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ACP: SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES (Part I) ACP = Abandoned, Cryptic Platform The ACPs I am covering under this topic are computerized . To this effect, they first appeared as self-contained, VIDEO wargames sporting some "flagship" content. Hobbyists employing computerized ACPs for content design and pla...

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:howdy Cat Leon The below isn't in any way "historical" but rather play system specific. ... an infantry always attacks the 'Close Defense' of fortifications Yes ! This is the case irrespective of the underlying terrain type on which the Structure Class unit is sitting; NOT just on City / Port / For...

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ACP: NO "OUTSIDER" ANNOYANCES ACP = Abandoned, Cryptic Platform Narrowing the Focus The... abducted VIDEO wargame utilized as an ACP is: a) Hex Based b) Half-Turn Based c) NOT Real Time d) Inviting warfare scales NOT "lower" than Grand Tactical and NOT "higher" than Grand Operational (i.e., NO Plat...

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Frequent visitors to this forum are quite aware that both this forum's Moderator and I share a very easygoing attitude when it comes to designers modifying other hobbyists' content. Some contextual humor now... :) From the classic movie "Det sjunde inseglet" (The Seventh Seal) (1958), directed by th...

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ACP: NICHE INTERESTS ACP = Abandoned, Cryptic Platform A... "Canned" Wargame Developer / Programmer Opines ... in such a game, the rules, content and AI all work together to create the playing experience. The above is a truism, of course. However, within the context of video wargaming, there's an i...

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Observations When given a Defensive Posture, PGF's AI Module just does NOT "understand" how to delay a human player's rapid advance all along a reasonably broad front. It just "corrals" every available friendly unit around and moves it in the immediate vicinity of some friendly objective hex. Wishe...

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:howdy Cat Leon, Elsewhere in this forum: Why all the infantry units have Close Defense of zero? When infantry units fight each other in city, in forest or mountain terrain they use Close Defense. The same thing happens if only one of infantry units is in close terrain. Both infantry units use Close...

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ABANDONED, CRYPTIC PLATFORMS I know of no computerized Content Design & Play Platform (CD&PP) the development of which was launched while at the same time consciously intending to eventually... abandon it. On the other hand, I know of quite a few such Platforms the source codes of which have never ...

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:howdy Radoye, ... if i remember it right there's no 0 spotting, it behaves just like 1 spotting. Most probably you're thinking of Shooting Range (ShR). Under fair atmospheric conditions, a unit sporting SpR value ZERO (0) only scouts the hexes it actually occupies or traverses while moving, and not...

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Intended Audience: # Lettos # & # Radoye # I'm a bit curious... SSI's PG1 / AG content features the following unit spotting range (SpR) values: a) Air and Naval Transports: ONE Shouldn't they be ZERO instead ? b) Towable Anti-Tanks : TWO & SPATs: ONE Shouldn't it be the other way around ? c) Struct...

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SUPPLIES: REPRESENTATION CHALLENGES Beans, Bullets, Bandages, Fuel & Spare Parts Armed conflict presupposes the initial availability and, hopefully, continual resupply of essential provisions which are vital to units' battlefield effectiveness. In principle, food stuffs, ammunition, medical supplie...

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A rather necessary exception, what with the onset of 2022. Proximate Trigger " urbi et orbi " eh ? :) A Blast From the Past Here's some relevant context... Eight months ago, the JP's "consensus" suggested: If you have too much free time, you can do sports or listen to music. Write about their activi...

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Extraterritorial... Background Elsewhere in THESE OG forums: Good Samaritan Panzer General Forever (a.k.a. PGF) - a quasi-emulator of original PG that allows one to run PG/AG scenarios and campaigns on modern PCs, but with certain differences compared to the original (different AI module - not an i...

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ESS: POST-ABANDONMENT POSSIBILITIES This post sets the stage for my remaining contributions under this topic. No Programmer, No Source Code Earlier under this topic, I wrote: What's a computerized Content Design & Play Platform (CD&PP) within the context of wargaming ? Well, for starters, any compu...

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Jarlaxle wrote: ↑
2022-01-04 16:28, Tuesday
I'm just trying to figure out how to run Panzer General on my new computer.

Panzer General WHAT ? 1, 2 or 3 ? For DOS, Windows 9x or WHAT ? CD or Floppy ?

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ESS: OPEN GENERAL Project Evolution Viewed through the prism of a computerized Content Design & Play Platform (CD&PP), Open General (OG) reached its evolutionary steady state (ESS) a good number of years ago. a) The Developer / Programmer (D / P) didn't get discouraged enough by the inevitable anno...

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*.PGSCN (Unit-Specific Data at Scenario's Start) ======== Absolute Prerequisites Tab-Separated Unicode Text Files http://forum.open-general.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=535#p8925 *.PGSCN (File Type Description) http://forum.open-general.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=562#p9153 File Section 10 -- Unit-Speci...

