Posted February 17, 2023
Field of Glory II [Part 1/2]
Standalone installer updated: [Windows] 1.5.40 ⇒ 1.6.6.
Standalone installer updated: [Windows] 1.5.40 ⇒ 1.6.6.
v1.6.6 – 26th January 2023
⯈ Manual:
---• English EBOOK and printer friendly manual fully updated with all changes since original game release.
⯈ MP Login and user names:
---• FOG2 MP Login will now accept usernames up to 32 characters long (was previously 16), and combined Slitherine/Matrix account creation has been corrected accordingly – it previously accepted usernames up to 64 characters long. This caused some tournament battles not to function if one of the players signed up to the tournament with a username longer than 16 characters.
---• If your current username is longer than 32 characters, it will not be changed automatically, but please email support@slitherine.co.uk about changing it to a shorter version.
⯈ Custom Battles:
---• New scenario types added:
----- Own Side Defending
----- Enemy Defending
----- Ambush (Own)
----- Ambush (Enemy)
----- Open Battle (Enemy Overconfident) (SP only)
---• These new scenario types can happen in Quick Battles and Sandbox Campaigns.
---• Increased storage area for unit pre-deployment in map border. This is necessary for Very Large armies to fight on very narrow maps (using Advanced Options to reduce the map width to much narrower than the recommended minimum for the army size), otherwise the previous storage area was exceeded and units were culled from the lists so the available maxima in game did not match the number in the preview.
⯈ Map Types:
---• Added Mediterranean, North European, Middle Eastern and Tropical Plains.
---• These have been added (10% chance) to Pot Luck terrain selection in Custom Battles. (Agricultural reduced from 60% to 50% chance).
⯈ Fight Now!
---• Will now pick a quick battle at random from the main game or any DLC that you own.
⯈ Quick Battles:
---• In addition to the individual DLC Quick Battles modules, there is now an “All Quick Battles” module that includes all Quick Battles from all DLCs. (You still need to own a DLC to access battles from it.)
---• Added Macedonian vs Greek (x2), Macedonian vs Galatian, Greek vs Galatian and Macedonian vs Spartan battles to Quick Battles (Immortal Fire and All Quick Battles)
⯈ Gameplay:
---• Pike basic POA is no longer dependent on having 3 full ranks of models. It remains 100 POA regardless of losses. Deep Pike POA still degrades as the 4th rank falls.
---• Heavy Chariots now get +50 POA in Impact and Melee vs steady Defensive and Offensive spearmen. (Unless these are behind an obstacle). Not against steady pikes.
---• Routers now disperse if they have not rallied after 3 consecutive rout moves. (it was previously 5). As there is no chance to rally after the initial rout move, this effectively reduces the number of turns in which routers who have outdistanced pursuit get a chance to rally from 4 to 2, and consequently halves the overall chance of routed troops rallying. (The reduction is actually more than that, as routing units that have been pursued further than the normal permitted number of turns of rout – see below - no longer get a last chance to rally when the pursuers stop pursuing).
---• Note that this also reduces the distance away from the main battle that routers can travel and still rally. However, it does not reduce the distance that pursuers can pursue because routers do not disperse while they are being actively pursued. (Precisely so that pursuers do have the opportunity to pursue long distances). So this change intentionally won't speed up the process of getting units that pursued back into the action. When the pursuers do finally stop pursuing, if the routers have reached or exceeded the normal number of rout moves, they will disperse next turn without any opportunity to rally.
---• If a general joins a routing unit that is not being actively pursued, and is not autobroken, it will take an immediate rally test. Of course if it does not rally then, or in any subsequent rally test, the general will be lost when the unit Disperses.
---• Generals now prevented from joining routed units that are autobroken or being actively pursued.
---• Unmanoeuvrable units are now allowed to make a single square diagonal move if the only reason for being unable to do so is the cost of turning 45 degrees. This helps to avoid AI units getting stuck.
