Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865) News & Patch Notes

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Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865) News & Patch Notes | SteamScope

Zipulisteam_community_announcements

297d ago

In “GT2” (working title), in the reworked battle layer, we’ve adjusted the command and control logic a bit to allow further tactical flexibility in the gameplay. Like before, order delays (couriers carrying the commanders’ orders along the chain of command) are complicating things, but there are more options on how to use the commanders during a battle and the units have a bit more initiative (when allowed).

Military Hierarchy and Order Delays

Like in The Civil War (“GT1”), an army is built into a military hierarchy, forming an order of battle. In the bottom are the units: these are the playable single entities on the battlefield (GT1: brigades and artillery battalions). Multiple units can be organized into a group, with its own commander. Multiple groups can be further grouped together with their own commander, and these placed under the army commander.

This hierarchy forms the basis for command and control. When an order is given to a unit, the order must travel through the organization and the appropriate commanders before reaching the unit for execution. So far nothing new.

The first change comes with the couriers delivering the orders. This time around they will avoid the enemy, which may complicate their journey. It is possible the courier does not manage to reach his target, which effectively can lead to part of your army being out of your control, at least for a short while. Trying to find the recipient in thick smoke or disorganized close combat may also slow down the delivery of your orders.

Command and Control

In the new system, commanders have their own small headquarters/escorts that not only point out their location and act as order delay nodes (as in GT1), but are combat elements. These elements are attached to units during the battle, and their positioning can be easily adjusted to enable improved command and control where needed.

When a commander is with a unit, he is able to give orders directly to the unit, which speeds up things considerably, eliminating the need for delivery of written orders. The commander can only embed himself in units under his command. And of course, if commanders are close to one another, orders are delivered faster. The unit the army commander is with reacts the fastest, as the orders don’t need to be distributed further.

This allows forming a point of main effort where order delays are shorter, if needed. Also, having the commanders in the thick of battle with their men will increase motivation (while also increasing the chance of commander casualties). Of course, if you, for example, have the commanders focus on running the battle of the right wing, the left wing will be slower to control. These images provide a comparison between two optional use of commanders, with their pros and cons:

Situation:

Your army (blue) is facing the enemy (red), and an opportunity presents itself: At the extreme right flank you have a cavalry brigade of a cavalry division, that is in position to turn the enemy flank. Time is of the essence before the enemy can reinforce this flank and empty your plans.

Option A: Central command.

Here your army commander is in a central, balanced location, deployed with the army reserves a safe distance from the front. In this situation, in total, we have 5 written orders, and 5 couriers covering a total of 2+ kilometers. This takes time. On the other hand, if the army commander needs to send orders to the brigade in the 1st echelon of the left flank, the delay would be similar.

Option B: Commanding from the front.

Here the army commander decides to command the flanking move personally. He has placed himself in the brigade in question, and also takes the division commander with him.

In total, we have 3 written orders, and 3 couriers covering a total of a few hundred meters at most. This takes very little time (in comparison to option A), the attack commences shortly, and the command and control of the wing during the attack is excellent. The con is, if the army commander would need to send orders to the units in the other flank of the army, there would be 4 kilometers to cover. And if the flanking move is successful, the army commander may find himself behind the enemy line, from where the courier would need to run a long detour, further increasing delay.

And of course there’s the higher possibility of lead poisoning for your brave commander…

Units’ Initiative

In GT1, stances are given to group commanders, who in turn will give orders to their units according to situation and instructions by player (like formation, etc.). In GT2 stances are moved a step down to unit level. This increases the initiative of the units and results in more appropriate and timely reactions to surrounding conditions during a battle.

Players can set a stance to each unit individually, or per group. There’s also an option to order the unit commander to “follow my specific orders”, which means the player can (and must!) control every aspect of the unit’s behavior, but this of course is subject to order delays. When given a stance, a unit will act independently.

This independent activity includes choice of formation, engagement range and firing system used, movement speed, limbering/mounting and detaching skirmishers. These are also carried over to any elements attached to the unit, such as supporting regimental guns.

In GT1 the stances are Screen, Defend, Attack and Assault. In GT2 the toolbox is expanded, and the available stances are to Skirmish, Hold ground, Counter-charge, Attack, Assault and Reserve. Examples of such initiative, when ordered to attack:

when moving out, the unit may deploy skirmishers to mask the movement
crossing difficult terrain, the unit may adapt formation accordingly, for example from a line to column where alignment is easier to maintain and movement generally faster
at long distance the unit may engage enemies with volleys by sub-units (like platoon) to maintain pressure and control ammo consumption since accuracy is limited due to range
closing up with the enemy, the unit may form line and start firing by rank or even full unit volleys to maximize shock effect
if the enemy is weak, the unit may choose to charge into melee to break the enemy line, and to do it using an attack column if the enemy formation is fragmented
if the charge fails, the unit may fall back and switch to defensive if morale falters, or to try again once recovered

in case the charge succeeds, and if in condition to still do so, the unit may press on and pursue the broken enemy, inflicting further casualties or even forcing it to surrender.

Most Respy,

Gen’l. Ilja Varha

Lead Designer - Grand Engineer Corps

DevBlog #4: Combat Systems Pt.2.

