Paths of Glory VASSAL Module Change List

9.7 Changelist

• NOTE: This module NOT recommended for use with save files from earlier versions. (At minimum may not provide new features and bug fixes).

Improvements

• Game log now more legible, featuring bold/italic text, multiple colors, and even cute little dice icons.
• Card numbers are displayed when cards played in Vassal.
• Rollover legibility and information improved for units and cards.
• Eliminated units will arrive consistently face up in Eliminated (or Permanently Eliminated) box, regardless of whether they were reduced when they left the board. They can still of course be flipped there, e.g. to send a half-strength corps to reserve, etc. Seems better than when you select a big stack of armies/corps in the Elim box you can have confidence they are all facing the same way up. Counterargument would be if people will forget how big the thing was they just eliminated while taking losses - hopefully the fact that it's marked correctly in the log suffices for that? If I got a bunch of complaints I can change it back or make a preference.
• Armies are now (automatically) permanently eliminated if they are Ctrl+E'ed without an appropriate corps in the reserve. It used to just put up a "Check for Permanent Elimination?" warning, because I was worried players wouldn't always notice and might think the unit got lost. Now both the font display (bold text, red text, etc) is much clearer and the Reserve Box tracking has gotten pretty robust.

Bug Fixes

• "Center on enemy moves" preference now properly configured.
• CAU Army deployment now moves AP action markers properly to RU Reinf.
• Missed MO markers now stack properly with other event markers on turn track.
• US/France nationality bonus in France and Germany is now tracked properly.
• Moltke ops penalty is now tracked properly.

9.6 Changelist

Improvements

• Name of turn (e.g. "August 1914") is displayed in toolbar widget as well as turn number.
• When auto-computing VP, an itemized list of captured VP sites is provided (helps in comparing maps/scores on ACTS, especially if e.g. one player forgets to put down a control marker).
• Blockade VP's and Italy VP's are no longer potentially double-placed if one backs up the turn.
• Improvements to sorting in "Draw specific cards" dialogs
• Bug in Libyan Revolt card corrected.
• Java source for custom classes now incorporated into module.

9.5 Changelist

Improvements

• When stacks are activated for Move or Attack, indicates the correct number of Ops required based on nationality, Sud/11th Army, MEF, Fall of Tsar, BE/BR, etc.
• Empty spaces can now be right-clicked to access a menu for placing trenches, control markers, fort besieged/destroyed, and out-of-supply markers.
• Armies dragged or deployed to new locations which already contain at least one corps will automatically be placed on the bottom of the stack instead of the top.
• Hotkeys (e.g. Ctrl+1) added to deploy armies and event markers from the reinforcements card; likewise for rebuilding armies from the Eliminated box.
• Corps in Reserve Box have "Quick Deploy" options to cut down on "dragging all the way across the map to the side I can't see right now" problems.
• Control Markers now protected against two or more ending up in the same space.
• MEF and Cau armies have better deployment options.
• When MEF Beachhead is eliminated it is returned to the reinforcement card.
• Event markers have "cancel" option to return them to reinforcement card. Effectively "unplays" the event.
• Grand Fleet event eligibility properly tracked when using Vassal for card management.
• Guns of August card automated.
• Montenegran capital name internal spelling corrected to the correct Cetinje (incorrect spelling was appearing in log messages).

9.4.3 Changelist

• Bill Thomson integrated Paul Blankenship's PBU LookAt capability (original code credited to David Sullivan). CTRL-RightClick will temporarily draw a large circle on the map around the mouse location, to draw opponent's attention to the location being acted upon. This circle will appear both during server play and any logfile for PBEM.
• Optional Cards made easier to find (button bigger, and a button added down near the cards) after about 5 people emailed asking where the optional cards were.

