Preview of GS v2.1 map changes

[Peter Stauffenberg]

These are the map changes we expect to release with GS v2.1 that will arrive before Christmas. These changes are intended to increase the map accuracy, even though we know the map is still not perfect. Some are done to help the Germans late game like the forest hexes in eastern Germany and Poland. Another important change is to add the Dutch city of Groningen to allow the Germans to rail coastal defenders there late game. We saw too many games where the Allies bypassed France and landed in Holland / Germany instead. Now this will be harder.

* Holland (added Groningen)
* Western Germany (renamed Wilhelmshaven to Bremen and named the port Wilhelmshaven). Moved the transport loop 1 hex
* Spain / Portugal / southern France (changed some rough / clear hexes to forest)
* Jerusalem moved one hex and some desert hills hexes added
* Beirut moved further south
* Eastern Germany (added some forest hexes like the Seelow heights, replaced rough with forest near Breslau, added some forest in western and Eastern Prussia)
* Poland (added some forest hexes and changed some swamp into forest in the Pripyat marshes)
* Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania (changed the map so it's not just forest there. Some forests are now clear, some are swamp and some clear are forest like Courland)
* Western Russia (some changes near Gomel and Kiev. Less clear and swamp and more forest).
* Southern Russia (Krasnodar moved 1x SW and the Kuban river will now flow to the Sea of Azov. Removed some swamp hexes there)
* Caucasus (added some forest hexes instead of clear and rough)
* Southeastern Russia (made the swamp area near Astrakhan less swampy. Now there will only we swamp hexes along the Volga and Ural rivers plus the delta area at the Caspian Sea. The Kalmyk steppe is added as desert in this area).
* Kazakhstan (east of Astrakhan and east of the Caspian Sea now have quite a bit of desert hexes to indicate the dry steppe that is there).

So the major change is that more forest and desert are added to the map. The desert won't affect combat, but the supply level drops from 3/5 to 2. So it's not a territory you can advance very fast. The forest area won't affect infantry very much, but will be stumbling blocks for armor and mech.

Here is a preview of Holland / Western Germany:


Spain / Portugal / southern France:


Poland / Eastern Germany:


The Baltic States:


Southern Russia:


Syria:

[welk]

Great work ! Do you realize that only with editing the .map file in txt or do you have, as secret weapon, a secret editor/tool ?

[Diplomaticus]

If the motivation behind placing those woods in East Prussia was to help the Germans, it's relevant to note that in those hexes units would get only '4' supply. This disadvantage would be felt most in the buildup to Barbarossa, when the Wehrmacht wants its troops at maximum Effectiveness.

[Peter Stauffenberg]

Effectiveness is not so important in the start of Barbarossa. The Russians are so weak anyway. We added the forests because they are there in the real world

[welk]

Reading these days in details the entire GS 2.0 manuel (444 pages ), after readed the basic manuel, to learn more about the game mechanic before to play and to realize other what if?, I noticed the fabulous work made to improve the game. In fact, these are 2 very different games, the basic game, that was a "little cool game" has been improved in fantastic proportions and became a "great WW2 PC historical wargame". Thanks for this work : as modder, I have great respect

[Rasputitsa]

Reading these days in details the entire GS 2.0 manuel (444 pages ), after readed the basic manuel, to learn more about the game mechanic before to play and to realize other what if?, I noticed the fabulous work made to improve the game. In fact, these are 2 very different games, the basic game, that was a "little cool game" has been improved in fantastic proportions and became a "great WW2 PC historical wargame". Thanks for this work : as modder, I have great respect

+1

[marcelscheele]

I have recently begun playing the game again and am very impressed by the GS 2.0 version. Great work!

Two small remarks on the map (changes). Being a Dutch player I like the addition of Groningen. Also perfectly posted in the top hex (ten years ago the city and province tried to market themselves with the slogan: "There is nothing above Groningen"

However, the correct English rendering of Hague would be "The Hague" and, now I saw that you were giving it the Dutch name, that wouldn't be "Haag", but "Den Haag".

Regards,
Marcel