After the release of Pacific General, I decided to make a more accurate equipment file for the original PzGen by incorporating SSI’s "improved" data from both the Allied and Pacific General games. This modified equipment file corrected many data errors and also added about twelve additional units to the game. With the release of Panzer General II, it was apparent that the new game also needed corrections. After working extensively with Steve Strayer on his equipment roster (ver 1.0 – 1.2), I decided to construct an improved and expanded version, which would be more historically accurate and include many of the "missing" weapons from the original version of Panzer General. It was now possible to update the previous General games to bring them up to Panzer General II equipment standards.

One critical element which had been missing from all previous equipment files was the impact of ballistics and ammunition types on the combat performance of different weapon systems. In constructing the ULTIMATE series of equipment files, I have made extensive use of the ballistic charts prepared by Werner Haupt in German Anti-Tank Guns and by Panzergranate Simulation, Darmstadt, Germany as well as various tables by Thomas L. Jentz and John Ellis. These two considerations (Ballistics and Ammo) were important influences on weapons performance and were used specifically to modify SSI’s original Hard Attack values.

In order to maintain database integrity, I have endeavored to avoid personal interpretation of the data when at all possible. Reliance on multiple collaborating resources has allowed me to keep the use of any "voodoo factors" and "personal opinion" to an absolute minimum.

For general unit statistics, many published references where utilized, especially authoritative works by authors such as Peter Chamberlain, John Milsom, Chris Ellis and George Forty. Also, an excellent source for short, concise data is HPS Simulations’s: Encyclopedia of Land Combat, vol.1 by Scott Hamilton and Gregory Smith.

All changes were implemented on an excel spreadsheet which faithfully calculates the prestige cost of all units based on SSI’s original data formula. For the original Panzer General and Allied General games, a VBE (Virtual Basic Extension) macro was used to read the data from and back to the equipment files. No "guess factors" were used for any prestige costs and while a small general prestige change by unit type was implemented (see below), no arbitrary increase/decrease in prestige costs were applied to any units or country in the database.

Ballistic Tables and Ammunition Production Types published in German Anti-Tank guns by Werner Haupt, tables published by Panzergrante Simulations of Darmstadt, Germany and additional ballistics data by T. Jentz and J. Waters were extensively use and incorporated. Identical caliber weapons will differ in Hard Attack values when improved ammunition was introduced during the later stages of the war. Similarly, Hard Atttack numbers will reflect a slight decrease in value during periods when specific ammunition (tungsten core for Germany) was in critically short supply.

Finally, any and all errors are solely of my own making. If you have questions, or note a discrepancy in the database, please contact me via email, so that any necessary corrections can be made.

The following information consists of changes to the PzG2 Ultimate Equipment File, which was also applied (when applicable) to the Panzer General and Allied General Ultimate Equipment files.

Added 117 new units to the original PzGen II equipment file and over 300 individual corrections have been made to existing equipment. For a complete listing of all units please see the UPG2.xls Excel Spreadsheet.

1. Additional Units (new total: 118) – German Ferdinand to represent the Elefant as deployed at Kursk before equipped with machine guns.

2. Joseph Stalin Class Tanks and Antitank units CD and AA adjustments.

3. Bridge Infantry standardized with Hard Attack of "2".

4. Volkssturm, US Paratrooper, US Rangers slightly modified.

5. Minor corrections: Hetzer , JadgTiger.

6. UK & Pol Paratrooper units’ Initiative rating increased to "2".

7. Major German aircraft adjustments to the He-162, Me-163 and Do-335.

8. Me-109g/k increased Soft Attack to "2".

9. Minor production rate changes (ie; rarity code adjustments) for the following:

Increased Prestige costs (12 pts):

PzIV C, StuG IIIF, KV-1B, SU-122

Decreased Prestige costs (12 pts):

Pz38(t)F, PzIIIL, JgPz IV/70, SU-85, SU-100

A special thanks goes to Chris Haltiner and Gerhard Haeusler for their helpful recommendations for version 1.1 changes.