Zipulisteam_community_announcements

368d ago

This is the 4th DevBlog in a series where we discuss the work currently being done in developing a new game in the Grand Tactician -series. The new game and the conflict it covers has not yet been announced - but the work is progressing nicely and we're getting closer to dropping some more specific details... when we feel ready to do so.

Stages of Close Combat

In the new combat model we’ve been working on, the biggest and most visible change is in how close combat (non-ranged engagement, ie. charge and melee) works. This was a critical factor in combat and tactics before the introduction of rapid-firing weapons, even if prolonged melees became rare much earlier.

In GT1 (The Civil War) we have a rather rudimentary close combat model, focusing on melee: a unit charges another unit, when the units overlap a melee ensues. Casualties are inflicted on the fighting units, taking into account a lot of unit level factors such as unit type, training, cohesion, fatigue, used weapons, formations, number of men engaged in the melee… This continues until one unit falls back or routs.

The new close combat system is built to accommodate basically any conflict between the 17-19th Centuries, not only one specific like in case of GT1. In this new system, we have broken close combat down into multiple layers that can be described as sort of “stages”, though they are not linear or exclude one another at any specific time - it’s just easier to break the system down this way when describing it.

A unit can end up in close combat when charging an enemy unit, being charged by an enemy unit, or when opposing units overlap one another for any reason during a battlefield movement. In the last mentioned situation the nature of the close combat is unplanned, so neither unit is intentionally engaging into melee, and no charging takes place. So, let’s focus on situations where one (or both) of the units in question deliberately engage into close combat.

The Charge and Impact

Depending on the unit and tactics employed, charging can happen in different formations and speed. A cavalry unit, for example, could charge in a linear or columnar formation, or in any specific charge formations such as wedge, and usually on the trot or gallop. An infantry charge may happen even with standard marching pace. A charging unit may try to maintain solid formation or “break into a charge” more individually (“Hollywood style”). What is most interesting to us from this is the speed of the unit and the disposition of the soldiers within the unit (formation and its integrity).

The unit being charged may or may not be prepared to receive a charge. If we ignore fieldworks and use of terrain, the most important counter against a charge is cohesion of formation and the weapons employed. A dense hedgehog of lowered pikes or a wall of bayonets of infantry in a square formation could be sufficient to discourage a cavalry unit from charging home, and have it veer off instead, maybe discharging its firearms in anger at close distance. A controlled volley fired at a charging unit from a close range could break the formation of the charging unit and either blunt the charge or have the unit abort and disengage altogether. The unit being charged may also falter and decide to fall back in the face of the charge before properly engaged. With the use of our updated morale and cohesion systems, we can now simulate these outcomes which were much more common that prolonged melees throughout the 17-19th Centuries.

Image - Outcomes of a charge: A) the charging unit “flinches” and does not press home. B) the charged unit “flinches” and disengages before impact. C) Charging unit pressing home the charge and the charged unit standing its ground, resulting in an impact.

Let’s assume now, that the charging unit is dedicated and able to charge home and the target unit does not falter. What happens next is an impact, where the charging unit (could be both units) violently collides with its target in a certain formation and carrying a certain speed - let’s call the latter an “impact speed”. First off, who shall hit whom first? The weapon used is important in the soldier-level combat model. Both the attacking and defending soldiers could be armed with weapons that can outreach their opponent. A cavalryman with a 4 meter lance would outreach a musket with a bayonet, but on the other hand could be hit first if facing a soldier with a 5 meter pike. Also important is the penetration capability of the used weapon and the armour of the soldier being hit with that weapon.

Maintaining cohesion a unit receiving a charge could blunt the charge. The impact speed carried could be drained (by loss of intergrity of the formation) and the impetus lost, as the full weight of the unit does not crash into the ranks of the other unit intact. On the other hand, if the charging unit has longer weapons (such as lance for cavalry) and can maintain its impact speed, the end result could be very bad on the receiving end, with the first line being decimated by the lances (for example) and the subsequent ones receiving the weight of the mass of horses still in full speed. Let’s call this phenomenon “ranged melee”. If both sides are armed identically, any benefit of reach is naturally lost. If the unit receiving the charge has no proper counter against it, the formation could suffer severely in the form of casualties and loss of integrity as soldiers are pushed off their position. In the end the charging unit could either mow down, penetrate and completely shatter the target unit with the carried weight and impact speed, or the impetus is lost and either the charging unit is repelled or a melee ensues.

Image - Ranged melee logic: A) charging unit has longer weapons and the defending formation is broken upon impact. B) the defending unit is ready to receive the charge and has longer weapons, the charge is blunted. C) identical armament offers neither unit initial advantage.

The Melee

As described, a lot could already have happened before we find the men of our opposing units fighting it out eye-to-eye, dealing blows with any dedicated melee weapons, be it swords, bayonets or rifle butts. It’s very likely that at this point either (or both) unit(s) could already be about to disengage. As said, prolonged melees were not common. Even if the opposing soldiers would remain determined and the units intact, which should be rare, melee is tiring and messy business, and the party finding itself overpowered would try to disengage orderly to prevent a disaster.