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*.PGSCN (Campaign Deployment Hexes & Purchasable Unit Classes) ======== Absolute Prerequisites Tab-Separated Unicode Text Files http://forum.open-general.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=535#p8925 *.PGSCN (File Type Description) http://forum.open-general.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=562#p9153 File Section 08...

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*.PGSCN (Scenario Victory Conditions) ======== Absolute Prerequisites Tab-Separated Unicode Text Files http://forum.open-general.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=535#p8925 *.PGSCN (File Type Description) http://forum.open-general.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=562#p9153 File Section 07 -- Scenario Victory Cond...

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Two years out of PGF's second decade have already gone by. There're eight more years yet to go... :ihope In the future, not all new information to be lodged within PGF's Online Library will necessarily appear in this PGF forum first or even at all. Actually, posting such information in this forum wi...

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*.PGSCN (Supply & Objective Hexes) ======== Absolute Prerequisites Tab-Separated Unicode Text Files http://forum.open-general.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=535#p8925 *.PGSCN (File Type Description) http://forum.open-general.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=562#p9153 File Section 05 -- Supply Hexes PGF Program...

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*.PGSCN (Listed Combatants & Turn-Specific Prestige Allotments) ======== Absolute Prerequisites Tab-Separated Unicode Text Files http://forum.open-general.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=535#p8925 *.PGSCN (File Type Description) http://forum.open-general.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=562#p9153 File Section 0...

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*.PGSCN (Side-Wide Data) ======== Absolute Prerequisites Tab-Separated Unicode Text Files http://forum.open-general.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=535#p8925 *.PGSCN (File Type Description) http://forum.open-general.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=562#p9153 File Section 02 -- Side-Wide Data PGF Programmer's ch...

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EQUIPMENT.PGEQP (Unit Type Sound Special & Combatant Ownership) ================= Column 31 -- Sound Special This is the THIRTY SECOND (32nd) Column encountered as one traverses Columns going from left to right. PGF Programmer's choice: Jet My recommendation follows: SOUND SPECIAL Descriptor intege...

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EQUIPMENT.PGEQP (Paradrop & River Bridging Capabilities) ================= Column 29 -- Paradrop Capability This is the THIRTIETH (30th) Column encountered as one traverses Columns going from left to right. PGF Programmer's choice: Can Paradrop My recommendation follows: PARA DROPS Descriptor integ...

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EQUIPMENT.PGEQP (Unit Type Transport Capabilities) ================= Column 26 -- Organic Transport Capability This is the TWENTY SEVENTH (27th) Column encountered as one traverses Columns going from left to right. PGF Programmer's choice: Can Have Organic Transport My recommendation follows: ORGAN...

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EQUIPMENT.PGEQP (Bomber Special Capabilities & Entrenchment Nullification) ================= Column 24 -- Bomber Classes: Special Capabilities This is the TWENTY FIFTH (25th) Column encountered as one traverses Columns going from left to right. PGF Programmer's choice: Bomber Special My recommendat...

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EQUIPMENT.PGEQP (Unit Type Chronological Availability) ================= Column 21 -- Debut Month Numerical ID This is the TWENTY SECOND (22nd) Column encountered as one traverses Columns going from left to right. PGF Programmer's choice: Month My recommendation follows: DEBUT MONTH Descriptor inte...

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EQUIPMENT.PGEQP (Unit Type Cost, Icon & Animation) ================= Column 18 -- Listed Cost This is the NINETEENTH (19th) Column encountered as one traverses Columns going from left to right. PGF Programmer's choice: Cost My recommendation follows: LISTED COST Descriptor integer. Column 19 -- Ico...

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EQUIPMENT.PGEQP (Unit Type Target Type, Movement Allowance & Capacities) ================= Column 14 -- Target Type Numerical ID This is the FIFTEENTH (15th) Column encountered as one traverses Columns going from left to right. PGF Programmer's choice: Target Type My recommendation follows: TARGET ...

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COMPLETELY UNENTERABLE HEXES: PROPERTIES =========================================== Completely unenterable hexes (i.e., "Neutral" hexes) sport LIGHT GREEN hexagonal frames. Restrictions --- NO unit can EVER enter such a hex in-game. For greater clarity, units subject to automatic, forced retreats ...

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EQUIPMENT.PGEQP (Unit Type Movement Type, Initiative & Ranges) ================= Column 10 -- Movement Type Numerical ID This is the ELEVENTH (11th) Column encountered as one traverses Columns going from left to right. PGF Programmer's choice: Movement Type My recommendation follows: MOVMNT TYPE De...

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EQUIPMENT.PGEQP (Unit Type Attack & Defense Attributes) ================= Attribute values can be... monstrously large (32-bit encoding). Column 03 -- Soft Attack This is the FOURTH (4th) Column encountered as one traverses Columns going from left to right. PGF Programmer's choice: Soft Attack My r...

