Update 34: AN-2, Hawk, XM41, Rocketstrap, LZs, workshops, UXO, crash sites, etc.

New content:

• AN-2 transport plane and improvised bomber variant are now available at air bases in North Vietnam plus at new small airstrips (many of them in Laos and Cambodia). Some are flown by NPC pilots.

• MIG17 and MIG21 now have bombs and K-13 I.R. guided anti air missiles (press left CTRL to turn I.R. seeker on/off).

• MIM23 Hawk radars and S.A.M. launchers added to some U.S. bases and missile cruisers.

• Enemy S.A.M. radars can now be hacked by player to turn transponder IFF protection system off.

• XM41E2 MANPADS added to U.S. armories.

• New XM41E2 Soldier type added to U.S. garrisons (ie not in squads). MANPADS Soldiers can no longer lock on aircrafts that have engines off.

• More soldier types in U.S. garrisons.

• Experimental Rocketstrap for player has been added. It has about 40 seconds flight time at full throttle. Hand weapons can be used while flying. Skill in rocketstrap improves fuel efficiency. Green variant has 33% more fuel but weighs 10% more (and requires skill lvl 10). They can be refueled at helipads. They’re found in some larger bases in fenced off and guarded areas and various other locations. Of course these weren’t actually used in the war for obvious practical reasons.

• Sapper charge (long stick with hand grenades tied together) added as secondary weapon for V.C. player.

• 43 U.S. temporary landing zones (L.Z.) added. They can be established during the game. Technically they aren’t bases (no flag to capture) but they have helipads and supplies. Also more small S.F. tent camps added. N.V.A. landing zones added as well.

• 55 V.C. river / coastal supply camps. They can be established during the game. They also don’t have flag to capture. The boat will sometimes be launched.

• Communication wires along parts of Ho Chi Minh Trail: These can be destroyed or wiretapped. Returning later to retrieve tapes will provide a bonus (size dependent on time). The data collected may reveal enemy units in the region on the map.

• Special forces wiretap mission. These will require crossing the border into Laos or Cambodia, so due to the distances, longer than normal mission time will be allowed.

• Unexploded ordnance added in some areas (Mk82 +Mk84 bombs, they may explode if damaged). Also more (pre-made) explosion craters added.

• V.C. munitions workshops added. Providing these with materials from unexploded ordnance will provide +3 mags, +3 RPG2 rounds, +3 hand grenades and +3 explosive arrows when you resupply anywhere for the following 25 to 50 minutes. It will also increase supplies in province.

• B-52 crash sites added (the ones loosely based on historical locations have been added to the map).

• Chinook crash sites added.

• Huey crash sites added.

• Parachute T10 model and sound added to player (press space when fall from aircraft).

• Pilot corpses hanging from parachute in trees. U.S. player will get a bonus to find it (if not already marked on map). And a bonus to retrieve it (just go under him). V.C. player will get a bonus to find it (if not already on map ofc).

• Single U.S., V.C., N.V.A. and N.V.A. S.F. snipers added (not part of squad or base garrison). Map icon is shown if you’re same faction.

• Air America new Golden Triangle missions (and new poppy field areas) added.

• Air America rice delivery mission setup updated. Also a lot more planes available now at the Air America bases in Laos.

• Hydra rocket big crate stack added near helipads in larger bases (rockets will fly in all directions during explosion. Supplies will be lost if destroyed).

• New option in general settings page 2, for “Land vehicles”. Few (default), medium and many can be selected. This setting will govern how many (new) land vehicle spawn points exist (see below).

• Land vehicle spawn points added for both factions. They can’t spawn until existing vehicle is destroyed. If oil drums are destroyed, no more vehicles can spawn there. Changing the land vehicle setting affects how many of these exist.

• N.V.A. land vehicle repair pads added.

• Repair pads now also refuel vehicles.

• More seismic acoustic sensors.

• Rain Poncho model added to player when worn (changed in inventory screen 2).

Improvements:

• U.S. soldiers will no longer run into napalm, V.C. will do it 50% less (yes).

