---> Patch 1.08 <---

[Pocus]

Here!

http://ageoddl.telechargement.fr/BoA_patch1.08.exe

This is the patch, sub-version (a), meaning that not all betas have given their approval on it. For a perfect stability, you can wait some days, if a sub-version (b), (c), ... is ever needed.

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Birth of America update 1.08a readme
Thursday, June 15, 2006
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==============================================================================
Bugs fixes
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9 bugs (ranging from minor to medium severity) corrected.



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Scenarios & data
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Scenario Fixes

A - 1755 Scenario
- added new French leaders Plantavit, Testard, Léry, Lignery
- fixed Lord Loudon disappearance: he is now in Williamsburg in 1755 and will stay there till removed from command (he was mostly staff than action)
- changed G.Washington to start with Braddock army, which has also been strengthened a bit with artillery and militias.
- changed J.Amherst enter game in June 58 with the Louisbourg expedition army arriving with J. Wolfe at Halifax.
- fixed 22nd Foot showing up twice
- changed the fixation level and duration of some French units in 1755 in order to avoid a "Total War" that is unhistorical and unbalanced.

B - 1775-1776 Scenarios
- added new American leader Paterson in Boston 1775 (both historical and solving command problems)
- added new British leaders: William Caldwell in the West in 1775, Alexander Stewart arriving with Lord Rawdon,
- replaced Skinner by Lord Dunmore in Norfolk, Skinner now shows up when the Brits take New York
- changed the fixation level (2 months) of T.Gage army in Boston to reflect his "expectative" attitude till Bunker Hill (June 75)
- added the 1st Rhode Island Black regiment for the USA in 1778
- added a replacement script for Partisans in the South when the original units get killed (for 3 years 1778-1780)
- added a script for the US to get artillery replacement when they send, once per year, their blockade runner or privateers to Eastern Caribbean
- added US artillery and supply showing up in French West Indies upon French entry in the war: the US player can try to go there and pick them up...
- added a script for the US to get artillery replacement when new French Fleet show up in American waters.


Units Fixes

- improved the stealthiness of merchants, blockade runners and privateers to avoid having them caught systemaically
- new abilities; seaman increases admiral speeds by 25%, Pontoneer increasing river crossing speed by 25%
- increased the hit points of British and French regulars from 8 to 10.
- added seaman mover and skirmisher to John Paul Jones to help him avoid desperate battles with the RN.
- changed British leader Hamilton first name to Henry (the historical one, James was an American officer)
- added new 1776 American leader Paterson
- added new 1755 French leaders Plantavit, Testard, Léry, Lignery
- added new 1776 British leaders William Caldwell,Alexander Stewart,Lord Dunmore


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User interface
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- 'Save under' process inverted. If you Ctrl-click on the 'Save' button, you will make a copy (under the new name given) of your current game. You will continue playing with the current name of your game.
- 'Restore Backup' option added on the load game screen. Pass the mouse over the game to restore to get instructions. This will load the previous turn from the auto-backup folder.
- Improved handling on how to show the details about companies and elements of units: the small NATO symbol on the unit (regiment) panel is now clickable and will bring the detail window about each company of your regiment. Right-click will close the window.


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AI
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- Improved the 'Winter Quarter' algorithm.
- Accelerated the pathfinding algorithm (~ 15%)


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Gameplay, rules additions and changes
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- Added the pontoneer ability to marines units (which were used to cross rivers at this time). The whole army will cross rivers 50% faster.
- Forts and to a lesser extent cities have been strenghtened significatively against assaults.
- Training has been nerfed.
- Damage dones in the fire phase and in the assault phase are now 2 variables for each element (before the same damage was used).

[MarkShot]

What does "training nerfed" mean? (disabled)

Winter Quartering algorithm ... does mean that the AI won't start Winter sieges and then wilt and quit? I saw that a lot in my last game.

meaning that not all betas have given their approval on it

I am always the last to know!

[Pocus]

Nerfed means that a leader with the ability can train at most one element a month... so at most it means roughly 3 regiments upgrade a year.

The AI will still besiege in winter, provided she has some supply wagons, but some tests has been added, as there was some loopholes in this thinking.

[Pocus]

Well, a micro update will be put within 12 hours: the army dots on the minimap are for now displayed above the battle report, if you play under 1280 resolution.

No big deal, but a 1.08b will be done anyway... (thank you Hobbes)

[Pocus]

1.08b is up. It correct the army dots problem and another little bug...

http://ageoddl.telechargement.fr/BoA_patch1.08.exe

[MarkShot]

Nerfed means that a leader with the ability can train at most one element a month... so at most it means roughly 3 regiments upgrade a year.

Yes, I noticed that the main Continental Army combined with the French became an elite fighting force over a period of about three years in my last GC (1.07e). I was thinking that if the French were willing to provide transport that we might invade in England in the Spring of 1784.

[Strategyinformer]

We've mirrored this at StrategyInformer http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/birthofamerica/patch/7358.html

[Pocus]

Thanks StrategyInformer. Are you the person having reviewed the game (Alexandra Jeffreys)?


