The Operational Art of War, Volume I

Version 1.03

I would like to thank those who contacted us with suggestions and bug reports, and I hope that this update will make playing TOAW a more enjoyable experience for all of you.

A number of bugs have been corrected, and the game is now more tolerant of certain constraints imposed by older computer systems. To the best of my knowledge, all reported problems have been resolved in this update. If we missed something, or if you have any suggestions for improving game play, please feel free to contact us.

Norm Koger

August 14th, 1998

Changes since version 1.0

Faster program execution. This will depend upon your machine, but you will probably notice speed improvements in programmed opponent moves and other time intensive operations.

The programmed opponent code has been tweaked in a few areas.

SET GAME OPTIONS – Clarification (page 8)

You can check the "optional rules" in effect during a scenario by selecting "Set Game Options" from the "Play" pop-up menu. Shown below are the "Set Game Options" dialog and a detailed description of the available options and their effects. Use this dialog to change rules or programmed opponent options before starting a scenario. Once a scenario begins, some options for that scenario cannot be changed.

Rules & Programmed Opponent Options

All game rules effects options default to "on". The rules in the Players Guide describe the way the game behaves with all options on. If you turn any options off, they will simplify the game by removing the affected rules. You can select the strength of the programmed opponent by setting the programmed opponent options.

Rules Effects Options

Programmed Opponent Options

Unit health indicators (page 55 in your players’ guide) have been added to formation and air unit displays.

The red bar displayed on the standard unit icons of routed or reorganizing units has been modified a bit. Red bars are now reserved for routed units only. Orange bars under the strength or movement allowance numbers indicate reorganizing units. See Standard Unit Icons, page 55.

The current turn number is now appended to saved game default file names. For example, if you ask to save a France 40 scenario game on turn 5, the default file name would now be "France 40 5.sav".

Artillery and HQ units must enter a friendly occupied location in order to automatically disengage (page 33). They are no longer capable of automatic disengagement when leaving a friendly occupied location and entering an empty location.

Air units equipped with fighter aircraft (those listed as defenders – characteristic "c", in the equipment tables) flying combat support or interdiction missions now add 25% of their anti-air strengths to your theater air superiority strength.

The level of intelligence information (page 23) available for any particular location is now displayed with the location description in the Information panel.

The supply trace displayed if you set View/Options/Supply (page 49) to "visible" within the game works a bit differently now. You will only see the supplied / unsupplied state of locations that are either spotted or observed. Information is not available for unknown locations, which are now indicated by a question mark "?" graphic. This has effectively turned the supply "visible" option into a means of rapidly checking the level of intelligence you have over the entire map.

Clarification: When units are reconstituted (page 28) there is a 1 to 4 week delay in their appearance. Reconstituted air units appear at airfields. Other reconstituted units will appear near friendly supply sources in urban or road locations. If no friendly supply sources are located in urban or road locations, land units will not be reconstituted. Coastal and fixed artillery units are never reconstituted. Reconstituted units are listed as such in the Expected Reinforcements briefing.

Limits on changes to unit deployments (page 13) have been relaxed a bit. Previously moved units may now dig in or be ordered into reserve deployments.

Disengagement (page 33) is now treated in greater detail. Friendly air and artillery units that could support a unit in combat will now support that unit during disengagements. Terrain, time of day, and weather conditions apply in addition to unit reconnaissance capability and movement allowances.

Terrain modifies the disengaging unit’s reconnaissance capability:

Terrain modifications for disengagement reconnaissance strength are not cumulative. Only the "best" (highest value) terrain type is considered.

For disengagement purposes, unit reconnaissance capabilities are multiplied by an additional 0.5 on PM turns or if there is heavy rain or snow in the location (cumulative).

If you wish to avoid the effects of disengagement in your games, you can turn "active disengagement" off using the game options dialog (page 8).

Example: A unit with a reconnaissance capability of 25, moving from a dense urban location on a PM turn would have an effective disengagement reconnaissance capability of 25x(2.5+0.5)=75.

Change: Supply Lines (page 27)

In order to receive normal re-supply, units must be able to trace a line of communication back to a friendly supply source. If the unit can not trace this supply line, its supply level will drop by an amount equal to the number of half days in a turn.

Supply is first traced along friendly controlled road, undamaged railroad, urban, airfield, anchorage, and open (or arid) locations. Any location with an unbroken line of communication through one of these types of terrain to a friendly supply point is fully supplied - providing the maximum possible amount of resupply for units.

Units not on the fully supplied net, but able to trace a line of communication no more than 4 hexes long to any location on the fully supplied net, are considered to have limited supply. Units in these locations receive 2/3 of the maximum possible resupply.

Change: Local Terrain Effects (page 27)

The types of terrain considered for local effects on supply have changed with the modification of the supply rules (see above). The only types of terrain that directly affect local supply now are forest (any type), jungle, marsh, and mountains. Units not on the fully supplied net but occupying any of these terrain types receive 2/3 of the supply they would otherwise receive.