In this case we have our soldiers fighting a “close melee” (as opposed to the previously mentioned “ranged melee”). Weapon, armour, training, morale and fatigue are important factors, but so is the cohesion and type of the formation: if the formation is shattered or spacing loose, a single soldier could be facing multiple enemies at once. Also there is the weight of the enemy formation.

In close melee, single soldiers could end up being pushed by the enemy. This will have the formation bend, while still being able to hold its ground. If the pressure gets too much, the whole unit could be pushed back, which may end up a larger battle line being bent. The depth and cohesion of formations is important, a columnar unit can concentrate its strength on a narrow front better than a linear one.

Usually, if the pressure can be maintained with determination, the line being pushed will eventually give in and break. This can be controlled, with the unit being able to reform further back, or uncontrolled, which usually results in rout.

Image - Close melee logic: A) Charging unit breaking into formation of the defending unit that stands it ground. B) Attacking unit pushing defending units, creating a bulge in the defender’s line. C) One unit is unable to withstand the pressure, formation is broken and the unit routed.

The Counter-charge and the Pursuit

When the melee ends with one side breaking (it could also end up with both sides disengaging due to exhaustion), the successful party should exploit the situation. This way the end result could be a complete defeat of a larger enemy force, a domino effect that would win the battle before it grinds to a battle of attrition ruining both armies and resulting in a pyrrhic victory in best case.

A defending unit may utilize tactics (stance) called Countercharge. When doing so, the unit will stand fast in order to repel any enemy attack and once the enemy disengages in disarray, it will immediately charge home in turn to wreak maximum havoc on the now disorganized and demoralized enemy, before disengaging in turn to regroup and to hold the line. If the attacking unit is successful, it may pursue the routing enemy unit in order to cause maximum casualties and to force the unit to surrender.

In either case, the winning unit should be in sufficient condition to exploit - an exhausted or scattered unit will not be able to pursue. A pursuing unit may become hard or impossible to control, so having fresh reserves at hand can be crucial in order to turn a tactical level success into a victory in battle. And this is of course the Art of War for the Grand Tactician - You!

Most Respy,

Gen’l. Ilja Varha

Lead Designer - Grand Engineer Corps

DevBlog #3: Combat Systems Pt.1.

Mortheimsteam_community_announcements

431d ago

In this third dev diary of the upcoming Grand Tactician sequel, as well as the next ones, I’ll discuss the main changes made in the game’s combat systems. In short, this will bring a lot of further detail in the way battles play out, while also providing opportunities for multiple interesting historical settings in the GT-series.

Unit and Soldier Levels

Like already mentioned in a previous dev diary entry, with the new unit system, we were able to move much of combat calculation to single soldier level. This includes both ranged engagement and melee combat. In GT1 (The Civil War) combat system, combat resolution takes place mostly on unit level. In ranged combat, the possibility of engaging an enemy unit is checked on unit level, taking into account terrain and own units (to avoid blue-on-blue, ie, friendly fire). If this check returns positive, a volley is calculated, using a complex formula (taking into account everything from terrain, formation, cover, weapons, morale, training, experience, etc.). The volley is calculated from soldier models, each aiming at a target unit in its possible firing arc. This allows the unit to fire at multiple enemy units at the same time. A number of casualties is calculated for the target unit(s), and the visual layer shows the casualties in the nearest “coy platforms” (the unit is broken down to multiple smaller blocks, as per previous blog). Melee in GT1 uses a very simple model - hand-to-hand combat during the Civil War was rare. In this model, the unit engaging in melee will place itself next to the target unit, slightly overlapping, to visually communicate to the player there a melee is ongoing. The actual combat resolution takes into account unit conditions and stats, and from this, casualties are inflicted on both sides. The abstraction takes into account formation, so formation A is 10% more effective in melee than formation B, which, on the other hand, may suffer further casualties from small-arms fire. Once one unit's morale falters, it will fall back or rout, while the winning unit will continue combat according to orders. The resulting model is quite good and believable, especially if the values in the formulas are well balanced, but it still lacks detail. In ranged engagement a part of a unit will not be able to fire if the unit level check for line of sight fails, and units can only engage enemies in their front sector (except in infantry square formation, where four front sectors are calculated). Melee on the other hand is much more heavily abstracted.

