Dogs Of War Vu

Sim/Strategy/War => Games Discussion => Topic started by: Asid on March 08, 2017, 01:23:12 PM

Title: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on March 08, 2017, 01:23:12 PM
A new story begins... Panzer Corps 2 has been announced!

(http://flashback.games/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/panzer2.jpg)

Posted: Wednesday, March 8, 2017 by Alberto Casulini

 When we released Panzer Corps six years ago, our goal was to revive a genre by going back to its roots. We worked with Flashback Games and The Lordz Games Studio and with the help of a vibrant community to create a new classic that would start a new era in wargaming. We had goals, hopes and objectives, but we couldn’t possibly imagine the impact this game would have had in the wargaming and strategy gaming communities.

The release of Panzer Corps marked the return of a long-neglected gaming formula, which we knew still had a large and loyal following. Its spectacular success brought an almost forgotten genre back into fashion, it inspired multiple clones and literally gave new life to an entire market.

After over five years of expansions, mods, challenges and tournaments, a brand-new instalment of the franchise is ready to take the strategy gaming segment by storm again. This time, with even bigger ambitions.

https://youtu.be/atlCCw1HDsw

Panzer Corps 2 is currently in development using Unreal Engine 4, to allow an impressive leap forward in both technological capabilities and visual impact. Hundreds of World War 2 units will be shown with a level of quality and detail never seen before in awargame.

The move to a fully 3D engine is a natural evolution of the game, but the core gameplay will always remain true to its roots: pay tribute to the classic gameplay of a distant golden age of strategy gaming, refine it, perfect it and use the most recent technologies to enhance these experiences and bring them to a new generation of gamers. In other words, strike the perfect balance between tradition and innovation, both in visuals and gameplay.

We will disclose more details about the game as we move through the development process, so make sure you follow us on the forum (http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=464) and on the Flashback Games site. (http://flashback.games/)
Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on March 15, 2017, 12:48:53 AM
Panzer Corps - Follow the Twitch!

Are you still thrilled over the recent announcement of Panzer Corps 2? I can understand why. I was thrilled myself when I first heard of it.

But in the meanwhile, there's no better way to spend the time than good old Panzer Corps! Join us tomorrow on our Twitch channel at 5 pm CET / 4 pm GMT / 11 am EST. Agrippa will lead the Soviets in the defense of Stalingrad!

https://www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup
Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on July 18, 2018, 04:08:09 PM
Panzer Corps 2 - Dev Diary #1


(http://www.matrixgames.com/files/spotlight/1174_image.jpg)

Welcome to the first issue of Panzer Corps 2 (http://slitherine.com/products/product.asp?gid=684) Developer Diary. The initial announcement of Panzer Corps 2 was a little while ago now, and we understand that it left many people waiting for more information. In this issue we will try to provide a general overview of where we are going with this project and what to expect from it. We will provide much more information on each individual aspect of the game in future diaries.

(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/1small.jpg)

Gameplay changes

Panzer Corps was intended as a spiritual sequel to the classic Panzer General series, and we were very careful to preserve the traditions of that series that made it so great for its day. We are taking the same very careful approach to game design in Panzer Corps 2. We are not trying to fix things which are not broken in the first place. Many aspects of the game, including the list of unit classes and unit stats, remain unchanged, and Panzer Corps veterans will feel themselves instantly at home with the new game. At the same time, we are giving the player a number of new tactical options, which will make the playing experience even more interesting and engaging. Here are some examples of these options:
 
Overrun. This was probably the most requested feature in Panzer Corps, and we had no other option other than to include it. Overrun is a unique ability of tanks to run over crippled enemy units and destroy them in the process, without spending their move or attack action. This feature not only helps to better represent the role of tanks in WW2, but also gives many interesting tactical implications from a pure gameplay point of view.

Encirclements. Panzer Corps is a “wargame” in the first place, and for most players its “war” aspect is the most interesting of all. On the other hand, moving around non-combat supply units, counting supply points etc. is much less fun. For this reason, we decided early on that the new game would not include a full-blown realistic model of supply. However, we felt that cutting enemy units from supply was a very interesting and useful tactical option, so we have included it in the game. It works like this: when a group of units is encircled by the enemy (only “passable” terrain needs to be blocked), it no longer receives any supply, and on top of this, encircled units will get a progressive combat penalty every turn. So now, the player has a choice: tackle the next objective head on, or try to encircle it and weaken the defenders before dealing with them.


(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/2small.jpg)

Infantry unit is isolated on a small peninsula by the sea and the enemy. It does not get any supply here.

Splitting units. In Panzer Corps 2 any unit can be split into two equal halves (of course, at a cost of additional unit slots) which will act on the battlefield as two independent units. Splitting has countless tactical uses, especially in combination with encirclements as described above. Certain unit classes can especially benefit from it, like recon.

Captured units. Captured units in Panzer Corps campaigns were so popular, we’ve decided to make them a part of core game mechanics. When you force enemy unit to surrender, its equipment is captured and added to a pool. Later you can use this pool to create new units or replenish existing ones for free. This adds yet another tactical consideration: shall I destroy this unit, or try to make it surrender instead? Unique hero abilities. Unlike Panzer Corps, where heroes only gave stat boosts to units, in Panzer Corps 2 they will have many unique tactical abilities, and some of these abilities will be synergistic. So, using your heroes in the best way possible will be a different task in every playthrough.

Air and Naval Warfare. Other major changes will happen in air and naval warfare. Ground combat was the most sophisticated and interesting part of Panzer Corps. With so many different rules, unit classes and terrain types, ground war was a varied and rich gameplay experience. We felt that air and naval warfare was somewhat lacking in comparison. Our ultimate goal in the sequel is to make them interesting enough to allow dedicated “naval only” and “air only” scenarios, and to achieve this goal, we are looking at various “naval only” and “air only” hex-based wargames for inspiration.

The most important change in the air war is that all aircraft act from airfields now, and return to their base automatically at the beginning of their turn. Also, just as in real life, the effectiveness of aircraft drops as the distance to their base increases. This means that all air rules and mechanics from Panzer Corps (like mass attack, interceptors etc.) remain in place, but at the same time the airfields, their location on the map, timely capture and proper defense become key elements in air warfare.

As for naval war, naval terrain is “by definition” less interesting than ground terrain, with endless sea hexes going in all directions. To compensate for this, ships themselves will be more complex entities, with various factors (like orientation and position of turrets) affecting combat effectiveness, and a damage model (inspired by Pacific General) going beyond the simple “strength number” under the ship. Carrier and submarine classes will be much better fleshed out to represent their unique roles in naval war. A more advanced naval model will allow this series to branch out into any theatre of war in the future, including the “naval-heavy” Pacific, something which Panzer Corps never did.
Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on August 08, 2018, 04:55:51 PM
Panzer Corps 2 - Dev Diary #2

(http://www.matrixgames.com/files/spotlight/1188_image.jpg)

Content and play modes
Big branching campaigns with lots of interconnected scenarios and unit carry over have always been a signature feature of this genre, and they will remain the key feature of Panzer Corps 2. The initial release will feature a brand new Wehrmacht campaign that will be a middle ground between Panzer Corps vanilla and the Grand Campaigns in terms of size, and will feature both the European and African theatres in a single interconnected tree of scenarios. Our design goal is to make various historical and fictional branches well balanced in terms of length and interest, in order to improve campaign replayability. We hope that the new campaign will offer a sufficiently fresh and different gameplay experience.

Besides this classic mode, we also want to give our players new experiences to try, and they will be based on our new random map generator. The generator is able to generate maps of different size and type (continent, island, archipelago etc.) with up to 8 players struggling for control, various mission objectives, starting conditions and play options. So, the number of combinations to try is virtually endless.

With such a random generator in place, the next logical step will be to generate full-blown random campaigns, based on date range, number of scenarios and opposing factions selected by the player. Another possibility is to integrate a few random scenarios into a classic, human-designed campaign.


(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/pzc2-screenalpha.jpg)


Factions and units

The list of factions in Panzer Corps 2 is, of course, very similar to its predecessor and includes most of the nations which fought in WW2. But the list of units will be more extensive. The initial list of units is based directly on Panzer Corps with all its patches, DLCs and expansions. So we start where the prequel finished, and we are adding a few things on top. Firstly, we are adding a lot of historical ships instead of generic “battleships”, “destroyers” and “submarines”. Together with new naval rules mentioned above, we felt this was important for more interesting and authentic naval experience.

Watch the units video!
https://youtu.be/qCC8kIvI4LE


Secondly, we are trying to give smaller factions some more substance, so that they are better represented in the game. It does not mean that these factions will be able to fight the “big four” (Germany, USA, Great Britain and USSR) on equal terms, but we hope that they will become interesting enough to get their own content (scenarios and campaigns) as the series progresses.

 

Multiplayer

The classic PBEM++ multiplayer in Panzer Corps was very popular, and we will of course keep this option in the sequel. At the same time, some players felt that PBEM++ was not interactive enough and in fact “too old school”, compared to a “true” online multiplayer experience offered in many modern games. For these players we are adding a new Multiplayer mode which allows the players to be online at the same time, connect directly, and see each other’s moves in real time.

Most importantly, PBEM++ and online modes are not separated. All games are still kept on the server, and you don’t need to commit to a single play mode when creating a new MP game. You can play a few turns of a game in online mode, then revert to PBEM++ for several more turns, then play online again etc. We hope that this new system will make multiplayer even more popular in Panzer Corps 2.

Other changes in Multiplayer result directly from supporting up to 8 players on the same map. This gives us a lot of options to create competitive and cooperative games between several human and/or AI opponents.
Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on August 30, 2018, 12:03:31 AM
Panzer Corps 2 - Dev Diary #3

(http://www.matrixgames.com/files/spotlight/1202_image.jpg)

Welcome to the third Dev Diary of Panzer Corps 2 (http://slitherine.com/products/product.asp?gid=684)! This time we'll focus on aspects which were left out in the previous two diaries. As previously, though, we'll treat them in a rather generalistic way, but from the next dev diary onwards you can expect more indepth information about specific areas of the game.


Graphics

Despite a significant change in underlying technology (3D and Unreal Engine), we have tried to preserve the same general approach to graphics which always worked so well in past games. Terrain is clean and unobtrusive, and units are big, crystal-clear and stand out well from the map. This is important when the game has hundreds of different units, and the player must be able to distinguish them all at a glance. That’s why we never considered showing several smaller models for a single unit, which might look more “real”, but ultimately is not usable in this kind of a game.

As for terrain, we have drawn a lot of inspiration from Panzer General 2, which was widely considered the most beautiful in the old Panzer General series. At the same time, our maps are not hand drawn or otherwise constructed from small atomic elements, and so they are much quicker to create.

Watch the video

https://youtu.be/1gntXzviba0


UI

The UI in Panzer Corps 2 is a huge step forward in terms of functionality and usability when compared to its predecessor. It can scale to any monitor size (all assets are done in 4K and scale to the required size), adapt to any screen ratio, and allows scaling of certain elements (like the unit list and the minimap) to make the best use of screen space on any monitor, from square to super-wide or multiple monitor configuration.

We are making sure that all information about unit stats, traits, game rules etc. is available directly on screen or in the tooltips and is easy to find. All commands will also be available on the screen and easily discoverable, without relying on hot keys and other obscure means to invoke a function. We can’t wait to show the new UI in action.


(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/Panzer%20Corps%20UI.png)

Panzer Corps did not require the player to do a lot of routine micromanagement, but in the sequel we have tried to reduce it even further. For example, the player no longer needs to use “Supply” button manually. All units will receive their supply (fuel and ammo) automatically, as long as supply is possible.


AI

The AI in Panzer Corps 2 is a complete rewrite, it does not reuse any code from Panzer Corps, and it uses some more advanced approaches. This means that the sequel will feature a new, completely different AI opponent.

The new AI is designed and implemented with random maps and random campaigns in mind. This means that it cannot rely on AI scripting at all. It must be able to figure out the structure of any map on its own, achieve any kind of scenario objective and try to prevent the opponent from doing the same. It can also purchase and deploy its whole army in case there are no preconfigured units in a given scenario.

On the other hand, AI scripting options in Panzer Corps 2 are also richer than in its predecessor. This means that it is possible to fine-tune the AI to exact desired behavior, which can be useful in a historical setting.


Editor and modding

Modding community of Panzer Corps was always strong and vibrant, and we are fully committed to making Panzer Corps 2 a modder-friendly game as well. Panzer Corps 2 will include the editor from day one, and this editor will be even easier to use than the editor in Panzer Corps. Although the new map engine is 3D, scenario designer still only needs to specify terrain type for each hex, and the rest of the map will be generated by the engine automatically. Other useful features not found in its predecessor are full support of Undo/Redo, group operations on hexes and units and much more streamlined interface for scripting and AI. At the same time, the designer can bypass all UI and write scripts directly in Lua language which requires a certain skill but gives immense flexibility and power in return.

Just like in Panzer Corps, gameplay data tables will remain in open text format and can be easily edited. People familiar with Unreal Engine can download Unreal Editor and create much deeper mods, which includes adding new units, new terrain types, changing map generation rules etc.

Also, we are working on a proper mod manager which was sorely missing in Panzer Corps.


The main point we were trying to make in these three introductionary dev diaries is that Panzer Corps 2 is far from a mere facelift. While staying true to traditions of the series, our goal is to improve playing experience across the board, and every single aspect of the new game receives a lot of thought and attention. It’s a huge and very ambitious project for our small team, and we really want to make it right, so it is taking a lot of time. In fact, much more time than originally expected. In hindsight, we were a bit too optimistic with our estimations and should have probably delayed the announcement. So, please bear with us, and we sure hope that once the game is released, it will be worth the wait.

See you in the next dev diary!
Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on September 27, 2018, 12:22:41 PM
Panzer Corps 2 - Dev Diary #4

In the previous dev diaries, we have talked a lot about new features and mechanics we are implementing in Panzer Corps 2. But what about the core game mechanics which have always been a fundamental part of the game? Will they remain the same, or will they change in the sequel? In this issue of the dev diary, we’ll discuss how some of the core mechanics are going to be transformed.

Turn limit

In a real war, late victory is often no victory at all, and the game represents this. The player must not just achieve the victory, but achieve it in a limited number of turns. This requires proper planning and strategy, instead of just rolling slowly over the map and eliminating scattered groups of enemy units with the concentrated power of the core force.

All this remains true in Panzer Corps 2. But we were surprised how many players feel that turn limit is an artificial limitation which detracts from the fun of the game. For such players, we are also adding an option to disable turn limit completely. Adding such a checkbox is the easy part.  The tricky part is to make sure the game remains balanced, and fun with this option turned on. We are making sure that it is not possible to “harvest” more useful resources (prestige, experience) by staying in a scenario indefinitely, and that enemy units provide an adequate challenge.


Prestige

Prestige is this game’s currency, and, as its name implies, it is awarded for your successes on the battlefield. In Panzer Corps, there were certain exceptions from this rule, like Minor victory giving more prestige than Major, and this created a lot of confusion. In Panzer Corps 2 we will avoid any such things. Better performance will be rewarded with more prestige.


Unit slots

Unit slots determine how many units the player can have in the core force, which travel from scenario to scenario in a campaign. In Panzer Corps, every unit occupied a single core slot. In Panzer Corps 2 this will change so that a unit can occupy one or several slots. More powerful units will take more slots.

Such an approach is not a novelty, it was used in a lot of similar games before, and many people thought that we had to implement it in Panzer Corps already. But of course, this change is significant and fundamental. The way it worked before, optimal core structure was obvious – you wanted to use all the best units available. Maybe you were not able to afford these units right away, but this was a clear goal to go for in the long run. It is no longer as clear-cut. What is better: 3 Tigers IIs, 5 Panthers, or some combination of them? Maybe add some Panzer IVs, and Tiger Is to the mix as well? With changed unit slots mechanic, we expect to see much more varied core forces in Panzer Corps 2, and they will probably become more realistic too.

Same is true for transports. Better transports cost more slots, so using them for every single unit in the core might not be a good idea.

At the same time, we are not going to introducespecialisedslots, for example, ground-only or air-only ones. We want the core composition to remain flexible, and the players are still free to go with ground-heavy or air-heavy cores if they prefer.


(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/DevDiary4.jpg)


Overstrength

Overstrength units (i. e. units with more strength points than their type has typically) have always been very popular with our players, and in some cases, they become outright necessary, especially when your opponent has more powerful units in his roster. We felt that it was imperative to keep this mechanic in the sequel.

At the same time, overstrength was a big problem with game balance, while its connection to experience felt very artificial, and because of this, overstrength became significant only in the later part of a campaign. We wanted to solve these problems. In Panzer Corps 2, any unit can get overstrength directly in the Purchase screen, from the very beginning of the game. But such units cost more prestige and slots than usual, so you can have fewer of these. A balanced core will include both overstrength and regular units, but the player will need to figure out perfect ratio for himself.


Entrenchment

Entrenchment mechanic will remain fundamentally the same. Stationary units will accumulate entrenchment over time (infantry and towed guns faster, other classes slower), and it will give various defensive bonuses in combat. But in Panzer Corps 2 we want to make this mechanic even more critical. There will be more entrenchment levels, andspecialisedunits (heavy artillery, strategic bombers, engineers) intended to destroy them quickly.

Another significant change is that, unlike Panzer Corps, base entrenchment provided by terrain will not be destroyed. Base entrenchment is a defensive bonus created by the terrain itself (forest, hills, mountains), and no bombardment can significantly reduce this bonus.


Support fire

Support fire is another signature mechanic from Panzer Corps. It is a prime example of interaction between units, and it allowed the defender to create “clusters ofdefence”, which were not so easy to “crack” by the attacker. All this remains true in Panzer Corps 2 too. However, we felt that in the prequel artillery was not very useful in support fire role against tanks, while the class of AT guns was underused. So, in the sequel artillery will provide support fire against soft targets, while AT units will provide support fire against hard targets.

This is it for today. Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions about how core game mechanics will work in Panzer Corps 2, post them in the comments. See you in the next dev diary!
Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on October 23, 2018, 12:07:21 AM
Panzer Corps 2 - Dev Diary #5

(http://www.matrixgames.com/files/spotlight/1243_image.jpg)


Our previous dev diary on gameplay has sparked some very interesting discussions, so we have decided to follow up on the same topic and tell about a few more gameplay mechanics which are being changed in the sequel.


Major and minor victories

Although major and minor victories have been a signature feature of the series, we felt that this mechanic had a number of problems. In many cases the abrupt transition from major to minor felt extremely artificial. Players wondered why finishing on turn 10 is a major victory with all its inherent bonuses, but finishing on turn 11 is already a minor victory, and finishing on turn 9 did not give any additional bonus. The latter also motivated the players to linger in the scenario and “harvest” more prestige and experience before the major victory limit.

On the other hand, we found that many players refused to settle for a minor victory and had to replay a scenario several times in order to achieve a major. And this detracted a lot from the fun of the game.
To fix all this, we introduce a new approach in Panzer Corps 2. The faster you achieve successes on the battlefield (be it capturing flags, killing enemy units or forcing them to surrender), the more prestige you will earn for these achievements. And the final reward when finishing the mission will be based on the number of remaining turns. This will give you enough incentive to finish the mission as fast and as decisively as possible, but at the same time, you will not be punished too severely when you miss that major victory by a single turn because of the stupid random generator.


Heroes

We felt that in Panzer Corps heroes were too numerous, to a point where getting a new hero was not so exciting any more. We are going to take a step back on this. The number of heroes which you are going to get in Panzer Corps 2 in the course of a campaign will be several times smaller. On the other hand, heroes will be more powerful and important in the new game.

Each unit can still have up to three heroes assigned to it, but we are adding controls to dismiss unwanted heroes and move them freely between units (within certain constraints, i.e. some hero abilities can be class-specific). This will allow you to concentrate heroes with synergistic abilities in a single unit without relying on pure luck.
Depending on the difficulty level, heroes can be wounded or even die when their unit is destroyed. But there is always a good chance that a hero will survive and can be assigned to a different unit before the next mission.
As for hero abilities themselves, we already have around 50 unique abilities in our list, and most of these are not simple stats changes, but more fundamental abilities affecting the unit and other units (friendly or enemy) around it.


(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/4-ok.jpg)


Awards

Awards are also getting a significant overhaul. In Panzer Corps awards were purely decorative and represented elite veteran units, even if they lost their experience in a series of green replacements. But we felt that as a gameplay mechanic, awards were wasted to a large extent.

In Panzer Corps 2 awards will not be given for a certain number of kills (which all units in the core achieve eventually, and often at about the same time), but for doing something outstanding on the battlefield. For example, for killing a certain number of units in a single scenario, or for surviving several attacks in a single turn.
Each award earned like this will not only be a memorable text note in unit’s dossier but will also give a small bonus to various stats. Unlike heroes, awards cannot be transferred between units.


Bonus units

Bonus (SE) units as such are eliminated from the game. We felt that they were redundant since we are introducing a number of new mechanics.

First, some heroes can have a special ability to reduce the number of slots occupied by the unit to zero, which would mimic the most important trait of bonus units, but will also allow you to apply this trait to any unit in the core.
Second, we introduce the concept of prototypes. Prototypes are more advanced and cool units which can be made available to you before their “official” availability date in limited numbers. Prototypes can appear randomly, or based on various conditions, meeting secondary objectives etc. They are available directly in Purchase interface and can be used to raise new units or replace and upgrade existing ones until you run out of available points. Just as in real life, prototypes can have reliability problems, which are shown in the game by occasional loss of move points and attack action at the beginning of a turn.

Finally, in Panzer Corps 2 it is possible to assign any custom camouflage and insignia to any unit in the core, including the characteristic “SE” camouflage from Panzer Corps, in order to give them some visual distinction.


Naval, air and rail transports

Naval, air and rail transports remain essentially the same. You have a pool of available transports, and you can embark on them in the right hexes (ports for naval transports, airfields for air transports etc.). But there is one small change which will fundamentally change how all these transports are used.

In Panzer Corps, a unit must have unused move action in order to embark. If you have 10 units and a single embarkation point, you would need 10 turns (!) to embark this whole group.
In Panzer Corps 2 embark command only spends attack action. You can move into a port or airfield, embark and move out, all in a single turn. The same group of 10 units could be embarked in a single turn. We expect that this change will make transports a much more useful strategic and tactical asset, especially on fictional random maps with a lot of sea, lakes and islands. You still cannot disembark on the same turn you embarked on, so your opponent has a chance to react and catch your units in defenceless transports on the move.
Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on November 16, 2018, 03:34:51 PM
Panzer Corps 2 - Dev Diary #6

(http://slitherine.com/files/spotlight/1267_image.jpg)


As 2018 is coming to an end, we are getting a lot of questions about the Panzer Corps 2 release date. Unfortunately, by now it has become clear that we won’t be able to release the game this year. This is something which some of you have already guessed, but we wanted to confirm it here so that there are no unrealistic expectations.

The game will be released next year, and we will announce the exact date as soon as we are reasonably confident about it.

After a deep dive into gameplay specifics in the last to issues of the Dev Diary, today we wanted to talk about a different topic. We have spent a lot of time lately polishing our random map engine. Let us take a look at what it can do.

Panzer Corps 2 is able to generate random maps of different sizes, and for any number of players from 2 to 8. These maps can be played both in single player and multiplayer mode. Random maps come in six primary types.


Continent

This type will be the most familiar to most Panzer Corps players. It has no bodies of water, besides rivers, and battles on such maps are 100% focused on ground and air warfare. Although scenarios generated on these maps are random, very similar battles could have happened in WW2 in real life. At the same time, it is great to explore all kinds of historical what-ifs, like allies fighting each other instead of Axis forces.

Continent maps might not look as fancy as the other types below, but there is a lot of gameplay to enjoy there. Perhaps more than in any other type.

(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/maps/continentsmall.jpg) (http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/maps/continent.jpg)


Coast

This map is similar to the previous type, but there is also a sea in one part of the map. Although naval component on such maps is limited, it cannot be ignored: if you don’t take advantage of it, your opponents will instead. An enemy capital ship bombarding your capital is not fun. :)

(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/maps/coastsmall.jpg)
 (http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/maps/coast.jpg)


Big Island

The name says it all; this map is one big island, completely surrounded by the sea. This map opens up a lot more space for naval warfare because you can easily reach any of the opponents by the sea and try to bombard their cities or surprise them by landing your troops behind their lines. However, battles on big islands are still resolved on the ground by the old trusty panzers. Superior strategy and tactics with your ground and air units is key to victory.

(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/maps/islandsmall.jpg) (http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/maps/island.jpg)


Archipelago

Each player starts on his own private island, and there can be a few more “neutral” islands to conquer. Island hopping campaigns were not typical of the European Theatre, but here you can get a taste of what it would look like if the biggest European powers clashed over the control of a remote archipelago. Expect lots of naval action, because the islands are small enough, and most land hexes can be bombarded directly by capital ships. This is probably the only map where you cannot win without a strong fleet. Airforce is also important because aircraft based on one island can easily reach several surrounding ones. As for land battles, they are going to be smaller in scale but very fierce, because losing your home island will likely mean instant loss of the game.

(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/maps/Archipelagosmall.jpg) (http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/maps/Archipelago.jpg)


Big Lake

This map has one big lake in the middle of the map, while all players are placed on the coast around it. Another way to think of this type is “Big Island reversed”, with land replaced with water with land. This is another map with significant naval component because whoever controls the Lake will possess strategic initiative and can directly attack any of the opponents at any moment. So, expect large-scale battles both on the ground and for control of the Lake. Alternatively, you can play this map in winter, where you will be tempted to march your troops across the lake, but beware – the ice could thaw at any moment!

(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/maps/lakesmall.jpg) (http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/maps/lake.jpg)


Lakeland

If you have ever been to Finland, which is often called “'the land of a thousand lakes”, you can easily imagine Lakeland. On this map, the land is dotted with lakes of different size, and although land mass remains fully connected, water gives it a very complex structure which you need to carefully consider when planning your strategy. The naval component is once again small scale in Lakeland, but you can still surprise your opponents by unexpected naval landings. Playing this map in cold season could be another fun option, because every time the lakes freeze, each player will try to use this drastic change in map configuration to his advantage.

If there are any other types of random maps which you would like to see in Panzer Corps 2, let us know! And finally, in one of our future diaries, we will tell about various mission types which you can play on all these random maps.

(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/maps/lakessmall.jpg) (http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/maps/lakes.jpg)

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on December 19, 2018, 04:34:44 PM
Panzer Corps 2 - Christmas special! Dev Diary #7

From the publisher:

Hello All!

The holiday season is upon us, the year 2018 is almost at the end, and it is a good time to pause, look back and summarize what was achieved, what were our successes and failures.

Panzer Corps 2 did not release this year. This is... not ideal. We will not try to pretend that it’s a good thing, “because now the game will be even better and more polished”. Back when we announced it, nobody planned to deliver a bad game in 2018 either.

The good news is, the game is really turning out the way we hoped. It has come a long way since the beginning of development more than 3 years ago. We were taking many risks with this project, and it is great to see that for the most part, they are paying off. 3D graphics works and provides a level of clarity which we need. Random maps are fun to play. Historical content plays just as well. The game is 100% future proof and looks gorgeous on any displays up to 4K. We are confident that 2019 will be a “Panzer Corps 2 year” and that Panzer Corps will get a worthy successor which will deliver many hours of fun to all the fans of this genre.

We would like to thank everyone reading these diaries for your interest in the game and for valuable comments and feedback. We cannot reply to every single comment, but we read them all. And although the end of the year has been a very busy period for us, we were able to react on some of the feedback as well. For example, just yesterday Scenario Editor has got a new feature to import any Panzer Corps scenario, which can then be edited and resaved in Panzer Corps 2 format. This has been requested in the comments to one of the diaries, and now it is implemented. Please keep your feedback coming, and together we can make this game even better.

To show how Panzer Corps 2 looks now, we have prepared two new screenshots. Hope that you will enjoy them, and looking forward to telling and showing you more in the coming year. See you in 2019! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/03.jpg) (http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/03.png)

(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/04.jpg) (http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/04.png)
Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on January 22, 2019, 03:26:17 PM
Panzer Corps 2 - Dev Diary #8


Hello All! Welcome to the first dev diary of 2019. Today we wanted to make another dive into game mechanics. And since many people asked about naval rules, this is what we are going to cover in today’s issue.

Of course, the main focus of Panzer Corps series is ground warfare. Compared to that, ships can be considered less important. At the same time, scenarios involving ships and naval landings provide a different set of challenges and for this reason feel unique and memorable. In Panzer Corps 2 we wanted to try and make the ships even more interesting to play with, both in single player and multiplayer environment. In scenarios focused on naval warfare, ships can be purchased, upgraded and repaired in ports and can capture neutral and enemy ports. So, it is possible to have up to 8 fleets struggling for control of a map, much like it works for ground units. We keep the basic “rock – paper – scissors” approach from Panzer Corps for capital ships, destroyers and submarines, but add a number of new rules on top.


Damage model

All ships are single entities, and their strength number indicates hit points. Reduced hit points do not automatically reduce the ship’s firepower. Larger ships, like battleships and heavy cruisers, have more hit points to reflect their higher survivability. All damage done to ships falls in two categories: “kills” and “wounds”. “Wounds” can be repaired in open sea, while “kills” can only be repaired in ports. One “wound” per turn is healed automatically. Unspent move and attack actions are used to heal additional “wounds”.

When attacking enemy ships, both distance to the target and relative orientation of the attacker and the defender affects the accuracy of the shot. Smaller ships are also harder to hit from long distance.


Support fire

To better represent cooperation between ships, we introduce several new support fire rules.

- Destroyers provide support fire against enemy submarines.
- Ships with AA ability provide support fire against enemy bombers.
- Capital ships provide support fire to smaller ships and naval transports against enemy capital ships.
- Ships provide support fire to adjacent ground units against enemy ground units. This means that ships become very important in their role to support naval landings, especially destroyers because larger ships cannot enter shallow water.


