WWII - V2 - Release Announcement
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WWII - V2 - Release Announcement
Thousands of hours across decades I have arrived at the goal I set out for:
The most financially realistic WWII strategy game ever made. Every in game stat from movement to hp is a formula from real world data. KD between units were verified to match real life. All while under the restriction of avoiding WML that the AI is unable to use; almost entirely vanilla Wesnoth mechanics.
$600 prize will be given to celebrate. A tournament beginning around November 1st. 1st place gets $320 second place $160 and so on. DM me on twitter to sign up, or just to offer to play for fun. Will announce details both here and tournaments when they are ready. twitter/imkharn
To try out this update I suggest loading up the new scenario Global Arcade as either axis or allies and trying to beat the AI. You can also play as a single nation to keep it quick and more challenging.
NEW FEATURES:
[*] This is the 'fun' update. Any major features that were held back because they would not be perfectly realistic were added and the mod is essentially complete. Infantry were made a little less realistic and more fun in total overhaul and maps made smaller and more intense.
[*] Added Japan to the game. Difficult to play as do not believe in armour leading to glass cannon units. Japan destroyed records when they lost, so production costs were sparse and had to be calculated and estimated with a heavy bias towards balance against other nations.
[*] Added China to the game. Difficult to play. Scrape by with nearly free infantry who rely on a general and Bren carriers until T2 unlocks western imports.
[*] Overhauled the game to generally be more 'fun'. All infantry were rebalanced to make their combat longer lasting and more meaningful without straying from realism... i.e. slower sim speed. Secondly, the grand 12 hour maps have small versions that only take several hours.
[*] Global 1940 scenario. This is a recreation of the special edition extra large axis and allies board game. Map, income, unit placement, national objectives: all identical. The ultimate map and end goal of the game. A 1/4th size replica with no starting units called Global Arcade is recommended for normal folk.
[*] Pacific Micro scenario. Similar to Europe micro, this is the best map for someone who wants the fastest possible meaningful naval warfare.
[*] AI is even better. Got about as good as I can without going insane so I edited its income a little to make the last mile, 25% more makes it actually challenging to beat and this is coded into the AI factories. Main AI issue is it perhaps doesn't understand backstab as threat and over extends all expensive units.
[*] Improved many unit descriptions. If you don't know how to use any unit or play this mod in general, check unit descriptions. Most sould say how to use, what its good against and weak against.
[*] T2 factories now unlock between turn 10 and 15 and are under 250 gold.
UNITS:
-----------------
[*] Includes 190+ unique units most with custom "AI friendly" wml and animations from Germany, Western Allies, Russia, Japan, China. The most historically produced tanks, aircraft, and naval units were selected to be a part of the mod. Every non-naval unit can level to veteran, and most can level to elite or more.
[*] The historic production cost of every unit was researched and converted to 1942 dollars. Every 1 gold in game is 160 dollars from 1940. This was the hardest part of researching the game was finding records of how many reichsmarks or dollars or man hours something costs to build. This is seriously around 1/3 of the total labor put into the game. It is likely I know more about WWII equipment costs than anyone.
[*] ~45 units are available for recruit by each nation, with several more unlocked via the Tier 2 Factory.
[*] Each nation has a unique recruit-able infantry unit. Western Allies=Commando(invisible combat capable operator), Germany=NCO(combat capable leadership), Soviet Union=Cost zero conscripts(armed civilians that spawn from villages to defend them) Japan = Special Assault (invisible tank hunter) China: 3 gold conscripts with no upkeep.
[*] Germany infantry have +25% cost, and -50% exp to level compared to Western Allies
[*] An infantryman on screen is a squad. Sloops and Torpedo boats represent 3 ships. All other units represent single units.
[*] Custom code including: Exp from capturing villages, Carpet bombing and mortar of up to 6 hexes, Conscripts spawning out of villages, lowered attack while swimming, aircraft unable to capture villages, Tier 2 factories unlock units after turn 10 to 15, aircraft can continue to move after attacking, vehicles can skirmish but only past infantry, mortarman can simulate attacking from a distance by gaining moves after an attack, supply trucks can tow ATGs and infantry by starting a turn next to them, carriers give huge movement bonus to planes.
[*] Every variable (hp,mm of penetration , upkeep, etc) is mathematically derived based on researched WWII performance statistics and schematics.
