JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

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rommel222
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JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings to All,
John Tiller has just released Civil War Campaign Petersburg
http://www.johntillersoftware.com/Civil ... sburg.html
TheGrayMouser
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by TheGrayMouser »

ORIGINAL: rommel222

Greetings to All,
John Tiller has just released Civil War Campaign Petersburg
http://www.johntillersoftware.com/Civil ... sburg.html

Thanks for the heads up!

For a variety of reasons I have to date not purchased any of the Tiller Civil war titles to date but this one just looks so nice! Has the scale changed though? From the screens it looks like infantry have a fire range of only 3 hexes for their rifled muskets, thought older titles had 5 range?
rommel222
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings TheGrayMouser,
This title has a lot of graphics modifications by Wargame Design Studio (Panzer Battles Kursk & Normandy).
The new 2D & 3D unit icons and hand drawn/painted maps add up to a 1.5 Gigabyte download.
One can request a smaller 400 Megabyte download for slow connections
See the write up link below for Petersburg:
http://www.wargamedesignstudio.com/2017 ... -released/
I do not know if weapon ranges are changed/modified yet.

This is a definite buy for me at only $39.99[:)]
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Blond_Knight
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by Blond_Knight »

As a native Im pleased to see it remembered that Petersburg wasnt always a shite hole.
Rosseau
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by Rosseau »

The basic designs are still the same, but if you don't have any, this might be the one to consider. Although all those new colored icons are not welcome to me, as I am finally comfortable with the old UI. Speaking of old, I am getting too old to handle the huge maps and unit counts. But wow, the main map with this one is a beaut!

Also, the huge battles that are often generated by the "campaign" system are simply not practical to play out. I admit I did search Amazon for a book on the campaign to get me primed, but they all cost almost as much as the game.
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Cataphract88
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by Cataphract88 »

ORIGINAL: Rosseau

The basic designs are still the same, but if you don't have any, this might be the one to consider. Although all those new colored icons are not welcome to me, as I am finally comfortable with the old UI. Speaking of old, I am getting too old to handle the huge maps and unit counts. But wow, the main map with this one is a beaut!

Also, the huge battles that are often generated by the "campaign" system are simply not practical to play out. I admit I did search Amazon for a book on the campaign to get me primed, but they all cost almost as much as the game.

In the new Panzer Battles series, there is an option to use the old style UI, which I do.

It will probably be the same with this game too - I hope!
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by aaatoysandmore »

The graphics were never an issue with HPS games; it's always been the ai. Has this one improved any or do you still have to fight small skirmishes/scenarios to get any fun and challenge out of it?
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Yogi the Great
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by Yogi the Great »

Just got it. I have quite a few of the earlier Tiller games. This looks nicer, haven't had time yet to play I'm hoping the AI has improved. PBEM might be fun.
Hooked Since AH Gettysburg
Rosseau
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by Rosseau »

Please let us know. Gettysburg and Antietam were always a must for me just because.

But the "new" Battles of Normandy (Panzer Battles) game is a high point for HPS, imo. I also never liked how the ACW and Nap games didn't have the oob and data editors. The AI can at least facilitate moving all these units across a giant map. But I tend to get tired and let the game play itself!
rommel222
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings The Gray Mouser,
I have installed Campaign Petersburg and it is drop dead gorgeous for new unit icons and terrain maps.
I love the Extreme Fog of War option. There are smaller battles as well as medium and large size.
The fire ranges for most infantry weapons has changed to 3. The Union 1st sharpshooters have a range of 4.
Very poor units, morale F, have a range of 1 (conscripted labor for trench digging, fortification, etc.)
Still reading through the manual & notes for explanation on range change but not seen yet.
The purchase & download went very smoothly w/quick download of 12 minutes. Install w/serial# went without a hitch.
Looking forward to assaulting trenches pre WW1 style. Some cavalry raid scenarios too:
The Beefsteak Raid https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beefsteak_Raid
rommel222
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings Rosseau,
I too am old,on medicare, but still work. I do find the campaign games to be Godzilla monster huge and I do let the AI play both sides and watch. But I like to intervene, at times, by changing the AI to manual during turn. Then I make some moves and/or attacks and let the AI finish or start next turn. With almost 200 scenarios in Petersburg, I may/probably never get around to the campaign game. I play Leipzig battles but not the campaign. But it is a nice tease/taunt that Tiller's team include it.
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Yogi the Great
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by Yogi the Great »

ORIGINAL: Rosseau

Please let us know. Gettysburg and Antietam were always a must for me just because.

But the "new" Battles of Normandy (Panzer Battles) game is a high point for HPS, imo. I also never liked how the ACW and Nap games didn't have the oob and data editors. The AI can at least facilitate moving all these units across a giant map. But I tend to get tired and let the game play itself!

Like Battles of Normandy the War Game Design studios is part of Campaign Petersburg. They may end up updating some of the old Tiller Civil war series as well.