Supply (page 26) now has a stronger effect on unit strengths. Unit readiness for unsupplied units is now limited to the unit’s supply level or the minimum readiness (33%), whichever is higher. Readiness can be lower than this limit, but not higher. Unsupplied units with very low supply and readiness levels are subject to desertion effects. Deserting troops and equipment are lost permanently. They are not placed in the replacement pool. The number of deserters increases as supply and readiness levels decrease, and decreases with higher unit proficiencies. Desertions tend to start slowly (particularly in high proficiency units) and accelerate over time.

Interdiction effects on supply distribution have been doubled. The new effects are reflected in the situation briefing.

Environmental Effects on Combat (page 43) – Clarification: Bocage and marsh terrain are not mentioned in the terrain combat effects table in the manual (pages 43 and 44), but they do have an effect.

Marsh

Bocage

Battles are Resolved (page 41) – Change: Anti personnel and anti armor combat now occur simultaneously. This means armored equipment will be more effective than in previous versions of the game under certain circumstances.

Unit Strengths and Capabilities (page 12) – Change: Anti Personnel strengths are now divided by 20 (not 10) when used against armored targets.

Unit Panel (page 10) and Unit Report (page 57) – Change: Strengths are shown differently than in earlier versions of the game.

Unit movement allowances in the unit panel (page 10) and unit report (page 57) are now displayed as "available of original". So a unit that has a remaining movement allowance of 12 out of an original allowance of 32 would show "12 of 32".

Non artillery unit combat strengths in the unit panel (page 10) and unit report (page 57) are now displayed as "anti-personnel + anti-armor". So a unit that has an anti-personnel strength of 8 and an anti-armor strength of 20 would show "8+32". Artillery and air units are essentially unchanged, showing "anti-personnel R:range", so that a unit with an anti-personnel strength of 5 and a range of 2 would show "5 R:2".

Standard Unit Icons (page 55) – Change: Unit icons now show anti-personnel strength rather than combined anti-personnel and anti-armor "attack" strengths as in earlier versions of the game. This gives a more accurate idea of general unit performance in combat.

The unit popup menu available from a right click on the current unit now allows you to give deployment, embarkation, and loss tolerance orders for an entire group if you wish.

Units with defensive or entrenched deployments automatically dig in if they have any remaining movement allowance at the end of a turn. Note that this may occur after the enemy has had a chance to attack, so in many cases it is best to continue digging "manually" as in earlier versions of the game. But the new scheme will at least continue the digging if possible, even if it may not do it in as timely a manner as a deliberate player selected dig order.

There is now an "Order of Battle" option in the View menu. This brings up a dialog listing all of your units currently in the theater (on the map).

Climate and Weather (page 22) – Addition: While any location with sub freezing temperatures is labeled as "very cold", there are actually three different levels of sub freezing temperatures. The average temperature of any weather zone is listed in the Weather Briefing (page 62). Water features (rivers, canals, shallow water, etc.) in very cold locations may or may not be frozen. Rivers and canals freeze at the "frozen 2" level. "Super" rivers and shallow water freeze at the "frozen 3" level.

Movement Costs and Allowances (page 37) – Addition: Bicycle units minimum speed is set halfway between foot movement and horse movement if they begin their turn in a location with a temperature warmer than "very cold".

Additional Land Movement Costs (page 38) – Addition: Ski units are not penalized for movement in snow locations.

Airborne Movement (page 36) – Addition: Airborne units divided into sub units before air movement will be forced to "reorganize" if scattered during airborne drops.

Replacements (page 28) – Special forces units are not eligible for reconstitution. Reconstituted airborne and glider units will keep their special icons, but are no longer eligible for airborne movement.

The game now supports a number of hotkeys.

Message box style dialogs (those without "checkmark" style exit buttons) now accept input from the number keys (either on the keypad or the main row at the top of the keyboard) to select from available options. The options buttons in these dialogs are always arranged vertically. The "1" key selects the top button. "2" selects the next button, etc.

The "Escape" and "Enter" keys can be used to exit any standard game dialog with a "checkmark" style exit button. The will also exit from the small "message box" style dialogs if there is only one possible choice.

F1 brings up the help file.

The numerical keypad number keys can be used to scroll the map or center on the current unit.

1 – Southwest

2 – South

3 – Southeast

4 – West

5 – Center on current unit

6 – East

7 – Northwest

8 – North

9 – Northeast

The "arrow" keys can be used to scroll the microview map.

Several general utility keys are available. These keys are not case sensitive.

A – Bring up the air unit report.

C or F2– Group Composition: The group in the map location currently under the mouse cursor is displayed in a small dialog similar to one of the location panes in the attack planning dialog. If the cursor is not over an occupied location, the group in the current unit’s location will be displayed. This can be used to examine friendly or enemy occupied locations. If you click on a friendly unit in the dialog, it becomes the new current unit. The group composition dialog is also available in the map panel right mouse button popup menu as "Show Group Composition".

E – Resolve all combats or end turn.

F – Bring up the formation report.

G – Get the next unit stacked with the current unit, bring it to the top of the group stack, and make it the current unit.

I – Toggle unit icons visible or invisible.

M – Toggle standard unit icon display mode between movement and strengths.

O – Bring up the Order of Battle report. (game only)

P – If the current unit has attack orders, bring up the attack planning dialog.

U – Bring up the unit report..

W – Toggle the map pane weather view on or off.

Z – Undo

- Select previous unit.

+ Select next unit.


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