Panzer General X news flash

[Bombast the Blue]

PGX forum has passed the 5 thousand post mark. Almost 4 thousand are about music.
The Concert Hall seems even to have developed a bit of audience, if not feedback.
But the real news is about Combat v3 being out; as Jeff says:

Combat version 3 uploaded Aug. 11th 2024.
web.utk.edu/~jcrouch/
I have been working on slopes, and elevations a lot. Still working on the basic combat rules. Most of the direct fire ordnance, and small arms seems to be working.
Still testing/working out a lot of game mechanics. graphics are still pretty darn ugly. Until I finish the actual Game itself, I think I will remove the big icons.
They are going to take a lot more effort than I thought. I was taking pictures of my Micro Armour. Shrinking the images is a pain in the back side.
Still working on how much Info to give the player during combat. Do we really want to see every die roll, dice totals, and die roll modifiers ?
When a 5 Tank platoon fires at something I am printing details on the Bow MG, Coaxial MG fire, the to-hit main armament for each of the five tanks. Exactly which unit
gets hit in the target hex can be a bit random.
Things I am trying to get in before v4. Crews. (Ordnance, and Vehicle) Crews can break and run away from their guns, or tanks.
(You will be able to capture use enemy abandoned guns or tanks.)
I am sort of retro programming BACK into Panzer General Campaign game. At the end of a battle you will be able to re-organize, re-group you command.
You will get new replacements. Hopefully enough to replace losses.
I have to add the air units back into the game. Should not be too much trouble. Air / Naval will not be part of your Normal combat units.
They will be there simply as support. (Or Support for the other side anyway.)
Watched an episode of the old Combat! TV show, and recorded a few new sound bites. I have to convert them to .wav files. I need some new gun noises. Richochets would
be nice too. Especially shells bouncing off tanks. I think the old cheap Battle of the Bulge Movie with Henry Fonda, and Robert Shaw might have some good tank sound effects.
I will re-watch.

[Bombast the Blue]

WWII Combat X v4 is out:
Yes, Fury ! Pretty sure there are some 'Shell bouncing off of armor' sounds in that !
web.utk.edu/~jcrouch/

I just posted COMBAT! v04. I dropped all the Big Icons for now. Too much work. (I will get to them later after the program is coded.) I replaced all of them with
Military Symbols. (I created a few simple ones.) I think they look pretty good.

[Bombast the Blue]

Uploaded Combat! v06 Sept. 18, 2024
web.utk.edu/~jcrouch/

[Bombast the Blue]

PGX forum reached post 100 in the history section with these two Wehrmacht training films:
https://panzergeneralx.proboards.com/th ... -subtitles
https://panzergeneralx.proboards.com/th ... -sp-htrupp

[Bombast the Blue]

PGX v808 available for downmoad.

AI fix . embarked air units.
There were two contradicting move subs - sub routines guess I - causing embarked air units to keep moving back and forth...

[Bombast the Blue]

December 10, 2024

I just posted an update....it is really Version 10 ?!?! I think I got my version numbers mixed up or something.
Anyway...the new one says it is version 10 too. I have added a new equipment file for the Design Your Own scenario. Europe 1939.
Infantry are a lot cheaper. I have removed the rarity factor rules. Naval units ignore land units for stacking. Ports, and ocean hexes can hold a LOT of ships.
Numerous other AI bug fixes. Hopefully the AI is getting a bit better ??

[Bombast the Blue]

PGX version 811 uploaded Jan. 8, 2025
This version includes a simpler AI.
Basic Equipment file 1939-1950 improvements.
New unit cost formula.
Armor units ground defence modified. Now based on Armor thickness, slope, target size, open topped, and Gas v Diesel vulnerability.
Countless (I did not bother to count them. so Un-counted would probably be a better term ?) bug fixes and tweaks.
Added a couple new buttons I will need later.
Did not work on Combat, or Grenadier in a while. Wanted to, but just playing PGX too much.

web.utk.edu/~jcrouch/

[Bombast the Blue]

PGX version 813 uploaded. Jan 31, 225
web.utk.edu/~jcrouch/

Changed R/D die roll. D110 die roll...if less than the number of R/D points spent for that class. Max die roll chance = 25% no matter how much invested.
(You still get the advance in turns, and the increase in the base Production rate though. Just limiting the improvements to 25% a turn.)
I think I am getting the production, and unit cost balanced. Found a Lot of info on how much WWII weapons cost, and how much was produced by countries each
month. ( No data on all units, and countries, but enough to get a pretty good model.)
still tinkering on that. Revised vehicle ground defences. (Used vehicle size, and Armour thickness.)
Messed with the AI a bit...as always. Added some Zoom map options. Show only the selected unit, and enemy units. Selected unit, enemy units, and enemy hexes.
Fixed a bunch of bugs. The AI may be a bit 'Fort' happy now. I am watching, playtesting it.
I thought about changing the Engineers to instead of building 'Fort' class units....they would change the terrain to 'fortification' type terrain. Not actually create a unit ?

