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Hello again Planet Smasher, how did you go about modifying the Commander abilities? Did you clone the Tiger call_in and just replace the UI elements and squad it calls in?

For OKW support commanders I'm wanting to give them the SturmTiger over the KT, but I wasn't sure if changing the UI Icon would affect the in-game commander's CP abilities.

It's usually best to make a new ability for stuff like that. There's two general steps in adding it to a commander:

1. Go to the "army" category, clone the army that should get it, open "abilities" and add it to the list.

2. Give it the proper requirements:

a) "required_resource" with a CP value, with "reason" set to "usage".
(Unless it should come at 0CP, then you obviously don't need this.)

b) Each commander is basically defined by the five upgrades it grants to the player when chosen; the rest is just fluff. You can find these by going to the category "inventory -> commander", then clicking on "Go To Reference" for each entry in "commander_abilities" and finally looking at the value for "upgrade".

For example, Elite Troops Doctrine gives these upgrades:

attributes\upgrade\german\commander\passive\stormtroopers
attributes\upgrade\german\commander\passive\jaeger_light_infantry
attributes\upgrade\german\commander\passive\panzer_tactician
attributes\upgrade\german\commander\passive\tiger_tank_ace
attributes\upgrade\german\commander\passive\blinding_grenades

If you want to add an ability to this commander, simply give the ability a "required player_upgrade" with an upgrade that is unique to the commander. In this case, that would be either the "tiger_tank_ace" or "blinding_grenades". You should set "reason" to "usage_and_display" here.

Some commanders don't have a single ability that is unique to them. For example, Jaeger Armor Doctrine gives you these upgrades:

attributes\upgrade\german\commander\passive\heavy_at_mine
attributes\upgrade\german\commander\ability\recon_plane
attributes\upgrade\german\commander\passive\stationary_los_gain
attributes\upgrade\german\commander\ability\stuka_bombing_run_upgrade
attributes\upgrade\german\commander\passive\elefant_unlock

All of these are available in other commanders. You can still add abilities to Jaeger Armor Doctrine by using a combination of upgrades only found here: While both "heavy_at_mine" and "recon_plane" are found in other commanders, none of them has both. So you would add the following:

required_all_in_list (reason: usage_and_display)
--required_player_upgrade: heavy_at_mine (reason: usage_and_display)
--required_player_upgrade: recon_plane (reason: usage_and_display)

For commander abilities that have other components, such as squad weapon upgrades or units unlocked in base buildings, you have to add the same requirements to those.

Sometimes, you will also want to remove another commander ability. That works in a similar way. If the ability is only available in a single commander (or you want to remove it from all the commanders that have it), you can simply remove it from the army's ability list. If you only want to remove it from one commander, use the same required_player_upgrade (or combination of them) described above, but set "is_present" to False.

(Didn't want to discuss this in my mod's thread. I hope that's alright!)

Just pushed an update!

German Mechanized Doctrine added:

0CP: Sd.Kfz. 250/1
Comes without a squad of Grenadiers. Now has an MG42 with the stats from the larger Sd.Kfz. 251/1 halftrack. Cost, health, armor, movement and veterancy copied from the Soviet M3A1. (Also available in Mechanized Assault Doctrine!)
1CP: Sd.Kfz. 223 Command Car
Costs 250MP/20Fu. This is a 222 with an MG42 instead of the 20mm gun; DPS is similar to the USF M20. It can throw smoke grenades as well as capture and lock down territory. The lockdown is improved with each rank of veterancy; the unit itself does not get better.
2CP: Withdraw and Refit
Copied from USF. Vehicles can be retreated from the battlefield to get some resources back.
5CP: Spotting Scopes
These are also available on the new vehicles in this commander.
9CP: StuH 42
This is basically a leFH 18 howitzer strapped to a StuG III. It performs similar to the Brummbär, so it's very effective against infantry blobs. Can be upgraded with an MG42 and Spotting Scope and gets a long-range artillery barrage at Vet 1.

Other changes:

Tiger in Elite Troops Doctrine replaced with King Tiger.
Mechanized Assault Group in Mechanized Assault Doctrine replaced with Sd.Kfz. 250/1, as seen in German Mechanized Doctrine.
The Soviet ZiS-6 truck (included in Concript Support Tactics) can now drop boxes of medical supplies.
The flare fired by the USF Marksman (and the Soviet Sniper) now detects camouflaged enemy units.
Conscript Spotters should work more consistently now. (If feedback is positive, I can include the fix for USF Riflemen as well.)
Grenadiers will now go prone when firing the PzB 39. (That thing is pretty heavy!)

Sorry about the late response! I appreciate the feedback.

