***************************************************************************** ***************************************************************************** My fellow PG (DOS) enthusiasts, Before I start describing the interesting levers comprising the PG (DOS) framework, I would like to give you a definition...Any TECHNICAL modification to the PG (DOS) framework belongs to the much much larger PG (DOS) "universe" (e.g., the Allied General PG Scenario Add-on). And now we start for real covering screen after screen after screen.......!! S T A R T G A M E S C R E E N C Button -------- This starts the PG campaign play mode against the computer AI. A "hardcore" PBEM PG gamer NEVER touches this button.....:-) S, LOAD and QUIT Buttons ------------------------ Starting a PG scenario, loading a saved position (file) and quitting the program are, of course, every day affairs in PBEM..... S C E N A R I O S E L E C T I O N S C R E E N SET CONTROL Menu **************** A "hardcore" PBEM PG gamer ALWAYS selects HUMAN control for BOTH sides of the conflict.....:-) SET DIFFICULTY Menu ******************* A "hardcore" PBEM PG gamer is ALWAYS faced with the CUSTOM button as his ONLY choice here and clicks on it (:-)) ; he is, then, faced with a screenful of check boxes (CUSTOM SETTINGS Screen): PLAY BY MAIL Checkbox --------------------- Checking this box tells the program to AUTOMATICALLY save the game position and exit the scenario upon a player clicking on the END turn segment button and confirming his intent (YES/NO Button Prompt). Such saved files are named either PBM.SV1 or PBM.SV2 (PBM.SV? format) and are stored in the program's \SAVES sub-directory. For ordinary over the board PBEM PG play, checking the above box makes a lot of sense. The automatic "locking in" features re: hidden units, weather and supply minimize the possibility of a player INADVERTEDLY changing a particular such setting during actual play (beware, though, as the weather and supply settings are NOT "locked in" during turn # 1 !!). To boot, the program automatically exits the scenario upon a player effectively ENDING his turn segment, thus, eliminating the potential for confusion. Here is what SSI says in regards to using the PBM.SV? game save format: << Keep in mind that the only valid e-mail saves you make are at the END of your turn, not during it.>> Gentlemen, for a long time I thought that this meant that one could NOT save a position in midstream when in PBM mode and then go back to it later and normally finish the turn segment. NOT SO !! Evidently, all such saves are effected in (internally slightly modified) GAME.SV? format and when the player FINALLY clicks on the END button the program reverts back to a normal PBM.SV? format save !!! Now, the good news is that one does NOT have to play his PBM turn in one fell swoop as I had been assuming all along....:-) One can definitely do this in chewable chunks, with life's time pressures and what have you !! Also, one can easily control that first weather front arrival in mirrored games WITHOUT needing to play the entire game in GAME.SV? mode as we did back in the PANZERKLASSIK-PG days ! THEREFORE, the ONLY reasons left that one would STILL opt for the GAME.SV? mode are: (i) To accommodate "benign peeping toms". (ii) To use Brass Polish which REFUSES to load the PBM.SV? format INCLUDING its midstream saves (internally modified GAME.SV?) format. HOWEVER, this last point properly belongs to the PG "universe" as it entails TECHNICAL modifications......:-) [The sad news is, of course, that all the bad apples "out there" have been SUPER-CHEATING by reloading and replaying not just entire turns from scratch but rather specific individual attacks, one after the other, very methodically, until satisfied with the results of this shameless, extreme form of cheating !!!! It is only RECENTLY that I fully understood Steve's apprehensions.....In the past, unlike myself, the NOVICE and.......armchair analyst, Steve has been playing a lot of PBEM PG at various wargaming venues and has seen his fair share of such low-tech but very effective (albeit, intelligence insulting) monstrosities.......] EXPERIENCE Checkboxes --------------------- These options are RELATIVE, representing algebraic (addition/subtraction) modifications ( a unit here represents 100 experience points) to the baseline, "hard wired" experience settings (setting 0) specific to a particularly chosen PG scenario. These settings ONLY affect units PURCHASED during play. They have NOTHING to do with the deployed units at the start of the scenario !! Moreover, irrespective of the chosen