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Offline Asid

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Re: Unity of Command II
« Reply #30 on: February 16, 2021, 02:52:03 AM »
Update 14 Test
Mon, 15 February 2021



Currently in testing: bug fixes, Mac OS support, and more...

We have set Update 14 live on the testing branch. The main purpose of this update is to add support for Mac OS X, but we ended up fixing a lot of issues and even added some small features.

Please report any issues in the "Testing Branch" subforum of our Steam community discussions.

What is Testing Branch and how do I join? https://steamcommunity.com/app/809230/discussions/2/3003297945133220808/?snr=2_groupannouncements_detail_

Features
•   Mac OS X support
•   odds shown on combat sheet (optional, via options/gameplay)
•   combat sheet: tooltips on attacker totals for sup fire, pindown
•   victory dialog tooltips
•   CTRL-1 hotkey to select scenarios in campaign screen (if occluded by sidebar)
•   enroute HQ can be set to arrive at later turns (in scenario editor)
•   command line option to run without steam mods (--no-steam-mods)
•   open manual and scenario charts from main screen

Bugfixes
•   fixed rail hexes on europe map
•   fix: crash on remove billboard
•   fix: unit rot animation crash
•   fix: hq deploy/store crash (hardening)
•   fix: armor shift calculation error when unsing amphibious armor
•   fix: combat sheet "Armor Shift" message should show the shift value before rounding, not after
•   corrected tooltip for "90% Success" milestone
•   fix: axis truck card tooltip
•   hardening: Interpolation1D.length() sometimes unexplainably returns NaN (numpy.linalg.norm() issue, possibly Mac only)
•   armor_shift_f not rounded correctly (ROUND_HALF_UP)
•   fix: axis truck card tooltip
•   fix: banner now says "Feint Attack" instead of "Pindown"
•   fix: crash on naval landing when para animation is still going (hardening)
•   fix: para planes fly sideways in history mode
•   fix: when you load a campaign ending in loss, victory sound is played
•   HQ store view, disable "armor" items if there is no infantry in the fp, or if there isn't enough prestige for armor + infantry
•   hardening: runtime check and logging for HeightMap.point_average_height()
•   fix: if supply bonus objective is re-taken by AI, theater supply is wrong
•   fix: deploy enroute unit, undo, then deploy again (wrong unit state)
•   fix: when using the sabotage card, message reports wrong turn value for recovered trucks
•    fix: wrong casualty score when para unit is killed on drop. Check the same thing for naval assault.
•    fix: AI crash while removing out of supply hub
•   fix: front line crash close to a mix of minor/major rivers
•   combat: do not negate armor shift in counterattacks that are across the river
•   fix: "destroy unit" bonus objective not listed taken after save/load
•   fix: FXAA on the mac now works

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Offline Asid

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Re: Unity of Command II
« Reply #31 on: February 26, 2021, 01:59:54 AM »
Update 14 is now LIVE
Thu, 25 February 2021



Bug fixes, Mac OS support, and more...
Update 14 is now live!


The main purpose of this update was to add support for Mac OS X, but we ended up fixing a lot of issues and even added a couple of small features. The changelist is attached below. As usual, if you run into any issues, please report them in the Technical Support subforum on Steam Discussions.

Cheers!

Features
•   Mac OS X support
•   odds shown on combat sheet (optional, via options/gameplay)
•   combat sheet: tooltips on attacker totals for sup fire, pindown
•   victory dialog tooltips
•   CTRL-1 hotkey to select scenarios in campaign screen (if occluded by sidebar)
•   enroute HQ can be set to arrive at later turns (in scenario editor)
•   command line option to run without steam mods (--no-steam-mods)
•   open manual and scenario charts from main screen

Bugfixes
•   fixed rail hexes on europe map
•   fix: crash on remove billboard
•   fix: unit rot animation crash
•   fix: hq deploy/store crash (hardening)
•   fix: armor shift calculation error when unsing amphibious armor
•   fix: combat sheet "Armor Shift" message should show the shift value before rounding, not after
•   corrected tooltip for "90% Success" milestone
•   fix: axis truck card tooltip
•   hardening: Interpolation1D.length() sometimes unexplainably returns NaN (numpy.linalg.norm() issue, possibly Mac only)
•   armor_shift_f not rounded correctly (ROUND_HALF_UP)
•   fix: axis truck card tooltip
•   fix: banner now says "Feint Attack" instead of "Pindown"
•   fix: crash on naval landing when para animation is still going (hardening)
•   fix: para planes fly sideways in history mode
•   fix: when you load a campaign ending in loss, victory sound is played
•   HQ store view, disable "armor" items if there is no infantry in the fp, or if there isn't enough prestige for armor + infantry
•   hardening: runtime check and logging for HeightMap.point_average_height()
•   fix: if supply bonus objective is re-taken by AI, theater supply is wrong
•   fix: deploy enroute unit, undo, then deploy again (wrong unit state)
•   fix: when using the sabotage card, message reports wrong turn value for recovered trucks
•    fix: wrong casualty score when para unit is killed on drop. Check the same thing for naval assault.
•    fix: AI crash while removing out of supply hub
•   fix: front line crash close to a mix of minor/major rivers
•   combat: do not negate armor shift in counterattacks that are across the river
•   fix: "destroy unit" bonus objective not listed taken after save/load
•   fix: FXAA on the mac now works


