Release Notes for Close Combat: The Bloody First

Version 1.1.7 (30 July.2020)

Fixed Error: Unhandled Exception ExpCode:0x0000005

• Optimization work to reduce frame rate / game speed bottlenecks during battle. • Optimization work to improve multiplayer game speed during battle. • Multiplayer Host dialog details panel text no longer visible on top of settings panel right after connecting. • Fixed possible crash case when replacement leader was swapped into an already full team. • Revised networking thread to reduce CPU load. • Fixed unnessary unit updates that could occurred during multiplayer, reducing network load. • Fire support button tool tips show weapon type and count again. • Fixed issue where campaign / operation with plain text summary and briefing might fail to load. • Units with a 'blind shot' at a vehicle now recognize it immediately rather than after firing one shot. • Textures in mod folders now correctly override stock textures.#### Update 1.1.3 (05 May 2020)

• Fix for in battle crash that could occur with units under fire while very close to map border.
• Fix for unit to unit LOS issue when unit has soldiers at significantly different elevations.
• Fix issue with deleting saved games / custom battles when file name contains extended ASCII characters.
• Added error message if deleting a saved game or custom battle fails due to file access permissions.
• Map Editor: Fix error that could occur when saving / loading height map images.
• Map Editor: Fix for issue with dragging mouse while right button is down and changing heights.
• Map Editor: Added editor-specific release notes.
• Map Editor: Rolling autosaves every 2 minutes (see below)
• Map Editor: Updated versioning format to match main game
• Units LOS can now see slightly further into or out of buildings before LOS is considered blocked.
• Soldiers position better when a unit is deployed / moved into a building.
• Soldiers prefer positions inside the same building their parent unit is inside when several buildings are very close together.
• Soldiers are better able to area fire near a target when their parent unit can see the target but the individual soldier can not.
• Infantry soldiers that can't fire at their unit's target will try to reposition so they can. They will move if the new position would not separate them from their parent unit and the new position provides either good cover or at least better cover than where they are.
• Fixed issue where older saved games that were saved during a battle might not load correctly.

Update 1.1.1 (30 March 2020)

Map Editor Changes:

• Press ‘P’ key to toggle cursor terrain and coordinate display.
• Mouse over an object and hit PgUp/PgDn to cycle through the possible variations in model / texture.
• Better alignment of fences and walls when placing them in a row.
• Battle damage type objects (foxhole, gun pit, craters) cannot be created via the editor and no longer show up in the object list. May be implemented in the future.
• Fix for mods loading custom maps while using the stock campaign.
• Fixed missing default textures on dead cow objects.
• Fixed incorrect texture names in data file for low stone wall, low mud wall, high mud wall, and wreck objects.
• Fix for mouse handling when Scenario Editor screen is up.
• Fix for hang when mouse over exactly overlapping buildings.
• Fixes for texture loading and saving.

Content Creator Update

• Force Supply Level now updates correctly after each battle.

• Force Supply Level on Planning and Briefing screen now displays correct value.

• Fixed case where Kasserine Pass operation would not becoming available when it should.

• "PLAY <scenario>" button only displays for Custom Battle or Saved Games lists if you have at least one item in the list.

• Multiplayer: Client now shows correct unit status icons for enemy in sight, firing, etc.

• Multiplayer: Unit action string now updated correctly on client during a co-op battle.

• Multiplayer: Queued orders are displayed correctly on the client.

• Multiplayer: Default Defend/Ambush order arcs appear correctly on the client.

• A unit's current order line/arcs are no longer displayed while unit is broken or routing.

• Tooltips added to the Soldier screen weapon, achievement, and medal icons.

• A battle map preview can now be accessed from the Force Selection screen (image in the upper left.)

• Fix for bridge not overwritting deep water terrain (Cerisy)

• Left click on a live soldier in soldier list centers camera on soldier.

• Fix for separated soldier failing to rejoin unit if unit aborted a movement order while soldier was separated.

• Game now allows a battle scenario to begin even if battle end conditions are already in effect.

• Vehicle kill chance and counter-kill chance now has more influence when choosing a default target.

• Soldier walking and crawling speeds now less effected by terrain and slope.

