To download the readme file click HERE

To download the patch now click HERE.

Mindscape/SSI are committed to providing customers with top support. They've recently announced a patch schedule in response to customer requests via newsgroups and email. New dates and or information will be posted as they become available.

Update v1.1

Issues Addressed: Availability: Early July '98 (Approx.)

• Formation orders problems.
• Brake key (will eliminate need for multiple taps for full stop) function.
• AI engagement range. (Increased to 1500 meters).
• Targeting reticle absence in Multiplayer Melee.
• Lack of MG tracer rounds.
• Lack of ground and wall (stone wall, hedgerow) hit particle effects.
• Lack of non-penetrating (AP and HE) hit particle effects.
• Target assignment keys (Shift 1 and 2) function.
• Caps Lock key function.
• Physics optimization.
• Vehicular "bounce".
• AI gunners attempting to shoot through forests.
• New Vehicle Definition Files (VDF's) information.
• Scenario balance - Recon in Force. (Victory Conditions).
• Scenario balance - Bloody Wadi (Deployment).
• Scenario balance- Jeremejewska. (Victory Conditions).
• Scenario balance- Villers-Bocage. (Time).

Update v1.2

Download PC 1.2 Update

This patch updates the 1.1 version to 1.2. If you need to move from v.1 to 1.2 directly download the patch from Panzer Commander

Issues Addressed:

• Improved: Vehicle collision recovery (Tactical Pathfinding improvement part 2).
• Improved: Target selection AI
• Improved: Line Of Sight AI performance
• Improved: AI use of AP and HE ammo.
• Improved: Panzerschreck, PIAT, and Bazooka performance.
• Improved: Vehicular "bounce".
• Modified: Level of Detail setting - The "Maximum View Distance" slider is now a "Range of Visibility" slider. Allows a range of engagement band of 800-1600 meters, in 40 meter increments.
• Modified: Multiplayer settings set to host machine.
• Modified: "E" and "T" command keys - main gun will now remain sighted on last target acquired and destroyed in AI sequence.
• Modified: Platoon members no longer "drift" when halted.
• Fixed: High Explosive shell effectiveness versus trucks.
• Fixed: The "Missing turret" phenomena.
• Fixed: New VoodooII 3Dfx driver startup crash.
• Fixed: Scenario Editor feature - Road, River, Wall and Hedgerow sections can be deleted.
• Fixed: Multiplayer Scenario Briefing display.
• Fixed: Scroll bar presence in the multiplayer scenario selection interface.
• New: Stuart Light Tank.
• New: F4 view toggle that zooms the tactical map to full screen size. (Tap once to enter standard F4 view, tap F4 again to zoom map. Tap F4 again to shrink map).
• New: Realism setting - Gunnery AI on or off.
• New: Realism setting - Target Reticle on or off.
• New: Scenario Editor feature - up to four tanks per platoon.
• New: Targeting aid - tracking pointer that appears when an enemy vehicle is spotted, but is unable to be seen by the naked eye.
• New: Ability to change vehicle textures.
• New: A Panzer Commander FAQ.
• Regarding added support vehicles in Campaign Scenarios: We will not include these files in the V1.2 file. Because of the possible impact on users with slower machines, these files will be available as a separate package.

Posted by Karim on our armor forum:

I haven't had time to play a lot with 1.2, just a dozen scenarios, so it might be that I have overlooked a lot. Yet it seems 1.2 is much better.

So far I haven't seen a tank (friendly or enemy) get stuck, behind another vehicle or difficult terrain. It was very interesting watching them when asked to climb a ledge I myself found very difficult to climb (~2km/h at full throttle): after some hesitation, they did it, slowly, but they did it.

With 1.2 when I order my formation to stop, they do it (so far). Before they sometimes (too often imho) slowly drifted, usually towards an ambush:)

My gunners 'E'ngage and 'H'old fire when told to, and use the right ammo for a target, as I've seen so far. There is still pretty much banging around between platoon tanks when changing formations and driving in weird patterns, but I don't know how this could be successfully delt with since the AI has no way to predict my tank's next bearing.

The friendly tanks _seem_ better in turning their hulls to face threats, though I have seen them statically engaging the enemy from a side many times (not fully copying mu engaging pattern).

Enemy tanks, if they were moving when they spotted us, face my with their hulls. If they were static and I engage them from a side, merely swing their turrets. I cannot comment on how well AI tanks find hull-down positions, since 'hull-down' in PzC seems to also include 'hidden-to-turret-top' positions.

There's a problem with targetting. When an enemy vehicle is behind the top of a ridge, I get a yellow target marker which means that such a target can be seen from the commander's unbuttoned position but the gunner cannot get a clear shot. Well, my gunner effectively cannot shoot at it, yet the other tank can (and does, and hits). I do not think my Panther is _that_ much higher than the opposing T-34.

Editor: The yellow reticle doesn't mean you can't hit; I have found it simply means that you are on the "edge" when it comes to LOS, and can actually be an opportunity to hit the weak top armor of your opponent. Your best bet is to override your AI gunner and take the "edge" shot manually. This only seems to be an issue when you are really close to the target.

Another problem: enemy tanks that are hidden behind a wall at about 300m, with the wall merely covering their turrets. I can usually kill such tanks, as if armor-piercing shells travelled in an arced pattern over those distances. Besides, the hidden enemy responds. Hehe, they don't shoot through forests now, they shoot through walls :) The first German scenario, Barkmann's Corner, seems a good example of this behaviour.

Editor: With AP rounds at close range, you are not arcing them; you are usually going straight over the top of the crest and popping the tank right behind it on the turret top.

Overall, I like PzC much better, now that I _seem_ to have more control over my platoon. I do not even think about reinstalling M1TP2 as of v1.2.