relative setting, the only valid RESULTING experience levels for PURCHASED units are 0, 100, 200, 300, 400 & 500. Naturally, there is a plethora of reasons why one would want to effect relative experience modifications, play balance being one of the more obvious ones. I just want to put in my two cents here and just mention that IF one wants to calibrate things in a scenario so that ALL PURCHASED units enter with effective experience ZERO (0), one can readily do this via these levers......:-) PRESTIGE Checkboxes ------------------- These options are RELATIVE, representing algebraic (multiples/fractions) modifications to the baseline, "hard wired" prestige settings (setting 0) specific to a particularly chosen PG scenario. These settings ONLY affect STARTING prestige levels. Prima's PG Guide has gotten it partially wrong here !! The CORRECT multipliers follow: Prestige Setting Multiplier ================ ========== -3 1/2 -2 2/3 -1 4/5 0 1 +1 1 1/4 +2 1 1/2 +3 2 Again, there is a plethora of reasons why one would want to effect relative prestige modifications, play balance being one of the more obvious ones. CHOOSE SCENARIO Menu ******************** Buttons allow one to choose a particular PG scenario. Once the choice is made clicking on the START SCENARIO button gets the show on the road.....:-) L O A D/S A V E G A M E S C R E E N Regular Save Buttons [1 to 10] ------------------------------ These 10 slots are reserved for GAME.SV? format position saves. Here is the exact correspondence between the buttons and the DOS files saved or placed in the program \SAVES sub-directory. Button Number DOS Filename ============= ============ 1 GAME.SV0 2 GAME.SV1 3 GAME.SV2 4 GAME.SV3 5 GAME.SV4 6 GAME.SV5 7 GAME.SV6 8 GAME.SV7 9 GAME.SV8 10 GAME.SV9 Upon clicking a particular button, the user, if he so wishes, can type in a short, distinctive title and then a brief commentary. I strongly suggest that you take advantage of these features for the sake of clarity, good organization and friendliness...:-) One should be VERY careful with operations in this area as it is EXTREMELY easy to overwrite useful files either through game saves or direct DOS file manipulation in \SAVES !!! PBM Save Buttons [1 and 2] ------------------------------ The 2 "winged" slots are reserved for PBM.SV? format position saves. Here is the exact correspondence between the buttons and the DOS files saved or placed in the program \SAVES sub-directory. Button Number DOS Filename ============= ============ 1-Winged PBM.SV1 2-Winged PBM.SV2 Upon clicking a particular button, the user, if he so wishes, can type in a short, distinctive title and then a brief commentary. I strongly suggest that you take advantage of these features for the sake of clarity, good organization and friendliness...:-) Also, at the beginning of the game, each player is prompted to type in his password which can be up to 15 characters long. One should be VERY careful with operations in this area as it is EXTREMELY easy to overwrite useful files either through game saves or direct DOS file manipulation in \SAVES !!! M A I N M E N U S C R E E N Question Mark (?) Button ------------------------ Clicking this button takes one to the Options Menu Screen. Large/Small Checkered Square Button ----------------------------------- Clicking this button takes one to the Strategic Map which depicts the entire battlefield on a single screen. I find the Strategic map ideal for pinpointing objective hexes especially when the View Surface/Air Units toggle is set for Air Units. Perhaps, more importantly, in this latter instance, ONLY the air units are shown which is a great way to get the air war strategic snapshot picture. When in Strategic Map mode, clicking the button takes one back to the Tactical Map. Surface/Air Unit Button ----------------------- Clicking this button toggles the Tactical Map viewing dominance (i.e., large/small icons) and selection capability (i.e., large icon) regarding surface units that are co-located with air units in the same hex. When in Strategic Map mode, clicking the button toggles between surface OR air units showing (NOT BOTH like in the Tactical Map). Hexagon Button -------------- Clicking this toggle button adds or removes the hex grid from the Tactical Map. For the life of me, I CANNOT think of a single use for this feature.....:-) Countryside Button ------------------ Clicking this button in Tactical Map mode removes all hex ownership flags, units, and grey (unscouted) shades to reveal the underlying terrain. Right-clicking reverses the above effects. Clicking this button in Strategic Map