• Vehicle pathing and path-following updated.

• Vehicles will attempt to keep at least 1m distance from impassable terrain.

• Vehicles halt before entering impassable terrain and re-path as necessary.

• Drivers now follow unit movement path more closely.

• Drivers will adjust vehicle speed more precisely to avoid overshooting a turn.

• New game options to control Defend/Ambush arc display and behavior.

• Added the keybind "~" (the tilde key) to deselect all units. Remappable to ESC via OPTIONS.TXT.

• Fixed potential crash with current unit becoming unselected while queuing orders for that unit.

• Added 'Delete File' button on command screen to delete saved games and custom battles.

• Unsupported 'Fog' weather option no longer appears as a weather choice in the scenario editor.

Update 1.0.6 (11 December 2019)

Version 1.0.7 is officially released.

The most prominent fix is about the surrender mechanic. With this update units with low in morale and with high losses will surrender and will try to reach enemy's positions without being targeted automatically (but they can still be caught in the crossfire!).

Distance is also a factor, the farthest the units are engaging the less probable surrender could happen.

See you on the battlefield!

Update 1.0.6 (20 November 2019)

• The FIRE order line now shows where line of sight is first obscured, where it becomes a blind shot, and where it becomes impossible to target.
• Warning icons and tooltips now indicate when a FIRE order has no line of sight, is partially obscured, is out of range, or is a hard shot due to range, limited visibility, or a hull down / partially visible target vehicle.
• Warning icons now appear in the UI screens to indicate when a unit is low on strength, morale, or ammo. Unit tooltips on the Force Selection screen include these warnings as well and indicate when a unit's main weapon is out of ammo.
• Exiting a saved game from the Debrief screen and reloading the save now returns to the Debrief Screen instead of the Planning Screen.
• Returning to the Planning Screen after having selecting your order choice will show only the order info for the order you selected.
• Cursor no longer moves itself when entering / deleting text in the saved game name field.
• Soldier fatigue and morale levels now recover every time you start a new Operation.
• Operations are no longer shown as 'Completed' on the saved game list unless they really are.
• Added better fallback handling for unusual deployment situations -- units should always be placed somewhere in player controlled territory at the start of a battle.
• Pathfinder no longer avoids stationary vehicles that are not visible to the player.
• AI recon units no longer repeatedly switch destinations while seeking contact.
• AI command units no longer move to rally distant units if there are units to be rallied where they are.
• An AI unit assigned to capture a VL won't keep trying to move toward the VL if it is engaging a target.
• AI units with existing orders won't be given a new order unless their situation changes.
• Fixed case where dynamic terrain damage objects could appear at 100x normal size.
• Fix for possible crash when the last weapon in battery of artillery or mortar support fires.
• Fix for possible crash when expending last use of Illumination support.
• Fix for host stuck on the save dialog starting a new multiplayer game after disconnecting from a previous game.
• Fix for case where soldiers / vehicles could spin in place after unit was given a Defend or Ambush order while the mouse was over the unit itself.
• Fixed case where machine gun weapon model was not visible until the gunner moved.
• Fix for Fire Support 'Area of Effect' ring not displaying if the fire support weapons weren't currently loaded.
• Units without a FIRE order from the player will not take blind shots unless at point blank range. They will indicated a 'BAD SHOT' instead.
• Units on DEFEND or AMBUSH will now fire at vehicles they can't penetrate if there is a reasonable chance of causing non-penetrating damage (tracks, gun hits, and crew hits from spalling.)
• Units ordered to FIRE at an enemy vehicle will now fire if there is any chance of penetrating target armor OR any chance of causing non-penetrating damage, even if those chances are low. If there is no chance of either the Fire order will fail with 'We can't hurt that.'
• Berserk soldiers will now charge toward the nearest uncontrolled VL if they have no spotted enemy to charge and they choose not to fire their weapon instead.
• Fixed bug where non-penetrating damage to vehicles was causing more crew hits than intended.
• Fixed bug where soldier could assault an unspotted enemy soldier if they were within 20m.
• Fixed a bug where reloading would deducted a full clip of ammo even when some of that ammo type was already loaded.
• Fixed an issue where a vehicle on steep terrain could still refuse to fire with a 'Steep Angle' state even when vehicle was angled in a way that would make the shot possible.
• Indirect fire weapons now check for vehicles without any turret top armor when evaluating kill chance.
• Vehicles in the open benefit much less from being camouflaged.
• Users with multiple user names in the system, or who log in using their email name, can now log in to the multiplayer Lobby.

