Greetings! We are back with a major experimental build introducing the scenario editor and a series of hefty order of battle updates. These patch notes are very long so the short summary is: the scenario editor is here, the supply system was re-written, and UK, USSR, and Germany all received major early war updates.
See the picture below for information on how to opt-in to the Experimental build if you’re interested in playing new updates early.
Scenario Editor:
With the arrival of the scenario editor you can make your own custom CAOS scenarios and upload them to the Steam workshop to share with friends and the community. The editor tools can even be used to make variants of our own historical scenarios, or other scenarios off the workshop, go nuts!
The version of the editor deployed today has a few more features than the preview last year, including the ability to reduce units to units to a percentage of TOE strength, the capacity to lock out training level changes in a scenario, and upload to Steam workshop directly from inside the game, among many others.
See the screenshot below to opt into the experimental branch and give the editor a try:
The manual has also been updated a new chapter covering the editor, and the official CAOS discord server will receive a dedicated editor support channel tomorrow.
Example Scenarios:
We have prepared several example scenarios, all available for download on the Steam Workshop to help inspire your own creations, and for the pure fun of playing them as well:
Siege of Paris (1940): A siege scenario pitting outnumbered French defenders of the city of Paris against invading German forces.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3126158090
Somme Map Control (1942): A conquest style scenario pitting the USA against the USSR, where every objective on the map is worth points and both sides receive requisition points on an ongoing basis. The battle starts small but escalates over time.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3126155387
Fortress Sassari (1945): US forces must hold out against an unrelenting Soviet onslaught until time expires.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3126155697
Al-Hudud Offensive (1944): British forces must penetrate and capture a multi-layered German fortress line before powerful German reinforcements arrive on Turn 16 to initiate a counter-offensive.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3126155163
Entering the Editor, Playing Custom scenarios, and Enabling Workshop Scenarios:
- To access the editor, select Single Player, choose the Editor menu option, and setup a new scenario.
- Custom scenarios are listed under the new Custom scenario type header during game creation (both single and multiplayer). Scenarios downloaded from the workshop also need to be enabled in Options (see below).
- After downloading mods from the workshop, you can enable them from the Mod List in the Options menu.
System Updates:
- Completely re-wrote supply propagation code to optimize it for larger maps/scenarios. Turn run speed on larger maps increased by upwards of 84%.
- Completely re-wrote code used to graphically draw air grid to eliminate lag while the overlay is active on larger maps.
- Fixed a crash caused by buying more than 9 landing markers at once.
- Fixed an exploit that allowed players to reset supply depot cost to 0.02.
Order of Battle Updates:
This update continues our campaign to flesh out older orders of battle or add new and interesting tools to your arsenal of destruction. Editor testing has particularly highlighted the need for more diverse options for independent units for custom scenarios, and this update aims to please.
United Kingdom:
In terms of unit quantity and types, UK 1941 and 1942 previously ranked among the smallest and least detailed OBs in CAOS. Update 1.0.6.2 resolves this by bringing major additions to the early war British OBs. Exotic independent units have been added, often overlooked divisions from Home Forces join the fray, and the evolution of British armoured forces, both in the Desert and at home is reflected in detail. Be it the 2nd Armoured Division’s Italian M13/40s in March 1941 or 1st Armoured Division’s iron fist of Shermans and Priests at 2nd Alamein, we have gone to great lengths to reflect the unique evolution of British armoured might.
UK 1941:
- Added 9th Armoured Division, a Home Forces armoured division equipped with Covenanters.
- Added 38th (Welsh) and 49th (West Riding) Infantry Divisions from Home Forces.
- Added 65, 69th, 70th Anti-Tank Regiments as independent units.
- Added 111th and 140th Field Regiments as independent units.
- Added exact battery numbers for all royal artillery units
- Added 25th Army Tank Brigade in its July organization, as Churchill IIs started to arrive.
- Reorganized 21st Army Tank Brigade to its fall organization, armed with Churchills.
- Added the 24th and 31st Infantry Brigades as (substantially over strength) independent units.
- Added No. 3, 5, and 7th Commando Battalions.
- Lowered training level of most UK units held in Home Forces during 1941 from experienced to trained.
9th Australian Division and Tobruk Fortress:
- Reorganized 9th Australian Division to its April/May 1941 Siege of Tobruk organization, complete with plenty of captured equipment.
- Made the 2/2nd Australian MG Battalion, 2/7th Field Regiment RAA, 2/8th Field Regiment RAA, 2/3rd Australian AA Regiment (minus 8th battery), and 9th Divisional Cavalry Regiment independent units. These elements of 9th Australian Division did not see service during the Siege of Tobruk.