Organic Combat from Soldier Level

In the rebuilt combat model, unit level is still a factor. Calculating everything on a single soldier level would be too much in terms of performance. Things like morale, cohesion, fatigue, cover, concealment, line of sight calculation (for fog of war, i.e. are units spotted or not), movement in terrain, are tracked per unit. These values are then passed on to the single soldier level for the actual combat and casualty calculation. So, when a soldier fires his weapon, the hit probability is modified with unit-level values. Is the soldier tired? Is he well-trained in the use of his weapon? Is he familiar with the stress of combat, fighting in close order with other guns blazing right next to his ear and enemy firing back? Is he blinded by smoke? On the soldier level, does this soldier see an enemy in his dedicated sector? Does the weapon he carries reach that far (a single unit can have different weapons, so some may fire while others may not)? Can he fire at will, or is firing controlled per rank, for example? Are there friendly soldiers in the way? When pulling the trigger, all this is taken into account, plus also external effects like weather: will the weapon misfire? When the weapon fires and a hit on target is achieved, what is the impact of the projectile? Will it penetrate possible armour, and if so, will the target become a casualty? In case of artillery, how much energy does the round still have? Will it hit another soldier? All this makes more “organic” combat outcomes possible, as the different outcomes don’t need to be artificially adjusted. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33276817/771abdfdd0a4977ba9480c40947c1c93edb4b545.png In this pair of images, on the left we have the GT1 engagement system and on the right the rebuilt engagement system: In GT1 the red unit is within range of the blue unit, inside the front sector fire arc. First, the line of sight check returns positive: the unit can engage. Then the actual firing is calculated from the soldier models, which allows firing at multiple units simultaneously or limiting the number of soldiers firing (due to no enemies being in the soldier’s firing arc). Casualties calculation is done on unit level, taking into account direction of fire and creating the casualties in the nearest coy platforms. This calculation is modified with flanking fire value (simulating the higher chance of hitting a soldier further back, which is not the case if engaging from the front), which increases the effectiveness of the volley. In the end, 5 casualties are inflicted, and models on the left flank of the unit change to casualty animation and then “die”. The red unit cannot return fire, as its unit-level fire arc is pointing in the wrong direction. (What is not taken into account here is that in GT1 ,the average scale in visualization is 1:25, meaning 1 soldier model stands for 25 soldiers in the unit. To increase the visual impact, we kill more models than the calculated casualties justify. After a short time, a few more models spawn and move to “fill the gaps”.) In the new system, each soldier (model) is constantly checking whether it sees enemy soldiers within assigned engagement directions (a soldier can have multiple, for example, as 1st priority front, and 2nd priority to left). Depending on the unit’s firing system, the single soldiers have permission to fire or are part of unit-level controlled fire, where permission to fire is given per rank. The per-rank firing to priority direction can happen as a part of single or multiple ranks firing a simultaneous volley, and may include rotation of the ranks to move soldiers with reloaded weapons to the front. Each shot by a soldier at a soldier is calculated separately, and the outcome is decided. For example, two soldiers fire at the same enemy soldier; the first one misses, and the second one hits. The rightmost soldier picks a target further back. (Also marked is the possibility for the red unit to fire back, as in the new unit system, the left flank soldiers can turn and fire at different targets than the rest of the unit.) Even if the result in both systems is the same, 5 casualties in the red unit, the result in the new system comes through an “organic” calculation, as we like to say. There is no separate bonus from firing from the flank, as the increased effect comes directly from the soldier-level engagement modelling. In case the blue unit was in open order or the red unit had a bigger number of ranks or density of soldiers, the result could change drastically. In the left model, this comes from a separate single unit level modifier (casualty modifier per formation for red, firepower modifier per formation for blue), in the new model, such modifiers are not used and the result will be more realistic through organic means. Like written previously, GT1 is very heavy on CPU usage due to a lot of calculation ongoing at all times, especially with large armies fighting. While the detail of combat has increased tremendously in the rebuilt combat system, the new engine handles the required calculations much more efficiently than in GT1, and performance is much better in similar size battles, even with 1:1 model per soldier scale vs. the old 1:25 scale. In the next diary, we’ll take a look at the new melee system, which is very much a different beast in its own right - and there the soldier level approach has the most advantages. Most Respy, Gen’l. Ilja Varha Lead Designer - Grand Engineer Corps

DevBlog #2: New Unit System.

Mortheimsteam_community_announcements

494d ago

This is the 2nd blog in our new series, which discusses developing our updated engine that will power the next title in the Grand Tactician-series. We're keeping some details, like historical setting, vague on purpose to discuss at a later stage. But, we’ll keep releasing these peeks behind the scenes to let you know what to expect in terms of game play and improvements.

The New Unit System

One of the first things we developed for The Civil War (during 2016-17) was what we call the Unit System. This is how units are created and handled in the battle layer, and it has a big impact on a multitude of other things: visuals, controls, performance, AI, to name a few. Re-building the Unit System is a key part of improving the battle layer for the upcoming title. The results are very encouraging and we’re excited about the possibilities it brings to the table, both for game play and also for performance and clunkiness (or lack of, this time around) of the battles. This will of course work hand-in-hand with terrain and movement, group-system, combat system(s), AI, and so on.

