12/24/2020 Horde Defense Mod Content Update and Bug fixes

Hello community, happy holidays I hope you find yourselves well. Today we have a patch with some content and bug fixes. I am looking at tackling a few long standing issues like overlapping abilities on the Pioneer's bloated ability list, bringing utility to existing units, as well as addressing some balance issues that I've become aware of. I hope you stay safe and enjoy yourself over the holidays.

Love,

Artigo

.:Changes:.

[Assault Pioneers] / [Pioneers]
Base
- Demolition Charge replaced by 'Destroy Cover' ability
Dev note: the original intent was to give Pioneers the ability to remove environment objects that may block building paths so the demolition charge has been replaced by the British destroy cover ability to this effect.

Rework: Menus
- New UI Icon + hotkey
- Non-combat and utility abilities have been put into a seperate toggle menu next to the construction menus.
Toggle on to see wire cutters, repair, etc.
Toggle off to see combat abilities.
Off by default.
Dev note: Pioneers' menus are starting to get a little crowded so abilities were overlapping and not accessible at all times. In order to deal with the increasing number of abilities on a fixed number of UI slots, I've opted to implement a new toggle menu. We'll see how this works out for now.

[Bereichsbefehl]
Base
- No longer requires being built upon a capture point
- Can be rotated


[Infanterie Kompanie]
Base
- Fuel cost removed

[Luftwaffe Combat Controller]
Ostheer Luftwaffe Supply/CAS Doctrines Only
- The Luftwaffe Supply/CAS Doctrine's starting Combat Controller now is equipped with 4x Kar98s, but can be upgraded with 2 sets of FG42s
Dev note: The starting squad for the Luftwaffe Supply and CAS Doctrines is a Combat Controller. By default they are armed with FG42s which gives a massive adavantage against early conscripts. This small change will shift their domination off by a few minutes before they can fully shred infantry at the beginning stage of the game.


[Ostruppen]
Base
- Reduced the build time for MP40, MP44, and G43 from 2.0s → 1.0s
- MP40 munitions cost 5 → 2
- G43 munitions cost 35 → 40

Band of Brothers Ability
- (PASSIVE) Probability to add new squad member chance has been increase by 100% from 0.4% → 0.8%

Plot Armor Ability
- UI indicator when active
- Duration 5s → 10s
- Now also gains Received Suppression -100%, +1.0 Posture Speed

[Schwerangriff Fallschirmjäger]
Base
- Now has sprint ability


.:Content:.
[Fuel Cache]
Base
- Deploy Garrison Troops ability now only requires Stockpile I upgrade

New Upgrade: Carbon Steel Reinforcement
200mu - Upgrade Time 90s
- Increase Fuel Cache Health +500, Damage Received -25%
Dev note: These change will hopefully encourage upgrading many or all resource nodes with fuel caches as they will be more defendable without having to uptier the stockpile. Due to the nature of the AI's desire to cut off your supply lines, the fuel caches are quite vulnerable early on so having a durability upgrade and earlier access to garrison
is intended to help make the AI's strategy to target fuel caches a bit tougher.

[Hauptmann]
Rework: Stop Retreat
10mu
- New Functionality: Instant cast - 25m radius around the Hauptmann
- New Functionality: Halts retreating squads under his command. For 10 seconds, rallied squads gain -25% Received Damage, -100% Received Suppression, +1.0 Posture Speed.

Rework: Auf Mich!
20mu - Requires Veteran 1
- New Functionality: Instant cast - 25m radius around the Hauptmann
- New Functionality: Allied infantry will rally to him and for 16 seconds gain, +25% Weapon Accuracy, +25% Weapon Reload, -100% Received Suppression -20% Received Accuracy,
+1.0 Posture Speed.

[Forward Operating Base]
Rework: Strategic Bombing - Luftwaffe T3
- Cost 150 → 400
- Cooldown 480 → 180
- Number of Bombers increased 1 → 5
A staggered flight of 5 bombers will carpet bomb a wide area of the map. Previously only 1 bomber with limited impact would drop bombs, but the reworked ability will provide much more bang for its price tag. In addition, the bombs will now spread over a much wider area which helps clearing stacked waves.
credit: Hydrus67


- [New Upgrade] Aus den Reihen
150mp - Tactical Operations Center
(PASSIVE) Garrison and Guard Troops return +5 manpower for every enemy killed. Additionally, gain a 8% chance to be promoted to a squad leader.


.:Bug Fixes:.
- Fixed bug where Elite Falls sometimes couldn't capture control points.
- Fixed bug causing the Mobile Defense Doctrine Ostruppen call-in to not be useable despite enough pop cap.
- Fixed missing text on Bolster Infantry Squads III upgrade.
- Fixed bug allowing commanders to choose multiple specializations for the FoB.
- Fixed bug causing the Ostheer Pak 43 to only have 3 veterancy and have incorrect text.
- Fixed bug where FoB air resupply would drop a British mortar instead of the German.
- Fixed bug causing the Ostheer Artillery Field Officer to only have 3 veterancy levels.
- Fixed bug where the Ostheer Close Air Support Commander received no starting units.

Pioneer / Assault Pioneer
[New Ability] Demolition Charge
- 45mu requires Battle Phase 2 or Assault Pioneer Combat Package
- Plants a powerful explosive charge capable of destroying structures, killing enemies, and punching holes in ice.