- Added various elements of Tobruk Fortress (as of April/May 1941), including 4th AA Brigade, 51st Field Regiment, 1st, 3rd, and 107th Regiments Horse Artillery, and the Tobruk Fortress Engineers, either as subordinates to 9th Australian Division or independent units.
UK 1942:
- Added 9th Armoured Division, a Home Forces armoured division in its spring, 1942 organization, with Covenanters.
- Added 4th Infantry Division, a mixed infantry division with 2 infantry and 1 tank brigade in its fall 1942 Home Forces organization, with Valentines.
- Added 26th, 25th, and 21st Indian Infantry Brigades as an independent units.
- Added missing HQ platoons (sometimes companies) of British armoured/tank brigades.
- Added 121st Field Regiment (on Bishop SPGs) as an independent unit.
- Added 66th Royal Engineer Mortar Company, armed with 4.2" mortars, to XXX Corps CSAEC.
- Removed 8th Armoured Division and made most of its remaining elements independent units. The division was historically stripped to bring many other armoured divisions up to strength for the battles of El Alamein.
- Reorganized 2nd New Zealand Division to its October 1942 state. Division motorized and 4th NZ Infantry Brigade removed (converting to armour at this time).
- Reorganized 1st and 10th Armoured Divisions to their October 23 organizations at the start of 2nd Alamein.
- Reorganized 6th Armoured Division to its Fall 1942 state, after its transfer to the Middle East.
- Reorganized 7th Armoured Division to its November 1, 1942 organization (adds the 131st Lorried Infantry Brigade).
- Made 4th Armoured Brigade an independent unit, using its September 16 organization.
- Made the 20th Armoured Brigade an independent unit (detached from 6th Armoured Division in April).
- Corrected balance of Churchill tank types in 25th Tank Brigade. The brigade previously had too many Churchill Is.
- Reduced number of operational Matilda Scorpions in the 1st Tank Brigade from 16 to 9 to reflect on-hand strength on October 23.
Soviet Union 1942:
Soviet 1942 was already a large and well-equipped OB, but it was also one of the oldest in CAOS. This update brings Soviet 1942 up to the research standard of our newest OBs. The Red Army underwent numerous organizational evolutions during 1942 and this update reflects these evolutions from squad to corps in infantry and armored units alike.
TOE Updates:
Guards Mechanized Corps:
- Increased SMG squads in Guards Motor Rifle Battalions within Guards Mech. Brigades from 3 to 9.
- Increased MG squads in Guard Motor Rifle Battalions from 4 to 7.
- Increased 82mm BM-37 mortars in Guards Mech. Brigade mortar company from 6 to 12.
- Added missing signals and recon platoons to Guards Tank Regiments. +2 T-34s and +3 BA-64s.
Guards Tank Corps
- Removed SMG Company from Armored Infantry battalions of tank brigades. SMG Companies do not enter their official TOE until January 1943.
- Removed 45mm AT guns from Armored Infantry battalions of tank brigades.
- Increased 82mm BM-37 Mortar strength from 6 to 8 in armored infantry battalions of tank brigades.
- Removed sapper and recon platoons from Tank Brigade HQs that were not implemented until 1943.
- Added 37mm AA gun section (4 guns) to Tank Brigade HQs.
OB Updates:
Mechanized/Tank Corps and Brigades:
- 1st Guards Mechanized Corps reorganized into its December 17, 1942 OB. It previously included attachments it did not receive until the Donbas fighting in January/February 1943.
- 1st Tank Corps re-organized into its March 1942 OB.
- 2nd Tank Corps re-organized into its July 1942 OB.
- 6th Tank Corps reorganized into its August 1942 OB.
- 21st Tank Corps reorganized into its May 1942 OB.
- 24th Tank Corps re-organized into its November 1942 OB.
- 26th Tank Corps re-organized into its November 1942 OB.
- 29th Tank Brigade re-organized to its April 1942 infantry support organization.
- 21st Tank Brigade re-armed in its April 1942 infantry support organization.
- 15th Tank Brigade re-armed in its August re-organization, post 2nd Kharkov, equipped with American tanks.
- 3rd Tank Brigade re-organized to its September 1942 OB.
- Added 235th Flame Tank Brigade, as it was committed to Stalingrad in October, 1942.
- Added Maikop Tank Brigade, a training unit armed with BT-7s deployed to the Caucus Front in July 1942.
The 235th Flame Tank Brigade in all of its napalm-fueled glory.