I've only played a little so far but from what I remember of the old games the AI does seem better on this one. Not as many really stupid moves so far. Not saying that it's a great AI way to early for that, just that it does seem to be improved.
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operating
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by operating »

Hi All!

Reading and watching your posts. Have several HPS games (Atlanta, Vicksburg, Chicamunga(spl?), ect.) from a few years ago, particularly interested to see how much the game has changed since then.
and one flew over the Cuckoos nest
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Blond_Knight
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by Blond_Knight »

ORIGINAL: Rosseau

I also never liked how the ACW and Nap games didn't have the oob and data editors.


Or that at least the Nap games don't have 'Fast AI processing'. This is why it takes two hours to play a small scenario!
What's the rationale there for not including that feature?
TheGrayMouser
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by TheGrayMouser »

ORIGINAL: Rosseau

Please let us know. Gettysburg and Antietam were always a must for me just because.

But the "new" Battles of Normandy (Panzer Battles) game is a high point for HPS, imo. I also never liked how the ACW and Nap games didn't have the oob and data editors. The AI can at least facilitate moving all these units across a giant map. But I tend to get tired and let the game play itself!

The Nap games OOB's and "data" are all in plain text ( and the OOB's are organized just like you might see in Nafziger) Not sure how an OOB "editor" would make that to much easier.
The Civil war games OOB are all locked so you cannot edit them at all anyhow.
Good games, I just wish the Ai was a smidge better.

I forgave JT a long time ago for not having map editors in his games, I mean the friggin maps in some of these titles are HUGE, except for the Squad games, I mean squad combat is so personal and specific to the terrain that not having an map editor really limit them in my opinion. ( or at least limits me buying them)
Rosseau
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by Rosseau »

Yes, a map editor is certainly not needed for HPS games. We get tons of options and scenarios and can also chose to use "pieces" of the map with some of the series.

I recently finished a couple of books on Waterloo, installed HPS Waterloo, but no immersion whatsoever. Now ACW may be another story. It's been a while, and Petersburg is tempting. Meanwhile, with all its warts Scourge of War Napoleon does it for me best. Gaming-wise that is [;)]
rommel222
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings TheGrayMouser & All,
Received a reply as to why the infantry weapon range was changed to 3 from JTS support:
Seems to be a more realistic range for the historical casualties inflicted.
Sounds reasonable to me and enjoying the scenarios.
I do not see the AI doing anything stupid/foolish but not superlative either (I am content with it)
Rosseau
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by Rosseau »

TheGrayMouser:

The data might be in plain text, but any changes to OOB, PDT, etc. results in errors, even when creating a brand new scenario on a new map. For instance, simply changing the range of a weapon in the pdt file - no go, and no idea why.

Anyone can fill me in, would be appreciated. Otherwise, ACW (and NAP) need OOB and Data editors, which will not happen.

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Blond_Knight
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by Blond_Knight »

There's a checksum that some of the games use to prevent tampering/modding. If there isn't a checksum total number in the file itself then the check is probably some there in the game EXE. Ive heard the Civil War OOB's are 'locked' but I haven't tried to edit the Napoleonic OOB's.

I did discover by tinkering with the Nap demo on the JTS page that the map is editable.
TheGrayMouser
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RE: JTS Civil War Campain Petersburg Releases

Post by TheGrayMouser »

ORIGINAL: Rosseau

TheGrayMouser:

The data might be in plain text, but any changes to OOB, PDT, etc. results in errors, even when creating a brand new scenario on a new map. For instance, simply changing the range of a weapon in the pdt file - no go, and no idea why.

Anyone can fill me in, would be appreciated. Otherwise, ACW (and NAP) need OOB and Data editors, which will not happen.

TheGrayMouser: The data might be in plain text, but any changes to OOB, PDT, etc. results in errors, even when creating a brand new scenario on a new map. For instance, simply changing the range of a weapon in the pdt file - no go, and no idea why. Anyone can fill me in, would be appreciated. Otherwise, ACW (and NAP) need OOB and Data editors, which will not happen.





The OOB and PDT files are certainly editable in the Nap games and the Ren game( by experience) and by theory the EA Wars as well.

The OOB is certainly NOT editable in the civil war games ( not sure about the PD files though)

There are some issues though if you try to edit an OOB or PDT in a preexisting scenario and keep the same scenario name and OOB names. I believe once an OOB is linked to a scenario file it somehow "fixes" certain data.
The best thing to do if using existing OOB's and PDT's is to save them "as" and make changes, and then build a new scenario linking your modified OOB and PDT to it.
Its been a while but you can actually open the scenario file (.scn by memory)with a text editor and change simple thing in there too, like the oob file name etc you want the scenario to use.

Edit: It COULD be possible that newer JT Nap titles are now blocked from editing? I kind of doubt they would just change that but I suppose its possible...


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