Announcing the release of the 1.02 patch for Panzer Battles Kursk Southern Flank.Download Link;
http://www.johntillersoftware.com/updates/BattlesKurskSouthern_102_upd.exeThe 1.02 version is the launching of the game as a Wargame Design Studio (WDS) release and to celebrate this we have included two new optional start-up covers for each game. The intent is to standardize the look and feel of the Panzer Battles series going forward so that the titles are easily identifiable.
Kursk now has both the Soviet light machine gunner and Panzer commander;
The changes are pretty extensive for Kursk. The game is getting all the enhancements that were delivered with the Normandy 1.01 patch as well as the latest improvements in features.
These features include improved user interface, new terrain graphics and simplified folder structures. The full list of changes is below;
Kursk Patch 1.02 ChangelogBug Fixes
Adjusted reporting for air attacks
Corrected hex stack reporting when a wreck is in the hex
Corrected a crash bug when the last man/gun/vehicle is destroyed by defensive fire
Corrected a fog of war bug when right clicking
Included a check that all off board artillery is not placed on the map.
Any fixed unit that is fired on will now instantly un-fix
Units could use a bridge while in travel mode to enter an obstacle and then exit the hex, rather than lose their whole movement allowance. This has been corrected and units will now lose all their movement points if they move into an obstacle hex
Engineer units were in some cases isolated when in a minefield - this should no longer occur
Engineer units will not clear a minefield in a turn that they recover from disruption
Adjacent engineers no longer remove isolation for units in minefields
Off map artillery was not firing during the defensive fire phase - this will now occur at the same frequency as on map artillery
Engineers that attempt to damage a bridge or AT ditch will reveal themselves if currently concealed
Units can no longer combine if in mismatched travel modes
File mismatch due to different encryption setting during PBEM - fixed
Campaign auto-advance on wrong password entry fixed
Enhancements
Newly implemented: View > Map Elevations, View > Map Coordinates, View > Map Combat Modifiers.
Optional Zoom to hotspot Settings > Center Zoom on Hot Spot
New parameter file entry - Fatigue factor. Used for scaling fatigue accumulation. Set at 2.0 for Normandy & Kursk. Will be 3.0 for future titles to match the fatigue calculations in Panzer Campaigns. 3.0 is the more appropriate value to use, but none of the Kursk & Normandy scenarios were tested with the higher value
New on counter broken and disrupted markings - visible when stacked and unstacked.
New Getting Started documentation, including Campaign Primer and Terrain & Combat tables
Updated General Help guide with a revised layout and additional information.
Updated User guide with a revised layout and additional information. All manuals are a work in progress and will continue to be rationalised over time.
Order of Battle
Corrected Soviet 27 76mm Gun btty (hs) causing scenario crash
Graphics Changes
New -small- terrain features. All files are under \Maps\ Terrain Small. Copy all the 8 files into the map directory and overwrite the existing. To revert to the graphics released in Patch 1.01, copy the files out of \Maps\ Terrain - Default directory back into the Map directory. To revert to the graphics released in the original game, copy the files out of \Maps\ Terrain - Original directory back into the Map directory
New Cover art. Various versions available in the \Screen directory
Map Changes
Alternate small map graphics included
User Interface Changes
New Shortcut keys
New Toolbar Icons in traditional and standard configuration. Small, Medium and Large versions also available for each.
File/folder reorganization, with creation of the following new folders: Data (.oob & .pdt files), Logs (.log files), Manuals (.pdf files), Saves (.bt? files), Scenarios (.scn, .map files etc.), Screens (various game .bmp files).
New logging system (with various .log files in the new Logs folder), to assist in game testing, and identifying and fixing bugs.
Kursk Patch 1.01 ChangelogBug Fixes
AA range calculation fixed it was quartering the impact
HQs & Naval units will now save movement points when save movement cost is selected
Isolation determination phase adjusted; corrected a phasing issue for engineers clearing minefields.
