• Gewehr 43 weapon
• Base damage: 15 → 12
• Damage output (short/mid/long): -25%/-27%/-21%
• Damage against cover and garrisons +33%

Marder III

• Damage taken factor from PTRS/PTRD Anti-Tank Rifles 2.0 → 1.5

Panther

• Penetration multiplier vs SU-100: 0.88 → 0.82

88 mm Flak 36 AT/AA

• Reverted crew size to 3

Wehrmacht

Panther

• Penetration multiplier vs SU-100: 0.88 → 0.82

88 mm Flak 36 AT/AA

• Reverted crew size to 3

Maps

Remastered [EF] Kotelnikovo (4)

• Significantly improved map flow and passability in key areas:
• Opened many fences and blocked passageways to ease flanking around critical areas.
• Reduced the size of several hedgerows for better overall passability across the map.
• Added additional shot blockers and cover options in a plethora of areas for better gameplay options and map flow, reducing the "shooting range/wasteland" effect that used to happen in many areas.
• Tweaked many fences and walls to offer better approaches toward critical areas and to reduce the funneling effect in these areas.
• Added additional terrain cover and other cover objects where deemed necessary:
• Generally speaking, players may find more terrain cover around cliffs, alongside roads that impose negative (red) cover, and very large open fields.
• Rebalanced area around the western Victory Point:
• Vastly improved terrain aesthetics for improved visual appeal and added character.
• Added additional shot blockers and cover options for better gameplay options and map flow.
• Rebalanced area around the eastern Victory Point:
• Vastly improved terrain aesthetics for improved visual appeal and added character.
• Reworked cover balance around the large barn building.
• Improved overall object placement for better visual appeal and better pathing.
• Moved central Victory Point off the road.
• Western medium fuel point (barn area):
• Widened the ramp towards the medium fuel point.
• Added additional cover options to fight the barn building from both sides.
• Eastern medium fuel point (barn area):
• Added additional shot blockers and cover options for better gameplay options and map flow.
• Added additional cover options to fight the barn building.
• Territory layout:
• Replaced corner low munition points with low fuel points.
• Replaced central low fuel point on the road with a Strategic point, and moved it off the road.
• Western medium fuel sector now also incorporates the large barn.
• Western medium fuel sector no longer provides a cut-off towards the western strategic point and corner fuel point.
• Eastern medium fuel sector no longer provides a cut-off towards the eastern strategic point and corner fuel point.
• Western Strategic points are now linked.
• Eastern Strategic points are now linked.
• Improved base area aesthetics and design.
• Moved off-map entry points for player 2 and player 3 to be adjacent to their base sector instead of the main road.
• Fixed a plethora of terrain elevation related issues.
• Updated minimap and preview maps.
• Added weather options: Overcast, Sunny.

Remastered [EF] Cologne (2)

• Reworked map visuals from the ground up:
• Expect a much higher color fidelity and much more diverse character between various areas of the map.
• Fixed purple reflections/fog appearing on buildings and objects.
• Improved dynamic weather coloring and overall atmosphere.
• Vastly improved terrain detailing and overall visual appeal.
• Reworked building and cover balance for better game flow:
• Added a plethora of new fighting positions and new buildings that may be used in key locations.
• Reworked many areas for greater gameplay options around common fighting zones.
• Repositioned the Victory Points and and tweaked the sector layout:
• Added an additional medium fuel sector in the middle of the map.
• Added two additional strategic points as possible cut-offs towards the far southern high munitions point.
• Fixed various territory sector drawing bugs.

User Interface

• Enabled VP announcers on Ostheer and Soviets
• Updated doctrine announcements for Ostheer
• updated UI values for Panceltoro

AI

Dev note: We've implemented a plethora of new AI functionalities that should help improve its overall behavior and competence on all difficulty levels. However, it will take time for us to finetune all of it and flesh any bugs that may arise. Be sure to leave us feedback on the AI and stay tuned for future updates in which we will be tweaking it further.