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Offline Asid

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Re: Unity of Command II
« Reply #32 on: March 03, 2021, 01:01:11 AM »
Barbarossa DLC Announced
Tue, 2 March 2021



The Barbarossa DLC will be released on the 21st of April on Steam and the price will be $9,99.

In this DLC, you command Axis forces during Operation Barbarossa, from their summer of roaring victories to the painful halt at the gates of Moscow in the winter of 1941/42.

Key Features
•   23-scenario historical campaign, with battles from the lakes of Karelia in the north to the Black Sea beaches in the south
•   Limited, but still difficult to achieve, alternative historical outcomes, such as capturing Moscow in late 1941
•   Detailed, zoomed-in maps for the hard-fought sieges of Odessa and Sevastopol
•   20+ new unit types including those from Italy, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Finland, and Spain
•   Beautiful new vehicle models including BT-7 and T-26 tanks, and the iconic ZIS-5 truck


Unity of Command II - Barbarossa



In this DLC, you command Axis forces during Operation Barbarossa, from their summer of roaring victories to the painful halt at the gates of Moscow in the winter of 1941/42.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1493580/Unity_of_Command_II__Barbarossa/

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Offline Asid

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Re: Unity of Command II
« Reply #33 on: April 21, 2021, 01:01:49 AM »
Tutorial Update
Tue, 20 April 2021



A brand new tutorial, and a 3-scenario campaign from Lousiana Maneuvers to Torch Landings.
We are releasing the companion update to the Barbarossa DLC (Update 15) today, one day ahead of the DLC release itself. The main attraction here is the completely overhauled tutorial, but there are a few other features and bug fixes too.

First, a quick recap for the Barbarossa DLC: the release date is April 21, and the price is $9.99. You command Axis forces, from the initial invasion all the way to the Battle for Moscow in late 1941.
•   23-scenario historical campaign, with battles from the lakes of Karelia in the north to the Black Sea beaches in the south
•   Limited, but still difficult to achieve, alternative historical outcomes, such as capturing Moscow in late 1941
•   Detailed, zoomed-in maps for the hard-fought sieges of Odessa and Sevastopol
•   20+ new unit types including those from Italy, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Finland, and Spain
•   Beautiful new vehicle models including BT-7 and T-26 tanks, and the iconic ZIS-5 truck
•   New German cards: Blitzkrieg (reloads HQ command points) and Luftflotte
•   New terrain type: bog, used to model the impenetrable, swampy terrain facing Army Group North and the Finns
•   New original music: 4 brand new tracks by Bruno Babić, composed specifically for Barbarossa DLC

From Zero to Hero – the UoC II Tutorial

The original UoC II tutorial was never a fan favorite, and rightly so. In its defense, it was cobbled together in a few hurried days leading up the game’s release and never given the attention it deserves. Everything about the game was new to us at the time. We didn’t know how the players will react to all the new mechanics. What is obvious, and what needs to be pointed out. What is intuitive, and what needs explaining… all of that was a bit of a mystery to us back then.

I am not saying the new tutorial is perfect, but I assure you there is a world of difference. We are starting off real easy in this one, taking the time to introduce the very basics of movement and combat, how to undo, what are hexes, the fog of war, etc. Don’t worry if this sounds a bit pedestrian: the second tutorial already shows you the finer details of setting up your supply network. By the time you’re done with all six, I assure you that even the grizzled veterans of the vanilla, tutorial-impaired UoC II will have learned a trick or two.



The six tutorial scenarios are followed by the Tutorial Campaign. It’s only lightly annotated, showing you how to buy stuff on the conference screen, and then you’re off to play the scenarios. You are tasked with leading the fictional “T Force” from the Louisiana Maneuvers, through Torch Landings to the final Run for Tunis scenario.