A 1.08c will be produced by monday (GMT), with a fix on the auto-entranch feature which is seldomly working for now.

Note also that if you capture a coastal battery, as the unit can't be moved, it will block the whole army having captured it. So you are advised to put this unit in a separate group. We will add a no move icon on these units as a reminder of their state.


edit: forgot 'will' in 'we will add'...

[Ardie]

Any chance to move the coastal artillery back into the forts? It's not a biggie but it looks a bit silly.

[PhilThib]

Just drop it onto the city / fort

[Chief Rudiger]

Why should the Coastal guns be locked anyway?

[Pocus]

they are not locked per se, they are emplaced...

[Magua]

Why should the Coastal guns be locked anyway?

Coastal Guns were not very mobile

[Magua]

Does the download page have 1.08c now?

[Pocus]

Tomorrow, 99.99% guaranteed

[Chief Rudiger]

Pocus: I see your point but weren't the cannon in Ft. Ticonderoga also "emplaced"?

[Magua]

I believe Knox had to dismantle those heavy guns at Ticonderoga from their carriages and haul them to Boston. It was a major effort to haul the big guns through the wilderness. And then they had to be reassembled once they reached Boston. An Army on campaign might find that hard to do. That's why a campaigning Army has Field Artillery instead. And the Taking of those guns at Ticonderoga was a rare event, not something that happened all the time.

And besides, the Taking of those guns from Ticonderoga is already simulated in the Game when Knox Shows up.

[Magua]

If we suddenly have all these armies running around with big heavy guns, that should be emplaced ,it is going to be riddiculous and lose the Historical Feel.

[Chief Rudiger]

The fact you point out - that Knox's artillery appears in the game - defeats your own arguement does it not?

I say, that if you really want to move big guns, like Knox did, you should be able to, albiet very slowly. It would also get around the problem of having them locked outside a fort by accident!

Come to think of it, there's quite a few instances where Royal Navy guns have been hauled on campaign. I think the precident has been set, at least in the game by Knox, for coastal artillery to be movable.

The fact that you sometime want to defend a city from bombardment that doesn't have a dedicated battery while another insignificant city's guns sit idle is a good reason to make them movable.

PS. I assume they have no use against land based unit?

[Magua]

I can see it now. George Rogers Clark and his rangers moving through the wilderness with Big heavy Naval Guns.

Or better yet, an Army made up of just heavy artillery.

[Chief Rudiger]

I really don't see the problem. Knox is in the game and even if he weren't you can still capture artillery from regular battles or assaults on forts then move it freely.

[Magua]

I really don't see the problem. Knox is in the game and even if he weren't you can still capture artillery from regular battles or assaults on forts then move it freely.

There is a difference between Field Artillery and Naval/Coastal Artillery.

Yes, Knox is in the game, and historically he did the big gun haul thing ONE time. One of the reasons Knox is so famous is because the hauling of those big guns over that terrain was so amazing.. If it were a common occurence, we may not even know his name today.

[Chief Rudiger]

Granted, but i think it should be up to the player to decide if he wants to assign a leader to months of dragging them through the mud. If theres a will theres a way.

[Magua]

Granted, but i think it should be up to the player to decide if he wants to assign a leader to months of dragging them through the mud. If theres a will theres a way.

But an Army that is Campaigning, on the move, looking to battle the enemy, is not going to be able to stop and assemble their Naval Artillery before a Battle. That's why they have Field Artillery. "Ahh could you Brits hold on for awhile, we need to put these things together."

Knox was just making a delivery to a static siege. He was not campaigning. leure:

[PhilThib]

Also, at some point we have to make design choices. I felt it was adding some gameplay constraints to have those guns unmovable.

Now I'll give you a trick with the US: convert your batteries into forts (if you have a supply unit present too) if you wish to avoid a possible capture by the British. You'll lose the defense vs the RN, but are better protected against their Army.

One thing you can do for instance is to load the NYC guns onto the boats, move them to West Point, send a supply there and build the fort: defend it at all costs and you have shield the riverine way up to Albany.

[Pocus]

Any chance to move the coastal artillery back into the forts? It's not a biggie but it looks a bit silly.

It should work in 1.08c.

[Pocus]

1.08c published (same link as above)

Auto-entranching should work again.
Irregulars can no longuer plunder in passive mode.
Naval batteries have a special icon as a reminder.
Passive units in structures switch automatically to Defensive when engaged into battle.
Small fix in the 55' Campaign and Montcalm 56.

[Henry D.]

...Passive units in structures switch automatically to Defensive...

Does that mean, If I want to concentrate understrengthed units in a province not too far away from the front to have them build up to maximum strength (like most of the redcoat regiments on the western frontier at Montreal in the 1775-campaign) I will have to have them stay out in the open, vulnerable to nasty rebel surprise attacks, if I still want them to be reenforced with priority?

Meeeh, I hate taking such risks...

[Pocus]

err no, my sentence is lacking an information in fact

they switch automatically when engaged in battle.

[MarkShot]

So, why would you ever want to be defensive in a structure instead of passive? Maybe passive should be disabled inside of structures to avoid confusion.