Submarines

Submarines can switch between submerged and surfaced states. Surfaced submarines have better movement speed, spotting and firing accuracy, but can be spotted and attacked like any other ship. Only surfaced submarines can enter shallow sea hexes. Submerged submarines are much more difficult to spot: they can only be spotted only by destroyers, and only if they moved on their turn. Submerged subs also ignore ZOC of enemy ships.

 
Carriers

Carriers serve as mobile airfields. Air units attack from carriers and automatically return at the beginning of their turn. Each carrier has a certain aircraft capacity (up to 7), and aircraft types which it can carry are configured for each carrier type separately.


Special damage

Each point of damage done to a ship also gives a certain chance to cause “special damage” which affects the ship’s stats in various ways. Here are some examples of special damage:

- Damaged turret – reduced naval/ground attack strength.
- Damaged AA turret – reduced air attack.
- Damaged propellers or engine room – reduced speed
- Damaged radar – reduced spotting
- Damaged sonar (destroyer) – can no longer detect submerged submarines
- Damaged flight deck (carriers) – all aircraft lose move and attack actions next turn


Naval landings

As was explained in previous dev diaries, embark only requires unspent attack action, which allows to embark a whole army in a single port in a single turn. Same is true for disembark: it only requires unspent attack action, which means that naval transport can move and disembark on the same turn. This makes naval landings much more flexible. Additionally, infantry units have a special ability to attack directly from landing craft. This, combined with damage and suppression from other ships, allows pushing enemy units back from the shore.


(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/PzC%202%20Naval.png)
Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on March 07, 2019, 12:58:33 AM
Panzer Corps 2 - Dev Diary #9

(http://www.matrixgames.com/files/spotlight/1336_image.jpg)


Hello All! Today we wanted to revisit the topic of random scenarios and talk about missions which you can play on various random maps we have shown before.


Attack and Defense

These are classic mission types familiar from Panzer Corps and other similar games. The attacker starts from a limited bridgehead (maybe more than one) and needs to conquer the rest of the map in the given time. It is possible to play such missions on random maps as well, both as the attacker and the defender. Such missions will also play a central role in random campaigns.


(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/1Attack.jpg)

(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/2Defense.jpg)


Free for All

This is another all-time classic mission type, both for single player and multiplayer. Up to 8 players can play a Free for All mission, and they all start in an exactly the same situation, with a single capital city under their control, while the rest of the map is neutral and needs to be conquered. The goal of the mission is to eliminate all opponents from the map. There is a time limit as well, but it is quite generous and there is no need to rush. It is a perfectly valid tactic to sit and wait while the other players battle it out and weaken each other. But you need to make sure none of your opponents becomes too strong as the result. Each city under control increases player’s income, so a player controlling a large part of the map is getting stronger every turn.

(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/3FreeForAll.jpg)


Survival

This mission type is intended specifically for players who think that other missions are too easy in single player mode against the AI. In a survival mission, human player is placed in the middle of the map, while all the opponents are in alliance and do not fight each other. The number of opponents can range from 2 to 7, and seven enemies attacking from all directions can be hard to survive indeed.

(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/4Survival.jpg)


Team missions

All four mission types described above can be played in single player or multiplayer mode. For example, it is possible to have 2 humans and up to 6 AIs struggling for map control in a Free for All mission. However, each mission type also has a “team” variant, where 2 humans play coop against up to three other teams. For example, it is possible to try and hold ground in a Survival mission together with your friend against up to 6 computer players.

 
Other options

In addition to mission types, there are several other parameters worth mentioning.

- Shroud. In addition to standard fog of war, it is also possible to cover the whole map or some part of it with shroud, which hides not only units, but flags and terrain as well. On such maps recon becomes much more important. Shroud is a standard option in some genres (like 4x), but in Panzer Corps series it appears for the first time.
- Neutral player. Normally, neutral cities on a Free for All or Survival map are empty and can be captured by any unit easily. However, it is possible to turn on neutral player which will slowly build up defenses in neutral cities every turn. With this option, planning capture of neutral cities becomes more complex. At the same time, your units can get some initial experience before engaging your primary opponents, which is especially useful in a Survival mission.
- Free deployment. By default, the game places random starting units for all players automatically. But it is possible to skip this step and have a proper deployment phase instead, where you will purchase and deploy your whole army, within the given prestige and slot limits.

Combined with different map types, all these options provide a lot of variety in random scenarios. This new playing mode is getting a lot of attention, and we sure hope that our players will enjoy it. However, the classic campaign mode is not forgotten either, and we are right now working on a massive new campaign for Panzer Corps 2. In one of the next dev diaries we are going to tell and show more of it. Stay tuned.

PS. In the past dev diaries many people asked why we are showing screenshots without hex grid. The answer is simple: this is how we play the game internally. However, in today’s post we have turned the grid on to show how the game looks in this mode.

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on May 06, 2019, 02:24:07 PM
Panzer Corps 2 - Check the new Product page!

(http://www.matrixgames.com/files/spotlight/1374_image.jpg)


As we get ready for today's gameplay reveal stream (http://slitherine.com/news/2832/Home.of.Wargamers.III.Live.next.week!.Panzer.Corps.2.gameplay.reveal!), we are publishing the new product page for Panzer Corps 2 (http://slitherine.com/products/684/details/Panzer.Corps.2).

Check it out: it contains new artwork, new screenshots and a full product description! It is also live on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1072040/Panzer_Corps_2/), so wishlist it now!

Later today we are going to show you for the first time ever over 30 minutes of gameplay, live on Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup). Don't miss it! It will be your chance to speak with Alex Shargin, lead designer of the Panzer Corps series, and ask him anything you would like to know.
Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on May 07, 2019, 11:00:28 PM
The Panzer Corps 2 Gameplay reveal stream


(http://www.matrixgames.com/files/spotlight/1376_image.jpg)

From Matrix/Slitherine


"Yesterday we held the third edition of Home of Wargamers Live on Twitch. It was a wonderful occasion for us to reveal the first gameplay ever of Panzer Corps 2!

You can watch it here:

https://youtu.be/Cu1xK4Abq1c


Panzer Corps 2 has a new product page (http://slitherine.com/products/product.asp?gid=684) , and you can now wishlist it on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1072040/Panzer_Corps_2/) as well.

Last but not least, we just opened a new Facebook page for Panzer Corps! Like & follow here (https://www.facebook.com/PanzerCorps). "
Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on May 24, 2019, 03:14:36 PM
Join the Beta of Panzer Corps 2!

(http://slitherine.com/files/spotlight/1393_image.jpg)

"Many of you have been waiting for this moment: we are opening subscriptions to the beta of Panzer Corps 2 (http://slitherine.com/products/684/details/Panzer.Corps.2)!

You can now apply to the beta and help us in developing the game. If you are willing to test it, find bugs, offer feedback and criticism and you love Panzer Corps, we definetely could use your help.

What are you waiting for? Click here (http://slitherine.com/beta/cnda.asp?gid=684) to sign up."

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on June 28, 2019, 12:06:52 AM
Panzer Corps 2 Community Contest - On the hunt for historical images

From Slitherine/Matrix:

"Development continues on Panzer Corps 2, and we are at a stage when we need to start creating portraits for units and heroes.

We thought it would be a good moment to engage the community in a little contest.

If you'd like to take part, you can scout the net for historical images and pictures of soldiers and officers from World War 2. Some of them will be included in the game (provided they are stock images with no copyright attached, and that they fit our requisites), and will be displayed as unit portraits in Panzer Corps 2!

Important: please make sure to state where you got the image from, so we can double check if we can legally make use of it.

We are looking for images of infantry and airforce soldiers and officers for the following armies:

Germany
United Kingdom
Soviet Union
United States of America
Italy
Hungary
Romania

You can post your findings in this thread (http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=464&t=92440), and then the team will select them.

And now, on to the prize: anyone who posts pics which will be selected for the game will of course win eternal glory plus certain access to the Panzer Corps 2 Beta!

Let the hunt begin!"




Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on August 13, 2019, 11:17:32 PM
Panzer Corps 2 - Dev Diary #10

(https://www.matrixgames.com/images/news/2260/spotlight_image.jpg)

“Funny, but I was afraid that graphics will be at the first place in new PzC, at the expense of playability.
But it turns out that (at least at this point) the logical "layer" of the game is definitely better than the "graphic" layer”.

- kondi754

Hi all! Welcome to a new issue of Panzer Corps 2 Dev Diaries!

It has been a while since the last dev diary. But we haven’t been idle! In fact we have been very busy with the game and made some very good progress. Also, several other important events happened in the meantime. In particular:

- There have been two in-depth streams about Panzer Corps 2. The first one was focused more on the graphics,

https://youtu.be/LZAvUYjmSAk


while the second one was a full-blown gameplay reveal featuring almost 40 minutes of video footage and a Q&A session. If you have not seen these videos yet, what are you waiting for?

https://youtu.be/Cu1xK4Abq1c


- Panzer Corps 2 got a Steam page (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1072040/Panzer_Corps_2/) now! If you are interested in this game, it would be a good idea to add it your wishlist. J
- It is still not too late to apply for Panzer Corps 2 beta (https://www.slitherine.com/beta/panzer-corps-2)!

The format of this dev diary will be a bit unusual. Lately we received several questions about the game, on Slitherine, Steam and Youtube. So we’ve decided to address the most important of these questions here.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/387b8a3961c9dab8f996784cb9772bb04584fd4d.jpg)
Bypassing the heavily fortified Maginot Line, the Germans strike deep into France


Will there be front lines, supply lines and more advanced supply rules?

Tell us more about the new encirclement mechanics

Supply rules will play a more significant role in Panzer Corps 2, compared to Panzer Corps, but the emphasis is on the effect supply has on battlefield tactics. We did not want to burden the player with counting supply points, moving around non-combat supply units etc. We also wanted to preserve the typical very fluid and dynamic gameplay of Panzer Corps, so there are no front lines and no need to maintain them per se. All units get automatic supply every turn as long as supply is not cut off. The primary means to cut off supply in Panzer Corps 2 is encirclement. We have shown an extensive demo of encirclements in our gameplay reveal stream (https://youtu.be/Cu1xK4Abq1c?t=3032), but that video did not answer all questions, so here is some additional explanation.

There are several supply sources on the map. These are special supply hexes, as well as some units (ships in particular). Also, by default all map edge is considered supply source. As long as it’s possible to trace a supply line from a unit to one of supply sources this unit will continue getting supply (fuel and ammo) at the beginning of its turn. Supply line can be broken by impassable terrain (impassable from wheeled movement perspective), enemy units or their zone of control. The easiest way to achieve this is to completely encircle a group of enemy units with your own, making sure that all gaps in your line are at least covered by your ZOC. But terrain can also play a critical role, especially on maps which involve large bodies of water (sea, lakes and major rivers, all of which are impassable for trucks, unless they are covered with ice). In the right place, just one or a few of well-placed units can completely block supply of the enemy.

Encircled units not only stop getting supplies but also get additional suppression and penalties to initiative and accuracy, in order to reflect their reduced combat ability. All these penalties are cumulative and get worse with each extra turn spent inside encirclements.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/da691a4d5bdd370bcc245e27031577023375a89c.jpg)

The Germans launch Operation Battleaxe against british forces in North Africa


Tell us about the new campaign in Panzer Corps 2

Main campaign included with Panzer Corps 2 will cover the European and Africna theaters from German perspective. Compared to campaigns in Panzer Corps there will be the following differences.

- In terms of size the new campaign is somewhere between the Panzer Corps vanilla campaign and the Grand Campaign. The exact scenario count is 61.
- For the first time in the Panzer Corps series Europe and Africa are combined into a single campaign tree, with core units travelling from Europe to Africa and back.
- The new campaign has four primary paths: historical West, historical East, fictional West and fictional East.
- We have taken special care that all paths are balanced in terms of length. No matter what path you take, you will play roughly the same number of scenarios, from 20 to 23.
- A unique feature of the new campaign is its extensive branching. In fact, the new campaign can be described as several campaigns in one. You can do two complete playthroughs without seeing a single repeating scenario. And the total number of possible campaign paths you can take is several thousand!

What other content will be included with Panzer Corps?

- A number of single scenarios, both historical and fictional, complementing the campaign content.
- A number of balanced scenarios designed specifically for Multiplayer.
- A tutorial section which will include tutorial campaigns as well as a number of tactical puzzles and tactical challenges, small but difficult scenarios which will help to hone your player skills.

Overall, we are looking at about 100 scenarios in 1.0, which is a huge amount of content, even without mentioning the random scenario generator, which will also be a part of initial release.

 
Will there be a new Grand Campaign?

This is one of the most frequent questions which we are getting, because the Grand Campaign was very popular with Panzer Corps players. Although it is a bit too early to say, we will very seriously consider making something similar, but even bigger and better, for Panzer Corps 2.
 

What other DLC plans do you have?

Once again, it is a bit too early to say, but our ambitions with this game are even greater than they were in Panzer Corps. If everything goes according to plan we will eventually cover all factions and all events of Second World War, including Pacific Theatre which Panzer Corps series never covered before, and also post-WW2 and Cold War era.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/07cd0d77fd221b648731dead8bfd6eb9bc7c08b1.jpg)

Everything is ready for the final push towards Leningrad


Will there be a hotseat mode?


Yes.

 
Will there be a coop mode?

Yes, the game will support coop, both against the AI and against other human teams.

 
Will the game include the Editor?

Yes. We always considered our modding community to be very important and made a promise early on to provide the Editor from day one. At this point, I can say with 100% confidence that it will be included and it is pretty much finished already. It’s also a much more advanced tool compared to the Panzer Corps editor.


What languages will the game support?


The game will support English, German, French, Spanish, Russian and Simplified Chinese.
 

Has the beta started?


Yes! We are rolling out beta 3 this week, and there are more than 100 people testing the game already. We will be adding more people in each new beta to have a constant stream of “first impressions”. Also, we tend to add more and more people in each new iteration. So, even though we have got a lot of applications for this beta, there is a good chance that you will be selected at some point.


What are beta testers saying?

They like a lot of what they see, but also post lots of great suggestions, which we are carefully listening to. But to single out two most important points:

- General consensus seems to be that both terrain and units look great, so concerns about the graphics part of the game can be put to rest.
- All unit classes which were not very popular in Panzer Corps, like Infantry, Recon, Anti-Tank and Anti-Air are much more useful now and increasingly find their place in people’s cores.
 

When will the game release?

When it is ready. We are clearly getting very close now, because all major features which we planned for this game are already implemented. However, after 4 years of development, it would be foolish to rush and release an unstable game. A lot will depend on how the beta testing progresses.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/4e37e2ea0cdc21800fb324398d29b81d85772416.jpg)

The Germans launch the final assault on the soviet capital of Moscow as the winter sets in


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on January 14, 2020, 03:52:04 PM
Panzer Corps 2 - Preview stream & release date announcement
14 Jan 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/5f4720073d9ecdee8251893593b176769ffc5a94.jpg)


This is the announcement you were all waiting for. Join us on Twitch on Monday January 20 for the announcement of the release date of Panzer Corps 2.

Shards, producer for the game, will be live in studio and showcase all the innovations in Panzer Corps 2, as well as answer all your questions. Live on Monday January 20 at 5 pm GMT on our Twitch channel (https://www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup).

Then, following our stream, at 6 pm GMT the strategy youtuber Pixelated Apollo will be streaming the single player campaign of Panzer Corps 2 for the first time ever. We will host him on our own channel, so you can just stay once our stream is over and watch a full scenario of Panzer Corps 2 in action.

https://youtu.be/LTL3phyVxAc


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on January 21, 2020, 02:29:21 PM
Panzer Corps 2 to be released on March 19th
21 Jan 2020


Just yesterday we revealed the release date you were all waiting for: Panzer Corps 2 will be released on March 19th.

It will also be possible to pre-order the game starting on February 6th. Pre-ordering Panzer Corps 2 will give you access to a series of exclusive assets and a nice discount on the final price.

https://youtu.be/lu30-W1dPtg


Yesterday was in general a big day for Panzer Corps 2. We had the producer of the game, David Sharrock, live on our Twitch channel for over a hour, during which he showcased plenty new features and new, never seen before gameplay footage.

https://youtu.be/Db5bvUw7eg4


Furthermore, as we had announced, Pixelated Apollo streamed part of the single player campaign for the first time ever. You can watch his take on the invasion of Poland here (https://www.twitch.tv/videos/539089634).

We have two more pieces of news for all Panzer Corps fans.

- We are opening a Discord channel! As you know Panzer Corps 2 will have Live multiplayer, so the Discord channel will be a great place to find online opponents. It will also be a gathering place for all fans to discuss the game and interact with the devs. Join the Discord channel here (https://discord.gg/vP5sXyf).

- DasTactic is going to start a Let's play series of streams on our Twitch channel (https://www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup) later this week. Tune in on our Twitch channel on Thursday January 24th at 6 pm GMT for the first episode.


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on February 06, 2020, 11:19:59 PM
Panzer Corps 2 is now available on pre-order
06 Feb 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/042432fd1724074eef7ef792c50bead450b91670.jpg)


The new chapter in the wargaming franchise that has sold over one million copies will be available for PC on March 19th – but you can pre-order it right now to get bonus content, a nice discount plus an extra surprise.


https://youtu.be/iGBlFN-oo_M



Built with Unreal Engine 4 and including more than 500 hyper-detailed 3D models, plus realistic terrains and weather effects, Panzer Corps 2 is the sequel every strategy gamer has been looking for. You will lead the Wehrmacht war machine all the way from the invasion of Poland to the final defense of the Motherland, and you can even turn the tide and win World War 2 by seizing Moscow, conquering the United Kingdom and even land your Panzers in North America to besiege Washington DC.

You can pre-order Panzer Corps 2 Field Marshal Edition on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1072040/Panzer_Corps_2/) from today for $59.99, at 15% discount on the full release-day price of $69.99. By buying the Field Marshal Edition you’ll receive special bonuses: the full soundtrack, 4 digital wallpapers, extra scenarios and camo skins, and the first two future DLCs, available later this year after the game release. 

But that’s not all – there’s one final surprise: by pre-ordering the Field Marshal Edition you will be able to play Panzer Corps 2 before everybody else. From February 18th to 20th, every player who pre-ordered the Marshal Edition will get the chance to download Panzer Corps 2 and play it for 48 hour, until February 20th.

(https://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Banners/Panzercorps2/PC2_Steam-special-a_preorder.jpg)

Panzer Corps Gold gets a permanent price reduction

From today, the original Panzer Corps and all its DLCs are combined in the complete edition, Panzer Corps Gold (https://www.slitherine.com/game/panzer-corps-gold), including all DLCs ever published and its standalone expansions. And with a huge permanent price reduction: until yesterday, this pack would have cost more than $80 – but now, it’s only $29.99. Every strategy gamer can fill the gap in their videogame collection with this unrivaled classic – plus, it’s a good way to tide yourself over during the wait for Panzer Corps 2, coming out just around the corner on March 19th.


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on February 19, 2020, 12:10:41 AM
Join the pre-order Open Beta for Panzer Corps 2! 48 hours only!
18 Feb 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/adc12512a2287d57d742abbcfa7820d6fdae505a.jpg)


If you have pre-ordered the Field Marshal edition of Panzer Corps 2 on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1072040/Panzer_Corps_2/) you have now 48 hours of time to play Panzer Corps 2 in advance.

Are you ready? Just right click on Panzer Corps 2 in your Steam library and click on Install.

We are very interested in hearing what you think. If you have any feedback for us, don’t forget to let us know and post about it on the forum.

Panzer Corps 2 is almost there, but there are a few things which are still missing in the game.

We have prepared a full list of what still needs to be included, and will be added before release on March 19th.

Content and features missing in 0.9.14, but included in 1.0
 
- The game is available in English only right now. The Release version will include all localizations (English, German, Russian, French, Spanish, Chinese, Polish, Brazilian).
 
- Tutorial is still “work in progress” and will be given a lot of additional polish. Texts will be improved, more messages added, improved message triggers and more. The game manual needs to be finished and is missing screenshots.
 
- Random maps are not playable in Multiplayer in the current version, but they will be playable in the release version.
 
- Replay feature. Right now, it is impossible to watch finished games in Replay mode, but it will be included in the release version.
 
- Unit history (kill statistics and list of events) is not included yet but will be included in the release version.
 
- The Mission result screen will be enhanced with "change difficulty" and "review battlefield" options.

- Steam Achievements will be added

- Steam Cloud saves will be added
 
- Minor tweaks and improvements in AI and random map generator will continue till the very release. Random maps will get a few more additional options (e. g. what units are available, by year).

Audio:

- Many sounds effects are still temporary / placeholders, and sound effects for things like aircraft movement, bombing, Stuka siren, rocket launchers, UI button sounds still need to be included. In the final release version all these sound effects will be included.
- Voiceovers for all briefings in the main campaign will be added (English only). Tutorials and single scenarios will not be voiced.
- Not all music tracks are in place yet. Out of 6 in-game tracks only 3 are present. Only German Victory and Defeat themes are included (in the release version we'll have separate themes for Allies and Soviets too)

Animations:

There will be some improvement in unit animations as well, in particular bombing raids, naval guns, torpedo attacks, depth charges from destroyers. Infantry animations will be reviewed and various glitches fixed.

Scenarios:

- Three more single scenarios will be added:

Gothic Line (GB, US forces in Italy, August 1944)
Prague Offensive (Soviet forces, May 1945)
Lorraine (US forces in France, September 1944)
 
Known issues
 
- In strategic mode selection and target markers are not properly aligned with aircraft. Flags in strategic mode are hard to see.
 
- In Multiplayer certain sections like "advanced options" and "ingame menu" show options which only apply to single player. These options will be removed for MP.


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on February 28, 2020, 12:20:16 AM
Panzer Corps 2 - Free upgrade to box for one week after release
27 Feb 2020

From Matrix/Slitherine:

A few days ago we concluded our 48 hours pre-order beta for Panzer Corps 2. The reception has been great, and we received great feedback from those who played the game.

We can safely say comments from all who played Panzer Corps 2 in those two days have been overwhelmingly positive. We're very happy to see so many people love the game, and we can't wait to release an even more polished version on March 19th.

Speaking of the release day, we have a surprise for all those who would rather buy Panzer Corps 2 from the Slitherine store directly: for the first week after release you will be able to upgrade your Panzer Corps 2 copy to a physical edition for free (except postage cost).

This will be a great way for everyone to save on a physical copy of Panzer Corps 2 and will be an exclusive to the Slitherine store.

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on March 04, 2020, 04:51:06 PM
Panzer Corps 2 - New Advisor Clips series
3 March 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/cf1a21258be9874b1ebdfd94895d0bb0263ec636.jpg)

Panzer Corps 2 will release on March 19th, and we know many of you just can't wait to start playing.

The feedback we've got from the 48 hours long Beta has been exceptional, and we're sure you will love the game. As they say, good things come to those who wait...

In order to accompany you to March 19th, we have prepared a series of short clips, introducing a few gameplay concepts you will need to familiarize yourselves with in order to master the game.

We are going to post the first three today, featuring Overrun, Organic Transports and External Transports.

https://youtu.be/T5cAiXDt5Bs

https://youtu.be/vOx0aZTs-Vg

https://youtu.be/HlgvazAkERM

If you have questions on these three gameplay mechanics feel free to ask us on the forum. We will be back soon with more Advisor Clips!


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on March 14, 2020, 12:11:45 AM
Panzer Corps 2 - Advisor Clips #2 - Recon & Engineers

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/3b9dc38a6df493a2adb4ead09ebb6493b7b21157.jpg)

We are publishing the Advisor clip 4 and 5 today.

These are short clips meant to illustrate a few key Panzer Corps 2 gameplay mechanics.

Today we will feature Recon Units, essential to scout ahead and learn about enemy machinations, and Engineers, possibly one of the most useful and flexible units in Panzer Corps 2.

https://youtu.be/N0mcGTQ2J9M


https://youtu.be/CTjGhBSReOI


Click here for the full playlist (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQrYLOdjwRhRFRZnrxCaLNxkODUOWm_6z) so far.

And stay tuned, for there will be more advisor clips coming your way!

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on March 20, 2020, 01:32:11 PM
The king is back! Panzer Corps 2 is out!
Thu, 19 March 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/82c9ae4d5c8dad66b420e3747106cb59b0a3e5e8.jpg)

The wait is over: Panzer Corps 2, the ultimate World War II strategy game, is now available for purchase.


Generals, it is time to start your Panzer Division's engines. Take command of the Wehrmacht war machine, from the invasion in Poland in 1939 to the final defence of Berlin in 1945. You’ll fight battle after battle using the classic turn-based hex system all wargamers have loved since Panzer General, the father of a genre to which Panzer Corps 2 is the spiritual successor.

Enjoy the massive amount of content, including more than a thousand unique 3D unit models, over 60 scenarios forming the Wehrmacht grand campaign, an advanced random map generator for playing skirmish games against the AI or other players. Since the modding community was such a great part of the first Panzer Corps, in the sequel you will find a much improved Scenario Editor available to support mods from day one. 

"Panzer Corps started ten years ago as a passion project by a single modder. We took it to the market with the idea of bringing back a genre that made the history of gaming as we know it, and we are proud to have achieved that”, said Iain McNeil, Slitherine CEO. “Not only Panzer Corps became a very successful game, it also contributed to inspire others to reinvent turn-based strategy and make it one of the core genre of the 21st century. We see Panzer Corps 2 as the testament of all this journey and we are confident players will celebrate it with us".

EXCLUSIVE EDITIONS

You are able to acquire Panzer Corps 2 in three different editions: the base game, the General Edition or the ultimate Field Marshal Edition, each one with exclusive bonus materials.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/b5dd2319f9c2d3b363d698f0c10946f1f6ae3c52.jpg)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/83fe0c66e930e25613ae5b60b0986dcb1d6caf74.jpg)

Due to delays with localization French, Portuguese (Brazil) and Polish will be added as fully supported languages in a few days. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we promise it will be well worth the wait.



Get it from Matrix/Slitherine direct and get a free Steam key  here (https://www.matrixgames.com/game/panzer-corps-2)
Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on March 21, 2020, 11:50:57 PM
Advisor clips #3 - Split & Merge and Encirclements
Fri, 20 March 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/f459d4c1b90eb6d2aaa214191c233d9b131172fa.jpg)

More advisor clips coming your way!


Yesterday we released Panzer Corps 2, and what a joy it was!

It's being so well received, with a lot of reviews on Steam, and most of them are extremely positive. But we're interested in all types of feedback, so don't shy away and please leave a review on Steam, either positive or negative, let us know what you like and what you don't like. Your suggestions are important, as Panzer Corps 2 is here to stay and it will only keep improving.

Today we are publishing two more videos of our Advisor clips series! We will continue this series and we have 5 more videos planned, so stay tuned. Today's videos feature two specific gameplay mechanics: Split & Merge and Encirclements.

Enjoy!


Panzer Corps 2 | Split & Merge - Tactical Advisor Tip #6

https://youtu.be/Lwv2SZWd39U


Panzer Corps 2 | Encirclements - Tactical Advisor Tip #7

https://youtu.be/3VpeMgWR_Mk


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on March 30, 2020, 12:32:06 AM
The first patch for Panzer Corps 2 is here!
Fri, 27 March 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/1072040/ss_43b89495dacecf706ef0802a0ea0255ef96de5fb.1920x1080.jpg?t=1584639998)

Last week we released Panzer Corps 2 and we couldn't be happier: the reception has been great, and so has the feedback. There are a number of things to improve on, and Flashback Games is on top of it. This patch is the first of a long series in order to keep expanding and refining Panzer Corps 2. Patch 1 brings the game to version 1.0.6 and it focuses on bugfixing and on better MP functionalities.

There will be much more in the future, and you can expect more news about that soon... but until then, let us know what you think about this first patch please.

Changelog:

- Fixed several random crashes
- Fixed crash when pressing Esc in hero selection
- Fixed the issue with transports and pontoons losing their texture when infantry uses custom skin
- Fixed turn count in Aachen MP scenario
- Fixed victory conditions in Tobruk scenario
- Fixed Fireworks and Operation X puzzles
- Fixed "weather" and "fog od war" advanced options
- Reduced the number of polygons on the screen, which should reduce the load on the GPU
- Changed settings of TXAA to reduce blurriness of map and units
- Added options to configure autosaves to Options -> Other
- Switched towed guns now keep their type after move and unmount
- Toolips on road icons in terrain UI panel now include movement table
- Increased scroll speed in unit list and camouflage list
- Esc now closes briefing screen
- Experience can no longer grow beyond 5 stars
- In random maps, enemies do not use the same faction as the player
- Multiplayer: Fixed MP connection timing out too fast when joining the game
- Multiplayer: It's now possible to specify password for new challenges
- Multiplayer: It's now possible to select our side when creating a challenge
- Multiplayer: Surrender option has been added to Game Menu
- Multiplayer: The game should now display custom MP scenarios from 'Documents/My Games/Panzer Corps 2/Multiplayer' in the list
- In Ironman mode "restart scenario" option is no longer available
- When terrain does not have initiative cap, the UI will now show Initiative cap: - (instead of 0)
- Fixed various typos in the text
- Added two more tactical advisor tips to the Tutorial menu


IMPORTANT!!!
If you have a problem with loading old saves - please delete this folder:
Documents/My Games/Panzer Corps 2/Cache


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on April 09, 2020, 02:12:43 PM
Panzer Corps 2 - Patch 2 is out (Includes missing localizations)
Wed Apr 08, 2020

We are releasing a new patch for Panzer Corps 2, which includes the missing localizations and a number of fixes.

We are releasing a new update for Panzer Corps 2. The highlight of patch 2 is missing localizations: at last Panzer Corps 2 is localized into French, Polish and Portuguese (Brazil). We apologize for the wait: unfortunately there were delays with localization of those languages, but they are now ready.

There have been also improvements introduced to Chinese and Russian.

On top of that, we have worked on a number of fixes and performance improvements. We hope you will appreciate it! You can find the full changelog below. Let us know what you think of it, your feedback is important for us to keep improving the game.

