The Last Major Update

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Ultimate General: Gettysburg receives a new major update. We respond to your feedback with many improvements in Gameplay,  drastic AI enhancements, some important bug fixes and 4 new multiplayer maps. The game should be now at its best state and we hope you trully enjoy it!

Ultimate General: Gettysburg v1.5 rev.9268

Single Player

  • Radical gameplay improvements to make the game more realistic. Combat actions will have a "clear loop" meaning that each one of your decisions, to charge, assault an area will have devastating results with one clear winner.... melee and volley shots lethality as well as condition's better balance will not allow the very frequent fall back, charges and rapid change of decisions to correct your tactical mistakes. You will now be able to organise "Pickett's charge" style of attacks but beware, the cost shall be heavy, if you decide wrongly.
  • AI optimizations. AI should be more effective in attack and defend overall and is more active (mobilizes units to reinforce areas promptly).
  • AI improvement to concentrate more the forces in important areas.
  • AI deploys artillery more efficiently, and tries to keep it safe.
  • AI will protect flanks better.
  • AI will not choose hazardous maneuver paths as before.
  • AI will now make better continuous lines.
  • AI will decide to charge much more efficiently. 
  • AI personalities are now more diverse and distinct. It is more evident in bigger battles in which tactics can differ much according to offensive or defensive nature of the AI opponent.
  • AI now withdraws and awaits for organised attacks if necessary much more carefully.
  • Melee fixes to inflict more casualties. Previously the damage was too low.
  • Artillery damage tuned better. Previously it could be too powerful. Now artillery does modest, more sensible damage from long and medium range and is devastating as it should be from close range.
  • Artillery more vulnerable to projectile fire. Now you will think twice to risk your arty on the frontline,
  • Several balances to Union and CSA combat effectiveness.
  • Slight rebalance of CSA/USA infantry rifle accuracy (previously it was favouring too much the Union).
  • Pettigrew and Brockenbrough and Pender Division will delay less to arrive so that Union is pressed more in defense at the first stages of the battle.
  • Improved how unit auto-react and make lines (snap to each other).
  • Improved retreat direction of units. Now the only case that a unit will seek to head towards your lines is when it has no escape rout and so it heads to the army rally points.
  • Balances in some Multiplayer/Custom Battles:
    • "Chance to change history" map got VP increase of Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill so it is possible for the Union player to win after a successful delaying tactic. 
    • In "Battle of McPherson Ridge" the CSA get precious cavalry support.
    • In "Meeting at Cemetery Ridge" starting positions have been balanced so CSA can arrive faster to the ridges while 2nd Division of Sickles army has been removed, because Union had too many troops.
    • Vincent, Reserve artillery, Slocum and Stannard arrive sooner at "Battle of Devil's Den".
    • In "What if Buford had not held McPherson" the CSA get more reinforcements but tired. In the same scene it was fixed bug that did not show event message when Union arty arrived.
    • In "Union attack's Benner hill;" the objective's value is balanced to force Union for more offensive actions. Additionally Union receives more reinforcements and CSA cavalry will always arrive as reinforcements. (previously it could not arrive at all).
    • "Fight for two hills" central objective placed in the center for more equal battle. New objective added on Benner's Hill to balance the tactics needed for both sides.
  • Fix of melee collisions issues after loading a save.
  • Fix of invisible units after loading a save.
  • Fix of units stuck at edges of map.
  • Fix of "eternal" melee collision bug that was especially frequent in multiplayer.
  • Fix of units not firing to nearby enemies (or it can be now a very rare bug).
  • Fix of melee mechanics problems showing soldiers fighting too frequently without an opponent. Now melee should look much smoother.
  • Fix of unit collision issues that affected negatively the shape of units on the battlefield, melee mechanics, LoS visibility, targeting and AI.
  • Other minor fixes in scenarios.

Union Dynamic AI attacks Cemetery Hill and brings massive artillery support. The map is "union on the offensive".

Multiplayer

  • All the Single Player improvements.
  • Melee balance is better so as to inflict casualties but will not be overpowered.
  • Fix of artillery limbering animation that was not visible for opponent.
  • The Multiplayer maps balances mentioned above.
  • New Multiplayer maps that are also available in Single Player version as custom battles:
    • Union on the offensive: "The Confederates are entrenched along Cemetery Hill heights and the Union assembles with superior forces to attack. Stuart's cavalry rushes to aid the defense!" 
    • Defensive line along Warfield Ridge: "The Union has fortified a long line of defense across Warfield ridge. The Confederates need to find a breach and take Cemetery ridge which is lightly defended!" 
    • Night battle on the Round Tops: "The two armies are facing each other at Devil's Den area and night approaches. The Confederates assemble for a large scale assault to take the ridges from the Yankees!"  
    • Corner your opponent: "In this battle there are no objectives. Inflict 350 more casualties than your opponent to claim victory!"   

In the new map "Defensive line along Warfield Ridge" the Confederates must attack a heavily defended ridge.

After a thunderous charge, the confederate player takes ground but the AI is now very stubborn in defense, making lines to protect objectives, like the "defensive" AI personality of the image.

The "Night battle on the Round Tops" map has the two armies facing each other at devil's den area.

In "Corner your opponent" map you need to inflict more casualties to your opponent to win. If you play vs the AI you will notice how much actively desires to corner you.

Special thanks to the following volunteer testers who have helped enormously for the quality assurance of this update:
Lincolns Mullet
1st.TN.Reg.Watkins
Koro

PS1.
The update v1.5 is currently available only on Steam. Until it is updated to other platforms, players of GOG.COM and MacStore versions of Ultimate General: Gettysburg may cause problems in multiplayer (Disconnections, Stats desyncing) when matchmaking with Steam players. We are sorry for this inconvenience.

PS2.
Old saves will work in compatibility mode. Battles will be restarted but the campaign progress is kept.

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Nick Thomadis