Behavior changes

• Fixed Commonwealth AI not deploying HQ trucks properly. HQ trucks should now dynamically move and setup in territory sectors, with high income sectors being preferred so long as they are not in too close proximity to danger. AI will also properly relocate trucks that are too exposed to nearby danger.
• Fixed multiple major issues with custom AI control scripts that led to them not running properly.
• Fixed a major issue where an old custom ai unit control script was active.
• Significantly reduced the overall AI defensiveness, fixing an issue where it would often prefer construction Observation Posts over producing combat units.
• Increase priority to make Stuarts/Staghounds and sappers for British AI.
• Greatly increase priority of Bren carrier MG upgrade.
• Increased priority of sapper PIAT upgrade, will upgrade them over Expert Engineers.
• Increased priority to build howitzers for British AI.
• Added additional starting builds for British AI .
• Implemented functionality for AI to use Anti-Tank units more effectively vs tanks and vehicles.
• Implemented functionality for AI to better manage repairing vehicles.
• Implemented functionality for AI to better manage and utilize mobile artillery units.
• Implemented functionality for AI to use grenades and other infantry abilities more effectively.
• Implemented functionality for AI to control and coordinate units better:
• AI will try to keep long range units at range and away from threats.
• AI will use units which excel at close and medium ranged combat much more effectively, trying to close the distance more than always staying at max range.
• Implemented functionality for AI to now better and control team weapons such as mortars, AT guns, and heavy machine guns.
• Implemented functionality for AI to set up the Krankenwagen and ZiS-44 Medical Truck.

AI bonuses

We have tweaked the traditional AI bonuses (increased manpower, munition and fuel income) for each difficulty level. Additionally, we have introduced several new bonuses the AI receives with increased difficulty. Remember, CPU - Normal has no bonuses whatsoever, and CPU - Easy is penalized compared to the player.

• Easy
• Manpower income multiplier: 0.9 → 0.92
• Munition income multiplier: 1 → 0.95
• Fuel income multiplier: 0.9 → 0.95
• Fuel income addition (after multiplier): 0 → -0.5
• Starting resources multiplier: 1 → 0.946
• Production rate multiplier: 1 → 0.95
• Repair rate multiplier: 1 → 0.97
• Experience received multiplier: 1 → 0.97
• Command Point gain rate multiplier: 1 → 0.97
• Population cap override: 75
• Normal
• Manpower income multiplier: 1
• Munition income multiplier: 1
• Fuel income multiplier: 1
• Fuel income addition (after multiplier): 0
• Starting resources multiplier: 1
• Production rate multiplier: 1
• Experience received multiplier: 1
• Command Point gain rate multiplier: 1
• Population cap override: 81
• Hard
• Manpower income multiplier: 1.15 → 1.24
• Munition income multiplier: 1 → 1.15
• Fuel income multiplier: 0.9 → 1.15
• Fuel income addition (after multiplier): 0 → 1.5
• Starting resources multiplier: 1 → 1.162
• Production rate multiplier: 1 → 1.15
• Production rate multiplier: 1 → 1.09
• Experience received multiplier: 1 → 1.1.15
• Command Point gain rate multiplier: 1 → 1.09
• Population cap override: 97
• Expert
• Manpower income multiplier: 1.6 → 1.64
• Munition income multiplier: 1.6 → 1.4
• Fuel income multiplier: 1.3 → 1.4
• Fuel income addition (after multiplier): 0 → 4.0
• Starting resources multiplier: 1 → 1.433
• Production rate multiplier: 1 → 1.4
• Production rate multiplier: 1 → 1.24
• Experience received multiplier: 1 → 1.24
• Command Point gain rate multiplier: 1 → 1.24
• Population cap override: 125

Bug fixes

• Fixed JU-87D wreck collision box.
• Fixed a range issue on Sherman Crocodile and Flammpanzer III.
• Fixed snipers moving at normal speed with veterancy.
• Fixed Panceltoro 44M becoming a Wehrmacht Panzerschreck when picked up by troops.
• Fixed some armour inconsistencies on Soviet and Ostheer weapon teams.
• Fixed a bug that didn't allow the Luchs to drive at maximum speed.
• Fixed a bug with soviet and Ostheer artillery not always gaining reduced barrage recharge.
• Fixed a bug where Partisan weapon upgrade were unavailable after the Armoury has been destroyed.
• Fixed a bug with Elefant StuK43 cannon that allowed the tank to shoot farther than intended when not locked down.
• Fixed a bug where Panzer38t and Jagdpanzer IV would have full health when recovered by Bergetiger or FAMO
• Fixed Incendiary Ammo ability appearing on recovered Sdkfz 221 Scout Cars.
• Fixed an issue where the M26 Pershing sometimes would appear with pink model textures.