The Old System

In the old system, we built the units from what we call “company blocks”. These are sub-elements of the units, and platforms, that are moved depending on the unit’s formation and positioning. The 3D models (or as the game originally featured, sprite soldiers!) are attached to each platform. In The Civil War (1861-1865), or GT1, each platform has 4 soldier models in 2 ranks. This is to show line formations in 2 ranks and marching columns in 4 files. Only 1 model type is supported, and all special situations are “hardcoded” (a word we use to determine something that is non-adjustable by editing the game’s preference files). Such special situations include the officer model and the artillery units’ model arrangement. The different unit formations (line, assault column, column, square) were built by determining how the company blocks are placed side by side or behind one another. Tracking each platform allows curving and quite OK-looking column movement (“snaking”) for each unit. When resizing the unit in battle, due to changing game settings or due to casualties, the number of platforms per unit changes. In the system, the more platforms there are, the more severe the performance hit, as the company blocks are used for many combat and terrain placement calculations. The end result could be described as “clunky”, and it also limited the performance being rather CPU heavy (like the game is, in general, instead of many modern games that stress the GPU more.) {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33276817/0549cc4ebd12db1de69135a4302ad6f06b29d88f.png Image 1: Here you can see how the units are built in the system. The “company blocks” are highlighted in red. Each contains a set number of 3D soldier models (2x4), the officer is added as a separate block, and the 3D unit flag simply floats in the air in the coordinates where the unit is calculated to be stationed in. When giving a movement order, the positioning of each company block is calculated, as seen in the terrain (right). With the tools we had when developing the old unit system, we had many restrictions. For example, each unit shows only one type of soldier model (except for hardcoded special situations mentioned above), and the number of soldier models in the battle is limited to a few thousand in total due to performance. This means a regiment of 1000 soldiers is normally visualized by way less than a hundred models (in the above image the unit shows some 40). This means a 1:25 scale (one 3D model = 25 real soldiers). Not very “grand”, right?

The Rebuilt System

Just tinkering with the old unit system would have improved the situation in general by a limited degree. For that reason, we scrapped the old system completely and rebuilt the new one using the knowledge we’ve gained and also modern tools that have only become available more recently. In the updated GT engine, units are built differently. Instead of using set coy blocks like Legos, we determine the composition of whole units, soldier by soldier. Each unit can contain many different soldier types including special ones such as officers, and drummers, each with their own 3D models and animations. The per soldier data also contains info for combat simulation. What this allows, for example, is units engaging in multiple directions depending on the combat situation and using different kinds of firing systems, such as different numbers of ranks firing simultaneous volleys or in succession. The units now have more flexible formations for different combat situations they can assume depending on conditions around the unit, the situation of the unit itself, and the training level. As an example, a cavalry unit may use different formations for marching, battlefield movement, ranged engagement, skirmishing, and a few different for charging. Together with the more flexible firing mechanisms and ability to fight in multiple directions the battle micro-AI will have fewer difficulties in countering player’s moves on the lowest, i.e. unit, level. (The battle AI is divided into unit-level “micro-AI” that reacts to surrounding conditions and a “macro-AI” that handles moving groups of units and assigning stances.) From a management point of view, drill is more important than before, as raw troops cannot perform the more complex maneuvers as a cohesive unit. This limits their effectiveness even more compared to GT1. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33276817/1527dac0fb95c84f539b1c0bd832d01feceaa303.gif Image 2: This is a sketch of a Civil War Infantry Regiment in line. With the new unit system, a more detailed unit deployment such as this can be created, including positioning of the flags, officers, NCOs, musicians, and so on. Sounds rather performance consuming, right? On the contrary: with the new tools and much improved coding magic, instead of showing a maximum of a few thousand soldiers in a battle (GT1 upper limit), we are talking about tens of thousands - and this with better performance than in GT1! And much of this is moddable. How this is technically pulled off, shall remain our secret for now, so let’s not dive deeper into details. You may read between the lines we’re quite excited about the opportunities this new unit system brings to the table. But that’s not all! In the next blog we’ll take one step deeper into what it means when we use the new system to simulate ranged and melee combat on the single soldier level - as part of the improved combat model! Most Respy, Gen’l. Ilja Varha Lead Designer - Grand Engineer Corps

Whiskey & Lemons Release Info

Zipulisteam_community_announcements

1092d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33276817/f7ce7e4e04bca5ee0e4739cec6080c8f1ae417cd.png

Whiskey & Lemons DLC to be Released on 25th of August!

Gen’l, We're happy to announce, that the DLC to Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865), Whiskey & Lemons, will be released on 25th of August, 2023 (17.00 UCT / 10.00 PDT)! On the same day we will also release Volume 2 to the game's Soundtrack, and a major update to the main game. Details below:

Whiskey & Lemons.

Whiskey & Lemons DLC introduces a new career mode, where you can play any campaign in the game starting from a low position, caring only about your unit and your career, with the AI taking care of the rest. With prestige and promotions you may rise all the way to the top of your nation's military leadership, which will open up more options to influence the war effort. Career mode includes role playing elements for character development. The possibility to take only a smaller role in the campaign may also suit players that feel the main campaign is too overwhelming. In addition to the career mode, W&L DLC introduces a new regiment scale Eastern Theater focus campaign. Whiskey & Lemons will sell for USD 24,99. On release, the DLC will have a 10% discount. For more details and wishlisting, visit: WHISKEY & LEMONS STEAM STORE PAGE GAME PLAY VIDEO FROM CAREER CAMPAIGN

Soundtrack Vol.2.

Volume 2 of the game's Soundtrack features 20 more old time and traditional tunes from the Civil War era, hand picked & recorded live by Wasel and the Weasels. Like with Soundtrack Vol.1, the music will be included in the game, even if you don't own the Soundtrack or any other DLC. Buying the Soundtrack will allow you to enjoy the music also outside of the game - it's also a good way to support Grand Tactician -project, and especially the talented musicians! Soundtrack Vol.2 will sell for USD 9,99. For more details, including the track list, and wishlisting, visit: SOUNDTRACK VOL.2 STEAM STORE PAGE

Bundle.