Tank Hunters Salvage Kits
Engineer Salvage Kits were the core of this doctrine: as long as you destroyed an enemy vehicle and could salvage it, you got amazing rewards. 100MU for a Kubel, (not sure of the exact values) 250MP 50FU for light and medium armor is insane. This is what keeps you in the fight long enough to gain a tech advantage and build a massive T-34/76 horde. I suggest that you keep the upgrade, make it come a bit earlier, and combine it with the PMD-6M mines.

I disagree. The vanilla salvage kits give way too many resources (although somewhat inconsistently), while the rest of the commander was pretty mediocre. My new ability is easier to use and its purpose is to reliably provide Munitions, for example to make stock Soviet armor more effective against Axis armor via Improved Ammunition.

G43 Package
I did some testing with a friend. The PGren G43s are not an upgrade, nor a downgrade, so essentially all you get is interrogation. I suggest giving them JLI G43s (the ones with 75% HP kill crit). This way, it's not a no-brainer sheer buff like Gren G43s, but a trade off: you gain incredible long-mid range defensive firepower (standing still behind Green Cover) but trade the offensive firepower (when you can charge at LMG squads to get up close and personal).

It's true that the current G43 package doesn't add much value to PGrens, but Ostheer doesn't really need another long-range squad, if you ask me. I'll have to think about what to do with them!

Elite Troops Tiger Ace
I had this idea that you kept the Tiger Ace, made it cost 800MP 280FU, but had no resource penalty. While it would have the stock stats of a Vet 3 Tiger, it would have 3 additional levels of Veterancy, which provided utility. This would keep it unique, but not cheesy (as it is), and not overpowered either (as it can, but shouldn't be).
- For example, Vet 1 would give it a timed self-repair (60MU, duration 30 seconds, disables weapons and movement, removes all crits and restores 320HP), Vet 2 wold give it OKW HEAT shells, Vet 3 would give it KT Spearhead Mode.

The Tiger Ace literally is a Tiger that comes with Vet 3 and +240HP, so adding special abilities would simply make it even stronger! I like Mr.Smith's idea to replace it with a KT, though.

KV-1
To better serve as a meatshield tank, increase it's HP to 960, and give it "Lock Down" like CoH1 PE Panzer IVs. Trades mobility for rate of fire, which would allow it to win battles with Axis medium armor (apart from the (underpowered) Panther) via sheer DPM. The ability should also increase burst length and accuracy of it's two MGs. This would make it a "rock for the enemy to break upon."

I already gave the KV-1 960HP and an armor value of 270, so it's pretty close to a Tiger in terms of survivability (300 armor and 1040HP). For that reason, it's already pretty damn good against P4s and StuGs. Lock down is a good idea, but it might have to come with a price increase!

Mechanized Company
- I removed Recon (very redundant) and gave them a timed "Vehicle Assault" ability that allowed vehicles to move faster and cap territory. 30 seconds, +50% speed and acc/deceleration, caps territory at normal speed. I feel that it would fit better with the "mobile, aggressive" theme of the doctrine.
- Also, I think the P-47 strafe is a bit too much for the Sherman Command Tank. An aura buff for nearby units is already huge. Also, I think reducing reload time would be a better idea than increasing accuracy, as main guns' accuracy is mainly reliant on scatter.

The Major's recon is not very good, so I don't feel the recon ability is redundant. As far as I know, it can't be shot down by AA, but I'll have to check that.
I played around with the value of the P-47 strafe a lot, so it might be way too strong. I'll give it some testing! The accuracy buff almost exclusively helps against enemy vehicles, which is intended. Reducing reload is already provided by Radio Net, and further buffs might lead to lots of infantry wipes!

Recon Support
- I made Forward Observers an upgrade for Riflemen. It costs 30MU, but permanently increase their line-of-sight, and allows them to "Deploy Marksman", sniping a model at a maximum of 40 range for 30MU. A "surprise" counter-snipe.
- I'd argue to keep the I&R Pathfinders, since they are something unique to the doctrine. Just decrease the cost of their artillery strike, and give them extra utility. Personally, I'd add Smoke Barrages (free or cheap), and Binoculars Mode (disables weapons, SU-85 cone vision).
- I'd also trade the repetitive 155mm Artillery Barrage with something new. Remember the Precision Artillery Strike for Fox Company from Ardennes Assault? I went on with that idea and gave them an "M1 203mm "Black Dragon" Precision Artillery Strike." Essentially a WM Railway Arty, but with only 1 shell, and no smoke, just a sound. Costs 150MU. It stays with the "Spot and Smash" theme of the commander.

