1.05 update,could you tell me all changes?

[Regin]

@Regin
I understand your point. But in this case we're talking about a game, and it seems, everybody has its personal agenda, how the game should be. To fulfil everybody expectations it isn't real.

Of course not. And I didn't want to make a big deal out of it but didn't want to ignore the emerging discussion either; it looked to me as if I had to clarify some statements to avoid (further) misunderstandings.

Anyway, since I belong to the group that was quite satisfied with the dice rolls as they were from the start up to the penultimate update, I'd rather say that the game was fulfilling my expectations but was unexpectedly changed to better suit different ones not originally realized. And since I was fine with the original decisions of the developers, it's a bit odd that this point of view is now criticized as .. out of kilter with the game as presented on the market.

[VPaulus]

I'm not criticizing your point of view. All I'm saying it's hard to please both Greeks and Trojans.
I only lament that members, like yourself didn't come before 1.05 manifesting their pro opinion, while this was being debated before update 1.05.
It seemed that there were more voices pro random seed than against. Probably we will hear now more voices against random seed than pro. Both groups have their valid reasons. So between this where the developer stands? Return back, because it was sold that way? Should he only change things where there is a certain unanimity? Is there anything in which we're unanimous, regarding gameplay?

It's clear for me that the best solution would this to become optional, if possible.

[docmorningstar]

hehe

I don't mind the 'new seed' RNG. I think the only time I have recently used the load->replay cheat is trying to get a DV in moscow 41...was killing until it started raining on day 7 and didn't stop long enough for 'muddy' to go away. (if anyone knows how to DV moscow 41 on FM with freaking 10 of the first 15 days raining and muddy...)

Cheers!

[Regin]

I only lament that members, like yourself didn't come before 1.05 manifesting their pro opinion, while this was being debated before update 1.05.
It seemed that there were more voices pro random seed than against. Probably we will hear now more voices against random seed than pro. Both groups have their valid reasons. So between this where the developer stands?

In my defense, I only became a member after I had something to lament.

No, seriously, I know the problem out of experience - the ones who have nothing to complain have little incentive to get in touch, so the user-induced feedback will never be quite representative and might actually be tilted dangerously high toward an outsider point of view if only a specific medium is used or the sample group is lopsided from the start - which is almost certainly true for members of a forum.

I have no idea, how the majority of your target group or the most important ones among them view the point we discussed but I wouldn't be totally surprised if the random seed was the expected behaviour, so I might indeed represent a minority in this question. But it's likely not a crucial point anyway.

However, you are perfectly right to point out that the safest and most satisfying solution is a choice of options.

In any case, if I was seriously dissatisfied with the game, I wouldn't play it and definitely wouldn't have bought it and the DLCs as well, so, in essence, the developers have done it right in my case and, apparently, many more.

@ docmorningstar, hm, aren't there any videos on youtube or other websites that document DVs in PzC?

[VPaulus]

Well we've to wait what is the decision of the Maker regarding this.
Anyway... Alea jacta est.

[Kerensky]

Well we've to wait what is the decision of the Maker regarding this.
Anyway... Alea jacta est.

Personally, if no one had told me there had been a change I wouldn't have noticed.

[Regin]

Btw and even though it's off-topic: the fact that the publishers didn't push for the now ever present and more and more crazy copyright protections was well received in my case - and even though I could have easily borrowed the game from a friend of mine, it never occurred to me not to pay you for 1. a good product and 2. one that was presented in good faith, treating any potential customer as a welcome client and not a feared thief. Well done!

[Rudankort]

Wow, I was away from the forum for a couple of days, and so many new posts.

On the whole seed discussion, I don't have much to contribute. It is clear that you cannot satisfy everyone, and I knew this even before I made the change in 1.05. So, this change was not made to satisfy a certain group of people on the forum arguing that it was required, but because at some point I concluded that this way was better for the game. Why? Well, most people expect the game to work this way, because:
- Most other computer games behave this way
- All table games behave this way
- When you say "dice roll", people expect it to be something which is different every time

It is unwise to go against people's expectations. Hence the change. Though I said this before, and I can repeat it again: the whole problem is really marginal, and vast majority of players will never notice the difference, simply because they do not reload to "optimize" their results in any way. They just use save/load to postpone the game or to create "checkpoints" to return to later. In other words, they use save/load facility the way it is supposed to be used.

As for making this an option... I'm not sure it is a good idea either. On one hand, even with option in place there will be people who will say: "there is an option, so I can use it, so it is inside the game rules framework, so I will use it to optimize my results, but it makes the game too easy for me, so please remove this option and revert the game to pre-1.05 state". On the other hand, as I said many times in the past, adding options like that, which 1% of players will ever need, is not my idea of good UI design. Have 1% of players more happy, and 99% of players more confused? No thank you.

So most likely, things will remain as they are in 1.05. But yes, if anyone wants a harder game, something like "Guderian+Rommel+Manstein" will become available in the form of custom difficulty levels.

BTW, the game does have one more difficulty level which is named "ultimate" in my code comments. It is a combination of all three bonus difficulty levels, PLUS Field Marshal (which means you gain exp more slowly too). It is not shown in the UI, but it is possible to add it there. To do this:
- Go to game's UI subfolder
- Open gameoptions.htm file in Notepad (don't forget to backup the file)
- Find this line:

Code: Select all

<div.diffbtn type="radio" name="Difficulty" id="Difficulty8" tooltip="IDS_TT_ROMMEL" style="display:none">IDS_DIFF_ROMMEL</div>

- Add one more line after it:

Code: Select all

<div.diffbtn type="radio" name="Difficulty" id="Difficulty9">Ultimate</div>

- Save the file and restart the game.

And that will be it - you should see new level in difficulty selection. So, you guys don't even need to wait for the next patch to have the game harder. I wonder how many people can beat the game on ultimate level.

[Kerensky]

Considering the Tutorial is unbeatable on that difficulty setting, I'm pretty confident that setting makes any stock or DLC campaign unplayable. Good luck to those that try, don't say I didn't warn you though.

[Regin]

So most likely, things will remain as they are in 1.05. But yes, if anyone wants a harder game, something like "Guderian+Rommel+Manstein" will become available in the form of custom difficulty levels.

I'll get used to it - and at least one advantage is already apparent for me with the now unpredictable sequence of luck within a turn: I get through a scenario in a fraction of the time without trying out multiple variations.

Custom difficulty levels are always welcome!

BTW, the game does have one more difficulty level which is named "ultimate" in my code comments. It is a combination of all three bonus difficulty levels, PLUS Field Marshal (which means you gain exp more slowly too).

That sounds sick ... have to try it.