Last but not least, tomorrow we will post an announcement about our feelings over the game's launch, and on what direction we would like to take from here with development.

Changelog:

Localization:
- Added French, Polish and Portuguese localizations
- Updated Chinese and Russian localizations
- The game will now display localized hex names over the map and in the UI (will not work with old saves)

Bug fixes:
- Fixed a few more random crashes
- Fixed crashes when working with "Lost Units" list
- Fixed crash when repeatedly pressing Esc in briefings
- Fixed crash when starting a new random map
- Fixed autosaves and ironman saves which could be created with wrong state (inactive "End Turn" button etc.)
- Fixed attacks sometimes "unsuppressing" units without dealing damage
- Fixed aircraft getting initiative bonus when attacking from close terrain hex
- Fixed ambushed units attacking the ambusher even if they normally cannot attack such unit
- Fixed bug where attacking unit did not lose attack action if it did not have a chance to shoot in the combat it initiated
- Fixed incorrect calculation of negative suppression between combat phases
- Fixed aircraft spotting in cloudy weather
- Fixed spotting bug when a unit retreated
- Fixed weather forecast icon after loading a save
- Fixed "Anti-tank Veteran" and "Anti-infantry Veteran" awards for aircraft
- Fixed wrong strength when giving overstrength to prototype units
- Fixed the problem with "Retrograde" player trait where available units disappeared earlier than they should
- Fixed the problem with "Slow Modernization" player trait where transport upgrade and overstrength was impossible after 3 unit upgrades
- Fixed replacements of deployed units during Deployment Phase (no longer limited by 50% of unit's max strength)
- Fixed scrolling in Event Log (History section of Unit Details)
- Fixed "gamma correction" setting
- Fixed some maps where embarked transports could not leave the port

Performance:
- Improved Landscape Tessellation implementation. Now, even with Tessellation off the game (in particular, rivers) should look decent.
- Added new setting to Options->Video: "Landscape Geometry". It can be used to further reduce GPU load on weaker hardware, or (at a higher setting) used as an alternative to tessellation, which might be faster on some machines.

Improvements:
- Stats panel now shows actual move points instead of max
- River hexes now show "Vulnerable Position" and "Blocks Supply" icons in terrain panel
- Combat log viewer (opened with L hotkey) will now include logs for all predictions visible on the screen when it's invoked
- In Options->Video "Save" button is only required to change window mode and resolution. All other options are applied instantly.

Multiplayer:
- Fixed crashes which occurred when loading existing games (some old games can still have problems, but new games started with 1.0.8 should not have them)
- Fixed several issues causing the players to go out of sync in online MP
- Fixed password protection not working for random maps
- Minsk map now allows simultaneous movement
- Small balance fix in Steel vs. Steamroller scenario

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on April 10, 2020, 12:22:24 AM
A look to the future...
Thu, 9 April 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/37272d59fe63581c92fa5fa6427e9c2097a07d8b.jpg)

Panzer Corps 2 released three weeks ago (time flies), and we can already draw some first conclusions.

Hello All! This is Alex, lead developer of the Panzer Corps series. Panzer Corps 2 released three weeks ago (time flies), and we can already draw some first conclusions.

On the whole, we are really happy with how the game has been received. Metascore reached 84 and all 13 critic reviews were positive, which is very rare for a niche wargame, and an improvement over the prequel. User reactions have also been positive overall, and many war-hardened veterans of this genre told us that Panzer Corps 2 was the best game which they ever played, and better than the predecessor in every way.

Although it is 2020 and we had to update the graphics to modern standards, it’s very satisfying to hear that the new game does not only stand out because of the graphics, but also because of advancements in gameplay. In particular, players feel that the new game is more deep and tactical, without losing its charm and simplicity; that all unit classes are now useful; that the game rewards varied army composition and combined arms approach like never before, and that the number of available options allows to adapt the game to any playing style and provides a lot of replayability.

However, we will readily admit that it’s not all perfect, and there are definitely issues and things to improve. Upon release, the game has some stability issues, performance issues and bugs, especially in Multiplayer. We apologise for these defects, consider them all a top priority, and are working on them right now.

⦁ We are getting all crash reports in real time and collect them all in a big database. In each patch we address at least some of the most common crashes, and then watch how the number of events drops, so stability of the game is quickly improving. If you are playing Panzer Corps 2 and get a crash, please do press “Send & Close” button to send a report to us, and ideally also add a short description of what you were doing when the problem occurred.

⦁ There are no simple methods to improve game performance, so we are already working on a deep refactoring of the engine to provide good performance on a wider spectrum of PCs, even not the most recent or top-of-the-line models. Preliminary results look promising.

⦁ As for Multiplayer, this is where most of the time of the whole team goes right now. We are not only fixing problems, like annoying desyncs in online games. There are also several major features in the pipeline, in particular tournaments, ranked games and more content, both competitive and co-op. Panzer Corps was primarily a single player game, but we want Panzer Corps 2 to shine in Multiplayer as well.

Although many players eagerly embraced Panzer Corps 2, some others remain unconvinced. I read everything posted in player reviews and on the forums, and so I’m aware of all concerns which people voice. For example: the map looks blurry, units are hard to recognize in 3d, some mechanics could use more balancing (e. g. heroes), there is not as much content as Panzer Corps had, random maps need more options, and so on. All these concerns are perfectly understandable and valid. We will always keep them in mind and will likely address most them as we develop the series further. Our goal is to make Panzer Corps 2 a game for everyone, a definitive experience for all fans of this genre.

From experience we know that such games have a long life span and get even better over time. Panzer Corps is a prime example here; it enjoyed a record-breaking 1000+ online players this February. Not bad for a 9 years old game! We are confident that the release of Panzer Corps 2 is also just the beginning of a long and exciting journey, which we will happily share with our vibrant player community.



Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on April 16, 2020, 01:06:20 AM
Panzer Corps 2 - Advisor Clips #4 - Terrain & Air Warfare
15 Apr 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/ee1328cb1a1b938c19700523b4169d1a301a0111.jpg)

We have two new advisor clips for you!

The first one focuses on Terrain and how it affects strategy in Panzer Corps 2. The second one is about Air warfare.

https://youtu.be/IEzi-vRnVYQ


https://youtu.be/3ErZaNOv5iE


Let us know what you think and if you have further questions.


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on April 25, 2020, 12:10:01 AM
Patch 3 is out - Improvements to AI, UI, Multiplayer, Random Maps and more
Fri, 24 April 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/1072040/ss_cdc174e0f25b72b0b9a954b8afe9bbe06ed47a94.1920x1080.jpg?t=1586961419)

"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
==========================================================================

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on May 26, 2020, 11:10:05 PM
Panzer Corps 2 - Patch 4 is out (v1.1.1)
Tue, 26 May 2020


We have a new update coming for Panzer Corps 2.

We are publishing a new, massive update for Panzer Corps 2.

This one is rather big, and you can find all the details below. We're looking forward to hearing about what you think: all the bug fixes and balance changes were implemented thanks to players' feedback. Your opinion is always very important for us, so we can keep making the game better.

We are now really close to announcing the first DLCs, the two which are included in the Field Marshal Edition. Stay tuned, it won't take long now!

Patch 4 Changelog
(v1.1.1)

Bug fixes:

- Fixed the game crashing on launch for a few people
- Fixed the AI getting into infinite loop under rare circumstances
- Fixed dead units sometimes interfering with mouse clicks
- Fixed switchable units being captured into two separate pools of equipment
- Fixed merge command, so that the unit automatically mounts if needed to reach the other part. Also, if split parts are too far to merge this turn, merge marker is shown in red.
- Fixed selection marker in strategic mode not working well for aircraft
- Fixed "Reduced slots" and "Zero slots" heroes refusing to unassign from units in reserve because of insufficient free slots
- Fixed workaround of "Green Army" player trait by using unit upgrade. Now, upgrades will also use green replacements when there are no elite replacements left.
- Fixed spotting issues when a unit is deployed mid-mission on a high ground hex
- Fixed spotting bug when an allied unit is destroyed near your own units
- Fixed chat not scrolling to the end automatically when a long (multi-line) message is added
- Fixed "create screenshots for saved games" option
- Fixed some issues with "Shroud" advanced option (rivers showing through shroud, minimap artefacts)
- Fixed player selection UI when a custom multiplayer scenario is selected in the list

Gameplay changes:

- All units contributing some bonus to combat will now get experience for it: 20 for mass attack and 50 for any other bonus (recon, military engineer, distraction, leadership, aiming assistance). Among other things, this allows recon planes to earn experience.
- Dismissing a hero now gives a bonus of 1000 prestige (value configurable in Rules.json file).
- Discarding organic transport now returns its cost in prestige, so it can be repurchased later.
- When a unit embarks on an air transport which cannot carry its organic transport, organic transport is discarded.
- Split units equipped with organic transport will now unmount after a short drive, as normal (non-split) units do.
- Each star will now give +10% to unit's accuracy (instead of +8%), and reduce enemy accuracy by 4% (instead of 3%).
- Units with "suppressing fire" trait will slightly (+5%) improve their chances to outright kill the target (instead of suppressing it) with each star.
- Green strategic bombers now destroy 20% of ammo (instead of 1 point) with carpet bombing, and additionally destroy 20% of target's movement points. Each star adds +10% destroyed. Overstrength/understrength also increases/decreases damage done proportionally.
- On the other hand, suppression now reduces effectiveness of carpet bombing, so AA units will provide protection from this threat as well.
- Units with "Alpine" trait (mountain infantry) are now immune to the opponent's high ground bonuses, and move faster over hills.
- Aircraft can now be upgraded and disbanded if they are assigned to an airfield which is a supply hex (being straight over it is no longer required).
- River hexes (except settlements) now have zero base entrenchment, because units don't benefit from entrenchment when they are "crossing the river".
- Units adjacent to Engineers will now ignore up to 4 points of enemy entrenchment (instead of 50% previously), which means that engineers can enable other units to fully bypass base entrenchment of any terrain (except fortifications)
- Changed rounding method to "nearest integer" when applying bonus to initiative from entrenchment. One important consequence is that forest's base entrenchment of 3 now provides +2 initiative to the defender, instead of +1.
- Weather during deployment phase is now always Clear. You can see the weather that will be on the first turn in the forecast.
- Motorcycle recon units got "close combat" trait, which makes them more useful in close terrain

UI:

- Added a new "Deployment panel" visible during the Deployment Phase. It contains mass commands (replace all, disband all, undeploy all etc.) which allow to speed up typical tasks during the Deployment Phase.

AI:

- The AI can now give both green and elite replacements to its units.
- The AI will distribute fighter cover more evenly between bombers

Random maps:

- Random maps now always start with a deployment phase (using "custom army" is not needed)
- Experience growth rate is now 5x normal on random maps, so units can actually gain a few stars and maintain them with elite replacements in the course of the battle.
- Random maps now also use custom medal requirements, so it is possible to get more medals in the course of the battle. Medals can be turned off in advanced option, if needed.
- Human players can now choose their commander traits in the beginning of the game (as in the campaign). The AI will also pick some random trait(s) for itself. If this is not desirable, set number of picks to 0 in advanced options.
- It is now possible to purchase ships in random scenarios with ports (Coast, Big Island, Big Lake).
- Special challenges can now be activated for random maps in advanced options. "David vs. Goliath" only affects (makes stronger) AI units. "Europe of a Shoestring" only affects human players. "Race against time" obviously affects everyone on the map.
- When a year is specified, date is now set to 1st of July that year (mid year) instead of 1st of January.
- The generator will now give more priority to more recent units when generating starting armies, instead of using equal weight for all units available on scenario date.
- More airfields are now generated on larger maps
- In FFA, starting airfields are now defended by an AA unit
- Random scenarios can now have cloudy and rainy days (if not desired, weather can be turned off in advanced options as usual), and will display weather forecast for the next three days.
- Prestige of all opponents can now be seen in tooltips over player icons, so you can now better plan the wars of attrition with them.
- Filled some gaps in equipment in 1939: France now has a tactical bomber option, Great Britain has more choice of artillery, and Hungary has a strategic bomber option. Also, USA now has a recon option in 1942.
- Allied late war tanks (IS-3, Tortoise, T34 and T28) no longer have "no purchase" trait, and can be bought to counter German super tanks (like Tiger II, Maus and E-75) in 1945.
- Reduced number of enemy overstrength units when playing Defense and Survival missions against the AI
- Defense mission no longer has zero slots and thus allows to purchase units if the default force is disbanded
- Various tweaks in turn count, prestige and slots

Multiplayer:

- Fixed several more issues which could lead to desync in online MP mode
- Fixed replays of the opponent's turn in PBEM (only new games will show replays)
- Fixed "end turn" not working properly in coop MP when it is played in PBEM ("offline") mode
- After making a turn in a PBEM game, the player will now be returned to MP game list, not main menu
- In team games on random maps, allies will now give each other support fire and share airfields
- In random maps, AI teams no longer have "simultaneous movement" to reduce camera jumping around the map
- Fixed prestige sharing in Minsk scenario

Other:

- Changed yellow markings on Ju87 B and D, so that they are more different from contemporary fighters.
- Added hero images for US, GB, RU, IT, HU, RO factions. Heroes of other factions will display a generic hero image
- Added generic medal images which will be displayed in case there are no specialized images for a given nation
- Updated Polish localization (thanks Grzegorz Kłos!)
- In tactical puzzles undo is now set to Unlimited, so that it is much easier to experiment with different solutions.

Editor:

- Removed most "not implemented" data fields to avoid confusion and save screen space. They will return as they get implemented.
- Fixed "share prestige" and "share core slots" options for sides, and added "share auxiliary slots" and "share airfields" parameters.
- Added "prestige visible to enemies", "default experience", "max experience" and "experience growth rate" parameters to each player (advanced options section).
- Added an option to specify custom rules file. For now, custom file must be in the game's Content/Data folder.
- Added options to control what unit classes each player can purchase.
- Added options to specify custom unit skins and insignias, both on player (in Scenario Params) and individual unit (in Configure Units mode) level.
- Added a new checkbox for "Capture victory hexes" objective: "Only check at scenario end"


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on June 04, 2020, 12:56:50 AM
Panzer Corps 2 - Advisor clips #6 - Entrenchment, Support Fire & Surrender
Wed, 3 June 2020

We have three new Panzer Corps 2 advisor clips!


The three new clips feature Entrenchment, Support Fire, Retreat & Surrender.


Video: Panzer Corps 2 | Entrenchment - Tactical Advisor Tip #10

https://youtu.be/4MYve2VFDBE


Video: Panzer Corps 2 | Support Fire - Tactical Advisor Tip #11

https://youtu.be/1W2hcVbFNZM


Video: Panzer Corps 2 | Retreat and Surrender - Tactical Advisor Tip #12

https://youtu.be/tJqy_Kn_zYM


We hope you'll enjoy them. This concludes our series or advisor clips, but do let us know if you'd like a new issue on a specific feature or mechanic, and we'll consider it.

Surely many of you are eager to know what future content is coming, and when. Stay tuned, there will be news about it very soon - next week!

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on June 10, 2020, 12:23:49 AM
Panzer Corps 2 - Axis Operations DLCs announced
09 June 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/c44fb4e66918e01d6c527943c9a095d6fb160f15.jpg)

When Panzer Corps 2 launched in March we saw a very good critical response and we were joined by many thousands of players, all eager to fire up their Panzers and dive into classic WW2 gameplay on a beautiful new game engine.
With that launch there was also an offer of a Field Marshal Edition of the game that included the first two DLCs that will be coming to Panzer Corps 2.

Now we're finally ready to reveal details of the first two of Panzer Corps 2's exciting post-launch additions. We're calling them the new Axis Operations campaigns!


The New Axis Operations

Ever since Panzer Corps 2 was announced, a new Grand Campaign was by far the most frequent request which we heard from our players. It was hardly surprising, because the Grand Campaign was the most popular series of DLCs for the original game. We always listen to wishes of our community and give such things top priority. Axis Operations is our response to all of the people who wished for the creation of a new Grand Campaign. Simply put, it will be a series of campaigns that can be linked together, to form one giant, potentially 100+ scenario, behemoth of a campaign.

The Wehrmacht Campaign in Panzer Corps 2 is a good introductory campaign which many players have enjoyed and learnt the basics of Panzer Corps 2 gameplay in the process. But it was not without problems. Some issues which you, the community, raised were: missing mission debriefings, degrees of victory, historical heroes and the need for more varied objectives. In general, some players felt that the campaign did not offer enough storytelling and immersion in historical events.

Axis Operations will address all these issues. There will be more storytelling and interesting characters in these campaigns. There will also be a lot of innovation in terms of gameplay features, mission design, bonus objectives and rewards for fulfilling them, and more. The AI won’t remain the same either, so be prepared for some nasty surprises from your computer opponent!

The original Panzer Corps Grand Campaign stretched from 1939 to 1945, covering a whopping 144 scenarios. Our aim is to go bigger and better for the new Axis Operations. Even though Panzer Corps DLCs covered a lot of historical ground, we will still visit lots of places never explored before, and battles which you’ve never fought in the past. Find it hard to believe? Read on.

The first two DLCs included with the Field Marshal Edition of Panzer Corps 2 represent the first two links of the Axis Operations chain.



(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/3b11782961d154b43b7f84150e085e5eab2b4c4b.png)

Axis Operations - Spanish Civil War

For starters we aren't going to begin in Poland this time. We're turning the clock back a bit further and the first campaign of the Axis Operations takes the player to the prelude to World War II, the Spanish Civil War, which we will be releasing on July 16th.
This campaign will give players the opportunity to experience content that not even the original Panzer Corps, with its extensive library of DLCs and expansion packs, managed to cover.

In Spanish Civil War you take command of the Condor Legion and in line with the Grand Campaign traditions you will be able to transfer your veterans, hardened by three years of fighting in Spain, to the next campaigns.

A unique and innovative feature of the Spanish Civil War campaign is how you will communicate and coordinate with your AI-controlled allies. Nationalist Spanish troops are not under your direct control, but you will still be able to issue high-level orders to your allies (like “Attack”, “Defend” and “Hold Ground”) so that their actions better match your own strategy. This creates a completely new experience never seen before in a Panzer Corps campaign. We can’t wait to hear your feedback about this new way of playing.

(https://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/axis/PC2-SpanishCivilWar_screenshot1.jpg)

(https://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/axis/PC2-SpanishCivilWar_screenshot2.jpg)



(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/f91aa5880c010313b7e5181d3099348e8a210a51.png)


Axis Operations - 1939

The next part of our future content plans will release on August 27th, and it will be Axis Operations: 1939.

But once again... we're still not quite in Poland yet. Axis Operations 1939 starts in March of 1939, which I'm sure our history buffs will recognize as the important date when Germany marched into Czechoslovakia.

That scenario, by the way, has some very unusual mechanics attached to it. If you've ever wondered why they call them Panzer 35(t) and Panzer 38(t) you'll found out here.

After that... we're still not quite getting to Poland just yet. Something else happened in 1939, a battle that might have actually changed the course of history. There was a French invasion of Germany! We're going to explore that conflict.

To compare with the original Grand Campaign, we're already looking at more than 20 battles worth of new content before we get to the fighting in Poland in 1939.

After 1939 is completed, once again your CORE force will be saved, so that they will be ready for the next instalment of the Axis Operations.
 

Field Marshal Edition - 7 days Priority access

As mentioned above, the first two Axis Operations campaigns will release on July 16th and August 27th. We do have an extra surprise for all our Field Marshal Edition owners, though.

All of you who own the Field Marshal Edition will get priority access to the first two Axis Operations campaigns, a full seven days before their release dates!

Field Marshal Edition owners will be able to download, install and play Spanish Civil War on July 9th and 1939 on August 20th.

More information on both DLCs will be available in the future, with a complete description, scenarios list, details on new units and new screenshots!


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on June 19, 2020, 03:02:47 PM
Panzer Corps 2 - Spanish Civil War || Dev Diary #1
Wed Jun 17, 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/89433030ca8e77fd146e168d734c2d154fe4b91a.jpg)

After last week's DLC reveal announcement went out, we were humbled by our community’s fantastic response and excited enquiries, so we've prepared a follow up for you to further sink your teeth into.

Here are a few additional details regarding Panzer Corps 2's upcoming Axis Operations - Spanish Civil War.

(https://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/axis/Em1%20jpeg.jpg)

Extra details on the Spanish Civil War

The Axis Operations campaigns aren't just going to be more scenarios.  The goal is to be bigger, better, and more advanced than the campaign that Panzer Corps 2 has already provided. 

1.  The factions involved, and new mechanics to represent them.

So, in our research of the Spanish Civil War, we uncovered a wealth of information that we felt deserved some recognition in the gameplay.  The Spanish Civil War wasn't just a Nationalist faction attempting to overthrow a Republican faction, there were Falangists and Communists and Monarchist and Anarchist factions all taking sides. Not to mention all of the foreign involvement from fascist Italy and Germany to the International brigades and Soviet military aid...

Suffice to say, it was not a simple conflict.

(https://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/axis/brun1%20jpeg.jpg)

(https://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/axis/spain%20map%20jpeg.jpg)

Historically, German aid to Nationalist Spain during the Spanish Civil War was fairly unique in nature.  There were no mass divisions of German infantry roaming the battlefields of Spain.  Such a level of military aid would have seriously undermined the legitimacy of the Spanish Nationalist cause.  The Condor Legion was primarily made up of aircraft, though there were some other armour and supporting artillery and air defence assets at their disposal.

To try and properly represent some of this complexity, we've done several things. 

Firstly, we're adding a wealth of infantry types to the game.  Players should expect to encounter everything from Republican militia troops to Franco's professional Army of Africa colonial troops to standard Republican Mixed Brigades (Brigada Mixta) to various International Brigade formations and more.

Each infantry type has been carefully stat balanced to present a good spectrum of unit types, and here are just a few of the infantry that we've created new models for, all based on historical references.

(https://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/axis/inf1%20jpeg.jpg)

Secondly, rather than just placing pre-scripted friendly AI controlled units on the board, we've added a new system of communication so that the campaigning player can influence the behaviour of their computer controlled friendly forces!  We felt this would be a very interesting new feature to bring to Panzer Corps 2, and look forward to putting it in your hands very soon.

The reality of this conflict has dramatically altered gameplay, because it means that the player has no German infantry of any kind at their disposal for the length of the Spanish Civil War.  You will be expected to work closely together with the AI controlled Spanish Nationalists to achieve your victories.

With the player controlling tanks, artillery, and air forces and the AI controlling all infantry forces, coordination and co-operating between you and the Spanish Nationalists is the key to achieving victory above and beyond the most basic of objectives.

(https://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/axis/AQ1%20jpeg.jpg)

And prepare for the dramatic conclusion of the Spanish Civil War that will feature the very first multi-sided, 3-way conflict in a Panzer Corps 2 campaign scenario.

Because we realize that this design change may be too radical for some, we have taken an extra step to make sure the Italian CTV (Corpo Truppe Volontarie) has proper representation in this conflict.  If a player is so inclined that they feel they must have their own infantry, Italian CTV forces are available.


2.  New Enemies

To aid in their fight against the player, the AI has received several improvements since the launch of Panzer Corps 2, and it also has received several new types of orders that it can use to good effect.  Hit and run tactics were especially prevalent and are at the AI's disposal in these campaigns, so maintaining secure flanks and good vanguards for your forces will be more important than ever before.

Additionally, we're levelling the playing field by introducing Panzer Corps 2's first appearance of enemy units with hero abilities attached to them.  Double Fire artillery and Zone of Control ignoring tanks have joined the ranks of the enemy, so watch out.

There might even be a very special “Nemesis” level enemy unit that might just haunt and harass you throughout the course of the entire campaign... unless you manage to defeat them decisively!  Mechanically, this represents the first appearance of enemy units that can potentially survive and progress between scenarios.

(https://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/axis/vega%20jpeg.jpg)


3.  New scenario victory conditions beyond Victory Hex capturing.

One complaint about the traditions of Panzer General and Panzer Corps is the lack of mission variety.  We've all seen maybe a bit too much of 'Capture all Victory Hexes' by now, we think.

While we’ll still make appropriate use of this mission type occasionally, players will also see a lot more objective variety moving forward.  Missions types such as rescue, escort, interception, mine laying, and others have been spread out across the campaign.

And the way we've balanced this is by bringing back Degrees of Victory.  Rather than have every mission be a binary 'win or lose', we've added more variety.  Every scenario has a basic objective that you must complete to progress the campaign.  This is the lowest degree of victory though, and is suitably easy to achieve.

However.

If you really want to see some very unique rewards and bonuses, you'll want to push yourself to accomplish the far more difficult and varied bonus objectives.

We've even implemented a new currency system to handle this interaction.  As you complete bonus objectives, you’ll earn Commendation Points.  At various points in the campaign, offers will be made to players who have earned enough Commendation Points... offers of fantastic bounties of captured equipment, special prototype units, and possibly even access to famous and legendary historical aces and officers of the war.

(https://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/axis/galland%20jpeg.jpg)

A full roster of new units being added to Panzer Corps 2 alongside the Axis Operations – Spanish Civil War release will be coming soon, as will complete scenario lists for both Axis Operations – Spanish Civil War and Axis Operations – 1939.

We hoped you’ve enjoyed this bonus reveal and are looking forward to firing up your Panzers for a new campaign full of new features starting next month.

(https://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Panzer%20Corps%202/axis/em3%20jpeg.jpg)

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on June 25, 2020, 01:21:11 AM
Join the Beta for Panzer Corps 2: Spanish Civil War
24 June 2020

From Mastrix/Slitherine

We are looking for willing testers for the upcoming DLC of Panzer Corps 2, Spanish Civil War.

If you are willing to give it a try and give us your honest opinion, you can apply here (https://www.slitherine.com/beta/panzer-corps-2-axis-operations-spanish-civil-war).


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on July 01, 2020, 11:48:53 PM
Panzer Corps 2 - Spanish Civil War || Dev Diary #2
Wed, 1 July 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/de86f63b921067be830438ed37aa457d41abb50d.jpg)

In order to properly represent the battles of the upcoming DLC we have added dozens of unit models.

New Units and You

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/282c3759bdc25255f89d1889f08a95b6a6536e03.jpg)

With the Field Marshal access of the Spanish Civil War only days away, we have one more dev diary for you to enjoy before you embark on your own journey into the new Panzer Corps 2 DLC. In order to properly represent the battles of the upcoming DLC, we have added dozens of unit models and also unit entries to the game files.

And today, we want to highlight the fantastic work our artists have done for us in providing you with these awesome new weapons of war. At the bottom of this announcement, you can find a complete list of all unit entries that have been added to Panzer Corps 2 alongside the first two Axis Operations DLC that are included in your Field Marshal editions.


New Models

Panzer I Breda

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/bc4169503ba350ba05b8ca3a9d0e849f5f2658ae.jpg)

First off, we have a conversion of the humble Panzer I. Historically, this field modification was done as the Nationalists, Germans, and Italians in Spain quickly realized the machinegun armament of the Panzer I was insufficient to take on Soviet made, Republican manned, T-26 tanks.

Experimental Tank Design Codename: Verdeja 2

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/eb26d91dcafc1ba21328600e9d64a1848e152e66.jpg)

THIS INFORMATION IS CLASSIFIED. THIS UNIT IS UNAVAILABLE BY NORMAL PURCHASING MEANS AND CAN ONLY BE ACQUIRED BY ALTERNATIVE MEANS...

Henschel Hs-123a

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/40d8d0e45027ff36cafe6ab711bcbc01cdac2364.jpg)

Next, we have a biplane unit that many players will probably recognize, as it continued to serve with the Wehrmacht into World War II. The Henschel 123a proved to be a reliable and rugged ground attack aircraft even in very cold weather conditions.

Heinkel He-70 Rayo (Spanish nickname: Lightning)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/816f365ea9766a3554e1b07a23521d4bfd013dcc.jpg)

The primary recon aircraft for the player in the Spanish Civil War, the He-70 Rayo offers great movement speed, high vision radius, and spotting bonuses against nearby enemy units. For the time, it was an extremely fast aircraft, setting numerous world speed records even before the start of the Spanish Civil War.

Sdkfz 221

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/01a608e38c24048a09e4a06aac4d11c04a73c587.jpg)

The predecessor to the very well known and popular German recon vehicle sdkfz 222, the 221's most notable different is the smaller, machine gun armed turret.

Heinkel He-112

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/ef965bde220bce7d99655e9172ced7b2bc1cbe62.jpg)

One of many fighter designs Germany was eager to experiment with during the Spanish Civil War. Despite performing exceptional well in trials and even seeing some combat testing in Spain, ultimately the sleek looking He-112 would be overshadowed by the superior performing and now well renowned Messerschmitt BF-109 fighter.

Trubia

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/c956dd90e9b162ae243ff334e4ee80f681391a0f.jpg)

Our first non-German new model to look at today, we have the bizarre Trubia tank. Pressed into service, the Trubia wasn't a purpose built tank. It served as one of several tractor conversions fielded by Spanish Republican forces to combat their Nationalist foes. Despite its large barrels looking like cannons, the Trubia was armed exclusively with machineguns only. The thick covering that makes the barrel look like a cannon are actually cooling jackets.
By the way, if anyone designs plush toys, let us know. We want an adorable Trubia tank plushie please!

Bilbao

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/41bf9dcc0cdce35c5e6dcc8b2fa0ba3c5391637d.jpg)

One of several armored cars present in the campaign, the antiquated Bilbao vehicle will be a regular, but not terribly threatening, sight on the battlefield, especially in the early years of the Spanish Civil War.

UNL-35

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/df5210f2fe350de7f536e316763a5b8749f048a9.jpg)

Unlike the maligned Bilbao, the UNL-35 was a much more formidable armored car. It is clear to see the design's Soviet origins, and the performance of this vehicle is actually respectable and perhaps even superior to the somewhat under-gunned sdkfz 221. A potentially valuable prize to capture and field in your own army.