With a permanent sight buff, Riflemen might steamroll over Axis MGs even more, especially with their long-range smoke grenades. The Sniper ability sounds nice, though, and I'm thinking of giving it to Pathfinders from Airborne Company, along with letting them deploy from buildings. Giving them a smoke barrage would also be possible, but then again, USF already has lots of smoke. I'll think about it!
The I&R Pathfinders were literally only good for their artillery strike (which is now included as a direct commander ability) and for giving them double BARs; I don't really like them.

Also, please, no more Forward Retreat Points. Makes blobbing all the worse.

I agree that FRPs are not very good for the game, but since it's unlikely that Relic will remove them entirely, I prefer all factions having access to them. I do try not to make them too easily available, though.

Other than that, your mod is great! I hope you touch up some other commanders as well!

A couple ideas:
- German "Mechanized Grenader/Pangergrenadier Groups" (Sdkfz. 250): cost adjustment. After all, it's just a mobile garrison.
- Opel Blitz: it's just a bit too redundant as it is right now. Extra abilities?
- USF Airborne: weapon drops cost adjustments.
- Commando Regiment: Assault (possibly make it apply to all infantry), Commando Gilder Insertion (cost decrease)
- Royal Engineers: Command Vehicle (no free recon), Anti-Building Flame Mortar Support (turn it into an incendiary artillery barrage, because right now it's almost completely useless, since it doesn't fire anything)
- Royal Artillery: Early Warning (cost adjustment), Concentration Barrage (cost adjustment or performance increase (i.e. perhaps allow Sextons and 25-prds to ignore cooldown and fire 3 shells at the target) Valentine (I feel firespark's idea is great, remove Sexton Barrage), Sexton (make it cheaper, and take up less popcap), Perimeter Overwatch (currently it's exceptionally useless, since you just can't spot anything quickly enough. Maybe a Sector Arty for all frontline territories?)
- UKF Tactical Support Forward Observation Post: I have never seen this built, ever. Must be a reason.
- Crocodile: Mr. Smith's QoL Mod fixes this nicely

Thanks!
I actually replaced the Mechanized Groups by a much cheaper, empty Sd.Kfz. 250 that now has an MG and veterancy, so it's actually useful. Coming up in the next patch, probably this evening!
The Opel Blitz is pretty much a clone of the USF ambulance. What did you have in mind? Another troop transport is probably not needed, and not many people use those anyway.

USF Airborne will get a complete rework. Here's what I had in mind:
- Pathfinders that can spawn from buildings and call for MG/Mortar/ATG drops.
- Paratroopers might get a small buff, but they're mostly fine, I think.
- Resource Drop as seen on Ostheer commanders.
- P-47 MG strafe similar to the one in Tactical Support Company.
- The P-47 rocket loiter might be turned into a strafe as well, but I'm not sure yet!

I don't like the British faction at all, therefore I don't play them a lot. For that reason, I'm also working on another mod that completely reworks them (makes them quite similar to Ostheer, actually), so I might not bother with including some of their commanders here. Never say never, though!

The Attribute Editor only modifies XML files, so there are no if-clauses or similar stuff. I recommend watching some basic tutorials:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6mdO-FQ680
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsflS3R0uEo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvnKsZ0pzG0

What you're looking for is in the "inventory -> commander" and "inventory -> commander_ability" categories, but you can't modify them, or at least it doesn't do anything. The archetypes also have no real function, as far as I know. But still, commander abilities are set up in a fairly simple way.

Let's use the Tiger Ace as an example. You can easily find everything related to it by using the AE's search function. It's set up like this:

1. There is a Tiger Ace upgrade that is granted to the player once Elite Troops Doctrine is chosen, regardless of the current CP value. This upgrade is invisible while playing.

2. There is a Tiger Ace dispatch ability - this is what you click on to get it. To show up, it needs to be added to the ability list in the "army" category and have the proper requirements: The Tiger Ace upgrade, to make sure you have the commander, and a minimum CP value.

For every requirement, you can set a "reason" value. "usage" means that the requirement must be fulfilled for the unit or ability to be usable, while "usage_and_display" means that it must be fulfilled for it to show up and be usable. In this case, you would use "usage_and_display" for the upgrade and "usage" for the CPs.

To help you further, I would need to know what exactly you want to do. I do have a working commander mod, and you're free to look at the source files if you want to see how it works:
https://github.com/PlanetSmasherCOH/CommanderRework

The Sturmtiger's main weapon is fired via an ability, so you have to modify both:

weapon\west_german\explosive_weapons\heavy_artillery\sturmtiger_rw_61_380mm_rocket_launcher
abilities\west_german\modal_ability\artillery\sturmtiger_380mm_rocket_attack

The ability already has a range value of 150, though, so it's only limited by the weapon's range at the moment.