Panzerkrieg-Onto the Plains of Russia! (Review and Discuss)

[CoolDTA]

Please watch the video at that timepoint: it must be bug. There is already the predetermined core of a dozen core units (+ the aux units of course) on the board and then you get 1065 RP to boot. The predetermined core stays there tho it should vanish at that point. That would take all the challenge from the campaign.

[bebro]

Just had a look, it's wrong indeed when you start with 0 RP, and suddenly get loads of it after the 1st Sov move, but so far I'm unable to reproduce it, playing 522, 64 bit Steam version. I get some start RP correctly, but right in the deployment stage, so no jump from 0 - 1000+

Is anybody else getting this prob?

[Andy2012]

Just had a look, it's wrong indeed when you start with 0 RP, and suddenly get loads of it after the 1st Sov move, but so far I'm unable to reproduce it, playing 522, 64 bit Steam version. I get some start RP correctly, but right in the deployment stage, so no jump from 0 - 1000+

Is anybody else getting this prob?

Okay, watched the vid now (no sound, commuting and stuff). But it is definitely a bug - but as bebro said one that I never encountered in the beta. Neverever. And I played Rhzev til I felt like dead inside. Againandagainandagainandagain. (Okay, bebro and adherbal did more turns, I guess.) And nobody else reported this. And this is the first mission so everybody went through it, quite a lot of testers...

@Paradogsgamer: Can you upload a save?

[ParadogsGamer]

Sure, can you direct me to the correct folder?

[Andy2012]

Sure, can you direct me to the correct folder?

Certainly. Should be

documents/mygames/OoB WW2/savegames/ and there the respective file.

Upload zipped. 7-zip is free. (Yes, you know that...just force of habit. )

[ParadogsGamer]

There it is

[GabeKnight]

While watching the video, I noticed that he clicked a lot around the primary and secondary objectives (reading and displaying the info texts). The notification box to import the core forces is displayed *after* you close the objectives tab. My guess would be, that this box kind of vanished "in the background" and therefore couldn't be checked. It then popped-up after the first turn.

I noticed a (maybe) matching issue in the v4.1.x versions: when the scenario ended and a notification box asked you if you wanted to save the replay and if you *then* clicked to see the objectives tab, the box with the replay question vanished and couldn't be seen or clicked anymore. You then had to reload the game beacause it won't let you finish the scenario.

If that's he case, this could be avoided by asking to import the core forces at the very beginning of the camaign (during the map screen), like it was done in all the other campaigns.

[WarHomer]

In my first ever start of the DLC I experienced something a bit similar to Gabes observation in mission 1.

I spend a lot of time reading and clicking the mission infos and was first asked to trasfer RP to the SS after I had bought, upgraded and placed my core units. And I actually only had 20 og 40 RP left when the question was asked, but I still got 100 RP for the SS.

It only happened once, even though I´ve played/restarted that mission 4-5 times.

[Andy2012]

In my first ever start of the DLC I experienced something a bit similar to Gabes observation in mission 1.

I spend a lot of time reading and clicking the mission infos and was first asked to trasfer RP to the SS after I had bought, upgraded and placed my core units. And I actually only had 20 og 40 RP left when the question was asked, but I still got 100 RP for the SS.

It only happened once, even though I´ve played/restarted that mission 4-5 times.

Hm, that doesnt sound like a mission design issue. Rather something stuck in the UI or general, deeper programming. Hopefully bebro and adherbal find and fix it soon.

@Paradogsgamer: Could you reproduce this? Or did various iterations produce different results?

[Andy2012]

Alright, Sevastopol is mine. The Wehrmacht banner flies over the Black Sea and I have taken all the outskirts and fortifications.

I concentrated my SS in the south and elite engineers in the north. Also bought two more engineer units with transports and reactivated one of my veteran FW 190s for this battle. Going in, I had two Stukas, rest fighters. And they were needed - the Red Airforce threw fighters and Sturmoviks at me, I had to protect my precious, precious Karl mortar.
So I advanced to Maxim Gorki fortress under fire, constructed a pontoon bridge after clearing the mines and boooom, it went up in smoke. Took my commander, well deserved.
The armoured counterattack from Sevastopol was vicious, T-34s and KVs were hitting me hard. But here, my decision to upgrade my AT from puny 5cm to mighty Stugs paid off. No losses.
After crossing the final rivers and destroyed bridges, resistance crumbled and all was wide open for me to take. My commanders took a beating, though - Scherer spent more time in the infirmary than on the battlefield. But after 18 turns, all was mine and the flank of the Reich firmly secured for another advance.
How did you guys do?
Some observations for the devs:
- I never got any air commander for sinking the cruiser and shooting down the fighters. Bug?
- When Molotov retreats, the picture is a blank. Fill in.
- The cruiser still spends a lot of time chasing my speedboats instead of supporting the siege.
- The reinforcements never land. They just loiter around the coast. Not that it matters.
- Never got the additional +2 specs. Bug?

Alright, on to Voronezh. My core is very strong and with the aid of my trusty Stugs, my infantry should best the T-34s easily.
Tell me how you did.

[kondi754]

Charkov 42 at Feldmarshall is surprisingly difficult
I played during tests and it was easier at that time, the Soviets are much more aggressive now
Ok, I win after 20th turn.

[bebro]

There are some subtle changes that were intended to make it a bit harder indeed. For example, all the foxholes forming the initial axis "front" were halved in strength, which means Sov can focus quicker on the rest of the axis force as those foxholes would be killed off easier now.