I-16 (Spanish Nationalist nickname Rata, Republican nickname Mosca)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/4ec7eacdb9c17784e7ecca1310970fc4771bd79c.jpg)

No coverage of the Spanish Civil War would be complete without the presence of Soviet I-16 fighters. These aircraft operated in Spain as early as late 1936, and proved extremely effective at dealing with German He-51 biplane fighters. Not until the arrival of the BF-109B would the Ratas finally be cleared from the skies of Spain during the massive Battle of the Ebro.

Spanish Militia, Guardia Civil, Regulars, Colonial Infantry, and International Brigades

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/b2fadc0a140c07d587aaf5ce3185eadea57dc01a.jpg)

We touched on the various new infantry appearing in the Spanish Civil War, but here is a closer look at them. Both sides fielded various militia and guardia civil units. Nationalist Regulares are the equal of the Republican Brigada Mixtas. Franco's elite professionals of the Army of Africa take the form of Colonial infantry, while various Republican International brigades offer extremely determined resistance to any Nationalist or Condor Legion assault!

We hope you enjoyed this preview showcasing just a few of the new unit models arriving soon in Panzer Corps 2. You can look forward to discovering even more of the new unit models once you launch into the Spanish Civil War DLC Campaign!


New Unit Entries List

CONDOR LEGION
Panzer IA
Panzer IB
Panzer IIA
Sdkfz 221
Sdkfz 222
Sdkfz 231 6 rad
3.7cm Pak 36
Panzer I Breda
2cm FlaK 30
3.7cm FlaK 18
Sdkfz 10/4
8.8cm Flak 18
7.5cm FK 16 nA
10.5cm leFH 18
He-51
He-112
BF-109B
He-70 Rayo
He-123a
He-45
Ju-87a
Ju-52 bomber
Ju-86
Do-17z

SPANISH NATIONALIST
Militia
Regulares
Guardia Civil
Colonial Infantry
ES Cavalry
Verdeja 2
37mm Bofors

SPANISH REPUBLICAN
Militia
Brigada Mixta
Guardia Civil
International Brigade
BT-5
T-26
Trubia
FT-17
BA-6
Bilbao
UNL-35
AAC-1937
37mm M1930
45mm M1932
20mm M33
75mm Vickers M31
76.2 M31
70mm Schneider M08
75mm Schneider M06
105mm Vickers M22
122mm M10/30
152mm M10/30
I-15
I-16
Tupolev SB

ITALY
CTV Infantry
Cr32
Lancia Ansaldo 1ZM
SM81

GERMAN
Azul Infanterie
Azul Infanterie 43

CZECH
CZ Infantry
CZ Engineers
LT vz.35
LT vz.38
OA vz.30
3.7cm KPUV
20mm VKPL
83.5mm Skoda
75mm vz.15
100mm Skoda vz14/19
150mm vz.25

DANISH
DK Infantry
DK Guards
DK Motorcycle
37mm Bofors
20mm M/38
75mm FRC M27
 

Extra Information

All new units and units models are available FOR FREE for all owners of any edition of Panzer Corps 2 to enjoy in their own custom content. These units and unit models will arrive in a patch alongside the Spanish Civil War DLC or Axis Operations 1939.
No extra purchase is required for any non-campaign asset.


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on July 10, 2020, 12:18:15 AM
Panzer Corps 2 - Spanish Civil War || Full DLC Details
Wed, 8 July 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/79b3dce4614415478cdcce9c265ff67c219ec409.jpg)

Spanish Civil War will be released tomorrow to all Panzer Corps 2 Field Marshal Edition owners.


Tomorrow we will give you all the information you need on how to access and download the first DLC. For everyone else, the DLC will be released one week later, on July 16th.

We're aware many of you want to know everything about the DLC. You can ask us anything you want on the forum, but you can start by looking at the new store page, which contains new screenshots and information on new content and features, including a full scenarios list.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1351261/Panzer_Corps_2_Axis_Operations__Spanish_Civil_War/


Last but not least, last Friday we livestreamed one of the scenarios coming with Spanish Civil War. We just uploaded the video on youtube.


https://youtu.be/sVRGBBApiec


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on July 10, 2020, 12:43:21 AM
Spanish Civil War is now available to Field Marshal owners
Thu, 9 July 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/5f073579a94e58694512851762156f1fb3abc000.jpg)

You are now able to update the game if you own the Field Marshal Edition.

All players who own the Field Marshal Edition of Panzer Corps 2 are now able to update the game automatically through Steam and download the first DLC, Spanish Civil War.

Spanish Civil War is the first DLC in the Axis Operations series, an ambitious series of linked DLCs representing the entirety of World War II from the perspective of the Wehrmacht.

Command the German expeditionary force to Spain and fight alongside your Nationalist allies in a series of 16 scenarios.

For everyone else the DLC will be released next week, on July 16th.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1351261/Panzer_Corps_2_Axis_Operations__Spanish_Civil_War/


If you own the Field Marshal Edition of Panzer Corps 2, Steam should now update your version automatically. If not, try to restart your Steam client.

Important: unfortunately we have run a bit late with localizations. Localization in languages other than English are incomplete and might have unlocalized strings. We apologize for the problem and we acknowledge it is our fault. We are working to complete them as quickly as we can, and it should be a matter of days before they are fixed.

The DLC is accompanied by a patch, Patch 1.1.4.

v1.1.4 Changelog:

- Unit plates now display new markers for heroes and medals
- Added an option to toggle hex markers (victory hex, secondary objective and supply hex), and a corresponding hotkey (Shift+H)
- Loading screen now shows loading progress (by background gradually transitioning from dark to normal)
- Added three final tactical advisor clips to Tutorial Section
- Added russian and chinese localizations for Spanish campaign
- Various minor tweaks and fixes
- Added 54 camo skins and new colours for Field Marshal Edition and General Edition owners
- Added 9 camo skins for all players


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on July 15, 2020, 12:42:12 AM
Panzer Corps 2 - v1.01.05 Update
Tue, 14 July 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/1072040/ss_3f6fe5b580e46ee3dfe47299a1b7901436230ffd.1920x1080.jpg?t=1594117226)

A new patch, preparing the release of Spanish Civil War in two days.

We are releasing a patch for Panzer Corps 2, in preparation of the release of Spanish Civil War in two days.

It includes a fix for a crash occuring at the end of the last scenario, and introduces the missing localizations for Briefings and Debriefings in the new Spanish Civil War campaign.

Changelog:
- Added missing languages for Briefings and Debriefings for Spanish Civil War
- Fixed issue with crash at end of Madrid 1939


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on July 17, 2020, 02:09:35 AM
Axis Operations: Spanish Civil War is out
Thu, 16 July 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/e8ddb1d4a761228a5cb40743824cae4faa118ebb.jpg)

It is time to head to Spain.

The first DLC for Panzer Corps 2, Axis Operations: Spanish Civil War, is out now.

https://youtu.be/G--GQQkPWKM


FROM COUP TO CIVIL WAR

Experience the entirety of the Spanish Civil War from start to end in this full length campaign stretching from July 1936 to March 1939.

Fight your way through more than a dozen battles of the Spanish Civil War including major engagements at Madrid, Malaga, Brunete, Teruel, and even the massive Battle of the Ebro.

Explore this rarely covered conflict through new bonus mission objectives taken straight from the pages of history. In addition to normal combat, you'll be tasked objectives such as airlifting Franco's Army of Africa from Morocco to Seville, attacking the Republican battleship Jaime I at Malaga, or assisting one of the last mass Cavalry charges in the history of warfare at Teruel.


AXIS OPERATIONS HAVE ONLY JUST BEGUN

The end of the Spanish Civil War is not the end of your campaign though, it is merely the beginning.
At the conclusion of the Spanish Civil War DLC, your Wehrmacht army will be saved for use in the next installment of the Axis Operations Campaign.

Any campaign of the Axis Operations can be played individually as a standalone campaign.

The next installment of the Axis Operations series will be 1939. Stay tuned for more information in the future.

Last but not least, if you'd like to see Spanish Civil War played live we are going to play Spanish Civil War live on Twitch at 6 pm BST today on the Slitherine channel https://www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup/


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on August 10, 2020, 11:29:52 PM
Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1939 || Dev Diary # 1
10 Aug 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/0d84de849d43536f8b773368948d0171c9d4ffd8.jpg)

EXTRA DETAILS ON THE NEW AXIS OPERATIONS DLC 1939

With July's launch of the Spanish Civil War DLC, our players have received half of their Field Marshal package DLC. And now your battles will continue and Field Marshal editions will be complete as we reveal some details and insights on the next chapter of the Axis Operations Grand Campaign.

As a foreword: the full scenario list will be coming soon with the launch of 1939's DLC store page, so be on the lookout for that!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/efc53c5e4cd89ce21e2f97837caad067a76ee435.pngimg]

[b]1. WORLD WAR II PROPER[/b]

While the Spanish Civil War was a great opportunity to explore a new setting and new mechanics for Panzer Corps II, we definitely want returning to mainline World War II to have a much more classic feeling.

Well not too classic, because we've been very happy to see the overwhelming majority of our players celebrate the return of Degrees of Victory through bonus objectives. You will definitely expect to see more mission variety once again, and more new and exciting rewards to purchase with your hard-earned Commendation Points.

[img]https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/a2e19ef556842a3893540d9aa6f8c49156cc09d1.png)

In fact the bonus objective of the very first mission of Axis Operations 1939 is... to not destroy a single enemy unit. We said that the Czechoslovakia mission had some special mechanics, and we meant it!

You will have to carefully navigate the (relatively) peaceful annexation of Czechoslovakia with a carefully measured hand instead of barging in and destroying everything in sight (that comes later, don't worry). For those with the knowledge and abilities to carefully control enemy positioning through suppression and retreat, another unique reward awaits. But just to make sure our first mission isn't stonewalling our players right out of the gate, preservation of hostile forces is of course only a bonus objective.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/afbd635dc7cbf0f626f9a32c54d3ae65102434e1.png)

2. THE PATH TO WAR

After your stint in Czechoslovakia, expect a very healthy sized campaign that will take you from missions on the French/German border conflict of Operation Saar, to the classic battles of the Polish invasion, and beyond as may you find yourself already running afoul of Soviet forces advancing from the other direction...

Opportunities abound to acquire new equipment to outfit your personalized force with, so always be on the lookout for various secrets and other non-standard ways of procuring new weaponry!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/4812823428c6fe9d3cb1c141b1d7db1b13cef61d.png)

But as your personal Panzer Corps continues to grow and expand, new enemies and challenges will also continue to evolve and change as well, so don't get too complacent!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/46b4384126ddceb3ac4d800ac91a381b5b673723.png)

3. THE WAR IS JUST BEGINNING

As with the Spanish Civil War, the end of the 1939 campaign will ideally not be the end of your campaign journey.  At the end of Axis Operations 1939, your CORE forces and their haul of captured equipment will once again be saved for future use...

While our historically minded players probably know what historical battles still lie ahead... we think it's a safe guarantee that extra mission variety and exploring relatively unexplored conflicts will continue to make visiting the European theatre of World War II both familiar to those with historical knowledge, and yet still fresh and new as we dive into interesting historical details to shape the battles you will fight through.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/6f1d11ddc58be006044a32d5ef5de34b4cb53079.png)

4. NO MORE AI PARTNERS... FOR NOW

While we were thrilled to hear so many of our players enjoying the new and innovative features of having an AI counterpart fight alongside you, we want to point out that such a partnership isn't a mainline feature of the Axis Operations. It has no historical place during the 1939 campaigns and battles, and we're not going to try and shoehorn it in where it doesn't belong.

So gone are your AI Ally controlled infantry, once again full access to German infantry forces dominates the battlescape!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/688f045c64ae30b1caa9c8e42bae569f99236217.png)

Will we see friendly AI forces in the future?  We certainly hope so, when it is historically appropriate. For example, working alongside with Italian or Romanian commands is absolutely on the table. Ideally, we will also refine the system for more control. For example, it would definitely be helpful to order general directives to some friendly units, but not all units at once. So one group might be sent to hold a particular position, while another is sent out hunting for enemy scouts.

We hope you enjoyed this extra reveal and are looking forward to returning to your Panzers for another new campaign full of new battles coming near the end of this month!

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on August 14, 2020, 12:24:39 PM
Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1939 preview stream
14 Aug 2020

(https://www.slitherine.com/images/news/2535/spotlight_image.jpg)

Join Matrix/Slitherine Twitch (http://"https://twitch.tv/slitherinegroup") later today, August 14th, 6 PM BST, for a preview stream of Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1939.


Eager to find out more? Have a look at the newly published product page (https://www.slitherine.com/game/panzer-corps-2-axis-operations-1939) and check out the second chapter of the Axis Operations Grand Campaign.

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on August 18, 2020, 12:34:23 AM
Panzer Corps 2 Axis Operations 1939 Player AAR Preview
Mon, 17 August 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/19f0ebaa0e52afee7c8ce1357e3c6327bf234eef.jpg)

With the second Panzer Corps DLC coming this month, we have a special preview to share with you.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/009a1ae00c0b0934f5a9254a0ee7d534600c678c.jpg)

With the second Panzer Corps DLC coming soon, we have a special preview from one of our beta testers to share with you: a detailed play by play of the very unusual and unique Czechoslovakia scenario that starts the campaign.

Because this is such an unorthodox scenario, this AAR preview also serves as a de facto guide to finishing the scenario as quickly and easily as possible while also satisfying the main bonus objective. So consider this a major spoiler warning!

Thanks to our Beta tester Monkspider for providing the following AAR.

Monkspider's Flawless Czechoslovakia Run

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Welcome to my scenario guide for Panzer Corp 2's latest DLC Axis Operations 1939. In this DLC you will get to visit a wide variety of locations all over Europe, the first of which is here in Czechoslovakia!
After the Munich Agreement in 1938, Germany annexed the Sudetenland which included the Czechs' extensive mountain fortifications. Then in March 1939 Germany annexed the rest of the country, betraying their previous promises at Munich and gaining all of Czechoslovakia's extensive industrial base for themselves. This scenario focuses on this final occupation of the country.

In this scenario our goal is to either occupy ten objective hexes or to occupy Prague and Pilzen. Here's the kicker though, if we want to accomplish the bonus objective we must do one of these two things WITHOUT destroying any enemy units. If we manage this, we will earn five commendation points. With some smart play, it can even be done VERY quickly and easily. A lot of players struggled with this bonus objective in testing but with this guide you can speedrun the scenario while still achieving the bonus objective.

My plan was to have two attack forces attacking down the western and eastern sides of the map respectively. You have total vision of the map due to Czech informants which greatly helps in your ability to formulate a plan. Because I knew artillery was going to be so useful I bought a couple more artillery units before the battle started. This purchase ended up being a little excessive. It seems like the scenario starts you off with more artillery than I remembered in the older version of it, oh well! You do want at least two or three artillery units though. Oh, and one other essential detail that will your life so much easier, have a bridge engineer with your troops going along the western edge. You will see what I mean later. Luckily the preset core was kind enough to start me off with one. If you are importing, strongly consider buying one just for this battle.

So, for the first turn, my eastern task force had a Czech anti-tank gun to dislodge. Remember, we can't completely kill enemy units but we can sure damage them. I used my artillery to weaken it and then attack it with infantry which caused it to retreat from the objective hex and then occupied the hex with a Panzer. The aforementioned infantry would stay behind to guard the hex for the rest of the scenario. The rest of my units headed east over the river.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/1ecbaa5c6ecd9e0f4698aafdc823be6facb286ff.jpg)

In the west my troops had no enemy units to contend with yet, they just headed toward the western edges of the map and over the river, capturing another one of the ten objective hexes. There is also an objective hex you start off controlling so I had an infantry unit stay behind to defend it.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/92f6f05b70998aeb6290f9e2bca9bb8e74f48e4f.jpg)

That was all for my first turn. At the start of my second turn I got a notification that I was getting a free infantry unit. Hey, that's great! I could use some extra troops to help guard the river line where you start off at from enemy counter-attacks. It's always nice to have a lucky turn of events such as this. The infantry unit comes from our previous conflict in Spain and even non-importing players will get them.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/a94c23418efc10b348cc308f372e15359d96dd66.jpg)

The unit is called “Azul Infanterie” and is reference to the famous elite unit of Spanish volunteers called the Blue Division (or Blau or Azul, whichever you prefer) that fought for Germany on the Eastern Front.

Well, back to the battle, in the east my troops continued advancing. I set up my units to attack an enemy unit guarding one of the objective hexes on the next turn.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/a637386c8c85b6fa8d7d6d85b9f4f3f125564c56.jpg)

In the west I came across some entrenched infantry guarding a non-objective city. Even though its not a necessary city for scenario, he is definitely in my way! I set up my units so that I could try to nudge him out of the way next turn so my troops can keep heading south.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/0b2b5972b8b7e7cdb6710b1bf2aa80ab7f807420.jpg)

In between turns an AI armored unit attacked one of my starting objective hexes, luckily I had a couple units there to defend it including my new Azul Infanterie. Remember to guard those objectives!

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/82259bf49758b7934b4b6966aaf012e8ba98ee3f.jpg)

On to the next turn. My eastern units captured the objective they were in position for. As always, the key is to use artillery to soften the enemy up and then attack to dislodge them from their position but do not kill them. I then moved troops in position to capture the next objective. I am now just north of Prague which appears to be an open city.

In the west things required a more delicate touch. I softened up the enemy infantry that was blocking my way with artillery then moved a recon car to the right of the enemy and attacked. It was important I attack from this direction because I wanted the enemy to retreat to the left. It retreated and I attacked again with infantry which moved it one more space which gave plenty of room for my units to now move through unimpeded. You have to keep in mind if an enemy wants to retreat but doesn't have any more movement point, it will surrender. Since it was a normal infantry unit I knew I could make it retreat twice without it surrendering because a surrendered unit would cause us to fail the bonus objective.

After getting that enemy infantry out of the way the rest of my western task force steamed on ahead to the south and towards the last objectives. My bridge engineer was necessary for crossing the river without having to approach the heavily defended Pilzen. Luckily I managed to get him very close to the river and captured another victory point.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/bcc7779e4f520b0853f890ea8a79376121083cd3.jpg)

It's now turn 4. In the east I captured another objective using the same techniques after putting my troops in position last turn. My recon car headed south toward the last objectives which appeared to be undefended. The rest of my eastern task force is going to need to stay in place to defend against an enemy counterattack that appears to be brewing.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/68e3e5be7b0a0abf61f51b0d02498e0870f4f680.jpg)

In the west my bridge engineer gets into position and allows all of my troops to cross the river, bypassing Pilzen and also capturing another objective. There are now only two objectives left and both are undefended. The end is near! I think I can finish the scenario next turn.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/38a8912656d7a598a8bf39132dc4b0cdbcf4160b.jpg)

In between turns the AI continued attacking my troops in the east around Prague. There were three objectives being threatened over there, but luckily my troops manage to hold the day. They received a penalty being on river hexes so I think an optimal strategy might be to try to defend the hex in front of the objective hex. Oh well, at least I kept a lot of units in the area.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/cd2e101b8f8bcd7e8ed1a6d59697dfbf08dbbb08.jpg)

I wasn't able to finish the scenario on turn 6. The Recon car from my eastern task force captured one objective but an enemy recon car from around Pilzen got in the way of my western troops from getting the last one. Those cursed Bohemians! Oh well, just a small setback.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/5d9ddc126755077616aad94a8bcd6b826253e499.jpg)

A very small setback indeed, on turn 7 my recon car entered the last objective hex and the scenario instantly ended and Hauptman Wagner delivering the debriefing. I actually did it, a complete victory, satisfying even the bonus objective! The five commendation points were mine! Now, time to claim that bonus hero I was telling you about in the next scenario. Who is this hero, and what does he do? You will just have to play to find out!

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/a45dde82421b40ea3619ccfbaf3ae3e58e78dda4.jpg)

Well, I thank you for reading my AAR. I highly recommend you check out both chapters of the Axis Operations DLC series for Panzer Corps 2, both Spanish Civil War and 1939. They are full of extremely-well crafted scenarios, great writing, likable characters and lots of replay value!



Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on August 20, 2020, 11:13:46 PM
1939 is available now for all owners of the Field Marshal Edition of Panzer Corps 2
20 Aug 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/7dd4f6b4a41a26118ab1f8d20cb4606b13f5c6a2.jpg)


All players who own the Field Marshal Edition (https://www.slitherine.com/game/panzer-corps-2-field-marshal-edition/pc) of Panzer Corps 2 are now able to update the game through the updater on the Slitherine launcher and download the second DLC, 1939 (https://www.slitherine.com/game/panzer-corps-2-axis-operations-1939).

1939 is the second DLC in the Axis Operations series, an ambitious series of linked DLCs representing the entirety of World War II from the perspective of the Wehrmacht.

With the valuable lessons learned from the Spanish Civil War behind them, Germany turns towards the rest of Europe with vengeance in its eyes. Vengeance for the treatment of their country under the despised Treaty of Versailles.

Whiles the Allies attempt to pursue their strategy of Appeasement, Germany moves to secure more and more lost territory. After the 1938 annexation of the Sudetenland, the decision is made to gobble up the rest of Czechoslovakia. Once again, your Wehrmacht forces are called to action...

For everyone else the DLC will be released next week, on August 27th.

If you own the Field Marshal Edition of Panzer Corps 2, you will be able to update your version of Panzer Corps 2 by running the launcher for the game and run the automatic updater. The DLC and the accompanying patch will then be downloaded and installed.

Important: unfortunately we have run a bit late with localizations. Localization in languages other than English are incomplete and might have unlocalized strings. We apologize for the problem and we acknowledge it is our fault. We are working to complete them as quickly as we can, and it should be a matter of days before they are fixed.

The DLC is accompanied by a patch, Patch 1.1.8.

v1.1.8 Changelog:

- Added localizations for 1939
- Added new UI for transferring core force from one campaign to another
- Added "limited deployment" functionality. When the size of player's core exceeds the number of slots in a scenario, some units must be moved to Reserve before deployment can be made.
- "Leadership" and "Aiming Assistance" heroes now affect all adjacent units (both ground and air)
- Minor tweaks and fixes

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on August 27, 2020, 11:15:31 PM
Panzer Corps 2 - v1.1.9 Update
Thu, 27 August 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1072040/ss_3f6fe5b580e46ee3dfe47299a1b7901436230ffd.1920x1080.jpg?t=1598537371)

We are releasing the new update for Panzer Corps 2 accompanying the release of the Axis Operations - 1939 DLC.

We are releasing the new update for Panzer Corps 2 accompanying the release of the Axis Operations - 1939 DLC. The DLC itself will be released in 40 minutes.

Unfortunately we are late with the localizations in three languages: French, Polish and Brazilian Portuguese. Those three languages will have a few incomplete lines. We really apologize for that, and we'll look into patching them in as soon as possible.


Changelog Version 1.1.9:

- Fixed issues with launching the Editor and with launching scenarios from the Editor
- German, Spanish, Russian and Chinese translations are now fully complete


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on August 27, 2020, 11:17:49 PM
Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1939 is out
Thu, 27 August 2020

The first year of World War II at your fingertips.
The second chapter of the Axis Operations series of DLCs is now available.

Take command of the Wehrmacht in the first crucial year of war. With the valuable lessons learned from the Spanish Civil War behind them, Germany turns towards the rest of Europe with vengeance in its eyes. Vengeance for the treatment of their country under the despised Treaty of Versailles.

While the Allies attempt to pursue their strategy of Appeasement, Germany moves to secure more and more lost territory. After the 1938 annexation of the Sudetenland, the decision is made to gobble up the rest of Czechoslovakia. Once again, your commanding ability will be put to test...

https://youtu.be/UAkv28iywX0


Explore both obscure and well known battles of World War II through various scenarios and bonus mission objectives taken straight from the pages of history. In addition to normal combat, you'll be tasked objectives such as capturing Czechoslovakian factories without bloodshed , setting up minefields to delay the French Saar Offensive, securing Bzura River bridges against massive Polish counterattacks, and even seizing control of tiny Denmark to clear the way for Operation Weserübung: the invasion of Norway.

The Axis Operations continue

The end of 1939 is not the end of your campaign though, it is merely the latest step. At the conclusion of Axis Operations 1939, players will again be presented with the option to save their core force for use in the next installment of the Axis Operations Campaign.

Any campaign of the Axis Operations can be played individually as a standalone campaign.

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on September 15, 2020, 11:08:47 PM
Panzer Corps 2 - v1.1.10 Update
Tue, 15 September 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1072040/ss_3f6fe5b580e46ee3dfe47299a1b7901436230ffd.1920x1080.jpg?t=1598537371)

A new update for Panzer Corps 2 has been released

We are releasing a new update for Panzer Corps 2. It is a smaller one, adding the missing localizations, fixing a few bugs and introducing some balance tweaks.

Let us know what you think.

Change History:

v1.01.10 – September 09th, 2020
• Added missing localizations
• Added achievements for finishing the 1939 campaign
• Fixed some typos in achievement texts
• Changes in Axis Operations 1939 campaign:
Czechoslovakia
• Players who do not import from Spain now receive extra starting prestige in this DLC campaign
Warsaw
• Chance for rain reduced to 0% to prevent losing special prototype gift.
Raate Road
• LaGG-3 fighters replaced with I-16s
Taipale
• LaGG-3 reinforcement fighters replaced with I-16s
• Most starting LaGG-3 fighters replaced with I-15s
• Lone remaining starting LaGG-3 fighter souped up with overstrength, experience, and a hero

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on September 24, 2020, 02:17:04 AM
Upgrade Panzer Corps 2 with the General Edition Upgrade Pack
Wed, 23 September 2020

You can now upgrade your copy of Panzer Corps 2 and obtain bonus content.

We are removing from sale the old General Edition and Field Marshal Edition.
Whoever owns them already doesn't need to worry: you will still retain access to all that you own.

We do want to give an opportunity to everyone to acquire the General Edition content, though.

Therefore we are making a General Edition Upgrade Pack available for sale.

It is a DLC which will give you access to all bonus content included in the General Edition:

- New Bonus scenarios: 4 brand new scenarios in which you can test your mettle against the AI. Face new, original situations and adapt your tactics to overcome your opponents.
- New Camo skins: New 75 exclusive skins are available for your vehicles. In Panzer Corps 2 you can customize the appearance of your units, and with the General Edition you have access to special skins which aren’t accessible in the base game.
- Digital printable Campaign tree chart: A beautiful hi-res printable artwork depicting the branching single player Wehrmacht campaign in Panzer Corps 2, and which choices you can take.
- Digital Wallpapers: 4 Hi-res desktop sized digital wallpapers depicting new Panzer Corps inspired artwork.
- Digital Soundtrack: 16 beautiful tracks composed by the talented Bill Meyers, Dan Bewick and Alexander Shargin, inspired by classic movies on World War II. Available for download as high quality .mp3 files.

You can get it by clicking on the link below.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1233360/header.jpg?t=1600884093)

 Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1233360/Panzer_Corps_2_General_Edition_Upgrade/)

 Slitherine (https://www.slitherine.com/game/panzer-corps-2)

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on October 16, 2020, 02:51:50 AM
Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1940 is coming soon
Thu, 15 October 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/9bbecce19a7104463fdd4da37ea4b6bf8db04d82.jpg)

The third chapter of the Axis Operations series will release on December 10.

We're announcing the new chapter of the Axis Operations series: 1940.

Axis Operations: 1940 is the third DLC for Panzer Corps 2 and it brings you to one of the most crucial moments of World War II: the successful blitzkrieg against the Low Countries, Belgium and France, the invasion of Scandinavia and the Balkans, and even an optional landing in England.

Make sure your Panzers, Stukas and Messerschmitts are ready - Axis Operations: 1940 will be released on December 10.

Just like in the other Axis Operations DLCs, you will be able to import your core army from 1939, and then export it to the next DLC for a continuous mega-campaign. You can also decide to play each Axis Operations DLC as a standalone campaign, though.

We're looking forward to showing you more of the DLC. In the meantime, have a look at the product page and at the screenshots by clicking on the link below.

https://www.slitherine.com/game/panzer-corps-2-axis-operations-1940


Ther new exciting chapter of the Axis Operations series brings you to 1940 and the offensive on France, the Netherlands and Scandinavia.


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on November 10, 2020, 11:31:08 PM
Panzer Corps 2: 1940 - Dev Diary #1
10 Nov 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/eedadc6808b3d89be9c51eabd1517aee7e57f4b8.jpg)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/4c5aec185b63f92324aca221c1de5f92ae786660.png)
First detailed look into Axis Operations 1940
One of the most burning questions repeatedly asked of us is what will become of the current content chain, the Axis Operations?  Last we left off, they've barely entered into the year 1940, stopping just short of Norway.

To get right into it, we're going to be covering new features in this third chapter of the Axis Operation Grand Campaign, reveal more new unit models being added to the game, introduce a very different kind of AI ally, and more!

As always, our primary mission with ongoing Panzer Corps 2 content is to provide our players with more fresh and exciting twists to the gameplay that they already thoroughly enjoy.
One of the best ways to do that is to continue to innovate with new types of missions and objectives, such as this one:
(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/0269e19ace9be49d78fc3c61dbff00679b2d8fe0.png)

We have a mission objective to find and locate friendly units.  Time to get those recon units out, it's a big map out there to scour in search of a missing Panzer Division!

Not only do we have more new objectives, there is an entirely new scenario type being introduced:  Training scenarios!  These scenarios provide our players with a chance to fast track experience on newly purchased or badly damaged units, encounter some very unique situations, and make special preparations for the battles ahead.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/ca6ddc1d1c010c59d31e8d6dce904b7d08d56a28.png)

But standing in your path will be more numerous and more powerful enemies.  From special RAF fighter Squadrons to Charles de Gaulle himself and more, the Allies will test you do everything in their power to stop your blitzkrieg in its tracks.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/5df3227f56d772c6dd053849fba829df97d0cd12.png)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/47de7918a07e6f3fa8b3cfd048e00e405ed60280.png)

Another wave of new, exotic unit models

•   Neubaufahrzeug
(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/09a3bbaef290475586b8b1056316cb6d4119d1cf.png)
•   More Wehrmacht theme content naturally leads with a very unique German tank; the extremely difficult to pronounce Neubaufahrzeug.  This large, multi-turret vehicle was a German experiment with heavy tanks.  Unlike some late war paper Panzers that only exist on drawing boards, several Neubaufahrzeug were actually constructed and participated in combat action in Norway.
•   Despite their overwhelming firepower, their slow speed and surprisingly light armor did not make for an impressive showing, and future German heavy tank experimentation would have to wait before following a different design philosophy...