mode removes all units and grey (unscouted) shades (with the sole exception of neutral country territory) to highlight the underlying terrain. Right-clicking reverses the above effects. I guess it is nice to have this feature around although, I confess, I use it VERY rarely....:-) Binoculars Button ----------------- Clicking this button turns the mouse pointer into a magnifying glass that allows one to examine the status profile(s) of any visible friendly or enemy unit(s) by sequentially clicking on them on the Tactical Map. From this view, one may also select any one of the following options: Purchase Unit, Go to Unit, and Next Unit. Right-clicking exits this viewing mode. I have found this feature to be VERY useful as it allows me to quickly go from unit to unit on the map without being slowed down by unit selection....One little detail: depending on the Surface/Air Unit toggle position one can inspect EITHER surface OR air units but NOT BOTH. Sun, Cloud & Precipitation Button --------------------------------- Clicking this button depicts the atmospheric (i.e., clear, overcast, rain, snow) and ground wetness (i.e., dry, muddy, frozen) conditions for the current turn and a FORECAST of such conditions for the NEXT TURN at the bottom of the screen. Right-clicking exits the report status. As most of you probably know, the same weather conditions prevail during BOTH the Axis turn segment and the Allied turn segment of any particular turn. This gives the Axis side an advantage as they are assured that the Allied side will be responding to their last moves under weather conditions that are DETERMINISTICALLY KNOWN to them....!! The Allied side must depend on the program's forecast that many times turns out to be demonstrably inaccurate...!! One of the things that I would like us to do in the RC some time down the line is to investigate the basis/mechanism of these weather forecasts....:-) I guess one could call for some kind of voluntary, restrictive compliance to be observed by the Axis player (or for everybody) in the sense that he/they may be barred from invoking this feature...... Dollar Sign Button ------------------ Clicking this button takes one to the Purchase Unit Menu Screen. I have much more to say about this but I will save it for a tad later when I will be covering the Purchase Unit Menu Screen in some well deserved detail. Arrow Tank Button ----------------- Clicking this button takes one to the Go to Unit Screen. I have a few things to say about this but, again, I will save it for a tad later when I will be covering the Go to Unit Screen in some detail. Tank Arrow Button ----------------- Clicking this button selects the next friendly unit waiting for orders and takes one to the appropriate Unit Menu Screen. Sequentially clicking this button cycles through all friendly units waiting for orders, by methodically selecting one after another....If ALL friendly units have already acted, the button becomes shaded (unavailable). I ALWAYS employ this feature just before I "officially" finish ny turn segment in order to make sure that whatever friendly units have not acted have a very good reason for standing pat.....:-) M A I N M E N U E N D T U R N B U T T O N The "END" button should be used with care as it irreversibly (well, provided one does not re-load and play...) ends a player's turn segment. It IS subject to a final YES/NO confirmation. If this IS a PBM game, the player is prompted to save the position and, upon him doing so, the program automatically exits the scenario. If this is NOT a PBM game, the program automatically proceeds with the opponent's turn segment. Those of you that play PBEM PG utilizing the GAME.SV? format (the PANZERKLASSIK-PG way) should remember NEVER to click the "END" button as this will take you into your opponent's HQ...:-) P U R C H A S E U N I T M E N U S C R E E N This menu screen allows one to add true blue REINFORCEMENTS to his force mix. Prestige points are expended to purchase units (ships CANNOT be purchased) which may ONLY be placed in or adjacent to city/port/airfield hexes owned by the SPECIFIC COUNTRY corresponding to the purchased unit's nationality PROVIDED there are NO enemy LAND/GROUND units in or adjacent to the intended placement reference hex. City/port hexes serve as placement reference hexes for purchased LAND/GROUND units while airfield hexes serve as placement reference hexes for purchased AIR units. Each PG scenario has 2 specific Maximum Number of Allowable Units statistics (one for each side) that are "hard wired" into the program. At any point in time, the program compares these