1.034 Public Beta Available!

[Greg Wilcox]

We've uploaded the Public Beta version of the 1.034 Update and it is available in our Members Club. While we do final testing we figured we'd offer you a change to get it early as well. This is still a beta, but it's stable and solid as far as we can tell. See the change list list below for details.

You can download this as a Registered Download as long as you have registered your Gary Grigsby's War Between the Sates serial number in our Members Club (click on the MEMBERS link in the top nav bar).

Change List
• Important notes

1. New Rules – This update contains a number of adjustments to the rules that, in combination, can have a significant impact on each side’s strategies. We strongly recommend reading through the Rule changes carefully. Read through and print out the Rules Addendum (added to your Documentation folder by this update) to see all the important changes with references to the relevant manual sections. The in-game tutorials have been updated to reflect the rule changes, but the video tutorials do not include any of the rules changes that have been included in the patches made since the initial game release in June 2008.


• New Features and Rules Changes

1. Rule Change - Confederate Ironclads in production face a chance that they will not advance on the production track during any given production phase, and this chance is based on the number of CSA Ironclads in production. The first Ironclad being worked on with a valid production point (the Ironclad closest to being completed, or if a tie, the first put into production) will always advance on the production track. The second Ironclad being worked on has a 75% chance of advancing, and a 25% chance of not advancing (although the production point is expended). The third Ironclad being worked on has a 50% chance of advancing. All other Ironclads have a 25% chance of advancing. This rule simulates the iron shortages and other problems the CSA faced that made building a large number of Ironclads difficult.
2. Rule Change - An additional modifier to initiative calculations has been added for all leaders called “Time”. This value is added along with the leader’s attack rating and other modifiers when the leader checks for initiative. This value will begin at zero but will increase by one each turn that the leader fails an initiative check as long as the leader does not move during his turn. If the leader gets initiative or moves during his turn, the value will be reset to 0 before the next turn’s initiative check. A Unit Commander’s Time value can never exceed 5 (AC’s are unlimited, and TC’s do not have a Time modifier). In 1861, 2 is subtracted from the Time value of all leaders (thus in 1861, a Unit Commander will never have a displayed Time value greater than 3). In 1862 and 1863, 1 is subtracted from the Time value of all leaders. This TIME element will is displayed in the rollover info showing the initiative calculations for a leader, and reflects the value used during the most recent initiative check. Note that since leaders do not attempt to gain initiative on turn 1, all leaders will have their Time values reset to the minimum on turn 2 of a scenario. Also, leaders without units attached do not attempt initiative rolls, so they will be at their minimum during the first check they make with units
3. Rule Change - An extra bonus of 1 toward initiative is now given to leaders in an area that has at least 40 supplies (and 2 depots), or is in a friendly permanent state region with at least 20 supplies (and 1 depot). This is in addition to the normal 5 bonus for home territory or having at least 20 supplies. Also, it is now necessary to have a depot in an area with at least 20 supplies in order to get the +5 bonus (in previous versions it was sufficient to have the 20 supplies in the area without a depot).
4. Rule Change - The supply cost of building depots has increased from 20/40/60 to 25/50/75 (less the reduction due to the leader performing the construction). The supply cost of building forts has increased to 35 for fort level 1 and 70 for fort level 2 (less the leader reduction).
5. Rule Change - A partisan now has a 4 in 9 chance of destroying a supply point (instead of 1 in 3), and has a 1 in 6 chance of damaging a rail unit (instead of 1 in 12).
6. Data Change – Decreased Amphibious capacity of Union and Confederate Transport Fleets in 1861 to 1. This value will increase to 2 for Union Transport Fleets after the September 1861 Union Production Phase.
7. New Feature - Added the state ID after the region name in the report that lists attrition losses and leader illness.
8. New Feature - The “,” and “.” keys (comma and period) now function as hotkeys for the up and down arrow in the production screen.
9. Rule Change - In the Reaction Phase, in cases where units are pinned by enemy units in the same area, the pinned units may not undo their move. Be very careful when moving units into an area with enemy units as this may pin them and prevent an undo of the move. This was necessary to prevent players from being able to move units into a contested region, withdraw the original units from the area, and then undo the moves of the units that prevented the original units from being pinned.


