1. Download OpenGenFull on your PG2 main game folder.
2. You need Winrar to extract the files, so if you have not yet, you can get it from RarLab using this link: RarLab
3. After downloading, double-click on rar file and on main WinRar window click on "Extract On" button.
4. A new window will pop up showing  a right panel with your folders, pick the proper one (PG2 folder or newly created)
5. Click on Advanced tab and be sure you have enabled "Extract Full Paths" options.
6. Back to General tab, be sure you have properly set folder to unpack, and if everything is right, click OK button and wait, when finished copying files, close WinRar.
7. And that's all you should find a new executable on your destination folder (Main Folder) as well as some new folders.
8. Download REDIST package and unpack on Main Game folder to create folders for each of the active Efile. Some files on SOUND folder are already installed at this point, so skip when warned (*) See Efile folders entry below
9. Click on OpenGen.exe to load the game, if this is the first time you run, you will be prompted to browse and pick your Main Game Folder.

1. Create a new folder on your HDD. This will be your Main Game Folder

2. Download Latest Panzer2.dat (Datup) into Main Game Folder and unpack, this will create panzer2.dat on your HDD

3. Download OpenGenFull on that Main Game Folder.
4. You need Winrar to extract the files, so if you have not installed yet, you can get it from RarLab using this link: RarLab
5. After downloading, double-click on rar file and on main WinRar window click on "Extract On" button.
6. A new window will pop up showing  a right panel with your folders, pick the proper one (PG2 folder or newly created)
7. Click on Advanced tab and be sure you have enabled "Extract Full Paths" options.
8. Back to General tab, be sure you have properly set folder to unpack, and if everything is right, click OK button and wait, when finished copying files, close WinRar.
9. And that's all you should find a new executable on your destination folder (Main Folder) as well as some new folders.
10. Download REDIST package and uncompress on Main Game folder to create folders for each of the active Efile. Some files on SOUND folder are already installed at this point, so skip when warned. (*) See Efile folder below
11. You need to install also at least one Efile and some campaigns made for that Efile.
    Best place is Steve's site: Steve PG2 campaign page
12. Click on OpenGen.exe to load the game, then browse to select your Main Game Folder.

• OpenMusic as mp3.rar to be unpacked on SOUND folder
• SFX_1xxx_mp3.rar , SFX_2xxx_mp3.rar and SFX_3xxx_mp3.rar to be unpacked into SFX folder

Each option requires to be enabled on scenario file, so some scenarios could be designed to allow blow and repair but not enabled for building, or could be enabled to build but not to repair.

• Units having efile's special "sapper" or "engineer" attribute can blow up Bridges, Airports, Cities and Ports.
  Unit must be placed on hex to blow, and should have not taken any action
   
• Units having "sapper" special attribute can either repair blown hexes or convert terrain to be Bridge, Airports, Ports or Fortification (build)
  Unit must be placed on hex to blow, and should have not has fired, reinforced or moved
.
 

Mines are  implemented as a new terrain attribute. Can be defined in scenarios at design time, but can also be dropped by certain units.
For ground mines, units having sapper special attribute can drop and remove mines . Any infantry unit can try to remove mines.
For sea mines, destroyers and naval units having sapper special attribute, can both drop and remove mines.

Minefields have no side, so they can damage any unit regardless which side dropped it 

• Entering spotted minefields (ground/sea) require spend full movement (cost 254, like rivers)
• Entering un-spotted minefield can cause some losses - up to 3 strength points - depending on unit experience and engineer attribute
• When any unit is on a minefields its movement is limited to 1 and gets reduced its defense by 3.
• To clear mines, unit must be in the minefield, but not always will success and if no success, unit can suffer some loses

OpenGen allows to define units to become core on any scenario of a campaign, not only the first one.
Also there is a new flag on campaign file to reset all core units on any scenario, as it first scenario will be replayed. 

Scenario must enable this optional feature.
Then, artillery units and capital ships, having non zero "bomber size" value (same than level bombers), can fire to empty hexes in order to blow up bridges, towns, airfields,... on that hex.

If hex had any unspotted enemy unit, then:

• Unit's entrenchment is reduced by 2
• Unit strength can suffer up to 1 strength point - although cannot be destroyed by this action
• Unit can suffer some lasting suppression
• Unit can get reduced ammo and fuel

This option must be enabled on scenario.
If AD/Flak is hidden plane is fired as soon as it enter any surrounding hex. Plane can go on flying after fired.
If AD/Flak was spotted, it only fires if plane stops on any surrounding hex.

Must be enabled in scenario file.
This option reduces spotting ground units:

• mountain, hills and cities cut spotting from 2 and up for ground units
• forest cannot be spotted from distance>1
• if gnd unit is obstructed, no further spot from behind that hex
   

And for Air units:

• forest and cities cannot be spotted from 2 and up from air.