statistics to the actual number of units on the board and displays the difference under "UNITS AVAILABLE" on the screen under discussion. To purchase a unit, one has to click the appropriate nationality flag first. Some unit classes may be unavailable (black light) in the context of the particular scenario at hand. Other unit classes may be temporarily unavailable (red light) because even the cheapest unit in the class may be unaffordable given the available prestige (which can be read in "Your Prestige ")....When a unit class is available IN PRINCIPLE (green light), then the available prestige is definitely sufficient to cover the cost of, at least, the cheapest unit type available for purchase in that class !! Also keep in mind that the "green light" does NOT necessarily mean that one can ACTUALLY PLACE the purchased unit on the board (both Tactical and Strategic Maps can give you bad news)....:-) When you select a particular candidate unit for purchase (possibly together with organic transport), do NOT neglect to check out other units in that class that may be hiding from view (DO USE the "Next" and "Previous" buttons !!). The screen automatically depicts the "Total Cost " and generic (factory) unit statistics for any selected unit. If satisfied, by all means, DO click that "PURCHASE" button and ATTEMPT to place that unit on the board (he, he !). Clearly, there is GREAT POTENTIAL in this area for voluntary, restrictive compliance to be observed by players in the sense that they may decide to abstain from invoking certain available features......In my earlier writings, I mentioned that the EXPERIENCE lever can be effectively utilized to ensure that ALL reinforcements appear as green formations...In extremis, players may decide that NO reinforcements will be allowed, period. Some players may decide to abstain from purchasing units belonging to certain nationalities, unit classes and so on. They may even decide to place additional geographical, timing or situational restrictions on the placement of reinforcements. The list goes on and on and on......:-) G O T O U N I T S C R E E N This screen allows one to quickly see which friendly units are STILL waiting for orders (green light) and which ones have already acted (red light). When you select a particular candidate unit for examination the generic (factory) unit statistics for the selected unit are readily depicted. More importantly, the unit's strength, experience, ammo and fuel STATUS statistics and current organic transport capability (if any) are also displayed. Clicking the "Go to Unit" button when a friendly unit waiting for orders (green light) is currently selected takes one to the Tactical Map with the unit in question being automatically selected and the appropriate Unit Menu showing. I ALWAYS consult this screen BEFORE I start my turn segment. It serves as a most efficient tool HIGHLIGHTING POTENTIAL PROBLEMS with FRIENDLY units that are running low on fuel or ammo (RED LETTERING) !! O P T I O N S M E N U S C R E E N "M" Button ---------- Clicking this button takes one to the Main Menu Screen. Bar Chart Button ---------------- This button is effectively INOPERATIVE during play strictly involving humans. A "hardcore" PBEM PG gamer NEVER touches this button that should have been shaded.....:-) Telescope Button ---------------- This button applies to both Tactical and Strategic Maps and toggles between the display of ALL enemy units on the board and the display of SPOTTED enemy units ONLY. It is inoperative (shaded) during PBM play as hidden units are ON at all times during such play. Although one could certainly play with hidden units off, I am having a VERY hard time getting excited about such play......:-) Waving Flag Button ------------------ This button toggles combat animations on and off. Turning animation off makes the game move more quickly. Animations in progress can be ended at any time by clicking. If your time is valuable and you hate distractions like I do, by all means, turn animation OFF !! Cloud & Precipitation Button ---------------------------- This button toggles simulated weather (atmospheric, ground wetness) conditions and rules on and off. It is inoperative (shaded) during PBM play as at the beginning of the Axis turn # 2 segment. Although one could certainly play with weather off, again, I am having a VERY hard time getting excited about such play......:-) Oil Drums Button ---------------- This button toggles simulated supply (ammo, fuel) conditions and rules on and off. It is inoperative (shaded) during PBM play as at the beginning of the Axis turn # 2 