• Big rice bag piles now provide up to 4 rations for V.C./N.V.A. player. They can also be destroyed now (XP bonus and supply loss for enemy). Destroyed model has been added.

• Big ammo crate piles can now be destroyed. (XP bonus and supply loss for enemy). Destroyed models has been added.

• Hand grenade explosions can now damage structures without directly hitting them.

• ZU23 will now fire in shorter bursts.

• Oil drum piles will now refuel player vehicle (and map icon added for N.V.A. ones).

• Damage direction indicator (red quarter-circle) will now update direction while on screen (to ensure it always shows accurate direction when player moves), and will stay on screen longer.

• Many terrains have been painted darker under jungle / forests.

• Some bases and terrains updated, and some missing villages added etc.

• Dogs should no longer push player and enemies when attacking.

• Rabies dog can no longer become loyal to player.

• Damage increased 10% for 0.45 ACP bullets (M1911 and M3A1).

• SG43 AA machine gun now allows higher vertical angle when player uses it.

• Bullets now cause less damage to light vehicles, and in particular damage from helicopter MGs will now do much less damage vs tanks, and moderately reduced damage against light vehicles. Against tanks, bullets hitting rear will do low damage, plus a chance hits elsewhere will cause damage (but even lower damage).

• U.S. fighter aircraft intercepting enemy planes has been updated.

• Conditions for when V.C./N.V.A. player is taken as P.O.W. has been updated.

• All S.A.M. Radars and launchers can now be damaged or destroyed.

• Air America rice mission descriptions now informs player to use a PC-6 plane to deliver the cargo. Also the bags should no longer be able to hit the plane sometimes, and should not be able to cause traitor if friendlies are hit directly.

• PC-6 now has more engine power but less lift.

• SA-2, SA-7, AIM-9 and K-13 rocket motor and explosion effects and sound updated.

Bug Fixes:

• Player movement updated in attempt to improve situation when running over hill tops etc.

• Soldiers will now be much less willing to run straight into napalm fires (the V.C. to a lessor extent though).

• Soldiers in player squad now have chance of not catching fire when human on fire runs into them. Soldiers and in particular player squad will now will be more careful not walking into bon fires.

• When loading game, base garrison troops spawning will no longer be wrong faction is base was taken.

• Some villages in Laos that would not load in have now been fixed: Laksao, Nakai, Mahaxay, Ban Phong, Muang Khong, Naksasong, Ban Phuong.

• Issues with land active land vehicles sometimes not respawning should now be fixed.

• Land vehicles should now only respawn if nearest base is held by their faction, and when loading game pre-placed ones will be destroyed if base has been captured.

• Artillery should now respawn gunners of correct faction (eventually) if nearest base has been taken by the enemy.

• ZU23 and ZSU57 now shouldn't spawn gunners (and thus can’t fire) if loading game and nearest base has been taken by U.S, and they shouldn’t be able to respawn crew either in that case.

• Helipads should now spawn helicopters of correct faction even if nearest base has been taken by the enemy.

• Airplanes spawning on the yellow markers should now be of the correct faction even if nearest base has been captured.

• Airplane roll control surfaces being rotated slightly wrong on vertical axis on some airplanes should now be rectified.

• Player can no longer drop a single bomb in some aircraft that are supposed to have none.

• Issue prevent AA missile UI icon turning on after using aircraft that don’t have AA missiles is now fixed. Also, infrared guided missile seekers in aircraft can now lock on aircraft of any faction. UI message and buzzer sound will now come when locking on.

• Issues where migs would happily crash into the ground at air bases in North Vietnam has now been fixed.

• A bug where V.C./N.V.A. player would sometimes be assigned to a new base belonging to the enemy has been fixed.

• Tiny white cube in Bronco cockpit removed, and pink mystery cube under green barracks now gone too.

• All villages in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and N. Vietnam should now display name correctly in mission texts.

Thank you beta testers! I will try to return to making more frequent updates and being more communicative. I've just been dealing with an unfortunate event in my family, but I'm feeling better now.