[Bombast the Blue]

PGX v815 available for download: follows Jeff announcing it and even reviewing a laptop...

I agree....I think Engineers would not usually Build Major fortifications. That was the Todt administration.
Roadblocks, minefields, strongpoints ? probably OK....but, not the crazy big ones.
They...and also Ships get built way too quickly. Even at One point a turn...they get slapped up faster than a McMansion in an Atlanta Suburb !
I will work on that one of these dark, and stormy nights.

I just uploaded v815....it has a LOT of changes, and I hope improvements. Ground units can upgrade if they are in Supply. (You do not have to be in a city.)
Air, and Naval of course have to be at airfields, or ports respectively.

Removed a bit of old AI code. Re-wrote the Naval Path finding algorythym, hmmmm sub-routine. Ha Ha I can't spell it. Not gonna look it up. But hopefully naval units
can figure out better places to go, and faster.
Re-wrote the general build, force composition section for the AI too. I think, I hope it provide more of a challenge.

v815 just uploaded Feb. 28, 225

web.utk.edu/~jcrouch/

I was going to fix it where you could change the window state. But, did not get around to it.
AI should upgrade his old units if possible. (Fighter, Tanks mainly.)

By the Way LENOVA laptops are . My 'j' , 'q', most of the numbers , parenthises, (, and other characters do not work . I hate this lenovo laptop.
(It belongs to work, and I am glad they got it for me. I now know better than to buy a lenovo !!!)

[Bombast the Blue]

v816 Uploaded April 1, 2025

web.utk.edu/~jcrouch/

Just the normal AI tinkering. Fixed Equipment, Unit name info on review screen. If Human is watching an AI country it will display a message when it places a new unit.
Plays the move noise when new unit is placed. Trying to get the AI to work around forts. AI may try to guard river crossings with forts, or Art units.

Note:
I thought I would not be able to make more of these announcements because by the second half of March I lost my old machine / companion.
Purchased and assembled the components myself back in April 2014. Served with distinction for nearly 11 years...
The machine I'm using now is only working by some kind of miracle; it is sort of a frankenPC actually.
Purchased second hand from an informal online commerce we use around here.
Brother went to bring it by car and on arrival thought best bring the supermarket goods first.
When it finally arrived, some 15m later, the top was hot enough to fry an egg; naturally the thing didn't work anymore.
Hoping it could be just the power switch fried; thing is located at the front top of the box I decided to try something.
Got hold of an old machine a fellow gave me back around 2007 and proceeded to empty it in order to make way for the newer stuff in the fried box.
To my amazement it started working at the second try; a machine from around 2020 on a 2007 box...

[LuisGuzman]

Note:
I thought I would not be able to make more of these announcements because by the second half of March I lost my old machine / companion.
Purchased and assembled the components myself back in April 2014. Served with distinction for nearly 11 years...
The machine I'm using now is only working by some kind of miracle; it is sort of a frankenPC actually.
Purchased second hand from an informal online commerce we use around here.
Brother went to bring it by car and on arrival thought best bring the supermarket goods first.
When it finally arrived, some 15m later, the top was hot enough to fry an egg; naturally the thing didn't work anymore.
Hoping it could be just the power switch fried; thing is located at the front top of the box I decided to try something.
Got hold of an old machine a fellow gave me back around 2007 and proceeded to empty it in order to make way for the newer stuff in the fried box.
To my amazement it started working at the second try; a machine from around 2020 on a 2007 box...

Amazing !!!
It proves that old manufacturing is much better than the new one ... congratulations

[Bombast the Blue]

Great miracle the cables and connectors were compatible.
There have been generations of motherboards but the power and reset buttons connectors are still the same format.

Meanwhile, because this substitute machine runs on Windows 10 I edited the PGX forum post about the (in)famous necessary dll file.

https://panzergeneralx.proboards.com/th ... l-msvbvm50

[Bombast the Blue]

After some attention dedicated to the old PGX that became known at JP's, J. C. returns to the recently launched tactical version:

Combat version 10 posted July 1, 2025.
I think for the vehicles and guns I will use the 6 view icons from Panzer General 2 ?
Working on Over-Run attacks. Passenger, Rider, and Crew Fire power added to Over-Runs, etc.

web.utk.edu/~jcrouch/


Added Leader Gernerator (basic). Need to work on the dispersion, and placement.
Support Weapons Allocations based on number of Infantry Squads.
LMG Light Machine Guns
MMG Med Machine Guns
HMG, .50 HMG Heavy Machine Guns and .50 cal. Machine Guns.
ATR, BAZ, PSK, PF, Anti-Tank Rifles, Bazookas, PanzerSchrecks, and PanzerFausts, etc.
MTR Various nations light mortars. 45mm - 60mm.
Coming Next...
I will Add Demo Charges, and Flame Throwers for Engineers next.
Artillery Batteries will get Field Phones or Radios.