segment. Although one could certainly play with supply off, once more, I am having a VERY hard time getting excited about such play......:-) Musical Note Button ------------------- This button toggles game music on and off. If you hate distractions like I do, by all means, turn the music OFF !! Trumpet Button -------------- This button toggles game sound effects on and off. If you hate distractions like I do, by all means, turn the sound effects OFF !! "10" Button ----------- This button toggles the view of each unit's strength on the Tactical Map on and off. I ONLY toggle this button to the OFF position whenever I want to inspect the nationality ownership flags of city/port/airfield hexes !! "AI" Button ----------- This button is effectively INOPERATIVE during play strictly involving humans. A "hardcore" PBEM PG gamer NEVER touches this button that should have been shaded.....:-) Tally Button ------------ This button takes one to the Casualties Screen. This screen shows the number of unit casualties (units eliminated through combat) per unit class, up to that point in the conflict, for both sides. Careful though, the list does NOT include disbanded units and air units which got eliminated because they ran out of fuel........ I ONLY consult the Casualties Screen at the beginning of my turn segment to get AN IDEA of what happened during my opponent's previous turn segment....... Blank Button ------------ This button is effectively INOPERATIVE during play strictly involving humans. A "hardcore" PBEM PG gamer NEVER touches this button that should have been shaded.....:-) Floppy Drive Button ------------------- Clicking this button ends the current battle and takes one to a Start Game Screen variant which includes a "Save Game" option. U N I T M E N U S C R E E N This menu gets activated when you select a friendly unit that has not "acted" yet on the Tactical Map. Black Arrow & Red "Prohibitive" Circle Button --------------------------------------------- This button appears when one selects a destination hex for the currently selected friendly unit to move to. Clicking this button allows one to abort ("take back") the attempted move provided one does so IMMEDIATELY following the attempt. The move CANNOT be taken back though (shaded button), if in the process of attempting to move, the unit has spotted a previously hidden enemy unit by finding itself adjacent to the latter......Keep in mind, though, that a surface unit can NEVER spot an air unit in this way and vice versa !! One can certainly engage in meticulous, albeit somewhat time consuming, "Systematic Recon" of grey (unscouted) hexes by (ab)using the use of this feature. To do this, a player is "inching" his way forward methodically, one hex at a time, going back and forth with his unit, until finding his unit adjacent to some previously hidden enemy unit..... Personally, I do not much care for this kind of Systematic Recon for two reasons. First, it IS time consuming and there are many other things that I would like to do with PG than playing....yo-yo !! Second, this practice would avoid rugged defense/surprise contact/out of the sun events which, in my opinion, should always represent the downside to dashing forward into unscouted territory...!!:-) For playability's sake, I like to play PG by voluntarily adhering to the following easy to implement rule: <> Of course, there are many other ways that the (ab)use of this button could be controlled on a voluntary basis...... Truck and Arrow Button ---------------------- This button toggles between mounting and dismounting friendly units having organic transport. In this context, mounting/dismounting does NOT constitute "acting". Keep in mind, though, that this option is unavailable if the unit in question has already moved..... Of course, there are many voluntary, geographical and situational restrictions that one could try out here..... Two Arrows and Ship Button -------------------------- This button, when available, toggles between embarking and disembarking friendly units using inorganic transport. Keep in mind, though, that this option is unavailable if the unit in question has already moved..... Most land/ground units are sea transportable but can embark onto naval transports ONLY when in coastal city or port hexes. ONLY infantry, light artillery and light AT units can embark onto air transports and they can do this ONLY when in airfield hexes. In this latter case, if the embarking unit has organic transport it must be abandoned (permanently lost) and the player is prompted to confirm (YES/NO) this !! Naval transports can disembark ONLY