Removed undiscovered minefields showing on the jump map.
Corrected railroad units inability to move through stacks in a railroad hex.
Fixed a defensive fire issue where indirect firing units were immune to defensive fire when the artillery dialog was open.
Passengers that disembark from a fixed vehicle/carrier will become fixed.
Enhancements
Hard Fire modifier added to the PDT to allow scaling of combat results
Elevation modifier in the PDT additionally has an inverse relationship when a unit fires at a unit at a lower elevation. Please note this modifier is per elevation differential.
Ability to highlight reconnaissance units. Menu View\Highlight\Recon units
Revised Fog of War. The first X strength of an enemy units strength is shown if they are in a clear hex (or hex with + defensive value such as beach, shallow or water). Showing the first X means single value units would show their exact strength, double digit; #X and triple digit; #XX. The rationale is at this scale unit numbers would be able to be approximated in hexes without cover. Fortifications (IP, Trench, Bunker, Pillbox) are considered cover for the purposes of this rule.
Breakdown percentages quartered in the PDT file (1 for both sides).
AOF orders revised so that individual unit orders will always override global orders. Resetting global orders will reset all individual orders.
Graphics Changes
Nato Symbol for M3 Stuart corrected.
HQ Symbols removed from vehicular HQs
New top down graphics for all units.
Map Changes
Optional terrain, features & symbols files included (see appendix at the end of changelog)
Scenario Updates
New scenario; #0708_07 Gresnoye by Jeff Connor
Scenario Changes
#0704_01 Gertsovka
Additional AI hold orders included
All Soviet units begin in fixed status.
+2 turns to 12 turns long
VPs dropped by 10 for each victory level
New supply source in NE corner
Supply source in (5,4) removed
#0704_01a Gertsovka
Additional AI hold orders included
#0705_02 Hill 228.6
+2 turns to 12 turns long
Air support added for Axis
Remainder of II./SS-PzGr.Regt.2 LAH enters on turn 6
#0705_03 III PzK - July 5: The Right Flank
HQ in hex (43,46) moved to hex (48,46)
#0705_04 Krutoy Log - 7th Panzer through the Marshes (HTH & AI versions)
HQ in hex (29,2) moved to hex (34,2)
#0705_05 Solomino - Swamp Tigers
Victory points dropped by 5 per level
#0705_06 XXXXVIII PzK - July 5: The Left Flank
Units in Hex (21,21) rearranged to (18,20) & (21,19). Hex (21,21) is now a minefield.
Hex (11,12) now a Bunker
Objective moved from (21,21) to (21,19).
Breaks in the anti-tank ditch between (29,22) to (40,20) corrected.
Anti-tank guns adjusted (various hexes)
#0705_07 Korovino - Clear the Hill (HTH & AI versions)
Units in Hex (21,17) rearranged to (18,16) & (21,15). Hex (21,17) is now a minefield.
Hex (11,8) now a Bunker.
Anti-tank guns adjusted (various hexes)
#0705_08 Cemetery - Where the Panthers come to die
Units in Hex (5,9) rearranged to (2,8) & (5,7). Hex (5,9) is now a minefield.
Objective moved from (5,9) to (5,7).
Breaks in the anti-tank ditch between (13,10) to (15,10) corrected.
Anti-tank guns adjusted (various hexes)
#0706_01 II SS PzK - July 6: Breakthrough!
Number of turns increased from 28 to 35
Victory points increased by 300 for each victory level
Hexes (28,90), (32,89) & (46,82) now fixed
Totenkopf withdrawals changed to 50% chance from 1200
Incorrect Totenkopf withdrawals corrected
Soviet artillery at (16,48), (31,48), (31,49), (32,47), (36,55), (48,57), (49,58), (50,58), (65,38), (65,39), (67,39), (70,48) now unfixed.
Soviet front line battalions release on contact with the enemy. This is determined on a battalion by battalion basis.