1 turn = 1 Week
xx Cost = Dollars(1942) / 160
xx Upkeep = Dollars(1942) / 160
xx Level = (Cost+Upkeep*10)/40
xx EXP to level = Level*24
xx HP = (mm_of_armour^2)/5 + 10
xx AP Damage = mm_of_penetration@750m^2 / 6
xx ground movement = kmph / 5
xx naval movement = kmph / 5
xx naval hp = standard displacement * 20
xx aircraft movement = kmph / 19
MAPS: (from quickest playtime to longest)
-----------------
[*] Europe Micro is the smallest a 2v1 map can be made while still getting to afford most units and experience combined arms combat. This or its counterparty Pacific Micro is the recommended first map to try for multiplayer. (1-2 hours)
[*] Intense River is a custom map where two forward bases attack a town on a river bend. The map is designed to have as short of playtime as possible while still getting intense concentrated battles where most units in the game can be afforded. (2-4 hours)
[*] There are 3 maps for the board game axis and allies. The highest quality is Global 1940 (12-24 hours), a smaller one is Global Small (5-10 hours), and the smallest is Global Arcade (3-6 hours). Starting units, villages, and coastlines are a scale model of the board game.
[*] Sedan is a recreation of the battle of Sedan in the Battleground Europe MMO. Two German forward bases attack a river town where it is difficult to advance in the city. It has starting villages but not starting units. (4-8 hours)
[*] Kursk is a 1/5th scale recreation of the largest tank battle in history. Highly accurate and working from original documentation, it has been created so that every one of the units are in the correct location for the night of the 10th, including Michael Wittmann's elite Tiger on top of hill 241.6 (5-10 hours)
[*] Western Europe huge is a maximum size map designed true to life. Shorelines are accurate to the hex, cities have real population ratios, village density is based on a population density map from 1940. Forests and Hills are based on forestation and topography maps also measured by the hex and placed. Games take 50-120 turns. Includes starting villages but not starting units. This map will give you the most grand European campaign experience, resulting in dozens of tanks and planes clashing together as groups, though it can take many hours to complete. (10-20 hours)
TIPS:
---------
[*] Set accelerated speed 3 for realistic shooting speed.
[*] Village gold is 10.
[*] Build supply trucks, AA, and conscripts early. Supply trucks go fast and conscripts can teleport between villages. In PvP AA ambush locations are best secret.
[*] Try to end turns with trucks next to infantry and guns to increase their movement.
[*] Get a fighter plane up somewhat early to kill enemy trucks and gain intel on enemy production so it can be cheaply countered.
[*] Build an airfield (find a village good for your aircraft to retreat/rearm/heal at and put a couple AA guns in the area to shoot down enemy fighters that chase)
[*] Riflemen are the most cost efficient infantry and should be about half of your infantry mostly in the form of conscripts. They are best at advancing the front line between towns. Build one every turn.
[*] Other units have specialized primary purposes. SMG: village defense, LMG: defense against concentrated riflemen and holding open ground, HMG: chokepoint defense, Mortar: attrition and smoke screens, Sniper: killing difficult to kill units including generals, operators, commandos, and HMGs, ATR: killing light tanks, slowing other tanks, Conscript: emergency village defense
[*] Production facilities and cargo ships produce gold and pay self off in 9 turns, so they are usually best to build during the first 10 turns. They are not worth building unless you plan to win the game by delay, attrition and heavy defense. They only produce gold if on a village.
[*] Aircraft and tanks usually take and deal double damage from backstab, this is the key to winning combat involving vehicles.
[*] It is important to end your turn with your aircraft somewhat on your side of the front line. Aircraft can move and attack, and move back to an area with friendly aircraft or AA guns.
[*] Aircraft die to ambush often, so manually control aircraft when flying through enemy territory to avoid forests and cities. Generally it is best not to send aircraft very far into enemy lines. Ambush is hard coded to remove movement and cant be prevented by code.
[*] Most bombers have to be full health to have bombs, so keep your bombers at full health, and prevent enemy bombers from reaching full health. This simulates the need to return to an airfield for more bombs.
[*] Fighters work best in pairs of two in order to get flanking benefit.
[*] Use Supply Trucks and Medics to heal infantry
[*] Halftracks, although expensive unarmored and weak to bullets can heal tanks and give the largest possible movement boost to towed guns and infantry. They are the safest and most useful near the keep.
[*] Build a few ATGs early and hide them behind your lines. They will come in useful late game if an enemy tank breaks through your front line.
[*] AI does not know how to use supply trucks or that generals can give leadership to more units by moving. AI is no longer made for random maps. If you are playing on maps with many uncaptured villages avoid using supply trucks or skip first 3 turns for fair fight.