•   Char 2C
(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/a12ef88c0096b8bf7878e6a2cebd4798d9f9a5fb.png)
•   The largest constructed and operational tank, not just of World War II but of all time, makes an appearance in the France 1940 campaign.  Despite their astounding size and outrageous 69 ton weight, these vehicles were somewhat antiquated by the time World War II had begun.  They were available for, but did not take part in, the failed Saar Offensive because of the impracticality of their design.
•   Unlike the Neubaufahrzeug though, the Char 2C boasted impressive armor surpassing even that of the Char B.  Somewhere out on the battlefields of France you and your army just might run into this behemoth of a vehicle, so make sure your Stukas and 88s are at the ready just in case!

•   M11/39
(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/235a8fa7c8078f08dafe2ef6fab0c2d1f426d3ee.png)
•   Predecessor to the more widely known and somewhat decent Italian M13/40 medium tank, this unit will be getting a unique model instead of having to borrow the skin of the M13/40. 

•   Bf109z
(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/623e3f0e90384812181e3126b8c68957d8ca072c.png)
•   A very experimental design attempting to boost the range and firepower of the excellent Bf-109 by attaching two of them together.  Very few of these aircraft were ever actually built, but it is likely they might have been formidable fighter-bombers and bomber killers.
•   How you might get your hands on this experimental prototype remains to be seen.

•   He111z
(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/974912e0dba907146bfc86d01cf8cbeccc7b12c3.png)
•   What happens when Germany realizes their long range, heavy bomber force is non-existent?  Trying gluing two existing medium bombers together!  Like the experiments with the Bf109z that would follow, the He111z was an attempt to fill new aircraft roles with extreme modifications of existing ones.

•   Target Dummies
(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/df37a83beca4adb0a8d537699693dd5120221178.png)
•   We couldn't have training scenarios without target dummies.  Engage in target practice with these units to turn those 0 experience recruits into well disciplined and starred troops in no time!

These are only a few of the new models being added to the game that will appear in Axis Operations 1940 or the near future.  There are still even more, but this is all we have time to spotlight for the moment...

Rommel in Panzer Corps 2
"Rommel, Rommel, Rommel!  What else matters but beating him?!"
(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/3134b6786b7fa96697c37a646e876e5db9af701a.png)
While it would be a few years before Winston Churchill would utter this famous quote about the German General now best known as the Desert Fox, the truth is that Rommel's military career was incredible even before he set foot in Africa.

During the Battle of France in 1940, Rommel was commander of only a single division, the 7th Panzer.  By the end of the campaign, the division would earn the nickname of Ghost Division.  They would earn this name for their ability to seemingly appear out of nowhere, much to the surprise and devastation of the Allied efforts in France and even to the shock of the German High Command who on more than one occasion lost track of their advance from the sheer speed of it.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/f3b1895a55ea337b75963cbe0137b66a4865581b.png)
To explore this incredible historical figure's campaign through France, one of the biggest features of the 1940 campaign will be your opportunity to fight alongside Rommel and his elite 7th Panzer Division across multiple scenarios.

Rommel will participate in briefings and join your forces on the battlefield.  To make sure Rommel and the 7th Panzer are given their historical dues, their forces are comprised of Elite and Overstrength units, and their AI scripts and settings are the most advanced that Panzer Corps 2 has ever seen.
Rommel's forces can engage an enemy decisively...
(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/ceb34fa175ddc5f1151aa60247ee971b7eb63376.png)
Fall back when damaged to refit and repair...
(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/1ed5ade11aeb8ad4b4735165b93367623e23b4fd.png)
And even help participate in performing humongous encirclements of enemy forces!
(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/71cefa06e58814e3c09ffe9dfb5f414a84e4b350.png)
All of this should combine to provide the player with a very powerful AI partner for a part of their campaigning experience!

Your Feedback
As always, we are reading and listening to your feedback.  Many thousands of posts and messages have greatly improved Panzer Corps 2 for its entire playerbase, and we encourage you to continue to share your thoughts and wants for the game into the future!

In fact, when some eagle eyed community members spotted a bit of an issue with Holland in an earlier screenshot, we made it a priority to make sure it's going to get adjusted while the campaign continues to be put through testing...
(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/dd10b039c261100518de168c7d6ddd88113cd345.jpg)

Conclusion Teaser
We hope you enjoyed this extended preview of the upcoming Axis Operations 1940 DLC and look forward to returning your units to combat soon.

Axis Operations: 1940 is currently finishing it's testing phase, and is scheduled to deploy in early December 2020.

But to those players who have been pining for some non-Axis Campaign content...  It's still too early to say anything concrete on this, but just know that we have heard you, and it's absolutely on our radar!
(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/c8f953ade0d1cdc0023ca42c22349afd370be0e4.png)



Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on November 19, 2020, 12:54:36 AM
Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1940 - Training for Eben-Emael
Wed, 18 November 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/2a7f7ee8385caf4ef4f2a898ffefba4561867124.jpg)

We're releasing the first of a series of battle videos covering some of the scenarios coming with the new DLC.

We're releasing the first of a series of battle videos covering some of the pivotal scenarios coming with the new DLC, Axis Operations: 1940.

The first battle video also covers a new feature: training scenarios.

In Axis Operations: 1940 you can, for the first time, choose to play through specific training scenarios, just like the Wehrmacht historically did. Prior to the attack on Eben-Emael the Wehrmacht practiced with captured fortifications in Czechoslovakia.

https://youtu.be/sQEOR-cUXoY


Furthermore, this Friday we'll have our first preview stream on our Twitch channel at 6 pm GMT https://www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup

Here is the full schedule:

Nov 20 - Hannut
Nov 27 - Neufchateau
Dec 4 - Gameplay innovations
Dec 10 - Secret surprise! Special release stream

On December 10, release day of Axis Operations: 1940, we'll have a very special release stream on Twitch. It will feature one of the new scenarios coming with the DLC. Can you guess what it'll be?

Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1940
(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1438150/header.jpg?t=1602865563)

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1438150/Panzer_Corps_2_Axis_Operations__1940/


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on November 25, 2020, 04:35:30 AM
Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1940 - Battle of Sedan
Tue, 24 November 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/2a7f7ee8385caf4ef4f2a898ffefba4561867124.jpg)

We have our second entry for the Axis Operations: 1940 battle videos. This time it's the turn of the Battle of Sedan.

We have our second entry for the Axis Operations: 1940 battle videos.

This time it's the turn of the Battle of Sedan.

In the Battle of Sedan players will be on the offensive against the French Army. They will need to reach two goals: to defeat the French and capture Sedan, and to scout for the "Ghost Division" of the notorious German general, Erwin Rommel, who has vanished beyond enemy lines.

https://youtu.be/Sw-73bpzTmY


Let us know what you think in the comments section. Axis Operations: 1940 is going to be released on December 10th.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1438150/header.jpg?t=1602865563)

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on December 02, 2020, 03:55:04 AM
Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1940 - Siege of Lille
Tue, 1 December 2020

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/3122d5b24f67adc14293570ebe0419760bff81ed.jpg)

Time for the third entry in our series of Battle Videos.

Time for the third entry in our series of Battle Videos. Each one features a scenario from the upcoming Panzer Corps 2 DLC, Axis Operations: 1940.

This one features one of the largest pockets during that year. You will surround the French Army in Lille, forming one of the largest pockets on the front. Surround the enemy, cut them off from supply then finish them.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1438150


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on December 10, 2020, 02:06:01 AM
Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1940 - Cliffs of Dover
Wed, 9 December 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/dd2e1da16eac13ebaace47a43d2152d3e329215a.jpg)

We're releasing the fourth Battle video for Axis Operations - 1940.

https://youtu.be/i26wgsh4JFk


This one covers one of the what-if scenarios available in the campaign. That's right, you can now invade England. Are you ready to storm the cliffs of Dover?

Axis Operations - 1940 will release tomorrow. Are you ready?


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on December 11, 2020, 12:41:03 AM
Panzer Corps 2 - Update v1.1.14
Thu, 10 December 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1072040/ss_3f6fe5b580e46ee3dfe47299a1b7901436230ffd.1920x1080.jpg?t=1607613780)

We're releasing the update accompanying the imminent release of Axis Operations - 1940.

Are you ready? Full changelog down below.

Changelog:

Bug fixes:
- Fixed script issues in 1939 related to German localization
- It is now possible to purchase organic transports for captured AA units in SCW
- Engineers now properly speed up entrenchment of adjacent units
- Soviet motorcycle now has soviet soldiers attached to it
- DK motorcycle now has CloseFighter trait, like all other motorcycle recons
- Famous and Legendary heroes now award correct prestige bonus. Also, removed hard-coded numbers from trait icons.
- Fixed SkilledRecon and ExpertRecon traits
- Fixed LastStand trait
- Fixed availability of organic transport for South African units
- JPG screenshots are now properly deleted together with the save
- Various other small fixes and tweaks

Gameplay changes:
- Deadly Grasp trait now works between the player and AI ally
- Split, Merge and Swap commands can now be taken back too if "movement only" undo mode is used

- Added four positive and four negative player traits:
-- Meticulous Planning. All ground units get two movement actions instead of one, which allows them to move in two steps (without increasing the total amount of movement points
-- Force Concentration. Can assign one extra hero to every unit
-- Terrain Expert. Friendly units get +1 base entrenchment in any terrain, even in open ground and when crossing rivers
-- Aggressive Deployment. Friendly units do not lose their attack action when deploying from organic transports
-- Arrogant. Does not get any combat predictions
-- Force Dispersion. Can assign maximum 1 hero per unit
-- Ruthless. Never accepts surrender
-- Slow Reaction. Friendly units do not shoot back when attacked by the enemy

- Added new special challenges (selectable in Advanced Options when starting the game):
-- Mass desertions. Every unit has a 50% chance to lose 1 point of strength at the beginning of its turn. For elite units, this chance decreases by 10% with each star.
-- Berserk Rage. Enemy units gain +1 attack and +1 defense for every point of strength they lose
-- The Collector. Cannot purchase or upgrade to unit types which are already present in the army
-- Army of Cowards. Units attacked by the enemy will always retreat, no matter how many losses they took.
-- Uphill Battle. With each passing turn, enemy units get slightly stronger by gaining a small bonus to attack, defense, accuracy or initiative.
-- Heroic Showdown. At the beginning of the battle, each enemy unit on the map is assigned a random hero

UI:
- "General Edition" and the DLCs are now displayed in the game's Main Menu
- Disbanded units no longer show up in "killed units" list
- "Limited deployment" warning now appears only on deployment phase
- Deployment phase panel will now disappear immediately when the AI opponent moves first
- The shop will now display units using the right skin for the current scenario
- The game will now remember the last entered commander name, and will fill it in the commander selection screen by default
- It is no longer possible to extend unit list beyond the right screen border
- Units in reserve are no longer included in the mission result screen

Graphics
- Reworked road implementation. Roads are now less likely to get lost in relief and consume less resources
- Improved memory usage on large maps (like Kursk)
- Improved loading speed of some maps

AI:
- Made several fixes in the implementation of "guard unit" order

Random maps:
- Random maps can now use Southern Europe and (occasionally) Africa locations

Multiplayer:
- Implemented tournament support (beta)

Other:
- Implemented Steam Workshop support
- Added mod manager to the Main Menu (MODS -> MOD MANAGER). The Editor is also invoked from MODS submenu now.
- Improved implementation of Gamma Correction option. If game image looks too light/washed out for you, try to reduce the gamma below the default.
- Added an option to show movement arrow outside movement zone. This allows to easier plan movement to remote locations.

Editor:
- Fixed item size in "Place Units" list resetting in some cases
- Added missing flags for Condor Legion, Communist Spain and Denmark
- Added a safeguard against the Editor starting minimized when window position settings in Registry get messed up


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on December 11, 2020, 12:45:17 AM
Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1940 is out
Thu, 10 December 2020

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/31cbb64cd9b6e9c3636cc7e297e771621e78dffa.jpg)

The third DLC of the Axis Operations series is now out.


The third DLC of the Axis Operations series, 1940, is now available (https://www.slitherine.com/game/panzer-corps-2-axis-operations-1940).

https://youtu.be/iMO45oGzXig



Axis Operations 1940 covers the pivotal year of 1940, in which you will lead the Wehrmacht in several stunning blitzkrieg offensives against Scandinavia, the Low Countries, Belgium, France, and even an optional "what-if" invasion of England.

Play through the 19 scenarios of the branching campaign and experience new features such as the new training scenarios, or see the return of Axis Operations recurring mechanics like the Commendations system or the Nemesis system. Prepare to meet historical characters like Erwin Rommel and Charles De Gaulle, and take command of plenty new units, including experimental prototypes never seen before in other games.

You can find more information on the DLC's product page (https://www.slitherine.com/game/panzer-corps-2-axis-operations-1940).

We're releasing a new bundle containing all the Axis Operations DLCs released so far at a nice discount. You can find it here (https://www.slitherine.com/bundle/panzer-corps-2-axis-operations-bundle).

Furthermore, Panzer Corps 2 and its DLCs are currently discounted as part of our Holiday Sale. You can find more information on the sale here (https://www.slitherine.com/inventory/special).


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on December 17, 2020, 12:19:01 AM
Panzer Corps 2 - v1.01.15 Update
Wed, December 16, 2020

We're releasing an update for Panzer Corps 2

We're releasing an update for Panzer Corps 2. You can find the full changelog below - do let us know if you encounter issues, please. Your feedback is important to keep improving and polishing the game.

Changes in Axis Operations 1940:

- Sedan
Added a 20 Strength, stationary, Panzer IIIB as an extra 7th Panzer unit to the map as a back up in the extremely rare situations where the other 7th Panzer units somehow are destroyed
Proximity scripts check for this new unit for scenario success trigger
The two other 7th Panzer units are now full 15 overstrength
Switched a couple French units from Hold Active to Hold Position Fire
French Strongpoint at Chimay changed into a Minefield to prevent any possibility of it destroying mission critical 7th Panzer units

- Fornebu
Removed hidden victory condition trigger

- ValkenburgRaid
All briefing markers pointing to sunken Lelystad have been moved

- Neufchateau
Increased portrait variety in debriefing


Changes in new player traits:
- Aggressive Deployment trait now works as its description says
- Force Dispersion no longer cancels Force Concentration, so the two can be combined to get max 2 heroes per unit
- Terrain Expern now improves both base and max entrenchment

UI:
- Main menu will now display "Field Marshal Edition" if FM pack or all of its components (purchased separately) are installed
- Various tweaks in UI layouts to better accomodate long localized strings
- Fixed color of unit strength in unit list (red when below maximum)
- Increased the gap between unit class icon and text when indicating assignable classes for a heroMultiplayer:
- Various improvements in the tournament implementation
- Fixed crash which some people experienced when creating new challenges
- Fixed UI sometimes getting grayed and disabled at the end of MP games

Modding:
- Fixed table merging issues encountered in some mods
- Converted tables with main menu content (campaigns, scenarios, tutorials and multiplayer entry lists) to open text format for easier modding
- Mod manager can now show preview image for local mods (it will look for preview.jpg, preview.jpeg and preview.png files)
- Mod manager will now detect Steam Workshop subscribed mods and update the list on the fly

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on January 28, 2021, 03:43:47 PM
Axis Operations 1941 is announced
28 Jan 2021


The world watches as “blitzkrieg” truly begins…

2 years have passed since the start of a war that would see nearly all of Europe in ruins. German ambitions have grown dangerously. High on victory and with only the Balkans to secure, Germany plans to violate its pact with Russia and launch the largest and fastest tank assault in history. Though Russia was tipped off that such an assault was coming, this intel was not acted on. Her armies find themselves caught by surprise and scrambling to defend themselves from the coming onslaught…

Take command of Germany during this time in Axis Operations: 1941. First, secure your flank from Italian failure and take command in the Balkans. Germany took serious losses here and in Crete, which would later be known as “the graveyard of Fallschirmjäger”. Your steady hand could prevent losses here that would hurt German efforts in the future.

Once your flank is secured, launch your assault on Russia. Your mission: Inflict as much damage as possible. Running against the clock, strike hard at grounded aircraft and stranded armed forces. Russia can be given no time to consolidate and strike back, so plan your attacks accordingly…
 
(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/89e33e1854115372b4b3280f2a79fd4283bdf4ad.jpg)

New features:
(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/ec6d750aa6f6cdf4783ca0dac93604318747aee6.jpg)

Play it your way:
You can carry your veteran core army through the Spanish Civil War, 1939, 1940 and now into Axis Operations: 1941 to create an epic “Grand Campaign”. But, you don’t have to, as you can skip any of the DLC’s or dive into Axis Operations: 1941 directly if you wish. No matter how you choose to enjoy Axis Operations: 1941, the balance will account for your choices.


Beta and Preview:
Want to help us test and polish Axis Operations: 1941? You can join our Beta here. (https://www.slitherine.com/beta/panzer-corps-2-axis-operations-1941)

Fancy sneaking an early peek at Axis Operations: 1941? We’ll have a world first preview of the Axis Operations: 1941 DLC on the 4th of February at 18:30 GMT on twitch.

Be sure to follow our Twitch channel (http://www.twitch.tv/SlitherineGroup) if you need a reminder.


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on February 06, 2021, 02:18:09 AM
Axis Operations 1941 Development Diary
Fri, 5 February 2021

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/52a45dc8e9d1250a77e9709587baeb6c79896c6c.jpg)

Axis Operations 1941 is coming soon, here is a sneak peek.


Before we begin, we just want to take a moment to thank all of our players for making Panzer Corps 2 the success it has been.  Many thousands of you have helped make the past year an incredible time for our game.  Thank you for your feedback, your cool screenshots, your awesome war stories documenting your campaign triumphs, and for supporting our game.  Stay awesome, stay safe, and stay healthy out there!

Panzer Corps 2 development has not been idle, and we have the next DLC Campaign to preview to you today.  We are aiming for another big year for Panzer Corps 2, and this is just the first content drop we will have for our players to look forward to.

First detailed look into Axis Operations 1941
With the conclusion of the campaigns of 1940, there is a huge question of where exactly the Axis Operations will explore next.  As our historically minded players are probably well aware, many new fronts opened up in 1941, from Africa to the Balkans to Russia.

Ultimately, with the base game providing a well-developed Afrika Korps set of content, but omitting scenarios in the Balkans, Axis Operations 1941 is going East!

In our biggest DLC campaign yet, clocking in at a full 20 scenarios, Axis Operations 1941 has a ton of new content for players to dive into.  In the fourth chapter of the Axis Operation Grand Campaign, we once again have more new, high quality unit models to showcase, a new utility vehicle, and a whole lot of Ostfront content to explore.

For starters, we have finally worked out the technical wizardry required to give the Commendation Point currency a permanent home in the UI!  At long last, players can see their Commendation Point values at all times, instead of having to rely on temporary pop ups to keep them informed.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/31be1b8157684fe4057090a9eb67806484298122.png)
This feature is currently only available in Axis Operations 1941, but we will be working hard to retroactively apply it to the past Axis Operations DLC as soon as possible.

As always, our primary mission with ongoing Panzer Corps 2 content is to provide our players with more fresh and exciting twists to the gameplay that they already thoroughly enjoy.

Speaking of twists, one of the biggest ones will be a flipping of the presence of minor nations.  In past DLC, there have been a huge number of nations opposing your Wehrmacht forces, from Poland to Denmark to Norway to France and more...

But after such a string of historical victories, the political landscape of Europe has changed dramatically.  Many nations have begun to sign pacts with Germany, so instead of just fighting a new variety of enemies, your campaigns will begin to see a new variety of allies to help!

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/d7da3ac1500068bc46084d57fa22621376bcb6b4.png)

But not every nation has accepted a pact with Germany...  Elements within Yugoslavia are plotting something, which is where your new campaign will begin.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/d4e4752ec6048700caa608c91d9bbb4c9175ec16.png)

Assaulting Greece will also be a huge scenario, stretching from Italians on the Albanian front to Bulgarians trying to break through the Greek Metaxas Line.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/792337b440e897fd684bf56480180ba7d16a2f44.png)

In additional to historical allies, prepare once again for powerful historical figures make their appearances known in many scenarios.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/4a4378b4e670c97d80196d2e48e269c7e102ce43.png)

Another wave of new unit models
One big improvement we wanted to add to the game was a graphical overhaul of the various Soviet infantry types present in the game.  Previously, Soviet regulars, guards, conscripts, mountain, and paratroopers all shared similar model assets.  For such a huge variety of units, this lack of visual variety was a problem, especially given their unique abilities and stats.

So as part of the 1941 DLC, we have upgraded all of these special Soviet infantry units with new unit models!
(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/63edbbcf9b69927a51b25a68dc7ae3b83c42c632.png)

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/77cc85ca7ef0134a6ef2a328c67dc3a6f15a50ec.png)

•   Soviet Guards
•   Soviets Guards did not actually exist on the onset of Barbarossa.  But as the operation began to take an enormous toll on the Red Army, the need to spotlight units that were fighting with at least limited success against the German Wehrmacht became apparent, at the very least for purposes of morale.

•   These veterans were first established following the Soviet Yelnya Counteroffensive, and any time you encounter them in combat you should expect them to be well experienced and heavily supported in their efforts to halt your advance.

•   Mountain
•   Pay close attention to these units, as their alpine trait will have them hitting much harder than expected in hilly and mountainous terrains that you will occasionally fight across on the Eastern Front.

•   Paratrooper
•   While Soviet experiments with paratrooper operations arguably pioneered this type of warfare from the 1930s, large scale Soviet paratrooper operations are not a big part of the early stages of the War in the East.  Later on, however, these units may indeed prove quite a thorn in the player's side as they execute deep insertions well behind the frontlines of the battlefield.


•   Conscripts
•   Overwhelming in fighting spirit and numbers, but underwhelming in equipment and training, the Soviet conscripts present a unique challenge as the only unit in Panzer Corps 2 with a base strength of 20.  When isolated and unsupported, all of that strength is easily defeated thanks to their low combat values, but when fighting en masse in close terrain, conscript hordes can quickly cause terrifying amounts of damage to even mighty panzers as they swarm over the tanks to throw explosives down any loose hatch they can find.

•   Romanian R1 AH-IV Tanks
•   The Romanian R1 AH-IV is more tankette than tank, but it serves its role adequately with dual machine gun armament giving them an above average rate of fire and a very low slot deployment cost.
R1

•   British Cruiser Mk II CS Artillery Tank
•   An early model of what would be an extensive line of British Close Support vehicles, the Cruiser Mark II CS serves a much more traditionally minded infantry support role.
CCS

•   Airfield Construction Vehicle
•   The most unique new unit in terms of game mechanics, the Airfield Truck serves one very specific purpose.  As the player advances across the vast Ukrainian Plain of the USSR, their logistics will be stretched to the limit as road networks and airbase infrastructure of Russia prove to be underdeveloped compared to Western Europe.  Not only this, but soon the Soviets will enact their Scorched Earth policies to further deny access to usable airfields.

•   To cushion against this historical reality, the Airfield Truck allows the player to deploy an airbase exactly where they need it most to continue to support the ongoing advances of their leading panzers.

•   Just watch out, because Soviet counterattacks can and will destroy your temporary airbases, so it will be up to you to decide where exactly to deploy them best so that they can be protected but also are close enough to the front to serve as useful bases for your air fleets.

•   Fighters, Tactical Bombers, and Strategic Bombers will all be able to use these constructed airfields as bases to operate from.
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The Eagle of the Eastern Front Arrives
As our players have been noticing across the DLC campaigns, we have been dropping more than a few hints on a certain historical Stuka pilot.  By the end of his career, he would have flown an unheard of 2,500 combat missions.  This figure created quite a buzz in even the original Panzer Corps Grand Campaign, and we wanted to try and make such a legendary pilot even more interesting this time around.  But this will be just the beginning of his career, and we are of course referring to Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

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To this end, we have given Rudel extra special treatment that has never been seen before, even amongst other elite historical figures.  Players will get an opportunity to do more than just recruit Rudel, you will have some influence in choosing his capabilities to best fit into your CORE force.  This will make Hans-Ulrich Rudel the first ever customizable hero!

Barbarossa in the Axis Operations DLC
Of course after your stint across the Balkans comes the gigantic Operation Barbarossa, and we will have more details on that content alongside a complete scenario list coming soon.
As always though, our players can look forward to an extensive list of both familiar and perhaps some lesser known battles of the East Front to populate this latest DLC.

Your Feedback
As always, we are reading and listening to your feedback.  Many thousands of posts and messages have greatly improved Panzer Corps 2 for its entire playerbase, and we encourage you to continue to share your thoughts and wants for the game into the future!

We hope you enjoyed this extended preview of the upcoming Axis Operations 1941 DLC and look forward to returning your army to combat soon.

Axis Operations: 1941 is currently finishing it's testing phase and will be out soon.
(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/37090cbef0e56386155d7b961a9e07672a2666da.png)

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Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on February 27, 2021, 01:52:52 AM
The first Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations 1941 battle video has arrived
Fri, 26 February 2021

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The Battle of Thermopylae is revealed in our first battle video for the 1941 DLC
It is time for our first Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations 1941 battle video.

This time, we will be covering one of the most impactful moments of the early war, the breakthrough at Thermopylae.

Speed is vital if you wish to break the retreating British and prevent their escape. Having secured the escaping British, the time will come when you also need to assault the mighty defences of the Thermopylae pass. How you tackle this task, is up to you.

https://youtu.be/8i9jZzgQUvo
Let us know what you think in the comments section. Axis Operations: 1941 is going to be released soon.

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on March 05, 2021, 01:09:17 AM
Help us test the first Tournament of Panzer Corps 2
Wed, 3 March 2021

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The Slitherine Tournament system is being implemented in Panzer Corps 2, and we are looking for players willing to help us test it in a beta starting next week.

What is it?

It is a system which allows us to set up online PvP tournaments with automatic pairing of opponents as well as automatic creation of paired online games between opponents.

It is extremely easy to use: if a player wants to join a tournament, all they need to do is to sign up through the Slitherine site, then when each round starts the system will automatically create games between him and his opponent, and he'll receive e-mail notifications when his turn is about to start.

You can find more information on how it works and on its rules by reading this section (https://www.slitherine.com/tournaments/rules).

Help us test it

We're currently about to start the final tests for the Tournament system in Panzer Corps 2, and therefore we're looking for willing testers.

If you'd like to take part in this beta test, you can take part by signing up for the Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1941 Beta (https://www.slitherine.com/beta/panzer-corps-2-axis-operations-1941), and specify in the "About yourself" section that you would like to take part in the tournament test.

Our producer Shards will contact you privately and send you the link in order to sign up to the tournament. The first round of the test tournament will begin on Monday March 8 at 9 am GMT.

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on March 06, 2021, 02:30:08 AM
Axis Operations - 1941 || The Battle of Raseiniai
Fri, 5 March 2021

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Axis Operations - 1941 will be released on March 18

We're publishing a new Battle video showcasing one of the scenarios coming with Axis Operations - 1941.

It is a large tank engagement that took place during the eatly stage of Operation Barbarossa: the Battle of Raseiniai.

https://youtu.be/C3VYeKX9cYE


Each scenario in Axis Operations - 1941 has been carefully researched and designed to be different. We hope that this battle video did a good job at showing Raseiniai in Panzer Corps 2.

Furthermore, we have some important news: Axis Operations - 1941 will be released on March 18.

We'll see you next week with another battle video: Bryansk.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1526010/Panzer_Corps_2_Axis_Operations__1941/

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on March 16, 2021, 11:38:14 PM
Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1941 || The Battle of Bryansk
12 March 2021

Time for a new Battle video of Axis Operations - 1941.

This time we feature a large battle fought on the eastern front: Bryansk. In the video, among other things, we showcase the new muddy terrain coming with the new DLC.

Watch the video

https://youtu.be/ufHQf0JNKmg


It's only a few days until the release of Axis Operations - 1941. Are you ready?
Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on June 28, 2021, 11:35:39 PM
Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1942 is coming soon
10 June 2021

(https://www.slitherine.com/images/products/686/product_landscape_image.jpg)

We're announcing the next Axis Operations DLC for Panzer Corps 2: 1942.

It is a crucial year in WW2, with some of the largest battles of the whole war occuring on the fiercely contested Eastern Front. This new campaign is 17 missions long with players needing to fight both tooth and nail against the Red Army as Germany.

Axis Operations 1942 retains some classic features of the Axis Operations series, such as returning mechanics like Commendation points as well as original and unconventional new mission objectives, including airlifting supplies to pockets of German forces, providing dedicated Close Air Support for Axis partner nations, and one very unusual mission to assist in the escorting of several Kriegsmarine vessels directly through the English Channel.

It is also the first Axis Operations DLC with more than one ending. Given the importance of the battle of Stalingrad, seen by many as the real turning point of the war, you will see different outcomes depending on how well you perform there.

It also includes new units, of course. There are new units for Hungary (improved Toldi II Model 1942 and Turan 1 tanks), new utility and prototype units, to supplement the game's impressive array of mid-war era vehicles and weaponry, as well as visual upgrades for existing German vehicles.

Just like any other Axis Operations DLC, it can be played as a standalone DLC or, if you want, you can import your core army from the previous DLC, 1941. At the end of 1942 you will also be able to export your core army to any future DLC of the Axis Operations series.

Axis Operations 1942 (https://www.slitherine.com/game/panzer-corps-2-axis-operations-1942) will be released on July 9th.