We invented T Force because we needed a persistent core of units and an HQ to take them through the campaign. As a bonus, it serves to make the campaign easier for the novice player. The historical units are still there, in the North African scenarios, but they are aided by the tutorial “T Force” units. It still makes for quite interesting, if relatively easy, play.
Don’t Go For All Bonus Objectives

In the final scenario of the tutorial, we try to make a point that you are not meant to take all bonus objectives. We understand that a proficient player can, perhaps with some restarting, achieve this feat in most scenarios. It really isn’t the way this game was designed to be played, though. Let me quote AFHQ, straight from the final tutorial scenario briefing:
Bonus objectives are not required for victory, and often present you with a difficult choice. Focusing on one objective can cost you another. And that is OK, don’t feel bad about missing some bonus objectives. It is meant to be that way. Now, run for it!


 

Personally, dropping objectives is how I’ve always been playing the game. There is a mud patch in the way, or I don’t particularly need the bonus reward? Skip the objective. My force is depleted and I need to bring it up to strength for the campaign? Don’t waste steps taking objectives on time. Even if you’re late on a primary objective, you get at least 25 prestige: don’t massacre 100 prestige worth of steps just to take it “in time”.

You have this freedom with objectives, and it allows you to take an alternative approach to the entire scenario if you want. This is the way the game was designed to be played: set the difficulty level so that it’s
challenging
on a turn-by-turn basis, but be strategic about going for objectives.

One More Turn

This is a new feature: we are letting you request an additional turn to complete the scenario. Such requests are always granted, but your prestige does suffer as a result. The prestige cost starts at 25 but doubles every time such appeals are needed in the campaign.

This option is disabled by default on classic and hard difficulties, but it can be enabled in Options/Gameplay.

We are also giving you a light boost if you’re forced to restart a scenario. On normal, you will receive a truck asset and one flying arty. On easy, there’s more: an air attack, infantry steps, engineers. This feature is never available on classic and hard difficulties.


Anyway, that’s it from me for today. The tutorial was a big undertaking for us, so there wasn’t much time to devote to improvements for non-novice players this time around. We hope that in the next update we can do more on that front. Feel free to comment, and we’ll take a look at what’s possible.

Cheers,

Tomislav

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Offline Asid

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Re: Unity of Command II
« Reply #34 on: August 12, 2021, 11:38:59 PM »
Moscow 41 Announced
Thu, 12 August 2021




The Moscow 41 DLC will be released on the 31st of August on Steam and the price will be $6.99.


The beginning of December 1941 saw German forces fighting at the gates of Moscow. Thereafter, ferocious Soviet resistance, coupled with exhaustion and horrendous weather, meant that this was to be the end of the line for Barbarossa.

In Moscow 41 you take control of Soviet forces as they deliver blow after blow to an overextended Wehrmacht during their winter counteroffensives of 1941/42. Though battered and bruised, German armies will prove mighty opponents for the less experienced Red Army, which must also contend with overly ambitious objectives set forth by the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.

Key Features
•   11 historical scenarios with many variants, based on the Soviet winter counteroffensive in late 1941 and early 1942
•   Limited, but still difficult to achieve, alternative historical outcomes, such as relieving Leningrad or destroying Army Group Center
•   New Soviet Guards units
•   New winter look for German and Soviet units
•   New specialists: Soviet Ski Troops, Divisional Gun
•   New card: Artillery Preparation

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1631480/Unity_of_Command_II__Moscow_41/


 


Unity of Command II - Moscow 41

31 Aug, 2021
StrategyIndieSimulationWorld War IIWargame
In Moscow 41 you take control of Soviet forces as they deliver blow after blow to an overextended Wehrmacht during their winter counteroffensives of 1941/42.

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Re: Unity of Command II
« Reply #35 on: August 30, 2021, 11:27:46 PM »
Soviet Update
Mon, 30 August 2021



Playable Soviets, a new revision of the manual, balancing the base game, and more.

This is the companion update to the Moscow 41 DLC (Update 16). Everything revolves around the playable Soviets in this one, but there is also a new revision of the manual, quality of life improvements, balancing updates to the base game, and more.

Briefly about the Moscow 41 DLC: it will be released on 31st of August on Steam and the price will be $6.99. You take control of Soviet forces as they deliver blow after blow to an overextended Wehrmacht during their winter counteroffensives of 1941/42. There are 11 historical scenarios total.

Unity of Command II - Moscow 41
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1631480/Unity_of_Command_II__Moscow_41/


Please find the full change list for Update 16 below. Sorry about the abbreviated post for this update: I've had a proper vacation (!) this year, and am not really running at full speed just yet.