1.8-->2.0 CHANGELOG
---------
[*] Many small things plus ship rebalance, aircraft movement upgrading to newer Wesnoth capabilities which also resolves lost movement bug that occurs when many of same aircraft exist, halftrack much harder to kill, reduce ship damage output, map improvements, getting rid of 1 exp leveling lua error(at the expense of losing paratroopers being able to jump as a group action).
[*] Pretty much every file was changed. Didnt keep a changelog. Ships were rebalanced to have hp and damage on par with infantry (in real life ships are more overpriced) The important stuff I remember is above.
[*] Some things didn't make the cut for this 'final' version, mostly minor polish things. Enabling recruiting by generals is difficult to get working again and was not included. Landing craft containing infantry or tanks (LCT) was too close to paratroopers and would only matter on huge maps, so was left out. Researching distances infantry can see each other sounds like a lot of work so infantry didnt get vision and jamming. If you have feature suggestions leave them in comments below. No poll for next version, the only update after this is probably a final polish update lest I decide to add a campaign or more maps.
Credit due to Ruglud for the graphics in Westfront, many of which were used outright or graphically modified to become needed units. Also the the developer of Modern Combat from which a few unit sprites were also used or modified.
If you want to do multiplayer, ill be available for it whenever I can.
Twitter: imkharn
Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197988934288
The most financially realistic WWII strategy game ever made. Every in game stat from movement to hp is a formula from real world data. KD between units were verified to match real life. All while under the restriction of avoiding WML that the AI is unable to use; almost entirely vanilla Wesnoth mechanics.
$600 prize will be given to celebrate. A tournament beginning around November 1st. 1st place gets $320 second place $160 and so on. DM me on twitter to sign up, or just to offer to play for fun. Will announce details both here and tournaments when they are ready. twitter/imkharn
To try out this update I suggest loading up the new scenario Global Arcade as either axis or allies and trying to beat the AI. You can also play as a single nation to keep it quick and more challenging.
NEW FEATURES:
[*] This is the 'fun' update. Any major features that were held back because they would not be perfectly realistic were added and the mod is essentially complete. Infantry were made a little less realistic and more fun in total overhaul and maps made smaller and more intense.
[*] Added Japan to the game. Difficult to play as do not believe in armour leading to glass cannon units. Japan destroyed records when they lost, so production costs were sparse and had to be calculated and estimated with a heavy bias towards balance against other nations.
[*] Added China to the game. Difficult to play. Scrape by with nearly free infantry who rely on a general and Bren carriers until T2 unlocks western imports.
[*] Overhauled the game to generally be more 'fun'. All infantry were rebalanced to make their combat longer lasting and more meaningful without straying from realism... i.e. slower sim speed. Secondly, the grand 12 hour maps have small versions that only take several hours.
[*] Global 1940 scenario. This is a recreation of the special edition extra large axis and allies board game. Map, income, unit placement, national objectives: all identical. The ultimate map and end goal of the game. A 1/4th size replica with no starting units called Global Arcade is recommended for normal folk.
[*] Pacific Micro scenario. Similar to Europe micro, this is the best map for someone who wants the fastest possible meaningful naval warfare.
[*] AI is even better. Got about as good as I can without going insane so I edited its income a little to make the last mile, 25% more makes it actually challenging to beat and this is coded into the AI factories. Main AI issue is it perhaps doesn't understand backstab as threat and over extends all expensive units.
[*] Improved many unit descriptions. If you don't know how to use any unit or play this mod in general, check unit descriptions. Most sould say how to use, what its good against and weak against.
[*] T2 factories now unlock between turn 10 and 15 and are under 250 gold.
UNITS:
-----------------
[*] Includes 190+ unique units most with custom "AI friendly" wml and animations from Germany, Western Allies, Russia, Japan, China. The most historically produced tanks, aircraft, and naval units were selected to be a part of the mod. Every non-naval unit can level to veteran, and most can level to elite or more.
[*] The historic production cost of every unit was researched and converted to 1942 dollars. Every 1 gold in game is 160 dollars from 1940. This was the hardest part of researching the game was finding records of how many reichsmarks or dollars or man hours something costs to build. This is seriously around 1/3 of the total labor put into the game. It is likely I know more about WWII equipment costs than anyone.
[*] ~45 units are available for recruit by each nation, with several more unlocked via the Tier 2 Factory.
[*] Each nation has a unique recruit-able infantry unit. Western Allies=Commando(invisible combat capable operator), Germany=NCO(combat capable leadership), Soviet Union=Cost zero conscripts(armed civilians that spawn from villages to defend them) Japan = Special Assault (invisible tank hunter) China: 3 gold conscripts with no upkeep.
[*] Germany infantry have +25% cost, and -50% exp to level compared to Western Allies
[*] An infantryman on screen is a squad. Sloops and Torpedo boats represent 3 ships. All other units represent single units.