• Bug Fixes

1. On rare occasions a supply point from a depot was being used to supply an unsupplied unit. This should no longer happen.
2. Fixed a rare instance where rollover text was being printed directly on the map instead of inside a box.
3. Unattached units were not always properly attaching to leaders just before a combat. In at least one case this led some defending units to retreat out to sea after the battle. This has been fixed.
4. Fixed a bug that was preventing units from moving over a river that had previously been blocked by enemy ships but was no longer blocked by enemy ships.
5. Undoing of an amphibious move was causing twice the number of amphibious points to be returned to the transports then had been. Now the correct number of amphibious points will be returned to the transports after a move is undone.
6. Fixed a bug where shift-f was not moving artillery that was available.
7. Leaders with no Command Points were able to use ctrl-f and shift-f. Leaders with 0 CP’s may no longer use ctrl-f or shift-f.
8. Fixed a bug where units that withdrew from a battle during the reaction phase can move back through that area (which is now enemy controlled) and move past it. Units should never be able to move through an enemy controlled area.
9. Fixed a bug where Army Commander’s were sometimes using the incorrect skill rating when providing a combat bonus to defending units.
10. Fixed a bug where shift-f, ctrl-f and ctrl-g were working during the Production Phase (this is not allowed).
11. Fixed a bug where AI cavalry was raiding it’s own areas.


• Rule Clarifications

1. When playing with Limited Command Point Recovery, leaders will not immediately recover command points expended during a battle executed during their turn's combat phase. When not playing with this option, the leaders will immediately recover these expended command points.
2. In order to use ctrl-g to bring troops into an area, there must be a leader, combat unit, or supplies in that area.

[Doc o War]

Rule change Number 9- which I know deals with a bug issue and fixes it- is a major change. Remeber players that if you are now using this new higher version- when you send in reaction forces they will NOT be able to leave - as the UNDO is now disabled once they react in. They are stuck until you have overmatched the enemy man for man- and then only the amount of guys that overmatch can leave. This fixes this problem they identified where you could get guys out of harms way - and conforms to the rules. 
 
REACTION PHASE moverment is now sticky with this rule change- do not jump into a reaction battle unless you mean to stay there because they wont be able to leave.  In truth- once someone rode into the battle area- it would be rather difficult to suddenly change your mind and leave. BE CAREFUL  reaction phase is important. It is now sticky.
 
So I agree it is needed- but issue this warning if you upgrade to this next patch- (naturally all games in lower versions will not work with the next higher version.)  They will have to upgrade also- and new games will need to be started as the game turns from lower V's won't work on higher versions correctly.   I will upgrade to the next level 1.34 after I get done with my current 1.32 or .33 PBEM games I have ongoing. or whatever the latest patch # was.
 
I have a buddy who runs multipul programs so he has the ability to have the old version and also another place he can access the new version- But that is too much work for me. All that jumping back and forth. I will update to this newest beta as soon as my current series gets played out.
 
[&o]I always have to give kudos to this team- they just keep working hard to make the game work even better- they get on these bugs.  I really respect that.  

[oldspec4]

Rule change #9 makes the reaction game much more interesting...thanks for the further explanation

[jhdeerslayer]

The usual question... About to start another PBEM and any feel for when 1.034 will be out of Beta?

[Joel Billings]

We've just sent the official exe to Matrix (now labeled 1.040, but it's the same as the 1.034 version). Matrix was talking about getting it out early/mid next week, but I can't make any promises. The 1.040 version is the same as the 1.034 (just a number change), so you can go ahead and start with 1.034 and then continue on with 1.040.

[jhdeerslayer]

Thank you sir for the update!