Cheers,

Tomislav


Features
•   oversupply animation
•   precision bombing theater asset - fixed readability of icon
•   soviet special: artillery preparation card: sup fire does not spend AP, does not suppress arty specs
•   soviet special: set piece possible for units with engineers (arty not mandatory)
•   icon for when you're not allowed to place a supply hub (because of stragglers)
•   selectable supply hubs
•   binoculars icon for recon in force on the unit and the unit sheet
•   ski specialists

Bugfixes
•   fix: pontoon bridge: destroy, undo, destroy again
•   fix: hq_uprade window in campaign screen: no frame around action icon
•   fix: more theater asset crashes
•   fix: scenario editor crash when the only HQ is enroute
•   fix: remove campaign token when losing take-and-hold bonus objective
•   fix: crash on certain attacks
•   fix: river movement bug
•   fix: elite reinforcements undo bug
•   fix: scenario editor crash on mac
•   Fix: command authority in campaign screen
•   Fixes: casualties counting, added stragglers data
•   Fix: history mode, HQ overrun update
•   Fix: Restart from last conference greyed out

Balancing: Victory in the West
•   Wadi Akarit: AI breakout (hard only)
•   Alpine Redoubt: turn limits
•   Battle for Bavaria: turn limit
•   Saar-Vosgues Offensive: turn limits
•   Market Garden: Arnhem now hold type objective
•   Ljubljana Gap: turn limits
•   Race Across France: turn limits
•   Advance to Antwerp: turn limits
•   Overlord: AI hints, Axis strength, Axis supply sources, turn limits
•   Road from Rimini: Turn limits, playable area, Axis supply source location
•   Rhine South: turn limits
•   Rhine North: turn limits
•   Veritable: turn limits
•   Lumberjack: turn limits
•   Gothic Line: turn limits, Axis strength
•   Lorraine: turn limits
•   End at the Elbe: turn limits
•   Schelde: AI tweaks, turn limits, non active token reward changed
•   Hurtgen: Axis supply, turn limits, objective reward fix

Balancing: Barbarossa
•   multiple scenarios: changed T-34 to T-34/76
•   hgs: changed Sd.Kfz 222 to Sd.Kfz 232, T-34 to T-34/76
•   sevastopol_assault: specialists from HQ assigned to units
•   rostov: locations added for Soviet reinforcements; one unit location change; AI tweaks
•   bryansk, yelnya: minor balance tweaks


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Offline Asid

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Re: Unity of Command II
« Reply #36 on: October 29, 2021, 12:30:18 AM »
I Was Killed Near Rzhev
Thu, October 28, 2021




A Developer’s Diary
The battles around Rzhev are easily among the toughest and bloodiest of the entire World War II. They are also not very well known in the west, especially given how the Red Army suffered a quarter of a million dead there in early 1942 alone.

When designing this scenario for Moscow 41, we really wanted to do these momentous events justice. The mechanics and the scenario design were carefully adapted to the period. As a result, the “Rzhev meat grinder” plays very differently from anything you’ve seen in Unity of Command II before.

Our intention is that playing as the Soviets feels authentic with respect to history. The adjustments to play style that this requires can be difficult, but we feel it’s well worth it because it gives an entirely new perspective on this period of the war.

With that in mind, we’ll be taking an in-depth look at a smaller section of the Rzhev Offensive around the Volga crossing. This should highlight some of the new tactical skills and ideas that you’ll be needing when playing as a Soviet commander.

Situation
The plan for our forces in this section of the map is to cut through and capture Rzhev city proper. In doing that, we will demonstrate how to properly develop operations in the Soviet way.

The first thing we notice is that the German unit defending Rzhev is elite. It would be advisable to attack it with at least a veteran unit, in order to bridge the experience gap. There are no veteran units assigned to the Kalinin Front, however. The German unit also has the advantage of being fortified. Before launching our main assault, we will need to breach its fortifications.

Given our relatively weaker units, we should think in terms of power projection in order to achieve our objective. We want enough of our troops within striking range of Rzhev for the main assault to be decisive. There is real potential for high casualties, and a piecemeal effort would only dull our overall combat capabilities.



Positioning
The tactical situation is rather unfavorable. We are holding a single pontoon bridge across the Volga and, beyond that, only a very narrow corridor surrounded by the enemy from both sides. Besides pouring troops through this gap, we will need to keep them in supply as well.

To get the most out of the Kalinin HQ abilities, specialists should be rearranged during battle preparation and front line troops should receive replacements by reorganizing rear units. Note that city terrain does not favor armor specialists and plan your dispositions accordingly.