Infantry:
All Soviet rifle divisions and independent brigades reorganized according to their December 1941, March 1942, or July 1942 OBs and ToEs. Most, but not all, rifle battalions are represented reduced by roughly 1 company in strength to reflect common manpower shortfalls during the period.
- 8th Guards Rifle Division re-organized into its March 1942 OB.
- 13th Guards Rifle Division re-organized into its July 1942 OB.
- 40th Guards Rifle Division re-organized into its July 1942 OB.
- 45th Rifle Division re-organized into its July 1942 OB.
- 1st NKVD Rifle Division re-organized into its September 1942 OB (as the 46th Rifle Division).
- 10th NKVD Rifle Division re-organized into its July 1942 OB.
- 49th Rifle Division re-organized into its July 1942 OB.
- 51st Rifle Division re-organized into its December 1941 OB.
- 55th Rifle Division re-organized into its March 1942 OB.
- 86th Rifle Division's infantry battalions re-organized according to the December 1941 Shtat (as a former Leningrad militia division, it already has a highly non-standard organization).
- 109th Rifle Division re-organized into its March 1942 OB.
- 146th Rifle Division re-organized into its March 1942 OB.
- 160th Rifle Division re-organized into its March 1942 OB.
- 243rd Rifle Division re-organized into its July 1942 OB.
- 250th Rifle Division re-organized into its March 1942 OB.
- 277th Rifle Division re-organized into its July 1942 OB.
- 306th Rifle Division re-organized into its July 1942 OB.
- 334th Rifle Division re-organized into its March 1942 OB.
- 354th Rifle Division re-organized into its March 1942 OB.
- 411th Rifle Division re-organized into its March 1942 OB.
- Infantry battalions of the 23rd, 106th, 109th, 119th, 134th, 141st, 234th, 235th, Separate Rifle Brigades reorganized according to December 1941 Shtat.
Germany:
Germany receives a series of cheaper 2nd line infantry divisions and a range of specialist armor or mechanized units to enhance its early war flexibility.
Germany 1939:
- Added 8. Infanterie Division (Wave 1 Division)
- Added 216. Infanterie Division (Wave 3 Division)
- Added 251 and 253 Infanterie Divisions (Wave 4 Divisions)
- Base training level for German field flak units in 1939 lowered from experienced to trained.
Germany 1940:
- Added 8. Infanterie Division (Wave 1 division).
- Added 208 and 216 Infanterie Divisions (Wave 3 Divisions)
- Added 251 and 253 Infanterie Divisions (Wave 4 Divisions)
- Added Infanterie Regiment (Mot.) Großdeutschland.
- Added 601 and 505 Fla-Bataillon. Armed respectively with 4 and 3 companies of SdKfz 10/4 self-propelled 2cm Flak guns.
- Added 40. Panzerabteilung z.b.V, in its April (Invasion of Norway) OB. The battalion consists of three mixed companies of Panzer Is and IIs, plus a single platoon of Neubaufahrzeug heavy tanks.
- Added 659 and 660 Sturmbatteries. Each equipped with 6 StuG III As.
- Added 525 and 605 Panzerjager Abteilung. Armed with mix of 8.8cm FlaK 36s and 3.7cm PaK 36s.
- Added 1st Company, 8th Panzerjager Abteilung as an independent tank destroyer unit armed with Sdkfz 8 8.8cm Bunkerflak. This unit historically operated under XIX Armeekorps during the Battle for France.
- Reduced Wave 4 Aufklarungs Abteilungen to company strength and attached them to their divisional Panzerjager Abteilung, in accordance with Spring 1940 re-organization.
- Removed regimental pioneer company from Wave 4 divisions, in accordance with February 1940 revisions.
- Replaced 4th rifle company in Wave 4 infantry battalions with an MG company, in accordance with February 1940 revisions.
Other OB Updates:
- Added 1st NKVD Rifle Division in its August OB to Soviet 1941. These hastily mobilized border troops are of dubious quality, but they're cheap and expendable.
- Added 184, 191, 203, and 210. Sturmgeschutz Abteilungen to Germany 1941.
Graphics:
- Replaced Hold and Defend order action graphic with a shovel.
- Replaced on map Hold and Defend graphic with sand bags.
Marching Forward:
Update 1.0.6.4 will stay on the beta while the scenario editor takes its first steps "in the wild." We look forward to hearing your feedback and to seeing what you guys create on the workshop! The deployment of the scenario editor marks a major step in CAOS development, and it will become the basis of what we envision as a more expansive map/terrain editor in the future. After the editor reaches its full public release, outside of experimental branch, we will release our updated 2024 development roadmap as well.
For now, go forth and create to your heart's content, report bugs, and enjoy the order of battle updates as well!