[*] Custom code including: Exp from capturing villages, Carpet bombing and mortar of up to 6 hexes, Conscripts spawning out of villages, lowered attack while swimming, aircraft unable to capture villages, Tier 2 factories unlock units after turn 10 to 15, aircraft can continue to move after attacking, vehicles can skirmish but only past infantry, mortarman can simulate attacking from a distance by gaining moves after an attack, supply trucks can tow ATGs and infantry by starting a turn next to them, carriers give huge movement bonus to planes.
[*] Every variable (hp,mm of penetration , upkeep, etc) is mathematically derived based on researched WWII performance statistics and schematics.
1 turn = 1 Week
xx Cost = Dollars(1942) / 160
xx Upkeep = Dollars(1942) / 160
xx Level = (Cost+Upkeep*10)/40
xx EXP to level = Level*24
xx HP = (mm_of_armour^2)/5 + 10
xx AP Damage = mm_of_penetration@750m^2 / 6
xx ground movement = kmph / 5
xx naval movement = kmph / 5
xx naval hp = standard displacement * 20
xx aircraft movement = kmph / 19
MAPS: (from quickest playtime to longest)
-----------------
[*] Europe Micro is the smallest a 2v1 map can be made while still getting to afford most units and experience combined arms combat. This or its counterparty Pacific Micro is the recommended first map to try for multiplayer. (1-2 hours)
[*] Intense River is a custom map where two forward bases attack a town on a river bend. The map is designed to have as short of playtime as possible while still getting intense concentrated battles where most units in the game can be afforded. (2-4 hours)
[*] There are 3 maps for the board game axis and allies. The highest quality is Global 1940 (12-24 hours), a smaller one is Global Small (5-10 hours), and the smallest is Global Arcade (3-6 hours). Starting units, villages, and coastlines are a scale model of the board game.
[*] Sedan is a recreation of the battle of Sedan in the Battleground Europe MMO. Two German forward bases attack a river town where it is difficult to advance in the city. It has starting villages but not starting units. (4-8 hours)
[*] Kursk is a 1/5th scale recreation of the largest tank battle in history. Highly accurate and working from original documentation, it has been created so that every one of the units are in the correct location for the night of the 10th, including Michael Wittmann's elite Tiger on top of hill 241.6 (5-10 hours)
[*] Western Europe huge is a maximum size map designed true to life. Shorelines are accurate to the hex, cities have real population ratios, village density is based on a population density map from 1940. Forests and Hills are based on forestation and topography maps also measured by the hex and placed. Games take 50-120 turns. Includes starting villages but not starting units. This map will give you the most grand European campaign experience, resulting in dozens of tanks and planes clashing together as groups, though it can take many hours to complete. (10-20 hours)
TIPS:
---------
[*] Set accelerated speed 3 for realistic shooting speed.
[*] Village gold is 10.
[*] Build supply trucks, AA, and conscripts early. Supply trucks go fast and conscripts can teleport between villages. In PvP AA ambush locations are best secret.
[*] Try to end turns with trucks next to infantry and guns to increase their movement.
[*] Get a fighter plane up somewhat early to kill enemy trucks and gain intel on enemy production so it can be cheaply countered.
[*] Build an airfield (find a village good for your aircraft to retreat/rearm/heal at and put a couple AA guns in the area to shoot down enemy fighters that chase)
[*] Riflemen are the most cost efficient infantry and should be about half of your infantry mostly in the form of conscripts. They are best at advancing the front line between towns. Build one every turn.
[*] Other units have specialized primary purposes. SMG: village defense, LMG: defense against concentrated riflemen and holding open ground, HMG: chokepoint defense, Mortar: attrition and smoke screens, Sniper: killing difficult to kill units including generals, operators, commandos, and HMGs, ATR: killing light tanks, slowing other tanks, Conscript: emergency village defense
[*] Production facilities and cargo ships produce gold and pay self off in 9 turns, so they are usually best to build during the first 10 turns. They are not worth building unless you plan to win the game by delay, attrition and heavy defense. They only produce gold if on a village.
[*] Aircraft and tanks usually take and deal double damage from backstab, this is the key to winning combat involving vehicles.
[*] It is important to end your turn with your aircraft somewhat on your side of the front line. Aircraft can move and attack, and move back to an area with friendly aircraft or AA guns.
[*] Aircraft die to ambush often, so manually control aircraft when flying through enemy territory to avoid forests and cities. Generally it is best not to send aircraft very far into enemy lines. Ambush is hard coded to remove movement and cant be prevented by code.