---• The check for whether a Falling Back unit must take a Cohesion Test now ignores enemy 45 degree turns that would not prevent a charge. (Because charges can include a free 45 degree turn even for Unmanoeuvrable or out of command range troops).
---• Note also that the enemy unit does not actually have to be able to charge, just to be non-routing non-light troops, and in a position where it could charge if no other units were present. (Fall Back cohesion tests are intended to simulate irrational panic, not logical thought).
---• Heavy Artillery can no longer be used in Multiplayer Custom Battles except in “Own Side Defending” or “Enemy Side Defending” scenarios.
---• Bow-armed light chariots now count as close combat troops for the purpose of triggering the non-combat bowmen shooting malus when within 2 squares. (It was an oversight that they did not previously do so).
⯈ AI:
---• AI will now advance Heavy Artillery into range.
---• Removed 90% maximum for AI units’ chance of charging. Previously (to simulate stupid unit commanders) they had at least a 10% chance of not charging, however good the odds.
⯈ UI:
---• Campaigns and Epic Battle modules now listed in alphabetical order, with user-created content listed at the end and asterisked.
---• Map Types now listed in alphabetical order in Custom Battle set up screen.
---• Added “Can Form Square” to unit panels for units with that ability.
---• Added Cursor Lock Enable/Disable to Options. The Default is Disabled.
---• Enabling Cursor Lock locks the mouse cursor to the game window, which should allow moving the mouse cursor to the edge of the game window to move the map reliably when using windows smaller than the full screen resolution, or other custom setups.
---• The Shadows options have been moved to the More Options page to make room.
Models and Units:
---• Chariot units (at default scale) represent 50 chariots. Heavy Chariot crews ranged from 2 to 4 men in different armies and at different times. To minimise confusion, TotalMen in Heavy Chariot units standardised to 150 men.
---• Pseudocomitatenses (previously only available as a campaign upgrade) now have their own textures.
---• Added Muslim Light Horse Archers model.
---• Thracians with rhomphaia increased to “Above Average” Quality 125 (where Average is 100 and Superior is 200), giving them +12 POA. Cost increased accordingly.
⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ ⭢ CONTINUED BELOW ⤵︎⯈ Manual:
---• English EBOOK and printer friendly manual fully updated with all changes since original game release.
⯈ MP Login and user names:
---• FOG2 MP Login will now accept usernames up to 32 characters long (was previously 16), and combined Slitherine/Matrix account creation has been corrected accordingly – it previously accepted usernames up to 64 characters long. This caused some tournament battles not to function if one of the players signed up to the tournament with a username longer than 16 characters.
---• If your current username is longer than 32 characters, it will not be changed automatically, but please email support@slitherine.co.uk about changing it to a shorter version.
⯈ Custom Battles:
---• New scenario types added:
----- Own Side Defending
----- Enemy Defending
----- Ambush (Own)
----- Ambush (Enemy)
----- Open Battle (Enemy Overconfident) (SP only)
---• These new scenario types can happen in Quick Battles and Sandbox Campaigns.
---• Increased storage area for unit pre-deployment in map border. This is necessary for Very Large armies to fight on very narrow maps (using Advanced Options to reduce the map width to much narrower than the recommended minimum for the army size), otherwise the previous storage area was exceeded and units were culled from the lists so the available maxima in game did not match the number in the preview.
⯈ Map Types:
---• Added Mediterranean, North European, Middle Eastern and Tropical Plains.
---• These have been added (10% chance) to Pot Luck terrain selection in Custom Battles. (Agricultural reduced from 60% to 50% chance).
⯈ Fight Now!
---• Will now pick a quick battle at random from the main game or any DLC that you own.
⯈ Quick Battles:
---• In addition to the individual DLC Quick Battles modules, there is now an “All Quick Battles” module that includes all Quick Battles from all DLCs. (You still need to own a DLC to access battles from it.)