into adjacent land hexes that contain no surface units, subject to possible terrain restrictions. Air transports can disembark ONLY onto airfield hexes that contain no land/ground units. Air transported paratroops and rangers may select the hex their air transport is on or any adjacent hex as their drop zone, provided that it is a land hex containing no surface units. Such paradrops are subject to a probabilistic one hex drift in reference to the chosen drop zone hex. UNLIKE dismounting, disembarking a unit is DEFINITELY "acting" !! Also, UNLIKE mounting, an embarked unit that has NOT moved yet, CANNOT disembark AGAIN, in the same turn segment, without such an event being recognized as "acting" !! Of course, there are many voluntary, geographical and situational restrictions that one could try out here..... Black Tank & Red Tank Button ---------------------------- This button, when available, replaces lost strength points (strength below 10) and also automatically resupplies the strengthened unit. Such GREEN REPLACEMENTS begin with ZERO (O) experience which is averaged with the unit's experience prior to green replacing to generate a new "hybrid" experience level for the unit as a whole. Green replacing IS "acting" and costs prestige too..:-). Land/ground units can receive green replacements ANYWHERE on the Tactical Map (one CANNOT green replace embarked units) while air combat units can do so ONLY on a friendly airfield hex or hex containing a friendly carrier (heavy level bombers CANNOT receive green replacements on friendly aircraft carriers !!). Naval combat units can receive green replacements ONLY in a friendly port hex. Enemy unit adjacency or co-location restricts the level of effective replacement and resupply of a unit subject to receiving green replacements. Inclement weather conditions and desert terrain also limit such replacements. Naval combat vessels receive green replacements at reduced rates. Of course, there are many voluntary, geographical and situational restrictions that one could try out here.....A NO green replacement voluntary compliance rule could be interesting !!:-) Black Tank & Red Tank & "E" Button ---------------------------------- This button, when available, replaces lost strength points (strength below 10) OR overstrengthens (strength between 11 and 15 inclusive) and also automatically resupplies the (over)strengthened unit. Such ELITE REPLACEMENTS begin with the SAME experience as the unit's experience prior to elite replacing to generate the SAME experience level for the unit as a whole. Elite replacing IS "acting". Land/ground units can receive elite replacements ANYWHERE on the Tactical Map (one CANNOT elite replace embarked units) while air combat units can do so ONLY on a friendly airfield hex or hex containing a friendly carrier (heavy level bombers CANNOT receive elite replacements on friendly aircraft carriers !!). Naval combat units can receive elite replacements ONLY in a friendly port hex. Enemy unit adjacency or co-location restricts the level of effective replacement and resupply of a unit subject to receiving elite replacements. Inclement weather conditions and desert terrain also limit such replacements. Naval combat vessels receive elite replacements at reduced rates. Enemy unit adjacency or co-location renders the OVERSTRENGTHENING of a unit INFEASIBLE !! In terms of prestige, ELITE replacing is a much costlier proposition than GREEN replacing...:-) Of course, there are many voluntary, geographical and situational restrictions that one could try out here.....A NO elite replacement voluntary compliance rule could be interesting !!:-) Bigger Tank & Smaller Tank Button ---------------------------------- Clicking this button, when available, takes one to the Upgrade Unit Menu Screen. This menu is a simplified variant of the Purchase Unit Menu. It allows one to upgrade a unit (including organic transport) that has not "acted" yet in its turn segment, within the limits imposed by its unit class and the unit type options "historically" available on the particular simulated date. Upgrading IS "acting" and costs prestige points.....Most importantly, the newly upgraded unit inherits the old unit's experience level and strength points !! Land/ground units can ONLY be upgraded when in friendly city/port hexes. Air combat units can ONLY be upgraded when on friendly airfield hexes or hexes containing friendly carriers (heavy level bombers CANNOT be upgraded on friendly aircraft carriers !!). Naval combat units and embarked units CANNOT be upgraded. Enemy unit adjacency or co-location renders the UPGRADING