The first task at hand is to widen the corridor for security reasons. Our troops should constantly be poured through the gap since this is the only center of gravity for the Kalinin Front. The entire width of the front should move as one big column, employing all troops that can be spared from defensive duty.

The Soviets
Soviet units are unique in that they’re able to mount Set Piece Attacks with a Sapper specialist only – they do not require artillery. This, combined with Suppressive Fire and then a direct assault, will be our main method for breaching enemy fortifications outside city terrain.

Another good use for a Set Piece Attack is to force an enemy unit to retreat without taking undue losses yourself. In the absence of artillery this is best combined with Feint Attack beforehand. A Feint Attack will both weaken the enemy and increase its chance of retreating.

When playing the Soviets, it is crucial to weaken the enemy with preliminary attacks before landing the main blow, as the odds are often stacked against you. Sometimes this means taking higher casualties than the enemy does, so always make sure that you have enough troops for follow up attacks.

While entrenchment can be lifted with Suppressive Fire and the Artillery Preparation card can concentrate that fire in a narrow area, using artillery always brings the risk of turning the city into ruins. If that happens such an attack is highly counterproductive. Artillery is best used for breaching defensive lines outside of settlements while Sappers are best used for assaulting cities.



Supply
We want to create a supply hub as close as possible to the gap in the enemy lines. The hex next to our pontoon bridge is the best location but, to place a hub there, we need to clear the forest road running north the Volga.

Killing the lone German unit blocking this road connects the new hub to the supplied rail line in the north west. If we’re in need of trucks, the nearby hub can be reduced, and its truck re-deployed at the pontoon bridge hub.

With the corridor secured, and the gap widened, we are able to resolve our supply issues and assemble a bigger force on the other side of the river. The stage is now set for an approach to our target.



Sappers
The chance to breach entrenchment/fortifications with a Set Piece Attack will depend on the combat odds. To increase the odds, Sappers are best used on stronger units like Guards, Cavalry or regular infantry with veteran status.

If a Set Piece Attack is only partially successful, your attacking unit will be left with many of its steps suppressed. On top of that, the enemy HQ may be able to re-entrench the defending unit during its own turn. It’s not guaranteed that your unit will be able to attack again on the following turn.

For this reason, Sappers are best used in pairs. This heavily increases the chance of success simply by planning to use power projection in advance.



Ski Troops
Recon in Force is not a new HQ action but, starting with Moscow 41 DLC, we’ve added “binoculars” icons to the units capable of using it in the current turn. As a reminder, these are armored units, or other units with an active recon specialist (provided that their HQ has this ability).

Soviet ski specialists, besides granting an attack bonus in snow terrain, also enable Recon in Force. This works great for removing enemy Zone of Control, so that a target hex can be attacked multiple times by rotating your units in the attack.

Less well known is the tactic of clearing enemy supply hub, HQ or stragglers with Recon in Force. A ski specialist, similar to a recon specialist, can be used to clear these enemy structures, provided the fighting takes place in the snow.

Unlike a recon specialist though, the ski specialist is not suppressed after recon in force. You can use it to clear the way (with Recon in Force), and then provide its attack bonus later in the same turn. Provided you employ them properly, ski specialists can be devastating to the enemy.



Don’t Go For All Bonus Objectives
We’ve decided to make this a periodic reminder🙂. If you miss a bonus objective here or there, it’s really not a big deal. Sometimes bonus objectives are designed to be concurrent to each other. You give more attention to one area, and this gets reflected in the other. It is your desire and effort to become a better strategist that really counts.

That would be all for this post, comrades. We hope your efforts at defending the motherland improve as a result of the techniques acquired on this website. In fact, anything else would gravely displease comrade Stalin. And we cannot have that. Ура!! ✊


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Re: Unity of Command II
« Reply #37 on: November 15, 2021, 11:41:24 PM »
Stalingrad DLC Now Available!
Mon, 15 November 2021



Unity of Command II returns to its roots, 10 years after the original "Unity of Command: Stalingrad Campaign"

After staving off the Soviet winter counteroffensive of 1941/42, the German Wehrmacht reclaims the initiative the following summer. Concentrating their forces in the south, the Germans once again slice through Soviet lines, aiming for the oilfields of the Caucasus and the industrial city of Stalingrad. But the Red Army has learned much from past failures and prepares to strike back in an overwhelming fashion.

In this DLC, you will command the multinational Army Group South in its bid to deliver a crippling blow to the Soviet war machine, while securing oil for Germany’s ongoing conquests.