[Andy2012]

Oh yeah, almost forgot to post - finished Sevastopol in 18 turns. Medium diff, 5.2.2, 64 bit.

Another thing - my commanders got wounded, but where still wounded when I deployed for Voronezh.
I think with the time lapse, they should have made it out of the hospital by then, right? Bug or intentional?

EDIT: Okay, both commanders just got out of hospital after the first two turns and now the next one is in again - even after not taking a lot of damage.
For my taste, this is happening a bit too often. How is that mechanic set up, BTW?

[CoolDTA]

Alright, Sevastopol is mine. The Wehrmacht banner flies over the Black Sea and I have taken all the outskirts and fortifications.

I concentrated my SS in the south and elite engineers in the north. Also bought two more engineer units with transports and reactivated one of my veteran FW 190s for this battle. Going in, I had two Stukas, rest fighters. And they were needed - the Red Airforce threw fighters and Sturmoviks at me, I had to protect my precious, precious Karl mortar.

I put all my stuff to the north. Got also another engineer but only one. My airforce was more offensive: only two fighters but four Stukas. I don't know why, but thus far the Soviet fighters have been more interested in strafing than attacking my bombers. Suits me fine. The StuG IIIF is indeed very good, but I only have one. The other AT is an 88, but I'd like to upgrade it to a StuG when RPs permit.

The battle itself was easier than I thought. This is because there are surprisingly few enemies in the city after you break through the final river line. I guess that won't be the case in Stalingrad...

- I never got any air commander for sinking the cruiser and shooting down the fighters. Bug?
- Never got the additional +2 specs. Bug?

The lack of an air commander is definitely a bug because there simply is not one. I wonder why that was not noticed in the testing. But apparently it will be fixed in the next patch.

You will get the other secondaries if you simply delay taking the the last primary till the last turn. My guys were just hanging out next to it for the last ten turns or so.

[Erik2]

Re the wounded commander.
I asked adherbal during beta and he said it was intentional that the commander stayed wounded between scenarios.
I think he should get well, there may be a long period between the end date of one scenario and the start date of the next.

[bebro]

- I never got any air commander for sinking the cruiser and shooting down the fighters. Bug?
- When Molotov retreats, the picture is a blank. Fill in.
- The cruiser still spends a lot of time chasing my speedboats instead of supporting the siege.
- The reinforcements never land. They just loiter around the coast. Not that it matters.
- Never got the additional +2 specs. Bug?

- Air cmdr and spec pts - those had been reported and should be fine in the next patch
- Molotov - if enemy naval units are around he engages them 1st, which is fine IMO - else he'd just wait for the torpedoes coming in

[Andy2012]

@bebro, adherbal: Also, in this version (5.2.2, 64 bit Steam) I get some crashes. Never had stability issues after switching to a 64bit Win10 before.

The crashes have to be solved with a full reset, cant access task manager or just alt-tab out of there. Just hangs, sound goes whopwhopwhopwhop, gone.
Have to dig around for a crash dump file (if there is any) to post, at the office now. (Yes, on a Saturday.)

EDIT: Can you guys tell me the file path where the crash dump files end up eventually? Cant find it. (If there are any; only a full reboot solves this. Total freeze.)

[Andy2012]

Voronezh is mine and the Wehrmacht stands at the Don river, poised to strike even deeper into the Soviet heartland.
The bear is tumbling and I intend to finish him off. Upgraded to PzIIIL.

I deployed in two pincers and have now three Stug F8 in my core. These are necessary and cover my infantry against tanks. One pushed over Rossoh to the south, one major one went straight down the middle towards Voronezh and the Don river.

Approaching Rossoh, I was notified of a major Soviet counterattack - and boy, was it major. Several tanks, infantry and a Katyuasha launcher
sure gave me hell. I positioned my units along the river and with the aid of my Stugs was able to push them back and let my Stukas have their way with
the remains.

Finished in 22 turns easily.
However, my commanders get injured too often for my taste. All of them now spend at least once every mission in hospital, especially those deployed with infantry units bearing the brunt of my assaults. (Tanks fight other tanks and occassionally do sweeping advances.)

[Andy2012]

Alright guys, time to open up another topic besides missions - commanders.
This popped up in another thread and I thought I might add it here as well.
How do you deploy your mighty commanders you get in the field?

For mine, it is pretty straightforward:
Guderian - Panzer IVF2.
Hölter - Panzer III L.
Balck, Scherer and the other lot - Light Infantry
Batcher - Stuka of course
that fighter commander, tip of my tongue (any help?) - FW 190, of course

I just learnt that some of you put them all in tanks or in Stugs, even.
My reasoning: Guderian leads from the front, that shock effect and large effect area just means he should be safe and right in the middle of the action. A Pz IV with its high armour fits this bill nicely.
Hölter has an armour attack and defense bonus, so he should command an anti-armour tank like the Pz III.
The Rest - well, my main core is light infantry. Cheap, fast, versatile and with the backup of my powerful Stugs also pretty good against armour. So this is where my army deals damage and wins battles. However, infantry also receives hits quite often and that means my commanders are quite often in the infirmary.

How did you guys use your precious leaders? Any comments, suggestions or special strategies?

[GabeKnight]

As to commanders,
this may be no help at all, but I remember that since playing WinterWar in higher difficulties, I'm used to switching my commanders to different units on a turn-to-turn basis, as I can deploy and undeploy land commanders within one turn (except air commanders). I'd do this for tactical reasons obviously, but since commanders with (only) attack/shock values doesn't matter during defending this minimizes the risk of injury also.