If you would like to sign up for the beta, you can do so by clicking here (https://www.slitherine.com/beta/panzer-corps-2-axis-operations-1942). Your feedback is extremely valuable, and it will help us greatly.

Last but not least, we're opening a new tournament for Panzer Corps 2. You can sign up now (https://www.slitherine.com/tournaments). The first round will begin next week, on Thursday June 17. It is a PBEM tournament which will accompany us throughout the release of the DLC, and will conclude one day before its release.

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on July 02, 2021, 11:30:24 PM
Panzer Corps 2: Anniversary event announcement & Dev Diary
1 July 2021

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Come celebrate ten years of Panzer Corps with us

Before we plunge into the detail of our first Development Dairy, we are pleased to announce that we will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Panzer Corps Franchise. The celebrations will start on Friday, the 9th of July and will kick off with a live event on Twitch. There will be discounts, a new announcement, the opening of a new tournament and even a live interview with the creator of Panzer Corps: Alex Shargin.

The action will kick off at 4pm BST on our official twitch channel: www.twitch.tv/SlitherineTV (http://www.twitch.tv/SlitherineTV) and will be sure to be highlight for Panzer Corps fans like us.


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First detailed look into Axis Operations 1942


With the 1941 campaign putting the Panzer Corps 2 Axis Operations Grand Campaign on the path to Russia, Axis Operations 1942 is doubling down with a new campaign that is (almost) exclusively set on the Eastern Front of World War II. 

In this latest DLC campaign of 17 scenarios, Axis Operations 1942 contains all the more Panzer Corps 2 gameplay our players have been enjoying since launch, but also includes some pretty radical twists to keep the gameplay fresh.

In this fifth chapter of the Axis Operation Grand Campaign, there are some new, high quality prototype tank models to look at, a variety of additional German and Soviet unit camo skins, and a entirely new type of scenario: Close Air Support.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/c51b0b14a5d8d25f5935164422a8f260c18efedf.png)(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/0e826a914274b9593bf211037c322b5f7d70fef0.png)

Close Air Support Missions

This is something we only very lightly experimented with in the past, in scenarios such as Dunkirk from the 1940 Axis Operations Campaign, but now we are seeing this concept taken to a very advanced state.  It represents several different aspects of the game (Aircraft base mechanics, the mechanisms of AI partners, and bonus objectives) all coming together to form something very new and original.

In Axis Operations 1942, there are going to be several missions that will only allow the player to deploy their aircraft to the battles!

Not only does this represent a new type of gameplay, but it is very much rooted in history.  As the war waged on, stretching the German military across Europe, the Luftwaffe often found themselves called in to support far flung operations.  This also gives Panzer Corps 2 an opportunity to explore more historical WW2 battles that are practically never seen in other games, and in this particular case that battle is the Channel Dash of 1942.

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It will be up to the player to provide air cover as three German warships attempt their daring passage right through the English Channel in Operation Cerberus.

And later on, more Close Air Support missions will appear on the Eastern Front.  One scenario has Hungarian AI allies requesting your aircraft to aid them near Voronezh.  It must be said, it is quite satisfying to have several squadrons of Stuka coming in to the rescue of your allies by diving in to blast a column of Soviet tanks!

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/168ff920c45a95cf99b287833ee5afc0e1cf6c63.png)

Fear not, players who play with Denied Air Force, these missions are all optional, and you can still deploy your stocks of captured aircraft if you really want to engage with them without a standard German Air Force.
 

Historical German Leadership

After the positive reception to the appearance of Rommel in the Axis Operations 1940 Campaign, we're beginning to dive more into this concept by having even more legendary German leaders appear in and participate in the scenario briefings.

While the appearance of these historical figures cannot replace the loss of characters we've previously seen, they definitely add both context and perspective to many of the battles players will be engaging with in Axis Operations 1942.

The first figure is one players have potentially already seen in a few scenarios, but instead of serving as a fighter pilot hero, newly promoted General der Jagdflieger Adolf Galland takes his historical place in Operation Cerberus to brief the player on their upcoming battle.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/14381ff1b6bc68b81229a1cc33ac702da1f055ab.png)

Another figure who will be making appearances now is Generaloberst (soon to be Field Marshal) Erich von Manstein.  A legendary figure of the Eastern Front, players will see Field Marshal Manstein in several critical battles, and one often overlooked one on the outskirts of Leningrad during the Autumn of 1942...

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/3bbecb8f59b284c2f7fff20b0493a220527feef3.png)

 

New unit models

Panzer Corps 2 already contains an absolutely massive library of WW2 equipment models, but there is always room for just a few more.  Accompanying the release of Axis Operations 1942, the following units are being added to the base edition of the game.  These models, as before, are for all players to enjoy, but they get special highlights in the new Axis Operations 1942 campaign content to specifically showcase them.

 
Influencing the Eastern Front

Ever since the Panzer Corps 2 Axis Operations Campaign has started, there have been players who have been looking for more strategic control of the war's course.  While grand strategy is a bit too far outside the scope of Panzer Corps 2, this idea has been our radar for a while now.

And the content approaches the Mid and Late War Eras, we believe the Axis Operations campaign is finally reaching the point where meaningful exploration of alternate history paths can begin.

This is exemplified in Axis Operations 1942 having two different endings!  How this will affect future content, as history and alternate history continue to diverge, we are extremely excited to unveil.  At the very least, it will continue to pave the way for more original content to arrive as we explore uncharted territory alongside the traditional historical battles players may already be familiar with.

 

Your Feedback

As always, we are reading and listening to your feedback.  Many thousands of posts and messages have greatly improved Panzer Corps 2 for its entire player base, and we encourage you to continue to share your thoughts and wants for the game into the future!

 

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this extended preview of the upcoming Axis Operations 1942.  Axis Operations: 1942 is currently finishing its testing phase, and is scheduled to deploy in mid July 2021.

In the meantime, don’t forget to join us for our 10 years of Panzer Corps celebrations. The celebrations will start on Friday, the 9th of July and will kick off with a live event on Twitch. The action will kick off at 4pm BST on our official twitch channel: www.twitch.tv/SlitherineTV (http://www.twitch.tv/SlitherineTV) and will be sure to be highlight for Panzer Corps fans like us.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on July 09, 2021, 11:10:42 PM
Panzer Corps goes Pacific
9 July 2021

(https://www.slitherine.com/images/products/688/product_landscape_image.jpg)

Panzer Corps goes Pacific

For the first time in its 10 year history the Panzer Corps series is going to thoroughly explore the Pacific theatre of operations in the Second World War. This DLC is the first installment in a new series of campaigns which will portray the dramatic events of the Pacific War.

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In this new expansion players can enjoy many new scenarios and be immersed in a completely new set of terrain graphics, new game rules and a new major faction. Pacific is still the good old Panzer Corps 2 game which fans enjoy and love, but at the same time it’s also a new, different and original experience.

At long last Japan has been added to Panzer Corps 2. With the introduction of Pacific, Japan is playable not only in a new campaign, but also in random scenarios and in Multiplayer. It is also fully available to modders and designers of custom content. In addition to that, the USA faction has also received many new units, with a particular focus on famous carrier-based aircraft. Overall, 70 new models will be added to the game.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//35018759/8012ef0700bb710bb563ec4c8d10c06112fb610b.jpg)

In the Pacific theater naval warfare played a prominent and critical role, and thus the naval aspect of the game needed to be expanded and have depth added. For this reason, naval game rules have been significantly revamped and extended. All the existing content has also been tested and tweaked to work with the new naval system without any glitches.

The new Pacific campaign represents many famous (and some not so famous) battles which took place between 1941 and 1943, among which are Guadalcanal, Midway, Wake Island and Tarawa. As players have come to expect, after finishing this campaign, it will be possible to save core units and bring them to the next part of the series.

We will reveal and show more of Panzer Corps 2: Pacific and disclose the release date in the next few months. More information can be currently found on its  product page (https://www.slitherine.com/game/panzer-corps-2-pacific).



Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on November 23, 2021, 11:49:48 PM
Panzer Corps 2 - v1.02.02 Update
Tue, 23 November 2021

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We're releasing a new update today, this one consisting of a number of fixes.


You can find the full changelog below.

Change log:

- Fixed crashes and errors when assigning heroes outside the Deployment Phase (both manually or from scripts)
- Fixed crashes which some people experienced with "Show Instances" option turned off
- Fixed tooltips over difficulty levels
- Fixed red selection getting stuck in "import core" popup
- Fixed encirclement markers not showing for allied players

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on March 17, 2022, 11:38:15 PM
Axis Operations - 1943 is coming soon
17 March 2022

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/eb56f6888782aa714f02d1184b5d72480b81a2bb_960x311.jpg)

Today we have a great announcement for you.

We're announcing the next Axis Operations DLC for Panzer Corps 2: 1943

The Axis Operations 1943 DLC Campaign focuses entirely on the Eastern Front.  But more importantly, this DLC begin to answer long standing questions of the series, culminating in the possibility to permanently alter the course of the war in this campaign... and also in future campaigns to come!

In addition to the continuing trend of bonus mission objectives inspired by true historical events, this campaign will be supplemented by appearances from additional historical German leaders from World War II.

As no 1942 campaign could be complete without Stalingrad, no 1943 campaign can overlook the infamous Battle of Kursk
Engage in a unique take on this battle, often touted as the Largest Tank Battle in History, as you pit your Wehrmacht veterans against the seemingly endless lines of Soviet defenses protecting their salient.

Axis Operations 1943 will be released later this spring. We will be revealing the release date in the coming weeks.

If you would like to sign up for the beta, you can do so by clicking here (https://www.slitherine.com/beta/panzer-corps-2-axis-operations-1943). Your feedback is extremely valuable, and it will help us greatly.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/98d31bfc6a87b5b785fa96e8679c4167845613dd.jpg)

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Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on May 15, 2022, 10:35:47 PM
Panzer Corps 2 - Axis Operations 1943 - Dev Diary 1
20 April 2022

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Opening Statement

Greetings, Panzer Generals! Before we begin with this Developer Diary, we thought it to be important to address the elephant in the room. No, not this Elephant with its 8.8cm gun...

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/74b098121a6826a3df37d99196a30545621eecac.png)

But rather, the time gap since the last Axis Operations installment. The first five chapters in the series came out in pretty rapid succession, but then there was many months passing after the 1942 campaign released.

For that, all we can give you is our apologies. But let us assure you now, it was time well spent recuperating, planning, and continuing work on the awesome game that is Panzer Corps 2.

One of the biggest time eaters has been needed to plan, and execute, the concept of a split timeline. There's a lot of groundbreakings to take content that is usually added as a fun bonus with no reasonable connections or lingering effects, and instead integrating that in a Grand Campaign that is ongoing.

Ultimately though, this could mean even more than just a split timeline. Specifically, one of the concepts we've put a lot of thought into the classical late war problem of 'why am I losing the war if I keep winning every battle?'. In theory, we can potentially explore that winning potential, and completely recontextualize the nature of what 'winning' the late war German historical campaign means.

What if, for example, there were scenarios you couldn't lose in 1944, but instead your task during each scenario was accomplished as much as you can inside of it. Did you just survive the scenario, or did you 'win' it? Victory might only get you as far as a historical outcome, where anything less spells eventual doom.

The bottom line though, we are at a point where we want the Axis Operations Grand Campaign to be much, much more than just a machine stamping out scenarios, and a lot of extra time and energy was needed to conceptualize just how we could continue to innovate, before we could begin to produce the content. Which leads us to...


The effect on Axis Operations 1943 East

With that extra-long gap of time between 1942 and the upcoming 1943 campaign, we've had a real opportunity to take 1943 to the next level, and we want to shine a spotlight on several of the campaign highlights here today.

In this sixth chapter of the Axis Operation Grand Campaign, we're going to take a look at some of the surprises in the Axis Operation Kursk battles, returning customization options, a lot more historical goodies, and a very special ending that players have been asking us to get in the game for a long time now.

 
Kursk in the Axis Operations
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Now we're all certainly familiar with that historical tagline for Kursk of the 'Largest Tank Battle in History'. And with our game literally having 'Panzer' as part of its title, we definitely have that aspect of the battle in play.

There's going to be lots of action for your brand-new Panthers, Tigers, and other German armor to engage in.

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But more than that, we wanted to take advantage of Panzer Corps 2's unique game systems to make the various scenarios that explore the Battle of Kursk to be a lot more than just tanks clashing against each other.

Some of these battle maps are so dense, that internal testing shows progress of the player's army slowed down to a rate of advancing just 1 hex per turn! The historical Soviet defenses of Kursk have been brought to life in the Axis Operations 1943 campaign, as layers of minefields, supporting anti-tank weapons, hardened strongpoints, and Soviet air support will fight their hardest to stop your German spearheads from penetrating into the Kursk Salient!

Most dangerously, the Soviet forces have learned from the past years of conflict and the power of German air support, and now there are many squadrons of Soviet aircraft who have the very specific mission and ability to provide support fire... against ground attacks!

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A returning feature
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As you can see in the above image, something we've finally been able to return to the Axis Operations that players enjoyed in the Vanilla Campaign is the ability to turn off the turn limit for this campaign.

We have structured as many scenarios as possible to allow for the disabling of the turn limit, if the player so desires. We haven't quite got every single scenario to play without a turn limit, many defensive objectives require the timer to govern their conclusion, but as much as possible for this, and future DLC, we will strive to once again allow players to disable the scenario turn limits.
 
More History than any past DLC

One of the biggest beneficiaries of the extra time we've had with 1943, is we have had a lot more time to weave more history into the content. There is, without a doubt, more text in briefings, debriefings, and scenario messages than any DLC we have produced so far.

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Extra special attention has been given to the mannerisms and speech patterns of the historical figures you will encounter in this campaign. For example, many of Erich von Manstein's appearances now directly reflect his true thoughts on the conflicts on the Eastern Front he participated in. This is thanks to us having the time to fully read and absorb some of his extensive writings on the war, to use as reference and to inject authenticity to his character.

Also, less History than any past DLC (but more history)

The other thing we have had extra time to really explore is, at long last, the ability for the players actions to actually influence not just their tactical victories, but potentially alter the course of the full war on the Eastern Front!

Be warned, consider everything you read from here on a MAJOR SPOILER!!!

In the past, even in the original Grand Campaign, we've never really been able to explore a proper historical outcome. This has always resulted in extremely truncated bits of content, more like just a bonus mission. You finish off Germany as the Allied Powers, and you get a single bonus scenario to explore Operation Unthinkable. You capture Moscow, and teleport to the East Coast of the United States. Or you manage a miraculous victory at the Battle of the Bulge, and go on to a truly fanciful series of events that leads you to Sealion 45. Fun stuff, but complete flights of fancy that act more like bonus material than a fleshed out and highly detailed campaign.

In Axis Operations 1943 though, we are able to present a major split in the timeline. We did extensive research on the idea of 'what would Germany do next after a victory at Kursk?' And we found that the answer was not 'go on to take Moscow and end the war with Soviet Russia'. After all, before the Battle of Kursk, who had even heard of Kursk? Even in planning for Operation Citadel, German leaders realized how ridiculous the amount of effort and resources being prepared to take basically nowhere that no one had previously even heard of.

What that means is the historical branch of the Panzer Corps 2 Axis Operations campaign is taking shape like no campaign before it has. We've planned and research a wealth of information to offer our take on what German victory at Kursk could result in both short and long term.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/b24a99e75fbec4365b7e2171e64bd0d45e04e868.png)

Suffice to say, the fighting on the Eastern Front is not going to magically stop, but whole new campaigns are going to be fought as your victories erase events such as the German retreat from the Dneiper River, and are replaced by new frontlines that Allied and Axis leadership will have to consider and plan for...


Your Feedback

As always, we are reading and listening to your feedback. Many thousands of posts and messages have greatly improved Panzer Corps 2 for its entire player base, and we encourage you to continue to share your thoughts and wants for the game in the future!

We especially encourage anyone who would like to participate in the DLC BETA testing to do so.


Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this first glimpse into the upcoming 1943 Axis Operations DLC campaign, and stay tuned for at least one more of these Dev Diaries to come where we will explore some of the new units, briefing images, and true historical content being added to this latest DLC campaign.
Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on May 15, 2022, 10:36:18 PM
Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1943 - May Announcement
13 May 2022

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/5d28223596383222c49bd756bb2a669263f38eff.jpg)

Achtung, Panzer Generals!

Because the upcoming Axis Operations 1943 is so jam packed with goodies, we have a very special second Developer Diary for you to get another preview of even more of the upcoming additions to Panzer Corps 2!

First off, the important news! Axis Operations 1943 is releasing the 26th of May!

With no time to waste today, we're going to jump right into a general game improvement first with...

A collection of new German hero portraits

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/72f3d18ad521bd3bb66e2f4354f9ad40aa04d152.png)

One request we have received time and again is to increase the portrait variety of heroes the game hands out, especially from those players with highly veteran and many times imported CORE forces.  To you I say, we have new assets!

Panzer Corps 2 has expanded its German hero portrait variety with a number of new images, which should reduce the repetition of seeing the same hero image repeatedly.  This new batch of heroes is focused very heavily on Panzer and StuG crew portraits, to complement the existing infantry and Luftwaffe portraits we already have in game.  And the six images you see here are just a few of the added portraits!

This change is actually not unique to the upcoming Axis Operations 1943 campaign, but will be available to all owners of any edition of Panzer Corps 2.  Everyone should be seeing these awesome new portraits begin to appear in any German campaign they play as soon as the update rolls out.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/b93b1761d5bbabf677472ef2d9049202966fcdf7.png)

Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, new and improved

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/74a213a849bfd2aca9c94bd283323b7c9572f567.png)

In our extensive historical research of the Eastern Front of World War II, one name seemed to come up time and time again:  Erich von Manstein.  Considered by some to be the most brilliant German military mind during this conflict, von Manstein's list of battles and victories is extensive as it was incredible.  Even before his infamous combat career on the Eastern Front, he lent his genius to the Western Front of 1940, with the so-named 'Manstein Plan' that resulted in the collapse of France in just six weeks!

We really wanted to do this historical figure justice, so we armed him with amazing looking new portraits as you can see here.  Additionally, players will get deep insight into Field Marshal von Manstein's mannerisms, thought processes, and abilities in this campaign, as we scoured many historical sources to properly represent this historical figure in the campaigns of 1943. 

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/d1cca6e52eba64f09b409b0f916dd75ce77dd510.png)

In fact, one of our BETA testers gave us feedback that described our depiction of him as  'the Gigachad himself'.  When I inquired what this tester meant by that, they elaborated with this visual they created.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/9c0896574513a3e18ccfc460069ebab89660a64c.png)

Jokes aside, this attention to historical characters definitely adds extra flavor to Axis Operations 1943, and could be an intriguing trend for future campaigns to really spotlight specific historical characters!  Maybe one day we'll see the likes of Patton, Bradley, Zhukov, or Nimitz done in such detail?

New Equipment

As has been tradition with the new Axis Operations DLC series, we once again have a few new units to showcase!

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/16ce6d81ce2861bfd9c830dc54577be760d1a500.png)

Panther Prototype, Daimler-Benz VK 30 31

After the rude shock of seeing Soviet heavy tanks as early as Operation Barbarossa, German engineers were working overtime to close the gap between their Panzers and Soviet tanks.  By the spring of 1942, the first designs were being prepared, and by early 1943 they were being produced for combat!

Captured Soviet tanks had a very clear influence on these designs, as this particular Prototype Panther tank shows a very close resemblance to the Soviet T-34/76 tank.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/3e519d183bddd4f45f3d61beec669796d3c9e186.png)

Panther IVH, Command Tank

Some astute players have found this strange tank in the game files earlier than we anticipated, and now the time has finally come to talk about it!

The strangely low Hard Attack value of this vehicle is very much intended, because it is not meant to be a combat vehicle.  In fact, it is not a production model chassis at all.  This particular vehicle resulted from a myriad of circumstances.  Specifically, a shortage of Panther turrets combined with the need for frontline commanders to be better protected in an enclosed command vehicle.

So the gun in this tank's turret is actually completely inactive, a dummy weapon purely meant to intimidate any potential enemies from engaging the vehicle.  Given a certain Oberst's previous injuries during Barbarossa, this enclosed command vehicle is meant to be his new personal command vehicle in cases where he is forced to take to the field!

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/5a8f69f86f87c2205dec4433b43dc2f041ed98f6.png)

He-219, Bomber Hunter

Armed with a variety of anti-aircraft cannons, including some of them orientated in a fixed vertical position to attack bombers from below, the HE-219 was an aircraft meant to take on the steadily increasing amount of Allied bombers pounding German military and industrial targets.

It has poor initiative values, making it a weak dogfighter, but air attack values even stronger than the venerable FW-190.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/42ecd1ddbe280e025269aefb83941cf4125e3c01.png)

SU-76i, Captured Panzer III

After the debacle of Stalingrad, Allied forces actually had a significant number of captured German vehicles at their disposal.  This was a first, as before this deploying captured vehicles to combat was a luxury enjoyed mainly by the Axis as they rolled across Western and Eastern Europe.

To better integrate all of their captured Panzer IIIs and StuG IIIs, the Soviets modified the captured German vehicles slightly.  While the hull of these vehicles is distinctly German, the upper structure has been re-armed with the standard 76.2mm weapon seen on many Soviet tanks.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/e38fd652e0c3bdd0150b6502ee2d7726629b7f33.png)

Azul Infanterie, Spanish Volunteers

Although Spain was ostensibly neutral during World War II, the Blue Division volunteers did fight for the Axis Powers on the Eastern Front.

As other infantry units upgrade to their 1943 variants to increase their firepower, especially anti-tank firepower, so too do the Spanish Volunteers get an upgrade.

Because this is not a unit available for normal purchase, however, only players who import their Azul Infanterie into the Axis Operation 1943 campaign will have the opportunity to upgrade their old Azul Infanterie into their 1943 version.

A different kind of Historical Campaigning

In the past, there has always been a lingering issue with Late War German scenario content.  The question of 'Why am I winning every battle, but losing the war?'.  We are going to finally attempt to settle this issue with the split Historical and Ahistorical Branches of the Axis Operations campaigns.

There has been a huge rethink on how scenario design and objectives are approached.  Thanks to having the Ahistorical Branch which can explore the player desire to fight and win and continuing winning now, the Historical content is no longer obliged to grant outrageous winning conditions in its scenarios.  What exactly does that mean?

Well it means by the time we get to Berlin 1945, there is probably no objective to magically defend Berlin, and miraculously suddenly turn the tide in this final hour.  The Historical Branch can now focus on being purely historical.

This probably means it is going to be a very rough campaign, that is extraordinarily punishing to players who think it possible resist the tide of history.  A lot of effort will be directed for the player to actually make history play out as it has.

For example, less objectives to Capture all Victory Hexes and clear the map of all enemies.  More objectives to say... escort a historical figure to their historical end.  Adolf Galland is preparing to surrender to the Americans, but he and his unit must not only escape the advancing Soviets, but also evade other German forces that are attempting to stop any and all surrendering of their fellow Germans!

We will only see the very first glimpses of this in the 1943 campaign, but the foundation is being set in scenarios such as Taman Peninsula where there really isn't the opportunity to win a glorious victory against the approaching Soviets, the only real path laid out in that scenario is to safely evacuate a series of very understrength German and Romanian units before they are overrun and destroyed.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/a533f07a8cf12f1d8d92a69c5a018a4382c8ae65.png)

Your Feedback

As always, we are reading and listening to your feedback.  Many thousands of posts and messages have greatly improved Panzer Corps 2 for its entire playerbase, and we encourage you to continue to share your thoughts and wants for the game into the future!

Axis Operations 1943 is currently wrapping up its BETA testing, and we want to give a special thank you to all of our BETA testers for their hard effort to help us make each installment of Panzer Corps 2 content the best it can be!

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this extra look into even more of the new additions coming in the Axis Operations 1943 campaign.  Even more surprises await in the campaign itself, so prepare your Panzers for its imminent release!


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on July 13, 2022, 10:19:10 AM
Panzer Corps 2 - v 1.04.00 Update
Tue, 12 July 2022

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1072040/ss_98824d8879538885e2855bd7712a11e2b6830185.jpg)

Hello everyone,

today we are releasing a small update for thegame.


Changelog:

- Added all localizations for Axis Operations 1943
- Fixed random crash at the beginning of a mission
- Fixed sync issues in Minsk and other coop MP scenarios
- Fixed crash when proceeding to the next mission with a 5-star armored train in the core
- Other small fixes

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on October 07, 2022, 12:50:04 AM
Axis Operations - 1944 Dev Diary #1
Thu, 6 October 2022

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/5e3860d5673c6593e1041889ec431bcf07fd89e8.jpg)

Today we are going to share a preview of the original ahistorical campaign coming in Axis Operations 1944

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//35018759/0f3f10d234309fca054da496bb9e6bb85dc08f90.png)

The Beginning of the End...

As the Axis Operations Grand Campaign approaches 1944, the end of the Second World War begins to loom. To give this 7th DLC its unique flavour, there are going to be two campaigns available in this one DLC! One campaign that explores continued German successes, and another that follows the dramatic decline and stunning defeats of the German Wehrmacht...

In this first of two Developer Diaries, we’ll take an in-depth look at one of these campaigns. Today, we will share some previews of what is in store in the totally original Ahistorical Campaign of Axis Operations 1944.

These are no mere minor or bonus scenarios though. With the fully fleshed out and methodically researched ahistorical campaign that began in 1943 and continues into 1944 and beyond, Panzer Corps 2 promises to offer the largest and most comprehensive take on an ahistorical World War II that has ever been attempted in a Panzer General type game!

Be warned, there are major spoilers ahead! That in of itself is quite amazing and offers a glimpse into the extent of changes this campaign has in store compared to the World War II we are all already familiar with.

A New 1944 (Huge Spoilers Ahead!)

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//35018759/c74c2d8261949447fe96aff4613575c943e4e9a9.png)

Throughout the course of the Axis Operations, we’ve dabbled in ahistorical content. Aside from the odd bonus scenario, the first big departure into ahistory was the 1940 Sea Lion invasion. Though ultimately unsuccessful, the seeds of changing your campaign destiny were first sown way back in the 1940 DLC. Events revolving around the capture of British Jet Fighter blueprints have been showing up ever since, including the potential early arrival of the Me262 Jet Fighter in Axis Operations 1943.

Of course, we have to keep in mind where the ahistorical path of Axis Operations 1943 left us. Victory at Kursk, Rostov, and ultimately across the Caucasus has created a very different landscape of the Eastern Front from any we typically know of from history. To aid players in understanding these changes, we have a ton of character dialogue, scenarios that explore these new battles, and a large variety of maps on offer.

For example, the historical 1944 we all know and recognize has an Eastern Front that looks like this.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//35018759/7690aff55c3e2d4c4412d3ccffb542c559195805.png)

But this new and original ahistorical 1944 begins with a map that looks more like this:

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//35018759/72277564922784d6e017bfabcfa19b2ac0be8db3.png)

This German conquest of the Caucasus immediately puts the frontline adjacent to British-controlled Persia. For those that do not know, this trade route into the Soviet Union was a major line of supply for Allied Lend-Lease equipment. Historically, it was known as the ‘Persian Corridor’.

So right away in the new ahistorical 1944, we will have a departure from the Soviet adversaries we have been fighting against so often on the Eastern Front.


Allied Power Overwhelming

Not only will there be new battles to fight, but new optional Elite Objectives just might give pause to even the most deeply imported and heroic stacked of player COREs. With the war approaching its end, the numerical superiority of the Allied powers offers the perfect backdrop to this new objective type. Here is just one preview of these special enemy formations that will test your mettle.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//35018759/6909fe24d8b85323496687279bc251cb0a6948b3.png)

Aiding you in the ongoing struggle, a cadre of historical German figures make their return in the ahistorical Axis Operations 1944 campaign. One of them is Generalleutnant Galland, who we have seen time and again across the Axis Operations since the Spanish Civil War.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//35018759/b103f074beaf2ce2123344c61bcad5c877e79788.png)

As head of German Western Fighter Command, General der Jagdflieger Galland will have a very special task for you. There is the matter of a certain invasion that takes place in 1944 that cannot be ignored before your eventual return to the Eastern Front...


Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, returned

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//35018759/2398854a281ebd29c05a93ed6887a699ebdef9eb.png)

There is another German character featured in the Axis Operations 1944 ahistorical campaign. In fact, he is probably the single most well-known, and respected, German General of the entire Second World War.

Even though his days as commander of the vaunted Afrika Korps are now passed, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel is now in command of Army Group B: the German forces currently guard occupied France.

But off the battlefield, Rommel is also known for being a participant in the July Plot. But when it ultimately failed, Rommel was then forced to take his life. He made this sacrifice to protect his country from the scandal of a trial, but also to protect his family from reprisal.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//35018759/9a48667d82bdb72cdf9fea11a6c0f16326715ff0.png)

To honor this legendary figure from history, a new type of scenario is present in Axis Operations 1944: the narrative scenario. In it, we will attempt to give new life to this character. Aside from the brand new portraits made for him, players will get a chance to see Rommel explain his motivations and decisions firsthand.

But how and if Rommel will return in the ahistorical campaign of Axis Operations 1944... well we don’t want to spoil everything!

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//35018759/ef031f2b07b48e3269a4bd40b70e9b82074e9c97.png)


Your Feedback

As always, we are reading and listening to your feedback. Many thousands of posts and messages have greatly improved Panzer Corps 2 for its entire player base, and we encourage you to continue to share your thoughts and wants for the game into the future!

Axis Operations 1944 is currently in its BETA testing phase, and we want to give a special thank you to all of our BETA testers for their hard effort to help us make each installment of Panzer Corps 2 content the best it can be!


Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this sneak peek into some of the exciting content that the ahistorical 1944 campaign has on offer. Be on the lookout for our next Dev Diary, where we take a look at some of the new units being added to the game and explore the very starkly contrasted gameplay present in the Axis Operations 1944 historical campaign.