Update 1.0.5 (05 November 2019)

• "Direct Connection" added to Multiplayer settings dialog when two players have established a direct connection.
• Added floating notification icons for vehicle damage, tracked, and gun knocked out.
• Hand to hand combat attacks always hit and are resolved immediately.
• Replacements for your main force (if any are available) will be allocated before a Prepared Attack.
• Damaged vehicles in your main force have a chance to be repaired before a Prepared Attack.
• Nightly replacements now occur even if you fight a night battle. Replacements arrive after the night battle.
• Support units receive their correct chance for repairs and replacements overnight.
• Low morale soldiers regain morale more quickly when force cohesion is fair or good.
• High morale soldiers may lose some morale when force cohesion is low.
• Next soldier in chain of command is assigned when a unit leader is lost even if the unit is not disbanded.
• Units now report 'We don't have smoke' and voice cue 'No Ammo' after expending all smoke ammunition.
• Indirect fire weapons (mortars) now evaluate vehicle kill chance based on top armor.
• Illumination support becomes available again 10 minutes after last use with up to 3 uses per battle.
• Dead soldiers now show correct animation after you load an in-battle saved game.
• Fire support UI now re-enables correctly after you load an in-battle saved game where support was available.
• Enemy models no longer visible if you load an in-battle saved game that was saved during deployment.
• Soldiers under attack from tanks firing HE no longer suffer stress for both the tank attack and the HE attack.
• Increased stress threshold required for a Berserk/Heroic coping check, making both more rare.
• Djebel Keddab Defense battle no longer shows on the Planning/Debrief screens unless you choose that route.
• Ground clutter rendering efficiency improved.
• Game memory use improved.

Update 1.0.4 (30 October 2019)

• Fix for issuing rendering unit icon connectors on low end video hardware.
• Fix for possible negative estimated range at extremely short ranges.

Update v1.00.02 (24 October 2019)

• AI no longer causes brief pauses when trying to find a firing position from which to attack a player unit.
• New 'Free Camera' added to game options.
• Basic skybox and horizon plane added for those playing with lower camera angles.
• Unit icons and other in-battle UI updated for better display at lower camera angles.
• Rendering performce when showing ground clutter improved.
• Subsequent shot accuracy bonus increased for tank and anti-tank guns.
• A tank or anti-tank shot that hits the target vehicle automatically informs the gunner of the correct range.
• Very rapid click and double click on and off units can no longer cause a crash.
• Units disbanded as a result of the last battle before a campaign transition now carry forward normally.
• Unit custom names are no longer lost during a campaign transition when the main force converts to a new organization.
• Range factor rebalanced in unit exposure check to extend spotting ranges for most units when they are highly exposed.
• Unit exposure check now correctly handles one-way LOS with flares at night.
• Corrected LOS and targeting check for separated soldiers.
• Vehicles can no longer deploy inside buildings.

Update v1.00.01 (10 October 2019)

• Fix for crash / save file corruption that could occur after saving in a battle.
• Soldier name or portrait pic no longer changed incorrectly after saving in battle.
• Campaign no longer stops early when playing with a language other than English set.
• Fix for incorrect 'STEEP ANGLE' state with vehicles targeting another vehicle at very close range.
• German units no longer redeploy into original positions after first battle on Omaha Beach.
• Fixed missing string error when initiative changes during an Operation.
• Original order choice now shown correctly if you return to the Planning Screen.
• Original order choice now shown correctly if you return to the Planning Screen.
• Fixed Accuracy for tanks and guns in close range

IMPORTANT ISSUES WITH SAVED GAMES CREATED UNDER VERSION 1.0.0 Several issues related to saved games have been addressed in the 1.0.1 update. For best results it is recommend that you start new games after installing the update. The game will attempt to restore and continue saved games that were effected by the earlier problems but may not be able to do so in all cases.