We will also update the Bundle option for the game, which includes all the content for 10% off.

Major Patch 1.21.

With the DLC release, there will also be a major new patch for the main game. The patch includes bug fixes, some new features, balancing, performance & AI improvements, and the new music. For more information: SEE THE FULL PATCH NOTES Most Respy, Grand Engineer Corps

Quiet before the Storm?

Captain Müller (KGF)steam_community_announcements

1145d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33276817/fc3cdf78d056207361c79a73abb5eb17b1187cc1.png "While the citizens have been anxiously waiting for news, it seems like there's a suspicious calm at the frontlines. The reporters of Grand Herald say, it's because the generals of the recently formed Grand Engineering Corps are developing plans and testing them in preparation for the advance." It's June, and Whiskey & Lemons DLC has enetered internal beta. During this phase we will test, balance and finalize the DLC game play, while all the new playable content is already in. While testing, there's still work going on with giving finalizing touches to remaining art, like maps and music. While we were aiming for a Q2, 2023 release, it's fair to say, that "Summer 2023" is more accurate at this point. Of course we will give more information, when further details are available. With the DLC, we will also release the latest patch to Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865), which includes fixes and improvements to the base game. The DLC will bring an all-new Career-mode, where player will start the campaign commanding a single unit. With success and promotions, player can climb to more important positions with more influence in the course of the war. While following AI commanders' orders, players can manage their unit(s), staff, and personal activities. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33276817/e7aea94e1bd5113590fafcc69dc02fa08f3454be.jpg The Career-mode brings many role-playing elements to the game, allowing a different kind focus in the game, without the need to manage the whole war. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33276817/3680eb68eb881f4a6fc8e21878496edd00597e0c.jpg The Career-mode can be used in all the campaign scenarios. In addition, a new Regiment-scale focus campaign can be played in the Eastern Theater. This campaign starts in June 1861, before the start of the large scale fighting. Will the war drag on for years, or will the blue troops march irresistably On to Richmond? {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33276817/57e0864c4d2eaba468ebf5c0da94cb0b5a845cdc.png While the DLC development has been ongoing, we have also consolidated our development team's future: from now on, the development team goes by name Grand Engineer Corps e.U. This change was made to register the name for our future projects, which means we are going to continue further developing Grand Tactician. What the future brings, though, is another story. More about that later... Most Respy, The Grand Engineer Corps

Whiskey & Lemons

Captain Müller (KGF)steam_community_announcements

1225d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33276817/b2b7f9095b5ccc3fbb865c0044983e0b310526d3.png Gen’l, There were many legendary generals in the American Civil War, like “Stonewall” Jackson, “Old Pete” Longstreet, “Grumble” Jones, “Bull Head” Sumner… each with their own unique stories. In the Grand Tactician DLC, it’s your story.

The Way to the Top – or Not.

Whiskey & Lemons will introduce a new career mode. You will start by creating your character, determining your Civil War personality via a questionnaire, and taking command of a regiment. As a regimental commander, you are but a small gear in the huge military steam engine. You will have very limited influence over the war, and you will receive orders from your AI commanders. According to your actions and performance, you will generate prestige and get promoted to higher places, where your actions will matter more. As the DLC campaign will be regiment level, on a zoomed in campaign map, divisions will be the smallest units moving on the campaign map. Single brigades can also be used as garrisons to protect important terrain. Once commanding a division, you will be able to control the unit on the campaign map. With increased prestige you will be able to influence politics or projects, but this is very limited before rising to the top, commanding the armies of the Union or the Confederacy – provided that you will ever make it that far. Or want to – you can play the whole campaign without accepting any promotions, if you so wish.

Your Story.

There are many things that can get in the way. Your previously mentioned personality could be one of them. Personality is determined on six axes: Loyalty, Piety, Social Life, Heroism, Stress Control and Political Views. These may provide positive and/or negative traits to your career. You may also attract companions that will be part of your staff. For example, if you are known for lack of loyalty, you may be followed by a Committee Investigator, reporting to the military brass, who may end up limiting your freedom of action by giving political guidance you cannot ignore. There are also other new features. You will be able to choose to buy your own equipment, recruit your own staff and carry out actions that all will influence your, and your nation’s Civil War journey. You may also get injured in combat, with some of your injuries becoming permanent disabilities. When you start to gain fame, you may end up with a grudge with some of your fellow officers. This may have a serious impact on your performance in the battle-field, like what happened between Bragg and his lieutenants. And getting rid of them may prove difficult, as it will require further prestige to overrule choices made by the President. It will be very different, if you become known as “Old Tippler” due to your drinking habits, keep falling off the horse during battles and get into drunken fights with your fellow officers, or as “Skedaddle Joe” due to lack of courage and losing the respect of your men. Everything you do and experience during the campaign, will be recorded into a Biography. When the campaign ends, you may read your whole story, and see how you compared with historical civil war commanders. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33276817/f79fd1d28d540a50296ed553c79c34dcc321cf10.png

The Other Things.