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/2130950/header.jpg)

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2130950/Panzer_Corps_2_Axis_Operations__1944/

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on April 28, 2023, 12:01:04 AM
Change Log v1.06.02
Thu, 27 April 2023

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1072040/ss_43b89495dacecf706ef0802a0ea0255ef96de5fb.jpg)

See here the changelog of the Multiplayer update

Dear Panzer Corps 2 Community,

Please see below the release of the latest patch for Panzer Corps 2:

- Added three Panzer Chess maps to Multiplayer menu
- Added 12 historical competitive maps to Multiplayer menu
- FW 189 recon plane no longer gives recon bonus to itself, and has "Low Altitude Attack" trait
- Panzer VII Lowe tank now has "No Purchase" trait
- SU-152 slot cost has been increased to 6 and ammo reduced to 3
- ISU-152 slot cost has been increased to 7

Thank you to our dedicated community for your continued support and feedback and we look forward to seeing you on the battlefield

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on April 28, 2023, 12:01:17 AM
Panzer Corps 2 - New Multiplayer Update is now available
Thu, 27 April 2023

(https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/35018759/b14f07af6a37d43624c6ec7325770964b1518642.jpg)

Attention, Panzer Generals,

The Multiplayer Update for Panzer Corps 2 is now live and ready for action on Steam, GoG, Epic, and Slitherine website (this update will be coming soon on Windows Store)


With this update, players can now enjoy an enhanced multiplayer experience with exciting new maps. This is also the debut for free Multiplayer “Chess Maps” that offer a fresh and strategic gameplay experience.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//35018759/1aa8026f31b76521e7124ae6d54014496e3ebfe9.jpg)

In addition to the new chess maps, players will also have access to 12 classic multiplayer maps:

- Poland North
- El Alamein
- Moscow
- Ardennes
- Leningrad
- Kasserine Pass
- Balaton
- Rhine
- Berlin
- Gazala
- Barbarossa
- Cobra

These maps have been adapted from the 2021 World Championship tournament and are designed to offer challenging and competitive battles for players of all skill levels.

To celebrate the release of the new Multiplayer Chess Maps, we are really excited to announce the first Panzer Corps 2 Chess Maps Tournament.

(https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans//35018759/e158a66d81567fede6e06c8febf0dc68c84219fa.jpg)

Do not miss the chance to sign-up for the tournament. You can sign-up here: https://www.slitherine.com/tournaments (https://www.slitherine.com/tournaments).

The first round will commence on Monday, 8 May 2023. No further entries can be accepted after the tournament has begun.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you on the battlefield!


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on September 30, 2023, 12:01:15 AM
The Insider - First Preview of Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1946
Tue, 5 September 2023

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/35018759/d8feac3574930dc93194ef93a516192ba7221911.jpg)

The Slitherine Editorial The Insider format is out now!

I'm sure you guys have seen the Panzer Corps 2 Insider Articles going up on this Slitherine page.  But there isn't any way to comment directly to those articles that I can find, so I thought I'd repost them here on the forum.  1946 is approaching, and we'd definitely be interested to hear our players' thoughts on these inside peaks.  The 2nd Insider article just came out today in fact.   :mrgreen:

Insider #1 from Sept 5th
https://www.slitherine.com/news/the-insider-first-preview-and-behind-the-scenes-of-panzer-corps-2-axis-operations-1946

Insider #2 from Sept 29th
https://www.slitherine.com/news/the-insider-2-axis-operations-1946


(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/55cddc607fab8ed40e1ed77e156a4bb99dcaa335.gif)


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on October 06, 2023, 12:01:03 AM
Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1946 Announcement and Beta is Open for Sign-up
02 Oct 2023

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/35018759/8ed7740997895747388277d5af258e6adb53152c.jpg)

It is said that every end is a new beginning, and Panzer Corps 2 is about to embark on an unprecedented journey. Building upon the alternate history established in previous DLCs, we are delighted to announce Axis Operations - 1946.

This monumental expansion invites players to explore an original and expansive campaign, where the Axis Powers launch a joint invasion of the United States.

Prepare your Wehrmacht invasion forces for their ultimate battles as they confront the mighty United States in a colossal 30-scenario campaign spanning from coast to coast across the Continental US.

Players can expect a truly unique narrative as they navigate the intricacies of this captivating alternate history. While Axis Operations 1946 draws upon the rich lore of its predecessors, it has been meticulously designed to welcome both new and veteran players. The introduction of a tiered objective system adds depth to the gameplay, including Primary Objectives, Bonus Objectives, and Elite Objectives.

Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations 1946 introduces exciting gameplay elements, including:







In addition to these extra special units and their new mechanics, the release of Axis Operations 1946 will also be adding a wealth of more than 50 new, high quality, 3D unit models to the game's extensive roster of World War II vehicles and aircraft!

As with previous Axis Operations DLCs, players can import their core forces from the previous Axis Operations 1945 East campaign or utilize a preset core force to embark directly on the Axis Operations 1946 Amerika campaign.

Join Now: Beta is Open for Sign-up

We are recruiting new participants to test Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations 1946. Give us your feedback and sign up for the Beta on the Slitherine Website here:
https://www.slitherine.com/beta/panzer-corps-2-axis-operations-1946


Will you rewrite the course of history, or will the United States prevail against the mighty Axis forces? The fate of nations awaits your command, stay tuned for more updates.


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on October 11, 2023, 12:13:11 AM
Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1946 | Dev Diary #1
Tue, 10 October 2023

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/35018759/4cdbd454912496dc263c5ed7fc2694adb8cbd787.jpg)

Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/f68bb646acb0300132f369e129baf60357356f4e.gif)

Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe are invading Panzer Corps 2! In the first of four Dev Dairies for the upcoming Axis Operations 1946, we’re going to have an in-depth preview on some of the new aircraft and new aircraft mechanics being added to Panzer Corps 2.

German Aircraft

The first aircraft we want to highlight today is the Focke-Wulf TA 183 Huckebein.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/1f5ec042f58858e0d80ec622cfd16411849d31bb.png)

When adding new units for Axis Operations 1946, we wanted to attempt a different design philosophy. Rather than continue to just to power inflate, we instead wanted to create more interesting alternative options, and the Huckebein is a great example of this. Let’s compare its stats to the current best German jet fighter, the Gotha 229:

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/d2190220cbfd0d93045904d9d1fac9f80d01347b.png)

As you can see, it’s actually inferior in almost every stat and costs more than twice the prestige, but
this is actually quite deceptive on first glance. The two st cost. Compared to a 5 slot FW-190D-9, the Huckebein stats completely outclasses the FW-190 D-9.

So the end result is that we aren’t out to replace the Gotha, but we’d like to see the Huckebein coexist alongside the Gotha or Me-262 as a valuable low slot cost alternative, as fleets of just Gothas and Me-262s will very rapidly fill up a scenario’s slot limit very quickly! Next up, we have the Ju-187, or ‘Super Stuka‘

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/f7afa3b0a89aae95f06eebab60895bdb4a7c5bdb.png)

While the Huckebein would like to co-exist alongside existing German fighters, the Super Stuka is absolutely meant to be the ultimate German Tactical Bomber. The venerable Stuka has been in every Axis Operation campaign since Spanish Civil War, and lately it has absolutely shown its age and vulnerability to interception. It’s long past time for it to get a major upgrade, and we have that now with the Super Stuka. Note that very crazy looking inverted tail, which was actually designed to rotate mid flight into this position for better control during dive bombing!

The last German aircraft we’ll look at is a flying wing. But it’s not just any flying wing, it’s a proper Amerika bomber, the 6 jet engine Horten XVIII.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/7cd9b603eca33972689698364ce0a53e9d935cb8.png)

We don’t want to spoil too much about this incredible machine, but I’m sure some of you have seen that gif of that other very special variant of the Horten Amerika Bomber with a rather unique payload that will also be available in Axis Operations 1946...

Japanese Aircraft

Two of the new Japanese aircraft we want to highlight today are a fighter and a strategic bomber.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/d2a92839efa54919cb9060b211d8bf253cc118ff.png)

First off, we have a very unique fighter aircraft design in the Shinryu II. Basically, think of this design as someone who looked at the Me-163 and said ‘more rockets please’. This thing is just made of rockets, rockets, and just rockets. It’s rocket powered, and armed exclusively with anti-air rockets designed to shoot down American bombers such as the B-29. There’s not a machine gun or cannon to be found anywhere in this aircraft’s armaments.

To bring this unique design to life in Panzer Corps 2, it has a stat page completely unique from all other fighters. An insane 25 air attack value combined with an integrated Rapid Fire trait will make mincemeat of any American bombers, but its pitiful 5 initiative leaves it incredibly vulnerable to enemy dog fighter aircraft. In addition, it has a paltry 2 ammo count, meaning that if it takes a shot at an American B-29, it has a mere 1 shot left to defend itself from enemy fighters with, before all
following fighter attacks on the Shinryu II attack it without any fear of return fire.

Next up, we don’t just have the infamous 6 engine Fugaku, but we also have a very special variant of the Fugaku coming to Panzer Corps 2.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/06333a444a8a98f3f624906c246f1f3881deecf0.png)

This special variant is borne as a result of the direct cooperation between the Axis Powers. This special Fugaku has been armed with German wire guided Fritz X missiles, making it the first, and only, aircraft in Panzer Corps 2 that has a ranged attack!

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/4821ca11d59d8d9d62fa549eb0ba25123bf155ad.png)

The American Pacific Fleet is going to be in for a very nasty surprise! They’re about to discover its CAP of Hellcats and Corsairs protecting its Essex Class Fleet Carriers from torpedo and dive bomber attacks can’t reach these Fugaku bombers that are raining down guided missiles on the American fleet from a most unexpected distance.

American Aircraft

Last but certainly not least, we’ll look at just some of the new American aircraft being pressed into service to challenge the joint German-Japanese invasion of the United States. First off, we have a wooden conscript aircraft, the XP-77.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/a13359dc7150a552e1ae790a69324e072705a5f1.png)

Pressed into service in the face of invasion, the XP-77 is not a high performance aircraft in the slightest. Out performed by the venerable P-51, the XP-77 was instead meant to effectively be a conscript aircraft, something that could be produced cheaply and in mass quantities very rapidly. So while the XP-77 might not seem to be a major new threat, the numbers this aircraft will appear in could be a challenge of its own kind to overcome. Next up we have the XP-55 Ascender, or the aircraft that was seemingly ‘built backwards’:

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/3d348a1e128aa82b5c75eda94e70fa48e444fc7d.png)

We’ve stat-ed this new fighter fairly conservatively, looking to make it a nice new adversary for players to encounter that is about on the power level of the P-51H. Testing is still ongoing, however, so watch out for this aircraft might get a new trick up its very unusual sleeves sometime between now and the launch of 1946! Design of the Me-163 seems to be popular today, because next we have another aircraft with a very similar visual profile, the XP-56 Black Bullet.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/bf1618985e5606d65d1cad360580e4fd6b6ffa60.png)

Unlike the Me-163 and its pilot melting rocket fuel engines, however, the Black Bullet was power by an aft mounted prop engine, similar to the rear mounted prop of the Do-335 Pfeil. Historically, this diminutive fighter wasn’t exactly designed for an Me-163 performance profile, it’s small and unique designs were actually to test the concept of using Magnesium instead of Aluminium to build the aircraft with.

We better wrap up this Dev Diary though, because we’re definitely getting hungry, and the shape of the Vought XF5U is only making us think of one thing... pancakes!

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/d98018e00aac2693c75ed5fbe004e5ad5ec1e3de.png)

Historically, the hope for the very strangely shaped ‘Flying Flapjack’ would be to potentially usher in the next generation of pistol engine aircraft. Whatever improvements these designs may have provided to piston engine aircraft were however moot, as the emergence of jet aircraft superseded propeller driven aircraft. But in Panzer Corps 2’s alternate history of 1946, we’ll be seeing this aircraft pushed into service in the defense of the United States against the joint German-Axis invasion!

Conclusion

We hope you all enjoyed this first reveal on just some of the new aircraft being added to Panzer Corps 2 for its upcoming 1946 Axis Operations campaign. Just remember these are just a few of the new designs being added to Panzer Corps 2, and there are even more coming that we have not covered today!

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/6b270f90e636f2a764427df79bc23c86792d0550.png)

So be ready for even more new aircraft to be included and don’t forget to add Axis Operations 1946
to your wishlists


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on November 10, 2023, 12:14:14 AM
Panzer Corps 2 Axis Operations – 1946 | Dev Diary #2 is out now
Fri, 3 November 2023

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/35018759/03f3860c6fd7d89faf7e7830c11bd2a37a402870.jpg)

Achtung Panzer Generals! We have a double order of HUGE announcements for you today!

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/1c866acea25ed20865efe533ad84b38b9d8cbc97.gif)


Axis Operations 1946 lands on November 30th, we’re a mere month from launch as of this writing!

On top of that, we have an extra special focus on the BIGGEST ground units ever seen for today’s Panzer Corps 2 Dev Diary: Landkreuzers!

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/87efb3e734df24fe7aa7ebd2e254b603827f228d.png)

For the first time in the Panzer Corps series, we’ll be bringing these behemoth vehicles to the battlefield in the upcoming Axis Operations 1946 Campaign. For anyone who doesn’t know, the concept of a Landkreuzer was to make what was essentially a mobile fortress. While super heavy vehicles such as the Karl-Gerat mortar were intended for long range fire support, the Landkreuzer was envisioned to participate in the thick of combat. Armed with battleship-grade main guns, a Landkreuzer could easily smash any Allied tank without contest. Should entire formations of enemy vehicles challenge this super tank, the Landkreuzer boasted many secondary weapons to fight with, all protected by unsurpassed armor thickness.

This uncompromising design of outrageous firepower and unparalleled protection meant Landkreuzers were designed to be more than 1000 tons in weight, so heavy that they needed U-boat diesel engines to power the tank. To attempt to bring this monster vehicle into Panzer Corps 2, we definitely had to make some unique rules just for Landkreuzers.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/00e5e48b8a67c339d68321acb4e5fb714c76844f.png)

Landkruezer Special Rules

To make Landkreuzers work in Panzer Corps 2, we couldn’t just give them more stat inflation over say a Maus tank. Just adding more attack and defense values is insufficient for how insane the concept of the Landkreuzer really was.

The first thing we needed to do was to give Landkreuzers a ranged attack, similar to a Karl-Gerat mortar, to properly represent the range and power of its battleship-grade 280mm primary guns. This range attack is absolutely devastating to even the heaviest Allied tanks, which cannot even retaliate at extended distances.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/80308c8494c4a51927a0e53397b17224f23858bb.png)

But to prevent the Landkreuzers from being an invincible titan on the battlefield, we’re experimenting with giving it a non-standard unit strength value. By inflating this number past the default 10, we can make a Landkreuzer a target that can be swarmed and defeated by enemy tanks who manage to get in close, as opposed to giving a 10 strength Landkreuzer impenetrable 40 or 50 ground defense ratings.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/8ea6997c57ed9553ee5902f3c921ea3867ddcd11.png)

In addition, the Landkreuzer acts more like a naval vessel, in that it is a single entity. This means that regardless of its strength value, it attacks and defends itself with a set number of attack rolls. This will further allow swarms of enemy tanks that managed to close range with the Landkreuzer to be able to effectively engage it, without the Landkreuzers retaliation fire instantly obliterating its assailants.

We’re in the final stages of the process of testing the exact stats and traits of Panzer Corps 2’s massive Landkreuzers, but getting these vehicles into the game has been a dream since Panzer Corps 2 first launched, so we’re going to give them all the love and attention they need to be amazing new units for Panzer Corps 2 players to enjoy!

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/814dfa2412479a3e70ff99148bd29481f0e45883.png)

A Unique Landkruezer

But wait, there’s more! We have a very unique announcement to make. Even more special than revealing the existence of Landkreuzers in Panzer Corps 2, we are even going to have a completely original Landkreuzer design added to Panzer Corps 2.

In the bizarre German tradition of naming larger and larger vehicles after smaller and smaller creatures (Maus/Mouse, Ratte/Rat), we have christened our original design as the Landkreuzer P.1600 Meerschweinchen.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/c46972602d76ce2b37b33eaa9e795167f6ddaa87.jpg)
Image Credit Google Images

Oh wait, that’s not the right image of our Meerschweinchen, it’s this one!

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/cdb4c175c2d4e4076579e3ce68e8767df99d920d.png)

The main difference between a ‘normal’ Landkreuzer Ratte and the new Meerschweinchen is an even more absurd upgrade of the main armament. The Meerschweinchen utilizes a turret from a Yamato Class super-battleship, with whopping 460mm main guns! How exactly this turret ended up on a Landkreuzer, you’ll just have to see for yourself inside of the upcoming 1946 campaign.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/83ea39304aa332765a5ecdfeea6e38000f411f44.png)

Final Musings

Before we end this Dev Diary, I actually wanted to just share some musings about Landkreuzers with our readers.

Did you know we actually planned to add Landkreuzers to Panzer Corps 2 right after the 1.0 launch back in early 2020? I’ve wanted to add this very unique and special vehicle to the game for a very long time now, because so few games include them in their roster of units.

We discussed plans and prototypes to get Landkreuzers working in Panzer Corps 2 quite extensively. The original idea was for Landkreuzers to be true multi-hex units, with the front of the vehicle acting as the ‘head’ of a snake that the ‘tail’ unit was forced to follow in whatever path the ‘head’ moved along. While this idea worked great in many ways, especially to control the orientation of the two pieces to ensure they always remained in sync, it proved to be untenable in other ways, such as properly linking the health of the two halves together. Personally, I thought it would have been amazing to see the front half of a Landkreuzer reduced to a burning wreck, while the Maus Turrets and FlaK weapons of the back half continue to operate and fight, but alas it was not to be.

Our experiments with super-sized naval vessels proved this concept could be done so, and so we ultimately choice that option to deal with some of the more complicated aspects of implementing Landkreuzers into Panzer Corps 2.

One thing we should say though, the images you see here of our new Landkreuzers models aren’t 100% complete, we’re still making final adjustments to the formulas around these monster machines to get them nice and polished for the upcoming game release. So their size as seen here might differ from what we end up with in game. Me personally, I hope they get EVEN BIGGER, but I suspect we might have to tone down their size a little bit to better accommodate the game’s unit selection and targeting mechanics.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/772b2d41ecb54ec5977cda44aec1e8777f41c0f7.png)

But not only will players have access to two different Landkreuzers, there just might be some strange circumstances where you just might encounter hostile Landkreuzer under American control. Taking on this monster vehicle and its escorts could prove to be the ultimate Elite Objective!

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/5a85b89af754b56de4371f5e66e5c1fb7f3962b7.png)

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this sneak peak into the Landkreuzers that are coming to Panzer Corps 2. Be on the lookout for our next Dev Diary, where we’ll be taking a look at even more new units that are being added to Panzer Corps 2 for its Axis Operations 1946 campaign!



Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on November 10, 2023, 12:14:27 AM
Panzer Corps 2 Axis Operations – 1946 | Dev Diary #3
Thu, 9 November 2023

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/35018759/f89b58bd677ab0ea36f94cac691e9e88ebdad720.jpg)

We’ll look at the new hardware employed by the Americans to resist the Axis invasion

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Hello again Gamers!

As Axis Operations rapidly approaches its November 30th launch date, we have yet more previews to share with you. Today I want to talk about the new three tier objective system, and we’ll look at the new hardware employed by the Americans to resist the Axis invasion.

Revamped Objective System

So there are actually four items to get into regarding this system. First and foremost, because it is so often requested, we’re happy to say that for players who do NOT enjoy fighting against the clock, practically every single of Axis Operation 1946’s huge 30 scenario campaign will allow you to DISABLE the mission timers if you prefer to play without this time pressure element.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/9ca7624421412adb64d0fea7b432c6b63ed8fe4e.png)

To properly support this style of gameplay, we had to revamp Panzer Corps 2’s objective system, which we’ll get into right now.

Primary Objectives:

These are the traditional bread and butter objectives that fans of the Panzer General series have come to know and love: Battle for territory control as you advance your armies across the United States.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/abc8727167718ceedc7157f1b42b5cc050f9be69.png)

These objectives are required for campaign progression, and are designed to be manageable for all players. Note that as soon as your Primary Objective is completed, the current scenario will end, so if you want to hunt for bonuses, you will need to prioritize accomplishing them before completing your Primary Objective!

Bonus Objectives:

Different from previous Axis Operations bonus objectives, 1946 bonus objectives are locations that are off the beaten path. Players looking to scour for extra prestige resources will find abundant bonus objectives to pursue to make sure their Panzer Corps is well maintenanced and ready for combat.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/415b19bfcf111bb90674357a4217bac418329935.png)

These objectives have been designed with one and only one concept in mind: To give you, the player, better control over your prestige resource.

In the past, prestige has generally been an automatic function. You get a set allotment to begin a given scenario, and you’re expected to make do with that, generally having little control during the scenario to manipulate this number. A scenario might give a per turn prestige allotment, but again, this number is out of player control. So a player swimming in tens of thousands of prestige just keeps accumulating more, but a player who is starving and out of prestige would have no recourse to get their CORE back in fighting condition if the scenario allotments were inadequate for their gameplay style/difficulty settings.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/b698231cb62a7d2cb66175e58d13f81c2eef7a35.png)

By putting prestige rich bonus objectives into every single scenario, players will be able to better exercise a measure of control over their resource management. Players who have abundant prestige might have the freedom to not divert their forces to secure these bonuses they don’t need, while a prestige starved player has a vital lifeline they should absolutely prioritize going after if they need more resource injections!

All bonus objectives are purely optional.
 

Elite Objectives:

These objectives are designed to be tackled by veteran players with deeply imported CORE forces. Expect to see brutal enemy hero combinations, massively overstrengthed enemies, and potentially much worse...

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/1ba168f660db6b872ac8ab0829eff957344d9a19.png)

But the rewards for these brutal elite objectives will always be special units that you can otherwise never acquire via normal purchasing. If you ever want to deploy your own Atomic weaponry, additional Landkreuzers, and other special equipment, you better be prepared to earn them through elite objective completion!

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/34d45ec752115c826b1c69b68f31ff4e546cc633.png)

All elite objectives are purely optional.
We hope you’re looking forward to 1946’s revamped objective system, and now on to some new units!

American Armor

We’ve already covered several new American aircraft that will appear in the 1946 campaign, so today’s focus will be on new American armored forces. One thing to note is that when you see a name in parenthesis (), it means it is a designation that is original to Panzer Corps 2’s Alternate History Timeline!

We picked these names to give more personality to new American tanks, without them merely being referred to as M number or T number. No one calls the most iconic American tank an M4, everyone says Sherman tank! And in American naming traditional, all of the names we picked are derived from American Civil War Generals.

First up we’ll look at a new recon vehicle, the M38 Wolfhound.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/2bc9e9e48c8b97cf81381633e26085527a57bea1.png)

The Wolfhound was designed to serve as a direct upgrade over the venerable M8 Greyhound. Though it still carried the same 37mm main gun as the Greyhound and Chaffee, it was thought that a larger ammunition capacity and massively improved sloped armor would afford much greater staying power to the Wolfhound compared to the thinly armoured Greyhound.

While only a few prototypes were ever actually built before the end of WWII ended Wolfhound production, in this Alternate History, the Wolfhound serves as the premier US recon vehicle of the 1946 conflict.

M6A1 Heavy Sherman
(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/6d797aaaa444ad7a37419fc129907c540ff2eae3.png)

The so-called Heavy Sherman is actually a very early war design from 1941, being an attempt to design and create an American Heavy Tank. Like many early war heavy tank designs such as the German Neubaufahrzeug or Soviet T-35, it proved to be very underwhelming. By 1946, the main 76mm gun was woefully obsolete, so it is unlikely the few tanks of this type you will encounter will pose much of a threat.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/7ce76e0a3c284bbd402046ec832a545536721fa4.png)

Watch out for the upgunned M6A2E though, marrying the protection of a Heavy Sherman chassis with a 90mm main cannon is a serious threat.

T14 (Sumner)
(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/1388e81509d15bea6489f2675340ec4a8045f3d4.png)

Joining the ranks of Panzer Corps 2’s 1 range Close Support Tanks, we have the T14 Sumner. As is typical for an Assault Tank, extreme levels of protection combined with support fire capabilities characterize the Sumner. While nothing will approach the insane levels of a Sturmtiger, the Sumner provides the Americans with a solid vehicle with roughly the performance profile of a German Brummbar.

We choose the name Sumner for this CS tank after Union General Edwin Vose Sumner, who despite his advanced age, was apparently quite the tough cookie!

T21 (Pickett)

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/7f0d685fffc8c39a6f43d414c12f93ab35b7c595.png)

The primary light tank of the American forces in the 1946 campaign, the T21 Pickett acts like a Chaffee on steroids, with improved protection and a larger 76mm main cannon. While not any serious threat to the likes of a German Maus or E-100, these speedy light tanks can certainly be dangerous if they manage to outflank your heavy panzers and attack your infantry and artillery forces. As the Pickett is classified as a tank, it trades away the recon movement of the Chaffee for the ability to perform overrun attacks.

We choose the name Pickett for this light tank after Confederate General George Edward Pickett, who is infamous for leading Pickett’s Charge during the Battle of Gettysburg.

T23 (Sheridan)
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While we are well aware there is already a Sheridan vehicle in our history, the M551 Sheridan is a 1960 vehicle design, so applying the name in this Alternate History of 1946 leaves it quite available to use in defense of a United States just fighting to survive to get to the 1960s intact!

The T23 Sheridan is basically a Super Sherman, acting as a solid medium tank platform produced in large quantities. Expect to encounter this vehicle everywhere in the 1946 campaign, as the Americans phase out their older Shermans in favour of this new and improved medium tank.

From internal testing, this tank was definitely a favourite for re-use as captured equipment, thanks to its well balanced stats and superior movement speed capabilities.

We choose the name Sheridan for this medium tank after Union General Philip Henry Sheridan, who is infamous for his scorched earth tactics against the South.

T29 (Longstreet)
(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/af27a38f62e0c14efeefc0ce0357e4b3d530a88f.png)

As you noticed by now, we don’t have many new American ultra heavy tanks on roster for 1946. The Super Pershing, T28 Super Heavy, and T34 Heavy cover this niche quite well, all three of those tanks already well ready to go toe to toe with the likes of a Panzer VII Lion or Panzer VIII Maus. The T29 Longstreet is not a design meant to power creep even further over the likes of the T34 heavy, it is meant to be a lesser, but still very potent, American heavy tank adversary. The Longstreet rides the line between slow 3 and 4 speed heavy tanks and the swifter 6 speed light and medium tanks with a comfortable 5 move speed, while still boasting defense values that firmly put it in the heavy tank category.

We choose the name Longstreet for this heavy tank after Confederate General James Longstreet, second-in-Command to the honorable General Robert E. Lee.

M40 (Johnson)
(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/d16c8eaa9f9642fdbcd2c7d3c54ba8fd4037fb85.png)

The last vehicle we’ll be covering today is an anti-tank self propelled gun, the M40 Johnson. This unit serves one purpose and one purpose alone, to make absolutely certain the American possess an anti-tank weapon more than capable of harming the heaviest of the new German heavy tanks. Even the mighty Maus will suffer significant damage if it attempts to engage a target protected by the anti-tank support of a Johnson.

This overwhelming power comes in the form of a dedicated 155mm cannon that has no alternate artillery swap mode. Additionally, the Johnson is very vulnerable with a paltry ammo total of just 2, and it also lacks serious armor protection. Think of it as a super charged Nashorn; very lethal in ambush, but very vulnerable when under direct fire.

We choose the name Johnson for this anti-tank unit after Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston, a capable but often overlooked figure during the Civil War.

Conclusion

We hope you all enjoyed this reveal on just some of the new vehicles being added to Panzer Corps 2 for its upcoming 1946 Axis Operations campaign. Just remember these are just a few of the new designs being added to Panzer Corps 2, and there are even more coming that we have not covered today!

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/9e2aa2f8d26018cb45e401b6eacd5be0d31dcaec.png)

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on November 23, 2023, 12:46:37 AM
Panzer Corps 2 Axis Operations – 1946 | Dev Diary #4
Wed, 22 November 2023

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Achtung Panzer Generals! Today we’ll be looking at not just new German equipment, but also some other Axis equipment


(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/320dfcae06135cdf55eea3344776a4b5d93e6fca.png)

Achtung Panzer Generals! We are only one week away from Axis Operations 1946 arriving, and so we have one more Dev Diary to share with you as a final preview to what’s coming.

So far we’ve looked at many examples of new aircraft, American equipment, and even Landkreuzers, but with more than 50 new models being added for Axis Operations 1946, we still have even more to showcase! Today we’ll be looking at not just new German equipment, but also some other Axis equipment.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/7ce2bcfc73ff1295d28925d4a7008eef90242cc8.gif)

German Equipment

The first order of business is to look at the whole E-series of vehicles. Not only do we have models for them all now, but we have a pretty specific concept for approaching their stats and balance.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/e10584cf543fcdb5a9255b2762f373cb2f039d4f.png)

As a quick preamble, let’s talk a little bit about logistics. Everyone likes to say the Sherman was not a very good tank, and they’ll go to pointing to stats like needing a dozen Shermans to take on a single Tiger, as the Sherman 75mm gun was just not able to penetrate the frontal protection of a Tiger at any range, and needed to close in for a side or rear shot for any chance at knocking out a Tiger tank.

While all that is well and true, it has to be remembered that Sherman tanks needed to be very transportable, not just crossing the English Channel, but starting their journey all the way in the United States before travelling across literal oceans to fight in European or Pacific Theaters.

Given the entire purpose of the German E-series was to create streamlined designs that were easier to mass produce and less prone to mechanical failure, we thought this was a perfect opportunity to put the shoe on the other foot, and give the E-series of tanks more varied stats than just increasing their power over existing designs such as the Panzer VII Lion or Panzer VIII Maus.

But rather than work our way up, let’s start big with the E-100 and work our way down!