[*] Most bombers have to be full health to have bombs, so keep your bombers at full health, and prevent enemy bombers from reaching full health. This simulates the need to return to an airfield for more bombs.
[*] Fighters work best in pairs of two in order to get flanking benefit.
[*] Use Supply Trucks and Medics to heal infantry
[*] Halftracks, although expensive unarmored and weak to bullets can heal tanks and give the largest possible movement boost to towed guns and infantry. They are the safest and most useful near the keep.
[*] Build a few ATGs early and hide them behind your lines. They will come in useful late game if an enemy tank breaks through your front line.
[*] AI does not know how to use supply trucks or that generals can give leadership to more units by moving. AI is no longer made for random maps. If you are playing on maps with many uncaptured villages avoid using supply trucks or skip first 3 turns for fair fight.
1.8-->2.0 CHANGELOG
---------
[*] Many small things plus ship rebalance, aircraft movement upgrading to newer Wesnoth capabilities which also resolves lost movement bug that occurs when many of same aircraft exist, halftrack much harder to kill, reduce ship damage output, map improvements, getting rid of 1 exp leveling lua error(at the expense of losing paratroopers being able to jump as a group action).
[*] Pretty much every file was changed. Didnt keep a changelog. Ships were rebalanced to have hp and damage on par with infantry (in real life ships are more overpriced) The important stuff I remember is above.
[*] Some things didn't make the cut for this 'final' version, mostly minor polish things. Enabling recruiting by generals is difficult to get working again and was not included. Landing craft containing infantry or tanks (LCT) was too close to paratroopers and would only matter on huge maps, so was left out. Researching distances infantry can see each other sounds like a lot of work so infantry didnt get vision and jamming. If you have feature suggestions leave them in comments below. No poll for next version, the only update after this is probably a final polish update lest I decide to add a campaign or more maps.
Credit due to Ruglud for the graphics in Westfront, many of which were used outright or graphically modified to become needed units. Also the the developer of Modern Combat from which a few unit sprites were also used or modified.
If you want to do multiplayer, ill be available for it whenever I can.
Twitter: imkharn
Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197988934288
Last edited by Kharn on September 18th, 2023, 5:59 pm, edited 5 times in total.
Creator of 120+ units Lord of the Rings era and campaign now outdated & lost.
Creator of WWII Battleground Europe mod with 120+ units most with custom wml and animations. Every variable is mathematically derived based on WWII stats such as historical cost & mm armour.
Creator of WWII Battleground Europe mod with 120+ units most with custom wml and animations. Every variable is mathematically derived based on WWII stats such as historical cost & mm armour.
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Pentarctagon
- Project Manager
- Posts: 5566
- Joined: March 22nd, 2009, 10:50 pm
- Location: Earth (occasionally)
Re: WWII - V2 - Release Announcement
I'd suggest posting the tournament info in viewforum.php?f=70 as well. There's also #content-promo on Discord.
99 little bugs in the code, 99 little bugs
take one down, patch it around
-2,147,483,648 little bugs in the code
take one down, patch it around
-2,147,483,648 little bugs in the code
-
Atreides
- Posts: 1075
- Joined: March 30th, 2019, 10:38 pm
- Location: On the 2nd story of the centre village of Merwuerdigliebe turning the lights on and off
Re: WWII - V2 - Release Announcement
Finally got to trying this out. Been a fan of this for a while.
Did find a few errors here:
20231012 20:07:34 error audio: Could not load sound file '14mm-auto.wav'.
20231012 20:28:41 error engine: Unit has too many (174) XP left; cascade leveling goes on still.
20231012 20:29:48 error audio: Could not load sound file '50mm.ogg'.
20231012 20:30:14 error display: could not open image 'units/Poland/Bofors/BFWBoforsdeath1.png
20231012 20:41:21 error display: could not open image 'aircraft/me262.png'
Tried the microeurope. Forgot to set the AI to it's non navy factions because I didn't remember that some couldn't reach the sea. UK can fortunately.
Did find a few errors here:
20231012 20:07:34 error audio: Could not load sound file '14mm-auto.wav'.
20231012 20:28:41 error engine: Unit has too many (174) XP left; cascade leveling goes on still.
20231012 20:29:48 error audio: Could not load sound file '50mm.ogg'.
20231012 20:30:14 error display: could not open image 'units/Poland/Bofors/BFWBoforsdeath1.png
20231012 20:41:21 error display: could not open image 'aircraft/me262.png'
Tried the microeurope. Forgot to set the AI to it's non navy factions because I didn't remember that some couldn't reach the sea. UK can fortunately.