We’re looking to release Whiskey & Lemons during Q2 of 2023. The plan and development has suffered some real-life related delays, mainly caused by a war in Europe, where the development team is from. But, while on some fronts there have been delays, on others extra progress has been made. We’re constantly working on the game engine even if the DLC content has not proceeded as earlier planned. Also the band is recording new music to the game. Along with the DLC release, we will also release the new music as a Soundtrack, the same way we did with the game’s original music – meaning buying the soundtrack is not mandatory to hear the music in the game. The Soundtrack II (working title) allows listening to the tunes outside of the game, and the revenues will go to support our great band, Wasel and the Weasels. With the DLC release, we’ll also release the next major patch, which is focused on fixing reported issues, implementing some player wishes (like different color fire arcs on paper map), and some performance improvements. Most Respy, The Grand Tactician -Team.

Patch 1.03 Adds 3D Troops!

Captain Müller (KGF)steam_community_announcements

1687d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33276817/b0d64fda84d7d8e6dbae26839cce16ef1bcabb2e.jpg Gen’l, While we originally planned to have 3D troops in our game, during the early development phase the experiments with 3D models were unsuccessful. At that point, years ago, we decided to switch to 2D sprites, which allowed improved performance, and a working solution for the time being. After the game’s release in September, we ran another round of experiments with 3D troops, as we had planned to do post-release. This time we succeeded, and with patch 1.03 the sprite troops finally rest in peace, as our civil war soldiers enter the third dimension.

Smoother, and Better Looking.

The sprites did have many limitations. As we kept the number of different animations quite high, the number of frames per animation was limited. Also, customization options were limited, as each large sprite sheet reserved a chunk of VRAM. We did try to overcome the lack of customization by allowing custom coloring of the uniforms, but when creating variation within a single unit using color variation, the end result was not optimal. While functional, the sprite engine also had some side effects, like certain abrupt movements, which was quite apparent especially with courier movements. Our artist has been working hard on the 3D models and animations since the release of the game. With the new 3D troop engine, the game’s visuals take a leap forward. Animations are much smoother in general, and the 3D soldiers allowed us some more variety in the soldiers’ looks. Now we can have different uniforms and equipment even within a single unit, with little to no negative effect in performance. The 3D troop engine also allows further improvements in the future. The changes in patch 1.03 are the first step, more improvements will follow. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33276817/23ef3a476dbc5ff26bb4f69c1efdcd41d548a398.jpg

Other Visual Improvements.

While the main focus in the visual improvements was in the troops, the battle field has also received some other visual improvements. With the 3D troops being less sensitive to certain camera angles, the improved camera controls allow more varied visuals. Updates in the particle effects department and fog rendering also have made the battle field a bit more pleasing to watch, especially in combination with the weather effects. As the 3D troops are no longer “detached” from the environment, like the sprites were, the end result is a much more coherent look. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33276817/a78cffd62db4e2a74bfbffff68e633c68423c036.jpg

Other Changes.

While patch 1.03 was mainly focused on the introduction of the 3D troops, there are also some other nice, and highly requested changes:

3D Troops: new 3D models, with improved, smoother animations & uniform variation.
New Battles: battle of Stones River and Champion Hill added to the list of historical battles. Also a new regiment level version of 1st Manassas added.
Saves: a new load/save panel to manage all saves, loading possible also during a game.
Options: realism options moved from game options to scenario start up screen, and saved per game.
Further game options added, including "lock battle camera rotation".
Occupied States: if all cities within a hostile state are captured, the state is considered occupied, even if it will not change sides due to low support. Armies with low readiness can operate in occupied states normally.
Updated Manual: manual and Field Book are adjusted to portray the recent changes.
Bug fixes and minor AI adjustments.

Most Respy, Gen’l. Ilja Varha, Chief Designer, &c., The Grand Tactician -Team

Patch 1.0210

Captain Müller (KGF)steam_community_announcementspatchnotes

1724d ago

Uploaded November 7, 2021: Thanks again to all development patch testers! Please report bugs and/or ideas in the following forum: https://steamcommunity.com/app/654890/discussions/2/

Campaigns:

AI now defends more carefully and watches out better for nearby enemies
fixed: units joining an autoresolved battle are not stopping but continue movement
fixed: potentially wrong faction in naval battles when reloading while a battle rages
added enhanced info panel for autoresolved battles (land battles, siege combat, fort bombardment, naval engagements)
fixed: Diplomacy I selected in summer 61 scenario leading to wrongly assigned weapon types
fixed: loading of saved tutorials fails if FOW options were changed
playing manual battles in campaign tutorial is now not possible anymore
fixed: LTGen act does not promote commander in chief to LTGen
assumed fixed: playing background music twice while inspecting campaign after a won campaign
fixed: multiple garrisons may take part in siege combat
added drop down list below the alarm icons on top to directly access the autoresolve-panel
fixed: wrong correlation between availability of weapons on the markets and equippable units
removed: high combat intensity in sieges if besieging unit has offensive stance activated
fixed: regualars act may add a Minnesota brigade to CSA armies
newspaper messages can now be deactivated in options menu
added to options menu: keep game paused after closing panels
fixed: sea raiders perk not blocking trade nodes
added: damages of forts through siege combat
logics changed: increase of stock of supply depots now lead to immediate expenses, shown as separate position in finances tab
supply depots are now fully filled at scenario start to prevent huge spikes in expenses at start
fixed: provision and coal stock for fleets too high
arms agents/security measures: number of weapons in stock is increased/reduced (before: only markets were affected)
fixed: ship names for newly constructed ships are resetted when reloading
fixed: capturing ships not working
fixed: naval battles may triggered several times as AI cannot retreat out of the enemy fleet range
fixed: when removing a ship name completely a new one cannot be entered
commander exp now increased in naval combats and fort bombardments