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/dd6883dbb43430b3ac09e3f1729d1550b03b980b.png)

First off, we have the E-100 Heavy Tank. Before we talk about the tank, let’s compare its stats to the existing Panzer VIII Maus:

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/7e473365b000bfe5b9d95cd59e0cd55ec32b8850.png)

So right away, we can see there is a bit of give and take going on here. While the E-100 has undeniably weaker attack and defensive values with a higher prestige cost doubling the existing Maus, it also has an incredibly low slot cost, even lower than a Tiger I. And compared to the venerable old Tiger I, the new E-100 has superior stats in every category except Soft Attack!

Like the Huckebein we saw before, the E-100 is a vehicle we want to coexist alongside existing German Heavies in the 1946 campaign. While a tank fleet of Lions or Maus with respective CORE slots weighing in at 9 and 10 will VERY quickly eat up your slot limit, the slightly leaner E-100 is a very combat effective alternative with a much lighter logistical footprint on your forces. Of course, it does carry that insanely high prestige cost to purchase (and repair!) so better make sure you grab a few bonus objectives to pay for your shiny new E-series tanks.

We’ve had the E-75 in Panzer Corps 2 for a while now, so we’ll move ahead to the E-50.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/10b25e218eda0ded97411c60cdfadd47863dc3d0.png)


Where the E-100 might be considered a streamlined Maus, and an E-75 is a refined and upgrade Tiger II, the E-50 is definitely a next generation Panther tank.

With very similar stats to the new Panther II we introduced previously, the E-50 comes in at a shocking 4 CORE slots, giving it the logistical footprint of a late model Panzer III M! So if you want something with Panther speed and power but the slot cost of a Panzer III, the E-50 is your weapon of choice. Just keep in mind, this sleek and streamlined tank platform might struggle against the heaviest American equipment, as your E-50 has become the ocean travelling design while something like an American Longstreet is a heavy beast that is made to defend the land it was built on!

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/2fae829a395ebd2f3011da7120d18583ec956fe5.png)


Further down the line, we have the E-25, an anti-tank platform in the E-Series.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/cd194fdd6e4c4ceb0df4776f3eeedad419480b2c.png)

Like the E-100 and Maus comparison, the E-25 faces a similar relationship with the existing Jagdpanther. The Jagdpanther’s stats definitely far exceed the relatively diminutive E-25. Our one saving grace for the E-25 is that it comes in at half the slot cost of the Hunting Panther, and that makes it a very cheap and reliable vanguard unit that you can deploy en masse, as you can literally deploy twice as many E-25s as you can Jagdpanthers. And compared to the workhorse StuG IIIG, the E-25 is a pure upgrade in every sense, including a lower slot cost than the StuG IIIG.

Lastly, we have the E-10, another anti-tank platform.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/d1169859515e47ae25d8577a7329dad80ff83607.png)

Like the Hetzer, a similar lighter self propelled anti-tank design, the E-10 somewhat struggles to find its place amongst bigger and more lethal platforms like the Jagdpanther and Jagdtiger. Even so, this unit serves its role as a slot inexpensive unit to deploy, the perfect sort of unit for protecting distant objectives that need a watch over, as slot expensive units are ill-spent on garrison duty type tasks. Expect to see the E-10 a few times in this defensive role, and there’s definitely one very specific scenario the E-10 and E-25 absolutely shine in, but we don’t want to spoil that particular battle! Let’s just say it’s the kind of battle you want a... expendable delaying force to take the brunt of enemy attacks, instead of risking your elite veteran units in their big slow Jagdtigers or Maus in such a dangerous position.

Up next we’ll look at a few non-German Axis units starting with one very special piece of...

Nationalist Spanish Aid

As with the Second World War proper, the role of Nationalist Spain is going to be extremely limited in Axis Operations 1946. But we have not forgotten about Germany’s Spanish allies, and so their contribution to 1946 comes in the form of a very special and original concept tank made exclusively for Panzer Corps 2: the Verdeja 3!

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/5c841b54508c491c5d907a92968a74ce0a9a3d1a.png)

So basically the story goes in our Alternate Timeline is that, much like in our History, Germany shared the spoils of captured Allied equipment with its fellow Axis Nations. While Nationalist Spain ostensibly remained neutral in the Second World War, we thought they could lend their aid to Axis Operations 1946 by marrying the hull of their Verdeja 2 design with a new turret taken from stocks of captured Soviet KV-85s.

And I have to say, I think the hull size and shape looks very cool with this larger KV-85 turret on it!

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/c89da20a4594d570e9343896af8d149a29c35c27.png)

One more thing we should note, the Verdeja 3, given its Spanish origins, is not available for purchase as a normal unit during Axis Operations 1946. So how do you get a Verdeja 3? I’d start looking at some Elite Objectives if you want to get your hands on this very special reward! Did I mention it has some pretty insane stats?

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/4a0176844d05ac7d725b156e2a6ceb0927b1f8cd.png)

The only way we could keep stats this good and slot cost that low was to make it available in limited amounts and also place the unit behind the wall of Elite Objective completion!

Japanese Units in 1946

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/c7abbcc352de644e19f804646d8e63194bf6d50a.png)


So joining Japan in a mutual Axis invasion on the Western Coast of the United States is a little bit of a conundrum. We listened to Spanish Civil War feedback, and we’ve opted to NOT make Japan an AI controlled ally that you need to heavily rely upon. As interesting and thematic as that concept was for the Spanish Civil War, we have to agree it was frustrating for players to rely on a unit as critical as infantry in the hands of an AI ally you could only give vague instructions to. Either way, such a relationship between Germany and Japan would be inappropriate for 1946, so we’re approaching them a little bit differently.

You’ll see Japanese AI units in several scenarios, especially early on as the Japanese Combined Fleet assists in naval operations at the start of the invasion. But these units have their own orders and instructions, and it should not interfere with your Primary, Bonus, or Elite Objectives.

Here for example, we see the newly produced Nagato Class Battleship, in all of its super-sized model glory!

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/eecb2b7fd96e4b09e06e657f0d404c9d868e7d5f.png)


To use your own Japanese units, well we also wanted to keep that door open, and so we made acquiring a few new Japanese units possible through Elite Objective rewards. Have fun finding out what kind of rewards are sprinkled throughout the multitude of Elite Objectives present in practically every scenario of Axis Operations 1946!

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed these previews of so many of the new units arriving alongside Axis Operations 1946. This campaign has been an absolutely monumental work of total passion to produce, and we’re incredibly eager to get it into your hands to enjoy very soon!


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on December 26, 2023, 11:20:29 PM
Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1946 is Now Available
Thu, November 30, 2023

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/35018759/f454025e5b0760dff13ee875695b68963a4daff4.jpg)

Get ready for the invasion of a lifetime as Axis Operations 1946 catapults you straight into an alternate reality


Brace yourselves, commanders,

Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1946 is out now!

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/4afafcfc54bfcacd97742c0b4add74c2023437f2.gif)

This immense expansion includes 30 epic campaign scenarios that stretch from sea to shining sea across America. Wehrmacht invasion forces are gearing up for an all-out showdown across the Continental US, and you're the maestro orchestrating this symphony of strategic mayhem!

[YouTube]https://www.youtube.com/embed/BZG4h4stFSc[/YouTube]

Key Features:

Immersive Campaign: Dive into a sprawling narrative that challenges players to navigate the intricacies of a captivating alternate history, drawing upon rich lore while remaining accessible to both new and veteran players

Tiered Objective System: Experience a new level of strategy with the introduction of a tiered objective system, featuring Primary Objectives, Bonus Objectives, and Elite Objectives that add depth and complexity to the gameplay

Exciting Gameplay Elements: Encounter special extra-large unit models, including the formidable Japanese Super Battleship Yamato, American Atomic B-29 Bombers, German Atomic-armed V-2 Rockets, modified Japanese Fugaku bombers with Fritz X Missiles, and entirely original unit designs exclusive to Panzer Corps 2. Brace yourself for the awe-inspiring Landkreuzers!

Expanded Roster: With over 50 new, high-quality, 3D unit models, Axis Operations 1946 further enriches the game's extensive roster of World War II vehicles and aircraft, offering players an even broader array of choices for their tactical battles and strategic endeavors

Continuation of Core Forces: Building upon the success of previous Axis Operations DLCs, players can import their core forces from the Axis Operations 1945 East campaign or jump straight into the action with a preset core force for the Axis Operations 1946 Amerika campaign


(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/5eb3d36a80b57c5cb695bfb432b6fa1d8753dd06.gif)

Prepare to rewrite the fate of nations as you lead the Axis Powers in an audacious invasion of the United States.

Make sure not to miss XTRG playing the game on the Slitherine Twitch channel today at 17:00 UK time!

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on December 27, 2023, 12:22:47 AM
Panzer Corps 2: A free scenario is now available
Mon, December 11, 2023

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/35018759/672a26851d387d33392ece8c2041560008c870ef.jpg)

Holiday Message from Us to You

Greetings to our Panzer Corps 2 Community,

While we are thrilled to celebrate the launch of a project as large and expansive as Axis Operations 1946, this is by far the biggest single content drop we have ever had since the original launch of Panzer Corps 2 way back in early 2020, but we cannot help but realize we dropped the ball on its deployment to you, our players.

Some of our players ran into serious, game-breaking problems with 1946 when it released. Since then, we've taken every possible step to resolve these issues ASAP, and they are now fully resolved to the best of our knowledge.

We fully accept your criticisms as they are well deserved and serve as a lesson to us that we really must do better. Thanks for your continued interest and support; it helps us to improve and gives us powerful motivation to more diligently utilize our time and energy in the ongoing work surrounding Panzer Corps 2. To disappoint so many players is extra heartbreaking for us, because of the literal hundreds if not thousands of man-hours of effort that has been poured into making 1946 possible. Still, we would like to use this opportunity to once again apologize for these issues and say thank you for your patience and support.

But we know that words alone are also pretty hollow, so as part of that apology, we also have a little gift for you to enjoy.

Thank you for calling us out on our failures and for continuing to show your passion and support to prove that you really care about our game by expressing your frustrating when it’s unacceptably broken.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/c90ef7372dc3688735eb5153475fb37ee5b58550.jpg)

Many thousands of you have embarked on the new Axis Operations 1946 campaign, and we’re absolutely humbled by so many gamers playing our little WW2 strategy game! Thank you.

Now then, on to our announcement:

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/bcd555c06031554c1e4bfc4b168469c3a32741e4.png)

As part of our apology and to show our thanks to our players, we have a very special treat for you to enjoy this holiday season.

We’re rolling out one very special, very humongous solo scenario that will be free for all owners of any edition of Panzer Corps 2 to play and enjoy!

Installation instructions can be found at the very bottom of this post.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/8ba7fa29a91a05e616966815a6cf8a760b852125.png)

Set in 1947, the new scenario, Escape to New York, gives you command of American forces struggling to survive the Axis invasion of the United States. For those of you who really like your gigantic scenarios, this one is definitely for you. There are over 500 units participating in this battle, not counting additional waves of Axis reinforcements that will also attempt to block your forces from reaching your ultimate goal of New York! The map size is over 2000 hexes!

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/7182bbd791ebeeedf2dba42486bf25227faf5356.png)

This is the ultimate battle of 1946 era equipment, with Atomic Bombers, Landkreuzers, E-Series tanks, and advanced American tanks and aircraft on full display. And it is our holiday gift to all owners of Panzer Corps 2 to enjoy for free as a solo scenario! We hope you enjoy this behemoth scenario, and we can’t wait to show you what is coming up for Panzer Corps 2 in 2024!

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/35042464b734ebd682fdfd4255a976dcf79c3ff2.png)


Escape to New York manual installation instructions:

To get this scenario into your hands as quickly as possible, and also as CLEANLY as possible, we’re going to hold off on adding this scenario to the game via a patch for now. We certainly don’t want to clog the patch pipeline that is vitally needed to deploy critical hot fixes and bug fixes, so if you would like to play this mega scenario before it is officially integrated into the game in a future patch, follow these simple instructions for more Panzer Corps 2 gameplay fun!

1. Download this zip file.

FILEDOWNLOAD LINK HERE (https://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/ETNYv1.zip)

2. Extract the 4 scenario files found inside to this directory location:

[Documents]\My Games\Panzer Corps 2\Scenarios

Note, that in the following example image 'smoke' is just my PC name, your user name will be unique.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/a99b838bd2e8a73bb27ec42d3254abbddb259099.jpg)

3. You can now launch the scenario through the custom scenario interface:

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/07ac7a740ab6ec3bb0b561cecd71e49987af874d.jpg)

4. Enjoy!

And if you have any feedback on this mega scenario, we would love to hear from you, and perhaps we can even fine tune and improve the scenario even more before it is officially integrated as part of the base Panzer Corps 2 game.

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on February 09, 2024, 12:06:23 AM
Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge is coming this spring
Thu, February 8, 2024

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/35018759/b105761bd8eb3a89959d748dbdd24c95f85e6dfc.jpg)


Join now the Beta

Hello Generals,

During today's Tea Time, Marco has announced the upcoming release of Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge, the latest DLC in the Panzer Corps 2 series. 

The DLC is scheduled to launch this spring. For more insights, check out the full interview with the game's producer, David Sharrock:

https://youtu.be/lSwM1jzkSAI


Get ready to immerse yourself in the Battle of the Bulge, experiencing the intensity of WWII strategy gaming like never before.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/1e003b56d5760d148c15d248273a444f0f74fcc6.png)

A Strategic Onslaught

Beginning just days before the infamous December 16th, 1944, the campaign kicks off with a smaller-scale US offensive, setting the stage for the tumultuous 4-6 weeks of the Battle of the Bulge

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/473af9f9d75ac7bc97b4db268eb1f2191026bb7d.jpg)

Dive into the Details

Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge cleverly divides the entire operation into smaller, focused battles, each spanning just a few days and a limited area. This approach allows you to relive crucial moments with unprecedented detail.


New Challenges and New Rewards

As you face a surprise German offensive in adverse weather conditions, you'll be outgunned and outnumbered. Earn heroes and extra units to tip the scales in your favor. Plus, tailor your experience by selecting easier or more challenging battles – it's your call.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/9b792eb25ffc67cc49d1830f072971e6c6617f2b.jpg)

Key Features:

Experience the Battle of the Bulge within a more zoomed-in scale, featuring the famous Siege of Bastogne
Unique Campaign Structure divided into smaller battles for detailed, focused gameplay.
Allied airpower is restricted for a few turns due to adverse weather conditions.
Earn heroes and extra units as rewards.
Tailor the experience by selecting easier or more challenging battles.
Enjoy a balanced gaming experience with rewards and scenario selection.
Adapt difficulty to individual skill levels and preferences.
Stay tuned for more information.


To celebrate the announcement of Panzer Corps 2 - Frontline - Bulge, we are excited to announce a new Chess Tournamen

It will feature the 3 multiplayer chess maps. You can sign up here The Tournament follows Swiss Tournament rules: you can find the full list of rules 

The first round will start on Thursday, 15th February 2024 at 12.00pm. No further entries can be accepted after the tournament has begun.

The tournament will last 3 rounds, 10 days each. Games are paired, so each matchup will be played both ways. All you need to do is sign up, then the system will pair you with opponents and create your PBEM games. You will be notified by mail of when the tournament is starting and when it will be time to play your turns.

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on March 06, 2024, 11:27:54 PM
Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge is coming on March 21st
Wed, 6 March 2024

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/35018759/662c3649cc43121b4db56fd8b061682ccbeaba56.jpg)

The latest DLC in the Panzer Corps 2 series: Frontlines - Bulge is coming on March 21st

Prepare to dive into an immersive battlefield set amidst the historical backdrop of the epic Battle of the Bulge, commencing just days before the pivotal date of December 16th, 1944.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/83f0af2d91d3967cb4c07842f895db53a630b970.jpg)


Mission Overview: A Journey Through History

Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge invites players to embark on a dynamic campaign that unfolds during the iconic Battle of the Bulge.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/43c85616e1a10281859a5588776fda5ab8f8954b.jpg)

Commencing with a smaller-scale US attack along the border region between Belgium and Germany, players are confronted soon with heavy German attacks that throw US forces back until they can finally turn the tide again. Rather than compressing the entire battle into a single scenario, Frontlines - Bulge divides it into smaller battles, offering players a more detailed and immersive gameplay experience.

New Challenges Await


Prepare to face a new array of challenges as you engage in the early stages of the German offensive. Players must strategize and adapt to adverse weather conditions that limit Allied airpower.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/3355dcd97928c1e64fd1f93cb877cd82c62c4237.jpg)

To ensure a balanced and enjoyable gaming experience, rewards such as heroes and extra units await those who rise to the challenge.

Key Features:

-    Experience the Battle of the Bulge within a more zoomed-in scale, featuring the famous Siege of Bastogne
-    Unique Campaign Structure divided into smaller battles for detailed, focused gameplay.
-    Allied airpower is limited early on due to adverse weather conditions.
-    Earn heroes and extra units as rewards.
-    Tailor the experience by selecting easier or more challenging battles.
-    Enjoy a balanced gaming experience with rewards and scenario selection.
-    Adapt difficulty to individual skill levels and preferences.


See you on March 21st

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on March 14, 2024, 12:12:32 AM
Welcome to the first Dev Diary for Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge
Tue, 13 February 2024

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/35018759/d9a7008c803a4f9da3a3e89e78792226c0649b56.jpg)

Frontlines represents a brand new chapter in the Panzer Corps Saga


The game is still in development, some details seen in this preview are subject to change.

Frontlines represents a brand new chapter in the Panzer Corps Saga, so a dev diary is the perfect opportunity to introduce players to the general idea behind it, and particularly to the first entry in this series.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/8f00f0409edbfa28f96fbbd7610c9312b8903622.png)

What it is, and what it's not

Frontlines - Bulge gives players the chance to experience a decisive part of World War II in Europe – for the first time in Panzer Corps 2 from the American side.

The campaign depicts the Battle of the Bulge from mid-December 1944 to mid-January 1945.

The new Frontlines series will offer shorter, but nonetheless very intense campaigns, and this more focussed approach allows us to show specific operations in a much more detailed way.

A typical Panzer Corps 2 DLC depicting an entire year of the war wouldn’t spend a dozen battles to cover only 4-5 weeks of combat. But, due to the different scope of Frontlines - Bulge we have the opportunity to dive deeper.

And the fierce fighting during the Battle of the Bulge, from the start of the German offensive to the iconic siege of Bastogne, and finally to the Allied struggle to regain lost ground, is certainly worth being shown in a dedicated DLC Campaign.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/9b792eb25ffc67cc49d1830f072971e6c6617f2b.jpg)
History in the making

The move away from Germany-centered content may not come as a surprise for players after the conclusion of the Axis Operations series in AO:1946, but it marks a fundamental shift in many ways beyond just taking another side.

There is less of an incentive to add large ahistorical campaign paths since the Allies won the war, and we think that a campaign about the Battle of the Bulge should reflect the actual course of it more closely but without putting historic accuracy above gameplay and fun factor.

Featuring the US Army in the Ardennes in 1944 adds an extra layer of challenges, since you are soon confronted with highly effective late-war equipment fielded by the Germans and need to find ways to deal with it.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/90e10ae6d6eb255cf412a2efa1d8ed21b5e096e1.jpg)
On top of that the typical strengths of the Allied side, especially of the US, are not readily available when the German offensive begins.

Allied air power was initially limited by bad weather, and the Ardennes were only thinly held by a few US divisions, while the Germans had secretly amassed substantial forces to establish numerical superiority at least in the early stages of their surprise offensive.

The Devil is in the details, but so is God

To give you an idea what "focussed" or "detailed" means, let's compare the standalone "End of the Bulge" map included in the base game already to an example from the new Frontlines content.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/bba3cf4389dc23c9a9bc2ae9e3d725db8e24919c.jpg)
As you can see we show the entire perimeter around Bastogne in a completely different scale now. Houffalize, the next important town in the Ardennes is near Bastogne in the standalone scenario – in Frontlines' siege of Bastogne it is outside the map area.

Obviously a single map featuring most of the Bulge requires a more abstract take, while a dedicated campaign about the same topic allows for a much more detailed look.

Similar approaches have been taken before sometimes in the Panzer Corps series, but now this more zoomed-in take is applied campaign-wide, which has a huge impact in various ways:

We use a consistent scale for maps which are closely linked geographically, with only slight variation where needed.

For example the early stage of the campaign plays in the northern sector of the front, with several maps showing different parts of it, but in the same, more zoomed-in scale.

This enables us to include smaller, but historically significant locations, and most importantly to depict key engagements with more varied forces that resemble the historic realities to a higher degree.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/f40d07ea8dd1eab55129365334c3241032a73db8.png)
All those various aspects add up to a campaign that offers an in-depth experience of the Battle of the Bulge. It aims to be closer to history without abandoning the fun-to-play nature of the Panzer Corps series.

Put differently, in Frontlines - Bulge it is not your job to rewrite history, but you can relive it.

All quiet on the western front?

The limited timeframe of the Battle of the Bulge, coupled with more zoomed-in maps, means that individual turns are measured in hours, and a complete scenario represents - at best - days of combat, not weeks or even months.

Instead of an entire battle we often depict certain key stages of important engagements.

To come back to our example of Bastogne: the initial German encirclement and siege of the town, the following US relief effort and subsequent heavy fighting around Bastogne are three separate scenarios in this campaign.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves too much here. Frontlines - Bulge begins a few days before the Germans launch their surprise offensive which led to the formation of the large front bulge that became eponymous for the entire battle.

At this point the front along the old border between Germany and Belgium is rather calm. US forces only conduct limited attacks to prepare for a bigger offensive on their own, unaware that their enemy is already moving in position for an all-out offensive against them.

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/44c15792634c098233739ac22bbc71b2939e0293.png)
Consequently the first map is intended to be a smaller, and relatively easy intro battle to the campaign.

Decisions, decisions...

The gloves are coming off when the enemy onslaught begins. But for the second battle players can still decide between an easier task at the northern tip of the front or the more chaotic and difficult first clashes just a few miles south.

There are several of these choices throughout the campaign to select easier or more challenging battles. However, they are also included to depict different, yet equally important developments that happened roughly at the same time.

So do you rather hold out with the 101st Airborne in Bastogne, or do you support the 82nd Airborne to stop Kampfgruppe Peiper trying to break through towards Antwerp? Do you then move to Patton's relief effort for Bastogne, or aim to cut off Wehrmacht Panzers which almost reached the Meuse River?

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/d0da6c945f39a97eff443311455a43dc60359e80.png)
You do not have to follow a specific campaign path resulting from these choices. This is a gameplay decision to allow players to explore the different scenarios linked to those choices more easily.

Conclusion

That’s it for the first part of this Dev Diary. We hope you enjoyed this introduction to Frontlines, and that it gives you a better sense of what to expect in the new campaign. Stay tuned for the next Dev Diary, which will arrive soon!


Join now the Beta

You can now apply to the beta and help us in developing the game. If you are willing to test it, find bugs, offer feedback and criticism and you love Panzer Corps, we definetely could use your help.

What are you waiting for? Click here to sign up: https://www.slitherine.com/beta/panzer-corps-2-frontlines-bulge (https://www.slitherine.com/beta/panzer-corps-2-frontlines-bulge)


Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on March 14, 2024, 12:12:45 AM
Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge Dev Diary #2 is out now
Wed, 13 March 2024

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/35018759/197163ebe6b8d9b4f6b12393012e421b8566b8ff.jpg)

Welcome to the second Dev Diary for Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge


In this part we are first taking a closer look at the campaign path and the battles included, and show updated screenshots that reveal quite some changes compared to those in the first Dev Diary.

Afterwards we are presenting various additions made for Frontlines - Bulge to give this campaign a more specific look&feel.

Campaign Progress

As we revealed in the first Dev Diary, Frontlines - Bulge begins shortly before the Germans launch their large offensive in December 1944.

The opening battle depicts a limited US assault directly at the fortified Siegfried Line close to Monschau. With somewhat over 40 core slots, and against enemy forces without much heavy equipment, this remains an easy task for the beginning.

A few days later everything changed. The same area has turned into the northern sector of the German offensive launched on December 16. Players are now confronted with increasingly heavy enemy attacks, and soon have to deal with highly effective German equipment which can unleash considerable firepower.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/7ef3784eb69c965b9404bd58c372c59445ad3bf4.png)

In both choices for the second battle we depict the initial German assaults on December 16 only, which allows us to break off and move to other important locations afterwards.

The third battle, to defend St Vith, represents the peak of the early German onslaught. The campaign has moved to the center of the front, where enemy attacks are even more ferocious.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/97e250f7a1af5502abc03b8f3315dacc8d006ca5.png)

The two choices after St.Vith lead to the last defensive battles, but now the US Army has managed to bring in substantial reinforcements: two elite Airborne Divisions have arrived.

While the 101st Airborne begins to fortify the perimeter around Bastogne in the southern part of the front, near Luxembourg, the 82nd Airborne supports the US effort to stop German armor in the north.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/fac018b72d095b90ea074cc7d0588996620be5b6.png)

Shortly before the end of 1944 the tables have turned again, and the US Army is firmly on the offensive. Players can either lead the relief effort for Bastogne, or move back to the center of the front, where German armor almost reached the Meuse River.

Afterwards Bastogne comes into focus again as US forces seek to widen the rather narrow link they created before to relieve the town, but substantial German reinforcements thrown into the fight make this anything but easy.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/16509bcebb9d7dc2533889ea332c397274d3387a.png)
The last stage of the campaign depicts the Allied offensive in January 1945 to erase the large front bulge created by earlier German advances.

At this point players can opt for the Battle of Bure, the only British-led scenario in this campaign. British forces here are set up as auxiliary units, and players can skip this battle entirely if they wish. However, they may also reap a number of bonuses if they achieve the secondary objectives at Bure in time.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/19c3d11e936f4a247f1b75f97f710b548f7b0e56.png)

In the last two battles the player’s core has grown well beyond 100 core slots. The final chapter of the campaign plays out as a combined offensive of US forces against both the northern and the southern ends of the Bulge, aimed to retake Houffalize.

Visual Additions

Since Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge is the first content that features the US Army for the player’s side a number of visuals were added.

Like previous content this campaign comes with its own set of map images, for example to highlight the various path selections that are offered as the campaign progresses.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/8714a649484c6d1bdf86642c6e65e3cb54fa28c3.png)

A new set of commander images has also been included, so that players can now pick one of various US officers for their portrait when they launch the campaign.

Another round of US hero portraits specifically made for this content has been added as well.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/d98dc829b14c0a8bfdaa47447fb26e16dad5ee96.png)

Last but not least the game now includes new briefing images specifically made for the Battle of the Bulge, and a new forest terrain set that is more fitting for the Ardennes, the main battlefield of this campaign. This new set is visible in various screenshots posted in this diary.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/30f80f5aa12b9062dc5b9e4c7776c2c2f940348c.png)

Units and Camo Patterns

The US has quite a large unit roster already, but a few new unit models have been added for this campaign. One is the A-20G, an improved version of the A-20 Havoc bomber in the main game.

The new G variant comes with improved soft attack stats due to the extra guns in the nose, but the aircraft remains a low-cost alternative to other tactical bombers available at this point.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/8d86fd37b2cfac4c62236ea159e29f446dd7cb82.png)

The German side has not been lazy either, and introduces another version of their late-war, 8-wheeled recon vehicle - the SdKfz 234/4. Built on the same chassis as the previous 234/1 and 234/2 armored cars the new model is equipped with the long-barreled 7,5 cm PaK.

Due to its increased anti-tank capability this vehicle also became known as Pak-Wagen, and entered German service in late 1944.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/9dea5f27944217f969fb680322abc88ed06214c6.png)

Finally in rare cases players can apply new paint schemes to selected US aircraft as camo patterns.

This goes specifically for the P-51D which can be skinned to show the typical USAAF late-war look where aircraft appeared largely in pure-metallic, but often with colorful elements on the nose, tail or other parts.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/a31de8460f50719f76a95775095957bbc9a0d9e0.png)

Conclusion

That’s all for this part of the Dev Diary. We hope you welcome the extra campaign info, and that the new screenshots, as well as previews for new visuals demonstrate that this content has evolved quite a bit compared to the earlier DD. As you are reading this we’re gearing up for release, which can be expected soon!

Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge is coming on March 21st!

Title: Re: Panzer Corps 2
Post by: Asid on March 22, 2024, 12:20:54 AM
Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge is out now
Thu, 21 March 2024

(https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/35018759/e7ab81cea060c0a993e1e4c26e41dcb5c51cb0c4.jpg)

Get ready to immerse in the Battle of the Bulge, experiencing the intensity of WWII strategy gaming like never before

Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge is out now!


Hello Generals,

The first DLC from the Frontlines series is out now.

(https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images//35018759/90e10ae6d6eb255cf412a2efa1d8ed21b5e096e1.jpg)

Prepare to dive into an immersive battlefield set amidst the historical backdrop of the epic Battle of the Bulge, commencing just days before the pivotal date of December 16th, 1944.

[YouTube]https://www.youtube.com/embed/GuQ9xwxKRtQ?si=NYWbL0ciOT2cNONr[/YouTube]

Key Features:
Experience the Battle of the Bulge within a more zoomed-in scale, featuring the famous Siege of Bastogne
Unique Campaign Structure divided into smaller battles for detailed, focused gameplay.
Allied airpower is restricted for a few turns due to adverse weather conditions.
Earn heroes and extra units as rewards.
Tailor the experience by selecting easier or more challenging battles.
Enjoy a balanced gaming experience with rewards and scenario selection.
Adapt difficulty to individual skill levels and preferences.

Make sure not to miss DasTactic playing the game on the Slitherine Twitch channel today at 16:30 UK time!

To celebrate the release of Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge, we are excited to announce a new Chess Maps Tournament which will feature the 3 multiplayer chess maps.

You can sign-up https://www.slitherine.com/tournaments (https://www.slitherine.com/tournaments) here from Friday 22 March.

The tournament follows Swiss Tournament rules: you can find the full list of rules here https://www.slitherine.com/tournaments/rules (https://www.slitherine.com/tournaments/rules)