Elite Ostruppen
- Fixed a bug where only a single soldier would fire the 2x Panzerfaust ability
- Increased range of triggering ability from 18 → 25
dev note: Due to the nature of accessory weapons in CoH2 - if there isn't another solider in range when the ability is triggered only 1 panzerfaust is likely to fire.

Luftwaffe Combat Controller
Stuka Dive Bomb
- Increased Damage from 400 → 750
Medical supply airdrop
- Fixed bug where it had no cooldown
Supply Drop
- Fixed bug where sector highlight and kicker text for abilities would remain indefinitely

StuG III (e)
- Now has access to Panzer Defensive smoke and Emergency repair

Pantherturm
- Increased Squad garrison size from 6 → 12

Order Fresh Troops/Munitions
- Added Hotkeys to Fuel to Manpower/Munition conversion
- Fixed bug allowing the buttons to be spammed


Support Armor Korps
- Fuel cost removed


Heavy Panzer Korps
- Now reduces the reinforce cost of Pioneers, Grenadiers, and Osttruppen by 2
- Reduces the reinforce cost of all team weapons by 10%
- Fuel cost removed
dev note: These changes were added in vanilla some time ago so I am implementing them here as well



Other Bug Fixes
- Fixed bug causing the IS3 to sometimes not be buildable

Content Update - 12/10/2020

Hi guys, couple of things I've been working on. First I'm releasing a 'Win Condition pack' for the Horde Defense mod. Currently, it won't have any impact on the game as it will just allow you to change the population for Annihilation and for Victory Point Domination population will be set to 300 by default. In the future, I will need to use the Win Condition for some special features that can't be accomplished with just at tuning pack. IT IS NOT REQUIRED, but will unable to see changes that use the Win Condition Pack.

Please let me know if you encounter any problems. Beyond that I've working on improving the AI some more (as always)

[AI]
- Increased aggressiveness
- Increased AI desire weight for Victory Point/Fuel Points

Dev note: Sometimes, the AI became really timid in the later stages of the game due to the player's accumulation of static defense or heavy tanks. Expect the AI to throw more units at you to push you off a VP.

[OST/OKW]
Scout Car
- Base model changed to 221 for all factions
- 222 and 223 upgrade now available for any commander (mutually exclusive)
[222]
20mm autocannon
- 55mu
+100 Health
+8 armor
-15% Maximum Speed
[New Upgrade] S.Pz.B.41 28/20mm Squeeze Bore Gun
- 130mu
- New Portraits, icons, symbols
Weapon Stats
+40 Armor penetration
-5 Range
-50% Weapon Damage
+50% Weapon Cooldown
1 infantry kill max per round
(PASSIVE) 2.5% chance to set off ammunition in T-34/76, T70, M3A1, M4A3

[223]
Grants 'Signal Relay' and 'Lockdown' abilities
+80 Health
+5 Armor
-10% Maximum Speed

[OST]
Ostruppen (Rework)
- Squads starts with 6 item slots and adding a new squad member will also increase the slot item capacity by 1
[Slot items]
- MP40 5mu
- StG44 20mu
- G43 30mu
- LMG42 60mu

[New upgrade] Veteran Grenadier Squad Leader
- 60mu adds a Grenadier Sergeant to the squad granting the following benefits
-10% received accuracy
-10% received damage
-10% reveived suppression

[New upgrade] AusleseOstgruppen Recruit
- 300mp requires Vet 5
- Ostruppen squad is awarded Knight's Cross 2nd class and retrained with Elite Heer honors.


[New upgrade] Band of Brothers
- 300mp requires Vet 5
- Max 1 per player
- (PASSIVE) Every kill an Ostruppen soldier makes has a 0.4% chance to add a new team mate to the squad.
- [New Ability] Plot armor 10 minute cooldown; reduce damage taken by 100% for 5 seconds

Other
- Now benefit from cover and advanced cover upgrades
- Now benefit from combined arms upgrade


[New Unit]
AusleseOstgruppen "Elite Eastern Groups"
- Elite version of Ostruppen
- 300MP requires squad to be Vet 5
- New portraits, icons, symbols
Unit Stats
Cover penalty removed
Fire Panzerfaust upgraded → Fire Panzerfaust (x2)
+20% weapon accuracy
-20% received accuracy
+20% sight radius

[New Ability] Fire Panzerfaust (x2)
- Elite Ostruppen fire 2 panzerfausts in tandem with better accuracy.

[New Unit]
Boßßtruppen
- requires Elite Ostruppen or Ostruppen Prestige 10
[REDACTED]

[SOV]
[New Unit] Guard's IS-3 Super Heavy Tank
- Requires 32CP
- New portraits, icons, symbols, skin
Unit Stats
Armor 505/140
Health 2100
Weapon
range 45
Penetration 265/245/220
5% chance to decrew on death

[OST/OKW]
Bunker/Heavy Bunker
- Heavy bunker CP 3 → 2
- Removed standard bunker from commanders with any of the following perks {defensive fortifications, advanced defensive fortifications, heavy fortifications}

Fallschirmjaeger
- New icon for the squad gunner

Bug fixes
- Fixed bug where Elite Falls couldn't upgrade the squad gunner
- Fixed bug where some squad members wouldn't have the correct weapon