of a unit INFEASIBLE !! Of course, there are many voluntary, geographical and situational restrictions that one could try out here.....A NO upgrading voluntary compliance rule could be interesting !!:-) Tank & Red "Prohibitive" Circle Button -------------------------------------- Clicking this button, when available, disbands the selected unit subject to a confirmation (YES/NO). Disbanded units are NOT treated as casualties by the program. They just "disappear" making room for potential new unit purchases......Disbanding IS "acting" and does not cost anything other than the fact that the unit is gone for good...:-). Of course, there are many voluntary, geographical and situational restrictions that one could try out here.....A NO disbanding voluntary compliance rule could be interesting !!:-) "n" & Pen Button ---------------- Clicking this button, when available, allows one to personalize unit names.....:-) These names remain in effect until the end of the scenario (or sooner if one changes these names again for some reason.....). I VERY seldomly use this feature, although it may come in handy during "research" (e.g., battlegroup designations) ! It may also help overcome ......psychological problems having to do with not wanting to be "in charge" of.......murderers, war criminals and the like......:-(( Magnifying Glass Button ----------------------- Clicking this button takes one to the View Unit Statistics Screen which displays generic (factory) as well as battle-readiness STATUS statistics for the currently selected unit. I am consulting this screen A LOT, ALL THE TIME !! Binoculars Button ----------------- This feature has already been covered elsewhere !! Tank Arrow Button ----------------- This feature has already been covered elsewhere !! Oil Drums Button ---------------- Clicking this button, when available, resupplies the selected unit up to certain limits. Inclement weather conditions and desert terrain limit such resupply even more !! Land/ground units can be resupplied ANYWHERE on the Tactical Map (one CANNOT resupply embarked units) while air combat units can do so ONLY on a friendly airfield hex (or hexes adjacent to it) or hex containing a friendly carrier. Naval combat units can resupply ONLY in a friendly port hex. Enemy unit adjacency or co-location further restricts the level of effective resupply of a unit. For land/ground units, enemy unit adjacency or co-location renders resupply INFEASIBLE UNLESS the unit is in a friendly city/port/airfield hex where it takes 3 proximate enemy units to STOP supply cold. For air/naval combat units it ALWAYS takes 3 proximate enemy units to STOP supply cold. I NEVER click this button as the program AUTOMATICALLY resupplies all units that have not "acted" (during their turn segment) when that turn segment formally ends !! Of course, there are many voluntary, geographical and situational restrictions that one could try out here.....A NO resupply voluntary compliance rule could be a riot !!:-) My fellow PG enthusiasts, This is the final part of the documentation of the PBEM PG framework. As has been mentioned in our earlier writings, we took the pains to do this so as to provide you with a permanent agenda of levers that are readily available for use in instances where player voluntary restrictive compliance is PREFERABLE to technical fixes. Now, if some PG enthusiasts benefit from all of this in their private game arrangements, well, we will be all too happy to hear about it......After all, PBEM PG "out there" is STILL bedeviled by things like reloading and replaying moves and turns, engaging in Systematic Recon and utilizing E-mail disinformation........ Here is a far from being exhaustive list of PG framework levers: 1) E-mail Disinformation Here is an excerpt from a popular "PBEM Rules" document "out there": <> Well, gentlemen, you can imagine what this can do to friendliness !! Again, WARSAWMANIA brought this NON-ISSUE to our attention. We should think that we would like to spend our precious hobbyists' time on many other wonderful things than this.....The classic game of DIPLOMACY is an entirely different matter !!:-) 2) Foregoing the opportunity to change your mind and not engage in a contemplated attack after consulting the expected casualties report (touch,fire !!). 3) Voluntarily restricting air and naval transport operations. 4) Voluntarily restricting unit movement or combat capabilities. 5) Voluntarily restricting the overstrengthening of units. 6) Voluntarily observing "custom made" victory conditions. ************************************************************************