AT Ditch breach added in hex (44,99)
#0706_02 Shuravlivny Woods - 155th Guard's Last Stand
Added a hasty minefield to hex (15,5) and obstacles to (16,5)
AT Ditch added between hex (0,7) & (19,15)
#0706_03 Yakovlevo - Breaching the Second Line
Soviet artillery at (10,13), (25,13), (25,14), (26,12), (30,20), (42,22), (43,23), (44,23) now unfixed.
Victory location in (25,16) moved to (18,13). The German player has to commit to the high ground on the left flank.
Soviet front line battalions release on contact with the enemy. This is determined on a battalion by battalion basis.
Axis smoke allocation adjusted to 20 fires.
1st Guards Tank Brigade armored car in hex (25,16) is removed and now controlled as a strategy option allowing the Soviet player to choose its starting location. This removes some certainty for the German.
#0706_04 Nechaevka - Das Reich's Full Force
Soviet artillery at (29,3), (29,4), (31,4), (34,13) now unfixed.
Soviet front line battalions release on contact with the enemy. This is determined on a battalion by battalion basis.
Axis smoke allocation adjusted to 20 fires.
All German StuGs unfixed.
#0706_05 Pokrovka
Full TRENCH in hexes (19,16), (19,17), (20,15)
#0706_07 Nepkhaevo - The Meeting Engagement
Victory point value in hex (7,1) reduced to 50 from 100.
Minor adjustments to the Soviet setup. Hex (24,11) and environs.
#0707_01 III PzK - July 7: If at First You Don't Succeed...
Corrected mis-stacked units in hexes (34,34), (34,37).
#0707_02 Batratskaia Dacha - The House on the Hill
Corrected mis-stacked units in hexes (8,9) and (8,12).
#0707_03 Iastrebovo - A Tale of No Crossings (HTH & AI versions)
+2 turns to 9 turns long
#0708_01 Voronezh Front - July 8: While the Cats Away...
Repositioned Soviet Katyusha batteries in hex (52,30)
Minor adjustments to German setup
#0708_03 Kalinin - The Northern Attack (HTH & AI versions)
Repositioned Soviet Katyusha batteries in hex (52,30)
#0708_06 Gostishchevo - 2nd Guards Tank Corps Attacks (HTH & AI versions)
Minor adjustments to German setup
#0711_02 Oktyabrskyi State Farm - SS vs Para's
Removed the release of SS-Werfer.Abt.102, the unit is not present in this scenario.
#0712_02 Hill 252_2 Avalanche
+3 turns to 15 turns long
Appendix Changing Terrain Graphics
New terrain graphics have been provided with this patch. Two new directories are now present under the MAP directory. They are Terrain Default and Terrain Original. Terrain-Default contains the new terrain graphics while Terrain-Original contains the originally released game graphics.
There are three different terrain graphics;
Base terrain graphics; these are used for the base hex graphic with differentiation for elevations and ground condition. There are 12 files in all with Normal, Soft, Mud and Snow included with three zoom levels of 100, 50 & 25.
Hex Features; these files include in hex features such as villages, towns, woods, fields etc. Items that are within a hex are usually within this file. There are 3 files in total covering the three zoom levels.
Hex Sides; these files include all graphics that impact hex sides such as streams, rivers, bridges, cliffs etc. There are 3 files in total covering the three zoom levels.
Symbols; these files include all graphics that modify hexes or are game markers such as fortifications, air strikes, supply sources, arrows etc. There are 3 files in total covering the three zoom levels.
Primary; these files are darkened primary roads as compared to the original release for better visibility at lower elevations. There are 3 files in total covering the three zoom levels.
This patch will automatically replace the originally released graphics. If you would like to restore to the originally released graphics just copy the contents of Terrain-Original back into your Map directory. This can be done selectively if only certain elements are to be changed. For example a player who wanted the original fortifications would have to restore only the Symbols files - the remainder of the new terrain would remain in place.
The Terrain-Default folder is included to restore the new graphics after any changes are made with the Original graphics.