9.4 Changelist

Improvements

• VP level updated when VP sites change control (via Control markers). VP and Final Scoring can be calculated from new toolbar buttons (or right click VP marker)
• When armies are eliminated, a replacement corps of the correct nation/status is automatically retrieved from the Reserve Box.
• NOTE: When NE armies or BEF are permanently eliminated, a replacement corps is automatically retrieved as well. In the rarer case of such armies being permanently eliminated in e.g. failure-to-retreat situations where a corps replacement is not needed, it will be up to players to "send the corps back" e.g. with Ctrl+R
• Event markers now deployed from Reinforcement screens, for easy right-click deployment -- using these will keep VP and War Status totals up to date! (Also - better event marker art)
• Placement of AR markers is now substantially automated even for ACTS play. Can be turned off if desired from "Prefs" button on Toolbar. Automation works by noticing the placement of activation markers for Move/Attack, when Reinforcements are deployed, and when Event markers placed on map or turn track. Cannot detect SR. Only works when moves are alternated between sides (e.g. dragging 3 CP events in a row over w/o any AP actions will only move one marker to Event).
• Bidding marker (AP Bid / CP Bid) provided for bidding VP in competitive games.
• Russian Capitulation track fully automated based on control markers and event markers (or event card play)
• Solitaire player option restored to the module (since no meaningful hand security can be provided anyway when not using a 3rd-party hand/dice tracker such as ACTS)
• Draw card buttons added below draw piles, for better usability.
• Draw card buttons added to player hand windows. "Draw All" and "Draw Specific Cards" options added to facilitate e.g. following ACTS games.
• Event markers for Italy, Bulgaria, Romania and Greece entry remove the "Neutral" notices and if relevant auto-deploy troops when placed on map or turn track.
• Likewise, deleting a "Neutral" notice will properly process entering the country (event markers, War Status, and troop deployment if relevant)
• CP cards played for RP's do not add BU RP's unless Bulgaria has entered (AP cards already handled IT and US RP's correctly as of 9.3)
• Event markers for Walter Rathenau, Independent Air Force, U-Boats Unleashed, and Convoy now properly flip GE RP or BR RP markers (as appropriate) when placed on map or turn track.
• Messages for "CP has reached Limited War", etc, now appear at proper times rather than the instant War Status reaches 4 or 11.
• Optional/Expansion cards had old versions of text/art. Have now been updated to latest edition including especially Prince Max for WS3.
• Hotkeys for most toolbar buttons provided (for example: Alt+A for Allied Reinforcements, Alt+C for CP Reinforcements, Alt+G Markers, Alt+F Fire Tables, Alt+Shift+E Perm Elim, Alt+U Turn)
• Hotkey for sending corps to the reserve box is now Ctrl+R for better consistency with other unit keys (but Alt+R still works as legacy hotkey).
• Much fine-tuning of where armies/corps center on spaces (an active gameboard should look a bit better aesthetically, and stacks less likely to obscure place names).
• Much general polish, speed optimization, etc.

9.3 Changelist

Improvements

• Corps are better organized when sent to the Reserve Boxes - e.g. the BEFc will not be automatically stacked with other BRc's, depleted corps will be initially placed in a different spot from full strength corps.
• Improved organization of Eliminated boxes -- Armies stacked in a separate spot from corps, and all individual nations have their own default stacking spots.
• Improved organization of Permanently Eliminated box -- Armies from different nations stack in different piles.
• Markers interface simplified to show all main markers on a single palette. Older "List" format is still supported for those who prefer it (just click to far right tab).
• Fire Tables & Terrain given a separate button from other player aids, mainly so that everything will open full & proper size
• If Blockade card is played as an event (or Blockade Event dragged to map/turntrack in ACTS play), Blockade VP markers will automatically appear when turn is advanced in winter, and VP marker will be updated appropriately.
• Miscellaneous automation improvements, e.g. US Entry marker, Russian Capitulation Marker.
• Complete 2018 Living Rules PDF linked from Help menu.
• Further chat/log reporting cleanup and streamlining -- unit moves reported correctly for all combinations of map-to-map, map-to-zone, zone-to-map, and zone-to-zone, and RB counts provided when appropriate.
• Minor visual overlay patches to Classic Map to account for the now-standard corps setup in Lutsk and Stanislau, and corresponding changes in Reserve Box initial sizes.

ACTS Support

• Corps moving to and from Reserve Box (or flipping in it) now provide standard ACTS-style reporting, e.g. (3,1) for three full-strength and one flipped corps.
• VP and War Status tracking moved from the cards to the Event Markers (in non-ACTS play the cards now auto-place the event markers on turn track) -- so ACTS players can drag event markers onto map or turn track and VP/War Status will auto-update. Use of Event Markers remains optional of course - can still just drag War Status and VP where you want them.
• Appropriate markers provided for all VP-modifying situations (e.g. Fall of Tsar +1VP or +3VP, Italy Unplayed, FR Mutiny, etc), and will update VP marker appropriately when dragged to map or turn track.

Regular Vassal Play (non-ACTS) support

• When a card is played from the hand, the next Action Round marker is automatically removed to the correct location (e.g. "Neutral Entry", "Ops", "Event", etc)
• Reinforcement cards played from the hand now allow the destination (e.g. Paris or Orleans for a FR Reinf card) to be selected immediately at time card is played.

Bug Fixes

• Move reporting improved and duplicate messages eliminated.
• Allied Powers 5-Ops cards now play for RP's correctly.
• US RP's now advance when RP's are played after US Entry.
• IT RP's no longer advance when Italy has not yet entered.
• Turkey is no longer announced as entering the war on Turn 2 if CP reaches WS4 on Turn 1.
• Window sizing issues for Permanently Eliminated units screen corrected.

9.2.3 Changelist

Bug Fixes

• Missing corps names in some log reports corrected.
• Deployment problems with AUS, CND, and PT corps fixed.
• Fixed Zimmerman Telegram "unplayable" bug
• Hotkeys for CP and AP action markers made consistent, to assist solitaire players.
• Issues with starting Russian forces on the Classic map having wrong prototypes corrected.