1. Me-109k date changed
2. Coelion renamed to Coelian
3. German towed artillery dates corrected/moved forward
4. All sIG artillery ranges reduced back to 3 (sorry, they aren’t the same weapon as the 15cm sFH 18’s).
5. Bismarck & Me-109f modified
6. A few other minor adjustments.
7. 16 additional new units added (Grand Total = 134):

German: sIG-38(t)H, StuG IIIF/8, Kugelblitz, Fusilier, Ta-152H, Skijaeger

USSR: P-63A

Poland: TK3

UK: South Africans, Czechosovak, Belgian, Nederland

USA: 75mm M19, 105mm M3

Italy: 37mm (AT)

France: AMC-35

Prestige changes due to change in rarity code value:

Increased Prestige costs: (12pts)

Me-109f

Decreased Prestige cost (12pts)

SU-76

A special thanks goes to Gerhard Haeusler and Tim Wylder for their helpful recommendations for version 1.2 changes.

Version note: Beginning with release 2.0, in addition to individual unit statistical refinement, production figures were checked and adjustments made to the "rarity code" when necessary. The "rarity code" affects the unit’s total cost and (I believe) the Computer AI’s determination on which units to purchase during a scenario or campaign game. A small general cost adjustment (downward) was made to Infantry, ground transports and towed weapons (AT/ARTY) types and (upward) for armor.

1. Pz38(t) series – minor adjustments
2. Schutzstaffeln spelling changed… thanks to my German speaking friends (was Schultzstaffeln)
3. Infantry adjustments to: Schutzstaffeln, Grenadiers, Guards, UK Engineers & US Paratrooper
4. Increased ALL Jet initiatives by +1
5. General "TYPE" prestige adjustment:

* - applies to units with tank chassis only

Note: While this entailed a substantial number of changes, each individual change was rather small. The basic result was to somewhat reduce the cost of Infantry and Towed Equipment when compared to armor and self propelled weapons.

A special thanks to Chris Haltiner for his recommendations for version 2.0 of the UPG file.

1. Availability adjustments: Canada, S. African, & N. Zealand Infantry, Fusiliers, nearly all Italians Inf.
2. Italian Units renamed to historic/Italian designations, see UPG2NEW.DOC for list of changes.
3. Added twelve additional units: Polish (75, 100, 155 art., Wz-29, 40mm AD), UK Tetrarch I, IT Cavalry, German Marder IIIM, 250/9 & 250/10 Recon units, Jaeger (Light) Inf. & USA M13 AD.
4. A few additional very minor adjustments.

A special thanks to Francesco Portolano for his recommendations for Italian Army changes for version 2.1.

1. Added unit: Italian Giovani Fascisti
2. Corrected spelling (plural) for Bersaglieri and sIG33H changed to "GRILLE" (Cricket)
3. Adjusted numerous artillery availability dates & changed T-34/85 to 11/43
4. German SPA ammo capacity increased: Hummel = 5, Wespe = 7
5. Eleven (11) icon changes:

A special thanks again to Francesco Portolano for his help with the Italian Army changes and also to Erik Tan for his SHP icon extraction program and Chris Lipski for his initial recommendations on correcting the icons in version 2.2.

1. Minor adjustments to UK/US armor ammunition values
2. Minor adjustments to UK armor movement values
3. All Recon movement values adjusted (up to 10 maximum based on 1 move per 5 mph)
4. All transport Truck movement increased to 10
5. 2 Additional UK Firefly variants added: Firefly IIC and Firefly IVC (original renamed: Firefly VC)
6. a very few additional minor adjustments to other unit statistics

1. Me-110G fighter AA value corrected to initiate attack
2. Towed AT unit final cost adjustment (slightly reduced)
3. Reevaluated some infantry AD/AA assigned values

1. 3 New units added: Finnish T-26 (captured), French Algerians and Hungarian Engineers
2. Minor adjustments: Ta-152, Do-335, Sissi-joukkueet
3. Schutzstaffen renamed: Waffen SS
4. "Nationals Names" now used for all Bunkers, Forts, Engineers, Infantry, Trucks, Wagons and Sea Transports. Documentation included with download. Special "thanks!" to Ronald Gretz for the translations.

Best of Luck and Good Hunting!

Ray

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