I added some Bitmap Utilities to the Map Editor to Convert PG2 Icons to Combat style Icon. I am using 5 View. Side, North, South, NorthEast, SouthEast.
I just reverse the NE and SE to make the NW and SW versions.
Still a lot of Rules to work on. Close Combat needs work. I am sure there are a billions bugs, and glitches. I had a devil of a time getting the Passenger, and transport
targets worked out.
Portage Points are carried INSIDE the vehicle.
Towed guns are pulled Behind. Even Towed Guns take up space inside the vehicles (ammo, and crew). Goiing to work on Group Firing Order. (Whole Stack fire,
of individually having to fire each one. Added Heat of Battle Leader Generation, Beserk, Heroic, and Battle Hardening. (Improve class).
You can fail Morale Checks and the Unit Exp resulting in the unit getting reduced in class.
added Sub-Classes. FT=22, MG = 23, etc.

[Bombast the Blue]

Jeff announced a shift to the tactical version but then a recent forum arrival bumped into a bug in the old PGX, so...:

PGX v823 uploaded July 25th, 2025
Fixed a few bugs. Thanks for finding those for me. I guess as long as I keep fiddling with the program, I am going to add bugs ! Ha Ha.

web.utk.edu/~jcrouch/

(And the fellow also knows about Open General...)

[Bombast the Blue]

Version 825 uploaded August 3rd, 2025. (not sure what happened to v824 ? It just got lost in the shuffle I guess.)
New Optional Rule. Manpower. Basically you get a percentage of each nation's population per turn.
So...I got the ratios pretty correct, it's just how much you get that may need tweaking.
That is why I put a Man Power multiplier on the options screen. I had been planning on putting this part into the game for a long time. Just now finally got around to it.
This version includes the bare minimum of the new rules. Just to test them out a bit. The rate of conscription will be adjustable. Still working on that.
Starting forces (Manpower) in service during WWII appeared to be around 2%-5% depending on the nations. The conscription rates seemed to be around 12% - 42% of
the population. Germany seemed to have the highest of all percentage of men conscripted with 42% !!! They were using slave labor in their factories to compensate for
the worker shortage. (Which no doubt hurt the production rate.)
I am going to allow the conscription rate to range from 6% to 40%. High conscription will cut down on production. Here is what I am thinking about...
6% conscription....production will get a 12% boost.
12% conscription....production will remain the same. I think that is about the normal default for most of the Countries.
24% conscription...production will drop 12%.
36% conscription....production will drop 24%
42% ------------------- drop production 36% ?
So....if you need manpower....raise the conscription, but hurt production. Raise you production by lowering your conscription rates. Seems logical, eh ?
Infantry units cost the most manpower. Next Armor, then the other stuff. Still tinkering with that bit.
I feel this might help the AI a bit as far as USSR is concerned. The manpower will make up for their lower production compared to Germany.
I have not actually played a game until I have gotten in War with the USSR yet. Still working my way to to it. France, and UK have run out of manpower already.
You do collect a bit of manpower from conquered nations. Only half as much as home nation areas. Conquered only half, and if you are at war with the nation
then only 1/6. Still working on that bit too. I am assuming most of the conquered territory manpower will be used for slave labor !
Well...I'm gonna go play a few more turns before the night is over....
web.utk.edu/~jcrouch/

[Dimitris GR]

I think that PG X should be not at Pub, looks so interesting

[Bombast the Blue]

I think that PG X should be not at Pub, looks so interesting

The "well enough told" story of why I chose to open a separate forum for Jeff's PGX instead of the natural option of asking for a "formal" place here at OGs would give a small book.
Much longer than the summary notes about the subject I already wrote in another section.
And immensely juicier... but by now I find it very unlikely I will ever write the story of how Mr. PBEM Maniac once told me... inadvertently, indirectly... who he really was. Well, that was just the defining moment from whence all made much more sense. Both what happened before and after that moment...
Anyway, even if my very poor health situation wasnn't enough reason not to think about that project, there's the fact that there are much better things to do than reminisce about negative people and their negative actions...

[Bombast the Blue]

A logical step maybe: JC made manpower purchaseable, like ammo, fuel and Research and Development...

PGX version 826 posted Aug. 7th, 2025
Added Purchase Man Power on Purchase screen. Changed costs to a percentage of available production $.
(Basically just an extremely simple version of increasing conscription, and lowering production.)
Still experimenting with the ManPower multiplier. I am running on x3 now. Once I found my favorite I will probably make that the default.
web.utk.edu/~jcrouch/