Some of the internal tables used by the game, can be overridden by using external tables if located close to Efile.
These are the tables you can currently override:

• Weather.txt - modify weather tables
• Terrain.txt - to modify base-entrenchment, initiative-cap and cost to enter
• Eyear.txt - to override default base year.
  An alternative way, which takes precedence, is to include this token:  "BYEAR = ####" within first equipment item name (first record of Efile)
   

OpenGen allow to configure different things, like screen resolution. Some of the settings are accessed by mean of the Settings Window which can be accessed either from main game menu (start window) or from sidebar menu in game.
Setting window allow to change:

• Screen mode : Windowed or Full exclusive directX mode
• Screen resolution: can pick on both modes which screen resolution and color depth you prefer.
• Recently files used, quick launch
• Media Settings, including different volume controls for:
  - game effects (capture, leader, click, ..)
  - weather sound effects
  - units sound effects
  - background music
  Here you can also configure game videos, in case you want to replace defaults
• Options to include on After Action Report.
  AAR can be obtained at any point from HQ, Turn Status, End Scenario and Dossier windows at any time.
  AAR can be obtained also for standalone scenarios
• Game preferences
  Here you can select some visual effects, related with explosions, weather animations and AI to use, as in a future several AI engines can be developed for OpenGeneral
• Scroll speed
• And here you can review which files are loaded and game version you are running.

• Toggle to paint terrain type labels and roads on map
• Toggle to outline range of fire for selected unit
• Toggle to mark spotted hexes on map
• Toggle to hide  unit strength
• Option to review scenario intro - and if playing a campaign also campaign introduction
• Option to review turn data info, including victory conditions status, current player type, side and stance, date and weather conditions 
  
  All this options can be toggled also by using a hotkey

By default every time you start a campaign, OpenGen will check mapfiles and map pictures to be sure you have none missing. if any is missing it will try to download and install from Gilestiel server using FTP. This is done on a background process and it will log any file downloaded or any file missing.

This automatic check can be disabled by mean of a check-box available on "Pick Campaign" dialog. On this dialog there are also two useful buttons to check for the campaign you have highlighted missing files. One button just check and report files, and the second, will also check but will try to download any missing map too.

Available info.

Screen shows this info:

• Current turn and total turns
• current weather and ground conditions. Hovering mouse it shows also a forecast regarding number of turns to change weather
• Selected unit, name, equipment, leader, experience, ammo, fuel & entrenchment
• Tool tips for menus show also the alternative hotkey in case you prefer use keyboard
• Can configure if you want to show always to show terrain in addition to hex name on top of window
• Can also configure to see an explosion on the target unit when it is fired from range 2 or bigger..

I call "Efolder" to the directory where Efile and all its stuff is located. Main game folder can also be used and in fact if you had already installed PG2 Main game folder will be added automatically.

Any EFolder must include at least these sub-directories in order to work (either it won't be included on Efile combo-box selector):

• SCENARIO, to hold all campaigns and scenarios available for the Efile
• SAVE, to hold all save games played with the Efile

but you can replicate any of the Main game folder to allow custom overriding of common files. So you could create any of these additional sub-directories:

• USERSCEN, can hold standalone scenarios if you prefer to keep them on different folders, but not needed
• OPENDAT, to include any Efile specific graphics, like flags, start screen, medals, dossier, portraits, ...
• SOUNDS, if you want custom Efile music or game effects for this Efile
• SFX, for custom efile's units sound effects
• OPENGUI, if you want to have a different UI appearance for this Efile.
• SMACK, to have specific videos for this Efile

Each time the game need to load any file it looks first on EFolder & their subdirectories and if not found, then looks on Main Game & their standard folder. So you can use a mix of files, putting only specific files on EFolder subdirectories, i.e.: those being different>

Main game folder should include this sub-folders

• MAP, to include all map pictures. This folder can be used also as a common repository for mapfiles (.map)
• OPENGUI, to include all user interface files.
• OPENDAT, to include default Efile graphics files, like flags, start screen, medals, dossier, portraits, ...
• SOUNDS, to include default music and game effects
• SFX, for default units sound effects
• SMACK, for default videos

If Main game folder is used also as another Efolder, then it should include SCENARIO and SAVE sub-folders, and optionally USERSCEN if you like.
Any Efile defining more than 31 countries must include a custom OPENDAT folder and all the Efile graphics files for its countries.

Within each EFolder you need also:

• EQUIP97.eqp and EQUIP97.txt - to define units types (equipment) and icons.
• Nations.txt - to define countries.
• NAMES.txt - to define leader's names.
   
• Rest of text files defining terrain, units, leaders and interface labels can be missing as default data is included
  but it is strongly advisable to put a proper set of files.
  • Terrain.txt - to define terrain labels and data, including cost to enter different hexes.
  • Units.txt - to define unit related labels, including leaders types
  • User.txt - to define menus and messages labels
  • Colors.txt  - only needed if you want to change UI colors)
  • Eyear.txt  - only if you want to set a different base year (default is 1900)
     
• PG2 standard files are also read if Nations.txt is not found (GUI97.txt, MISC.txt)

There is always a working Efile folder in use which can be changed by browsing for a new one or by selecting a campaign/scenario into a different folder.