Key Features
•   A 15-scenario historical campaign covering the German “Fall Blau” offensive and the Caucasus campaign, through the Soviet counterattack at Stalingrad and on to the Third Battle of Kharkov
•   A 9-scenario alternative history branch exploring what might have happened had the Axis focused their entire 1942 effort on the Caucasus
•   New specialists: Soviet T-60 and Lend-Lease M3 tanks, Marder tank destroyers, Sturm pioneers, and more
•   New unit models for Soviet mechanized troops, T-34/76 tanks, German SS Panzer Grenadiers, Italian motorized infantry, and more
•   Our toughest AI yet, capable of mounting major offensives that will keep your Romanians, Hungarians, and Italians reeling in shock and awe!
•   New music from Bruno Babić, including re-arranged tracks from the original Unity of Command (2011) soundtrack

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1676010/Unity_of_Command_II__Stalingrad/
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Re: Unity of Command II
« Reply #38 on: June 02, 2022, 11:53:23 PM »
Desert Rats DLC Announced
Thu, 2 June 2022



Are you ready to fight on islands, in the snow, on the beaches, and in the desert in our most varied DLC so far? And how good is your British accent lately, sharp as ever? Jolly good, then...

Desert Rats, the new DLC for Unity of Command II, will be out on the 14th of July. Keeping a stiff upper lip in the face of inflation, we are sticking to the usual $9.99/€8.19 price point. Enjoy!


https://store.steampowered.com/app/1884780/Unity_of_Command_II__Desert_Rats/

This DLC promises "see-saw action in the sweltering heat of the Desert in operations such as Compass and Crusader", and "dogged fighting in the mountains of Eritrea and the Blitz through Somalia and into Ethiopia". Here is what all of that means in terms of scenarios:



If this has you feeling like a Firebrand
Crusader
picking up his Battlaxe
... and there are weeks to go before the Pugilism
can start: please consider channeling your energy into an enthusiastic Steam review. It really helps! Double that if you have 100+ hours in the game

You can also go play the new standalone "Operation Seydlitz", now live in the Testing Branch:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/809230/discussions/0/3415430580681485952/

Cheers!

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Re: Unity of Command II
« Reply #39 on: July 12, 2022, 11:22:14 PM »
Desert Update
Tue, 12 July 2022



The companion update to Desert Rats DLC

We are releasing the companion update to Desert Rats DLC today (Update 18), two days ahead of the DLC release itself.

First, a quick recap of the DLC: the release date is July 14, and the price is $9.99. You take command of Allied forces as they attempt to stop first the Italians, and then the Germans in the form of Afrika Korps.

•   21 scenarios based on British Commonwealth campaigns in East Africa, North Africa, and the Mediterranean in 1940-41.
•   Large map coverage expanded to include the Western Desert and the Middle East, plus a brand new map for East Africa.
•   Many new units from the Commonwealth nations.
•   Desert camouflage for existing Axis and Allied units.
•   An alt-history track in which, after the victory at El Alamein, a powerful mobile force conducts a non-stop drive to Tripoli (with Monty, no less).

New Desert Terrain

In this update, we added support for certain terrain features commonly found in the North African theater: dunes, escarpments, and ridges. The desert we previously encountered in the game (in Tunisia) was rocky desert, easily traversable for both infantry and armor. It is ideal terrain for mobile operations.

For this DLC we needed a terrain type that is more rough, as we are running into sand dunes of the Western Desert and Tripolitania. The resulting "dunes" terrain is difficult to attack in, and near impossible to traverse ( "A" movement cost). Enjoy!

Escarpments and ridges are long terrain features (hexsides) that extend over tens of kilometers. In our model, escarpments are steep cliffs that prevent movement, but allow for suppressive fire. If traversed by a road though, they are free for movement, and units can even attack.



Ridges are modeled as long, slightly elevated crests in the terrain. They provide a combat bonus for the defender, and impose and additional 1MP movement cost. It is to our surprise that legendary features such as Alam el Halfa, Ruweisat or Miteirya ridges are not more prominent geographically, but we think the characterization is fair and those battles clicked together well.

As you can see in the screenshot, starting with this update we added a map legend. It is enabled in all map views: terrain, supply, movement, and weather. Hover over items for detailed information in tooltips.

Odds and Ends

We added a standalone "Seydlitz" scenario to the Stalingrad DLC in this update. This is about the battles at Rzhev in the summer of 1942. If you own the DLC it will simply appear under "Standalone Scenarios". Enjoy the meat grinder!



Windows 7 Discontinued

We had to do this, please don't be mad. Unity of Command II is built with python, which discontinued Windows 7 in its version 3.9 from October 2020 (Microsoft did the same in January of the same year). We stuck with python 3.8 for a while, but now we need to move on.