Battles:

AI bonus now also applies to loss resilience
AI now acts slightly faster and tries to avoid direct assaults on entrenchments
added quickinfo about locked map functions when HQ papers are opened
fixed: disappearing morale icon tooltips
fixed: retreat time too short for AI although units fully engaged
player can now use the arrow keys to browse through the army hierarchies
AI is now forming up in double lines to deploy quicker
AI acts more aggressive in battles
AI reduces maneuvers in front of the enemy
improved behavior for group commanders whose subordinates are all routed
fixed: move at signal, on time sometimes carried out immediately

Others:

updated: manual is now searchable

Latest Patch 1.0115

Captain Müller (KGF)steam_community_announcementspatchnotes

1748d ago

Uploaded October 15, 2021: Thanks again to all development patch testers! Please report bugs and/or ideas in the following forum: https://steamcommunity.com/app/654890/discussions/2/

Campaigns:

fixed: ammo consumption too high in autoresolved battles
reduced effect of debt and negative surplus on rating slightly
added positive effects on AI rating when using higher difficulty
fixed: economy report cumulates monthly founded companies
now showing also killed and wounded brigade commanders in officer loss report
fixed: upgrade of greyed out (not available) weapons possible
added certain weapons to initial stock
commanders may now be promoted manually
fixed: construction icon prevents setting waypoints
tidying up: fort names and conditions are now visible on map only if mouse is close
army icons are now always placed in front of buildings, towns or IIP’s
fixed/enhanced: tooltips and updating numbers for minimized unit panel stats
improved drag and drop behavior, especially for fleets
added campaign tutorial
added workaround for units whose campaign stances are greyed out though no order is delivered anymore
fixed: raiding enemy installations in allied states does not lower own support anymore
fixed: support influence king cotton not counting for allied but for slave states
rebalanced high effect of raiding on state support
changed logic for drag- and dropping of ships: now the full space is used on both sides (except ship list)
probably fixed: empty groups and fleets are not removed, officers not promoted when leaving the military panel via other top panels (eg. strategy, trade etc.)
commanders now can only be promoted if they are active
fixed: captured weapons now also show up if no tech is available
fixed config bug in prefs that probably led to low reinforcement speed
fixed issue that could have led to permanent increase of the number of wounded through reloading saves, though not resetting the numbers in older saves
now preventing replacement of wounded/killed commanders of dummy garrisons
no contract expiries happen for units that are engaged

Battles:

added approximate restrictions to line of fire for units
fixed issues with blocking own units in line of fire
commander initiative off now prevents units from wheeling
commander initiative default can now be turned on/off for all units in main menu options menu
deadly volley: units need to be at fire range 50% instead of 25% in order to gain perk experience
fixed: Battle end screen showing “Courier to xxx” instead of army name if McDowell commands
fixed: rare exception when cavalry units are linked and battle is reloaded
fixed: potential freeze of units in Chickamauga historical battle when entering day 2#
added auto-resizing of sprite numbers for huge battles that could have resulted in stuck loading or memory crashes, note: further improvements planned later
added battle hints for certain unit events below top panel, can be deactivated in options menu
added battle tutorial
fixed: submenus of bottom panel sometimes auto-close while a unit is selected
fixed: timed movement & bombardment on 2nd day starting immediately

Others:

game is now paused while newspaper, message log and dispatches are opened
added tutorials for campaigns and battles
fixed: some game options are now automatically adjusted for tutorials to prevent stuck tutorial situations
added auto pop up for patch notes in main menu

Outlook on 1.02: - further improvements in battle and campaign AI - enhanced info for auto resolved battles (land + sea)

Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865) news & patch notes

Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865) news & patch notes

Military Hierarchy and Order Delays

Command and Control

Units’ Initiative

Stages of Close Combat

The Charge and Impact

The Melee

The Counter-charge and the Pursuit

Unit and Soldier Levels

Organic Combat from Soldier Level

The New Unit System

The Old System

The Rebuilt System

Patch 1.14 Out Now!

Patch 1.13 Released!

Whiskey & Lemons Hotfix Out!

Whiskey & Lemons DLC Out Now!

Whiskey & Lemons DLC to be Released on 25th of August!

Whiskey & Lemons.

Soundtrack Vol.2.

Bundle.

Major Patch 1.21.

Whiskey & Lemons DLC Store Page is Open!

The Way to the Top – or Not.

Your Story.

The Other Things.

We wish you all a Happy New Year 2023!

Smoother, and Better Looking.

Other Visual Improvements.

Other Changes.

Campaigns:

Battles:

Others:

Campaigns:

Battles:

Others:

Steam news for Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865)