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EQUIPMENT.PGEQP (Unit Type ID, Name & Class) ================= Column 00 -- Unit Type Numerical ID This is the FIRST (1st) Column encountered as one traverses Columns going from left to right. PGF Programmer's choice: # ID My recommendation follows: # ID # ID The ID numbers are there for the conven...

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ESS ?: PANZER GENERAL FOREVER Project Evolution & De Fact o "Abandonment" As far as I know, the Developer / Programmer (D / P) of Panzer General Forever (PGF) NEVER claimed that this Replicator project was intended to serve as a Content Design & Play Platform (CD&PP). Therefore, one CAN'T logically...

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WARFARE SCALE: CONSEQUENT ABSTRACTION CHALLENGES Abstraction ? Some "historical wargamers" are willing to accept "reasonable" levels of abstraction aimed at addressing conceptually quantitative aspects applicable to the representation of a particular warfare scale. Nevertheless, quite a few warfare...

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OWNED HEX ENTRY: PRESTIGE POINT AWARDS ========================================= Absolute Prerequisite Combatant-Owned Hexes: Properties http://forum.open-general.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=543#p12143 Hex Specificity Under certain conditions, upon a Designated Ground Unit Type (DGUT) unit having ent...

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COMBATANT-OWNED HEXES: PROPERTIES ==================================== Absolute Prerequisite Listed & Unlisted Combatants http://forum.open-general.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=543#p11540 Terminology Owned Hex A Port City / Port Facility / Embarkation City / Non-Naval City / Airfield hex owned by a Co...

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PREPOSITIONED UNITS: "UNORTHODOX" ENTRENCHMENTS =================================================== Preliminaries In-game , PGF's play system caps a Ground Super-Class unit's achievable Entrenchment Levels (ELs) at FIVE (5) OVER AND ABOVE any initially granted ELs due to a hex's underlying terrain....

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OBJECTIVE HEX COMPLETE UNENTERABILITY: VICTORY DETERMINATION IMPLICATIONS =============================================================== Absolute Requirements Victory Conditions: Terminology http://forum.open-general.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=543#p8976 Listed & Unlisted Combatants http://forum.ope...

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Some of the matters raised / discussed under this topic will be further pursued under currently active topic

Historical Wargaming
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=451

As far as my contributions under the present topic go, well, this is the end of the line !

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Players reasonably familiar with PG1-DOS and PGF frequently come across a series of "pseudo-random" events that can be described as "persistence of good / bad luck". In fact, probability theory does have something to say about this... BUT There's a difference between emerging bias due to pseudo-rand...

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CONCLUDING REMARK PG1 play system's foundations can certainly be traced back to mid-1960s board wargame designs. Obviously, the same is true for SSI 5 Star General play systems' foundations , including those underlying their various emulations and extensions. To conclude, in a chronological sense, ...

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Some forum readers are already familiar with the rather extensive critique that PGF's AI Module has already been subjected to in the past. In particular, they're quite aware of the extreme recklessness exhibited by the Module under the "Advanced" difficulty setting. Hence, some recently expressed op...

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EVOLUTIONARY STEADY STATE Obstacles to Overcome A computerized Content Design & Play Platform (CD&PP) either fails within a relatively short time following its inception or eventually reaches an evolutionary steady state (ESS). Reaching that ESS all but presupposes that: a) The Developer(s) / Progr...

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Observations PGF's AI Module: 1) Upon losing Air Super-Class units, it NEVER purchases new such units. 2) Upon scenario's commencement, even if it's given a Defensive Posture, it immediately rushes its Air Super-Class units forward under both "Advanced" and "Intermediate" Level settings. Mind you, ...

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IN-GAME UPGRADES & PURCHASES: COMBATANT UNIT AVAILABILITY =========================================================== Absolute Prerequisites Unit Upgrade & Purchase Pop-up Screens http://forum.open-general.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=531#p9210 Units: Upgrades & Purchases http://forum.open-general.com...

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SETTINGS: ACCESSIBILITY, ROLE & SCOPE ==================================== File Settings PGF's settings are contained in: --- Its Text-Formatted External Support Files (i.e., EQUIPMENT.PGEQP, *.PGSCN, PG.PGCAM) --- File PGFOREVER.EXE (i.e., PGF's executable) Settings: Accessibility It is quite easy...

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DMCU MOUNT / DISMOUNT & MOVEMENT CAPABILITIES =============================================== Absolute Prerequisite Dual-Mode, Composite Units http://forum.open-general.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=540#p8965 DMCUs: Mount / Dismount Capabilities & Restrictions A DMCU's Currently Passive Mode can only b...

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UNIT COLLOCATION DETERMINANTS =============================== Unit Collocation Restrictions In the now distant past, SSI informed the hobby that, in-game: a) No TWO (2) Ground / Naval Super-Class units can ever be located ON the same hex. b) No TWO (2) Air Super-Class units can ever be located OVER...

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