9.2.2 Changelist

Improvements

• Event marker list alphabetized.
• Event markers added to (or moved on, removed from) Turn Track have proper log file reporting.
• Attack/Move activation hotkeys moved to Ctrl+A and Ctrl+M for better consistency with other unit hotkeys.
• Deletion of Neutral Country markers is reported to the log as entry of the neutral into the war.
• Change list (you are here!) and complete credits added to the Help menu.
• New icon for the Hide Markers button - so that it is distinct from the Hide Units button
• Ctrl+Z hotkey added for Remove Activations

Bug Fixes

• Double log messages for some reinforcements have been removed.
• Occasional double-log messages when unstacking CP and AP war status markers from each other has been cleaned up.
• ANA Corps no longer displays send-to-Reserve-Box option.

9.2 Changelist

Deluxe 2018 edition art incorporated

• Reinforcement Card: all units on Reinforcement Cards have valid right-click direct deployment options, including neutral country units. E.g. French Armies have "To Paris" and "To Orleans"; etc. Can still be dragged manually to desired locations, of course.
• Updated 2018 card deck art incorporated (e.g. yellow highlights for Over There, etc)
• 2018 art for Fire Tables and other player aids incorporated
• Improved art and icon for Permanently Eliminated units

Both "Deluxe Map" and "Classic Map" Supported

• Support for "Classic Map" restored.
• Support for "Campaign Scenario" setup restored.
• "Historical Scenario" can be played on either the Classic Map or Deluxe Historical Map.
• Note that present 2018 rulebook only supports these two setups; for "true vanilla" setup w/o no-longer-optional corps on Russian border, simple return the two corps to the reserve box before beginning play.

Log Reporting improvements

• Counters only report movement when they represent an actual change of game state (i.e. no more "GE 1st Army Budapest to Budapest" spam)
• By the same token, reporting has been added to reflect changes of game state previously not reported, including trench creation/movement/deletion, fort sieges/destruction, Missed MO's, OOS Markers, etc.
• Permanent Elimination of units is now properly reported to the log

ACTS Support

• Manual access to “French Mutiny” side of AP MO counter restored.
• Units can be deployed from new reinforcement card directly to proper build spots with right-click (or by manual dragging)
• All units on reinforcement card now have deployment options, including MEF, Orient, NE Army, ANA, SN, etc.
• Allied Near East armies also support non-NE deployment e.g. MEF "To London" a la 9.5.3.4.
• Right+Click deploying BU and RO units directly from card will automatically remove Neutral Country marker and disperse forces to legal spaces in the country - they can then be dragged to adjust initial deployment

Interface streamlining

• Consistency of hotkeys across the module addressed (e.g. Ctrl+F always to flip)
• Most counters should "flip" to the same thing they do in physical game - e.g. Control Markers now flip AP/CP
• Move/Attack markers can be "flipped to the other side" with Ctrl+F or right click menu
• Missed MO markers can be "flipped to the other side" with Ctrl+F or right click menu
• Trench right-click menu cleaned up.
• "Trench Roll" markers now have "does not stack" property so that they do not glue themselves over top of units and activation markers, making selection difficult.
• Fort Marker right click menus cleaned up
• Discard piles and Removed piles easier to cycle through cards and examine
• Draw piles now support the Draw 1/6/7/8 commands on right-click menu
• Expansion Card deck display cleaned up, and better icon added

Misc Automation Improvements

• Turkey's "Neutral Country" marker is automatically removed when CP reaches Limited War.
• Missed MO markers automatically adjust the victory point marker when created/flipped/deleted, and report this to the log

Bug Fixes and card deck cleanup

• Stacks activated to move or attack no longer generate multiple Move/Attack Markers.
• Several British Reinforcements weren’t working properly due to name mismatches
• Liman Sanders card is now recognized properly as a combat card and a * card.
• Combat Cards can now be discarded from the Combat Card stack
• Combat Cards with * can now be removed from play from the Combat Card stack
• All reinforcements properly deploy either to their appropriate destination or an appropriate and nearby staging area when their card is played (this partially worked before but many of the more esoteric units were omitted; also unit staging areas are now nearer their respective countries, e.g. no more Russian Armies in the North Sea)
• All units on reinforcement card now have deployment options, including MEF, Orient, NE Army, ANA, SN, etc.
• Allied Near East army cards also support non-NE deployment e.g. MEF "To London", allowing normal pre-conditions on cardplay to be properly bypassed per 9.5.3.4.
• MEF Beachhead now auto-deploys to Mediterranean area (along with MEF Army) when card is played
• Sinai Pipeline is now auto-placed on the Sinai space when the event is played.
• Neutral countries activate and forces moved to the map to deploy when their card is played.