Game effects (must be located on SOUND folder)

• Mouse/keyboard "click" (Click.mp3/wav)
• Flag captured (Capture.mp3/wav)
• Victory Hex captured (CaptureVH.mp3/wav) - if not found. normal flag captured will be played
• Leader raised
(RaiseLeader.mp3/wav)
• Rain and Snow weather conditions.
  Two different sounds for rain can be played: Rain and Rain2 (mp3/wav). If game finds only Rain file, it will be repeated.
  For Snow condition Winter.mp3/wav will be played if found
• End turn (EndTurn.mp3/wav)

 Units effects are defined on Efile and mp3 files should be located on SFX folder.
 

Same than sounds effects music is better played when files are mp3. Wav files can also be played, but sometimes fail due to missing codecs, so mp3 format is more advisable.

Default music can be defined by entering Settings/Media Settings and picking up to 2 mp3 files. I said default, as this is the music to be played when no scenario is loaded (menu music), or when no Efile's custom music is found.

As soon as you start any scenario, either standalone or within a campaign, game checks if there is any specific music defined for that scenario and if any and it can be found then that music is played. But if scenario doesn't define any music, then Efile music is searched.

• Efile music should fit a structured file name system to allow find the files, based on main country number of first player not being computer.
  Lets say it is Germany, country# 8, then these files are searched:
  * Music8_a.mp3/wav and Music8_b.mp3/wav
  
  For any other country# it would be
  * Music#_a and Music#_b (mp3/wav)
   
• But you don't need to define music for every country. When any country file is not found then a generic efile music:
  * Music0_a and Music0_b (mp3/wav)
  are used, if found.
   
• If Music0 is not found neither, then standard files are searched if main country is 8,10,20 or 23:
  * gplay/usplay/rplay/bplay (mp3/wav) (check available package on top of page)
   
• All music is first searched into  EFolder's SOUND subfolder, and if not found into main game SOUND subfolder.
  So you don't need to define music for ALL efiles, just put default music files (Music0-*) on main SOUND folder and any efile will play that music.

In case none of the above files were found, then those default files defined on Media Settings will be played
 

These are the files needed for any Efile:

• dossier_medal (png/bmp)
• dossier_portrait (png/bmp)
• flag_med (png/bmp)
• flag_small (png/bmp)
• inspect_leader (png/bmp)
• inspect_medal (png/bmp)
• roundels (png/bmp)
• Start_Open  (png/bmp) - (* really any png/bmp with a filename start+anything can be used)

Files are searched using this sequence:

1. In EFolder's OPENDAT subfolder
2. In Main game OPENDAT subfolder (if any is missing yet)
3. If any is not found then PG2 standard shp files  (dossier.shp, flags1.shp, inspect.shp) are searched:
   • As external shp file in EFolder's OPENDAT subfolder
   • As external shp file in Main game OPENDAT folder
   • within panzer2.dat

REDIST package includes all different pictures delivered with Graph-Switcher tool (well except those having old format) compressed in a package to allow installing efiles folders easily.

Do not remove any of these files or game won't run!

• A big problem are reloads. Can the program notice when a turn already has been loaded once? Maybe some DRUM-technologies could make it possible that a turn can only be opened once?
• The equipment files both players use should be compared somehow.
• Can saved poem turns be encrypted, so that no one can manipulate values?
• A realistic simulation of night combat means, that sight is reduced and there're no air combats. This means, it's more or less exactly the same as rainy weather.
• If night turns were finally included, it would be nice to have the opportunity to choose, whether to attack at night or at daylight. This means, that in the mirrored mode of a POEM-match one general can attack at night and the other general attacks at daylight in the same turn.
• Display the number of units of each class, the opponent had at the beginning of the scenario.
• Include losses for all classes (fortifications, ships).
• Include an option to disable cancel/undo of unit's movements for a poem game.
• For optional features, a global settings-menu, where to set up these options (I think, there will come any more) and saved in elm when starting a game, so that the opponent play with these options even if he not activated them. Some of these feature maybe would be "standard" in the course of time, so it would be annoying to set up these on every new pbem. and maybe onetime you forgot one option to set, its angrily.
• It would be a great thing, if OPG2 compressed the eml-files of one match automatically to a zip-file and wrote this one into a closable directory.
• Furthermore it should be possible to have save games of several PBEM-matches in the save-directory without causing crashes (like in original PG2).

• for now - the AI doesn't move his ships, until he spot the opponent's fleet, but the AI also won't do anything to search for players ships. If player doesn't "show him" his fleet - nothing happens.
• the AI's fleet doesn't move, even when I gave "capturing hex" ability to ships, and he could capture some VH in ports this way.