In case you can't run this on anything but a Windows 7 machine, you have two options:

•   Switch to the legacy_windows_7 branch in the Steam Library (properties -> betas). This will continue to run anything you bought by this time just fine, but it won't support Desert Rats or future content.
•   According to user TacError (thx!), it is possible to get the game to run using nalexandru's "api-ms-win-core-path-HACK" library from github. If you know what you're doing this might be the way to go but we haven't tested it and cannot recommend.

Game Won't Run After Update

This happens after every update - a number of people get hit with this, mostly because some AV software mistakenly labels the game as a virus (a "false positive"). Please make sure to at least "verify integrity of local files" and add an exception for "uoc2.exe" in your antivirus before submitting an angry complaint 

There are other known reasons why the game might be running into problems, all listed in this helpful forum thread https://steamcommunity.com/app/809230/discussions/0/2243300286290193065/?snr=2_groupannouncements_detail_ . In particular, Razer Cortex in-game overlay can cause the game to crash so please turn it off (this is a new one, listed towards the bottom of the forum post).

Desert Rats DLC releases on July 14th at 10 am PST.

Take care, and campaign responsibly. Cheers! 

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Re: Unity of Command II
« Reply #40 on: November 20, 2022, 04:58:21 PM »
Desert Fox DLC Announced
Thu, November 17, 2022


In the boots of one of the iconic commanders of World War II
After leading the Allied forces in Desert Rats, it's now time to turn around and take command of the Afrika Korps led by 🦊 Gen. Erwin Rommel!


Desert Fox, the new DLC for Unity of Command II, will be out on Steam on the 8th of December. Enjoy the time-proven pricing formula as our DLC remain priced at $9.99.

Unity of Command II - Desert Fox

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1911150/Unity_of_Command_II__Desert_Fox/


The expansion brings 25+ new Axis scenarios in North Africa, East Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. The main attraction is the historical 1941-43 Axis campaign, and not one but two separate alt-history tracks on top!

Enjoy!



March 1941. Italy’s imperial ambitions are in tatters. Her armies in Greece and Libya are shattered, her navy humiliated at Taranto and Cape Matapan, and her colonies in East Africa on the brink of surrender. Against all odds, the Allies hold the initiative in the Mediterranean.

Germany has big plans for 1941, and they don’t include a Mediterranean diversion. Still, Italy cannot be allowed to fail entirely. The Wehrmacht hurriedly sets about conquering Greece, and shoring up Italian defenses in Libya with a small mechanized force.

Its name: the Afrika Korps. Its leader: Gen. Erwin Rommel.

Axis forces in North Africa are a curious mix: the Afrika Korps was an elite and highly agile force, while the more numerous Italian divisions supporting it were often brave but poorly-led and not equipped for mobile warfare. Defeating the British here will require utmost skill making the most of inadequate supplies and forces of mixed quality.


Key Features
- 25+ Axis scenarios in North Africa, East Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East
- Historical 1941-43 Axis campaign, plus two separate alt-history tracks
- Beautiful new Savoia-Marchetti SM.82 airplane and Littorio-class battleship models
- A new Fliegerführer Afrika card
- A brand new music track from Bruno Babić

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Re: Unity of Command II
« Reply #41 on: December 08, 2022, 12:00:34 AM »
Trailer for Desert Fox DLC



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Re: Unity of Command II
« Reply #42 on: December 09, 2022, 03:21:20 AM »
Desert Fox DLC Now Available
Thu, 8 December 2022



Take command of the Afrika Korps led by no less than the 🦊 himself -- Gen. Erwin Rommel!

Germany has big plans for 1941, and they don’t include a Mediterranean diversion. Still, Italy cannot be allowed to fail entirely. The Wehrmacht hurriedly sets about conquering Greece, and shoring up Italian defenses in Libya with a small mechanized force.

Its name: the Afrika Korps. Its leader: Gen. Erwin Rommel.

This expansion brings 25+ new Axis scenarios in North Africa, East Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. The main attraction is the historical 1941-43 Axis campaign, plus not one but two separate alt-history tracks on top!

Enjoy!

Unity of Command II - Desert Fox
https://store.steampowered.com/app/809230/Unity_of_Command_II/





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Re: Unity of Command II
« Reply #43 on: May 18, 2023, 10:40:33 PM »
Don 42 DLC Now Available
Thu, 18 May 2023



Soviet offensives from the Don to the Dnieper during the fateful winter of 1942/43

The winter of 1942/43 approaches, and with their enemy stretched thin at Stalingrad, the Soviets plan to deliver severe blows to Hitler's armies...

