Patch 3 is out - Improvements to AI, UI, Multiplayer, Random Maps and moreFri, 24 April 2020
"We are releasing Patch 3 now, and it is a big one."It includes many improvements to Performance, AI behaviour, Random Maps mode, Multiplayer, UI and more, as well as plenty of fixes.
Most of these changes have been implemented following your feedback and suggestions: Alex, the game's designer and lead developer (better known on the forum as Rudankort) is constantly checking the forum and comments section, so if you have feedback for us, on what you would like to see changed, improved or added to the game, please let us know!
We hope you will like this patch.
Changelog: Bug fixes:- Fixed the problem with start of turn autosaves not writing for some players
- Fixed bug with units losing medal effects when going to the next mission in the campaign
- Fixed "Low Altitude Attack" trait in Anti-air vs. aircraft combats
- Fixed destroyers not attacking coastal hexes
- Fixed transport options for captured towed guns
- Fixed high ground status getting lost after split
- Fixed "Reduced Slots" and "Zero Slots" heroes incorrectly changing slots of units in Reserve
- Fixed display of captured strength in on-screen notification
- Fixed units in reserve triggering "below maximum strength" warning when ending the Deployment Phase
- Fixed entrenchment sometimes going over maximum
- Fixed autosave filtering in localized versions (will only work with new autosaves)
- Fixed unit trait icons being mirrored in the right UI panel
- Fixed the problem in Persia map where soviet aircraft crashed to the ground even though there are other soviet airfields available
- Fixed "script not found" error when running custom campaigns from Documents/My Games/Panzer Corps 2/Campaigns
Performance:- Added a new setting to control number of trees (Options -> Video -> Forest Quality)
- Optimized all landscape materials
- Added FPS display to Options (bottom-right corner) so that it's easier to see what effect various settings have
AI changes:- Order in which the AI moves its units has been improved
- Improved value calculation when deciding if a combat is favorable or not
- The AI will now put more emphasis on escorting its bombers with fighters
- The AI now understands how to use mount-move-unmount action
- Attacker AI will now try to rebase aircraft closer to the front line
- The AI will now switch units more often
- The AI can now use "Forced March" ability
- Improved AI usage of phased movement
- The AI will now approach victory hexes, supply hexes, flags and river crossings hidden in the fog more carefully
- The AI will now prefer to force retreats into disadvantageous terrain
- The AI will now prefer to force a surrender instead of outright killing a unit
- The AI now better understands the value of reducing entrenchment
- Units with "hold position (active)" order will capture flags if presented with an opportunity
Random maps:- Random map interface has been improved, and the following new options added:
-- Year - select any year from 1939 to 1945 for the upcoming battle, or use "no year" to have access to all equipment (as it worked before)
-- Player factions. Each player can be assigned a specific or random faction
-- More factions: Poland (in 1939) and France and Hungary (in 1939-1940) can also be selected. Italy is available till 1944. USA is available starting from 1942.
- Starting force on random maps now includes a random number of aircraft
- The AI will purchase units in FFA missions
- Distribution of victory hexes has been made more uniform
- Random map is now assigned random location and season
- Starting prestige and prestige per turn generally increased
- Prestige income from all flags increased in FFA missions
- Number of slots increased on most map sizes
- Victory conditions and unit generation logic reworked for all mission types
Multiplayer:- All Multiplayer games now allow to specify a number of advanced options: randomness, weather, supply, fog of war, shroud, custom army.
- Random maps can now be created for up to 8 human players in FFA mode (Survival, Attack and Defense are still limited to two human players)
- Random maps now support team mode where two people can play in coop as a team, or several teams of two players each can compete with each other in FFA
- Fixed several more issues which could prevent old games from loading
- Fixed a random crash which could happen in Multiplayer game list
- Fixed damage and combat event popups sometimes appearing in the fog when two enemies are fighting each other
- Fixed occasional camera jumps into the fog when two enemies are fighting each other there
- Fixed units purchased by the opponent sometimes visible through the fog of war
- Finished games now have "VIEW" button to review game ending
- Added a button ("-") to hide MP games from the list. Can be used to hide abandoned games and reduce the clutter in the list.
Interface:- Added new option Display/UI -> Mouse Interface. One-Button mode works as before. Two-button mode allows to select units with left button and give orders with right button. Choose the mode which works best for you.
- Added tooltips to unit class, movement type and target type icons in Unit Details
- Added a UI button and a hotkey (7) to toggle the Minimap
- The game will now remember and restore in every mission open state of Stats Panel, Overview and Minimap
- Added a new hotkey (G) to toggle hex grid
- Added a new hotkey (H) to toggle hex names
- Added a new hotkey (V) for moving a unit from/to Reserve (since these commands are mutually exclusive, they are tied to the same button)
- Understrength units are now shown in Unit List with red strength number, so its easier to see which unit requires replacements
- Improved chat flow in-game, so you can quickly send a message without using the mouse:
-- Press Enter to open Chat panel
-- When Chat is open, keyboard focus is automatically set to input box, so you can instantly start typing message
-- Press Enter to send the message, and you can start typing the next one
-- Pressing Enter when input box is empty will close Chat panel
Editor:- Added functionality to rearrange the order of players (Edit->Scenario Params..., Players tab, click player header with down arrow to invoke move menu)
- The Editor will now offer to save custom scenarios in the appropriate folder.
Localization:- Polish localization has been updated (thanks Grzegorz Kłos!)
- Shop will now display localized unit class names
Other:- Major difficulty has been made easier
- Added two more tactical advisor clips to "Tutorial" section of the game
- Updated "Double Strike" puzzle to eliminate possible shortcuts in the solution
- Added "cheat AllEqp" cheat code which unlocks all equipment for the current player
- Added "cheat AddMedal <medal> <optional level>" cheat code which gives specified medal to the currently selected unit. Possible options for medals are:
-- HeroicDefenseMedal
-- UnstoppableOffensiveMedal
-- AntiInfantryVeteranMedal
-- AntiTankVeteranMedal
-- AerialAceMedal
-- DependableSupportMedal
-- UrbanLegendMedal
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