---• Added Macedonian vs Greek (x2), Macedonian vs Galatian, Greek vs Galatian and Macedonian vs Spartan battles to Quick Battles (Immortal Fire and All Quick Battles)
⯈ Gameplay:
---• Pike basic POA is no longer dependent on having 3 full ranks of models. It remains 100 POA regardless of losses. Deep Pike POA still degrades as the 4th rank falls.
---• Heavy Chariots now get +50 POA in Impact and Melee vs steady Defensive and Offensive spearmen. (Unless these are behind an obstacle). Not against steady pikes.
---• Routers now disperse if they have not rallied after 3 consecutive rout moves. (it was previously 5). As there is no chance to rally after the initial rout move, this effectively reduces the number of turns in which routers who have outdistanced pursuit get a chance to rally from 4 to 2, and consequently halves the overall chance of routed troops rallying. (The reduction is actually more than that, as routing units that have been pursued further than the normal permitted number of turns of rout – see below - no longer get a last chance to rally when the pursuers stop pursuing).
---• Note that this also reduces the distance away from the main battle that routers can travel and still rally. However, it does not reduce the distance that pursuers can pursue because routers do not disperse while they are being actively pursued. (Precisely so that pursuers do have the opportunity to pursue long distances). So this change intentionally won't speed up the process of getting units that pursued back into the action. When the pursuers do finally stop pursuing, if the routers have reached or exceeded the normal number of rout moves, they will disperse next turn without any opportunity to rally.
---• If a general joins a routing unit that is not being actively pursued, and is not autobroken, it will take an immediate rally test. Of course if it does not rally then, or in any subsequent rally test, the general will be lost when the unit Disperses.
---• Generals now prevented from joining routed units that are autobroken or being actively pursued.
---• Unmanoeuvrable units are now allowed to make a single square diagonal move if the only reason for being unable to do so is the cost of turning 45 degrees. This helps to avoid AI units getting stuck.
---• The check for whether a Falling Back unit must take a Cohesion Test now ignores enemy 45 degree turns that would not prevent a charge. (Because charges can include a free 45 degree turn even for Unmanoeuvrable or out of command range troops).
---• Note also that the enemy unit does not actually have to be able to charge, just to be non-routing non-light troops, and in a position where it could charge if no other units were present. (Fall Back cohesion tests are intended to simulate irrational panic, not logical thought).
---• Heavy Artillery can no longer be used in Multiplayer Custom Battles except in “Own Side Defending” or “Enemy Side Defending” scenarios.
---• Bow-armed light chariots now count as close combat troops for the purpose of triggering the non-combat bowmen shooting malus when within 2 squares. (It was an oversight that they did not previously do so).
⯈ AI:
---• AI will now advance Heavy Artillery into range.
---• Removed 90% maximum for AI units’ chance of charging. Previously (to simulate stupid unit commanders) they had at least a 10% chance of not charging, however good the odds.
⯈ UI:
---• Campaigns and Epic Battle modules now listed in alphabetical order, with user-created content listed at the end and asterisked.
---• Map Types now listed in alphabetical order in Custom Battle set up screen.
---• Added “Can Form Square” to unit panels for units with that ability.
---• Added Cursor Lock Enable/Disable to Options. The Default is Disabled.
---• Enabling Cursor Lock locks the mouse cursor to the game window, which should allow moving the mouse cursor to the edge of the game window to move the map reliably when using windows smaller than the full screen resolution, or other custom setups.
---• The Shadows options have been moved to the More Options page to make room.
Models and Units:
---• Chariot units (at default scale) represent 50 chariots. Heavy Chariot crews ranged from 2 to 4 men in different armies and at different times. To minimise confusion, TotalMen in Heavy Chariot units standardised to 150 men.
---• Pseudocomitatenses (previously only available as a campaign upgrade) now have their own textures.
---• Added Muslim Light Horse Archers model.
---• Thracians with rhomphaia increased to “Above Average” Quality 125 (where Average is 100 and Superior is 200), giving them +12 POA. Cost increased accordingly.