This campaign includes some of the largest encirclements of Axis forces in the war. You will be in charge of fresh Tank Corps as they launch deep battle
strikes into the enemy’s rear. But be warned: although weakened, the fascist invaders are still dangerous and will remind you that commanding the Red Army means accepting losses.

Enjoy!

Unity of Command II - Don 42



https://store.steampowered.com/app/1870350/Unity_of_Command_II__Don_42/

£5.89



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Re: Unity of Command II
« Reply #44 on: September 27, 2023, 12:12:07 AM »
Kursk DLC Announced - Dev Diary #1
Tue, September 26, 2023




After two full campaigns in Africa, and a short one in the Don Bend, Unity of Command 2 stays on the Eastern Front.

Unity of Command II reaches it's 8th DLC! Kursk is a rich DLC with two complete campaigns, Soviet and German, plus two separate alt-history tracks in the German campaign! The DLC releases on October 19th
, and there are 31 scenarios in total. Given the size of the thing, we have raised our usual DLC price to $11.99
(please don't be mad).

Remarkably, this, one of our finest DLC, is the work of two designers entirely new to the series: prolific workshop contributor FrancenCZ and the youtube prodigy Hexaboo (yes, that guy). Please give them your support as they take over our community posts for a couple of developer diaries.




Tanks, Dashes, and Models

After two campaigns in North Africa and the Middle East and a colossal race around the Don Bend, it seems only fair that Unity of Command 2 stays on the Soviet-German Front, with a hefty expansion that lets you play as either of the sides in the fighting surrounding the Battle of Kursk and the epic events that came after it.



The Soviet campaign that gave the DLC its name covers a period between 4 July 1943 and somewhere in December 1943, going far beyond the fighting around the Kursk salient, the usual focus of this part of the war. From a hard-fought breakthrough at Smolensk, the liberation of Donbass that took two tries, and the elimination of the bridgehead at Taman, to the mad dash to the Dnieper and the increasingly tough maneuvering in the late-autumn mud around Gomel, Kiev, and Krivoy Rog.

Since this was a time of monumental successes for the Red Army, all of the missions in the Kursk campaign represent historical operations whose outcomes, with one notable exception, are in line with what actually happened. Similarly to Don 42, the secondary and challenge objectives we are so used to in Unity of Command either represent slightly optimistic deadlines for areas and cities ultimately liberated, or stand for secondary objectives set in the operation plans themselves. In fact, if you know how the actual operations took place, the campaign makes it possible to emulate the decisions and achieve success.



In contrast, given the lacklustre performance of the Wehrmacht during the period, the opposing-force Zitadelle campaign, just like every other German campaign in this game, invited a bit of a flight of fantasy, resulting in a historical and an alternative branch. The choice depends on how well you do in the increasingly precarious offensive and defensive engagements at the north and south faces of the Kursk salient. In the historical branch, you will find yourself other side of some of the missions in the Kursk campaign, although for the Germans, the fighting extends into 1944, with battles in Belarus and Korsun Pocket.

However, should Zitadelle succeed, you’ll get to travel around, with a renewed effort by Army Group North to take Leningrad and Karelia and a chance for you to command a bunch of Finnish troops. The other theatre is the impending disaster in Italy, a disaster you actually get to avert in the alternative branch. Once again, much attention is paid to Italian troops, which this time, fight for both sides.




New features at a glance

-     Dozens of new and updated specialist steps, from Storm Sappers and Soviet recon troops, to Panzer IIIM and Brummbär, to handfuls and handfuls of Italian and Finnish specialists.
-    Extra-nasty and difficult-to-suppress elite towed anti-tank gun specialists (Soviet Tank Destroyer Brigades and German 88mm Pak 43), for added horror in the offensives.
-    Completely new and gorgeous models for Soviet Regular and Guards Infantry models. Valenki are back in style!
-    Reskins of existing models, including the elegant and remarkable T-34 for the Finnish tank division.
-    Expanded and updated main map, which now features a detailed and swampy Karelia and Finland, and more complex terrain in southern Ukraine.
-    Zoomed-in maps for the city of Novorossiysk and the island of Leros: that’s right, you will get to enjoy a naval landing no matter which campaign you choose!




Closer than you think

The Kursk DLC is virtually completed and only needs some of that final beta-testing polish to make sure you enjoy it frustration-free once we release it on 19 October. And stay tuned for Dev Diary #2 if you are interested in how the campaigns came about, what kind of historical research went into them, and the ultimate question for the ages: is Unity of Command 2 a puzzle game?
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2307940/Unity_of_Command_II__Kursk/

Cheers,

FrancenCZ and Hexaboo

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