Upgrade complete!

Only one minor hiccup, but it looks like everything is running ok. We won't know for sure until everyone starts using the new play and AAR tools, but so far so good!

What should you do now?

If you have recorded plays in the past that were not solo plays you should modify them to become shared plays so that you can begin benefiting from our new multiplayer tracking. All existing plays have been set to "solo" since the majority are. Please begin updating your records if they are not solo!

If you have written AARs that were not in English you should modify them to change the language to the proper setting. All existing AARs have been set to "English" by default. Please update your non-English AARs to the proper language!

If you find a problem?

Let me know in the comments section for this news item.

PG-HQ backs up its database automatically every 24 hours. In the extremely unlikely event that this update destroys the site, it will be trivially easy for us to roll back the clock to immediately before the update was applied.

Help me!

Besides adding real multiplayer support, the primary goal of this update was streamlining the record and AAR submission process. I have tried to make the various forms as intuitive and easy to use as possible.

With that goal in mind, as you're using the new system if you see something that has room for improvement please let me know in the comments section!

That's all for now...

Time for your humble site admin to get some rest, and then celebrate Lunar New Year. Post-Spring Festival I'll be back with a more thorough explanation of our new structure and the site's future development path.

Here's hoping you like your upgrade!

The new Records & AARs system is ready. We will go live after the next bounty recalculation. So just after:

• 2012/01/21 06:05:00 UTC
• 2012/01/21 01:05:00 U.S. EST
• 2012/01/21 14:05:00 China
• 2012/01/21 17:05:00 AUS Sydney

I will begin updating the site code. The entire process should take less than 5 minutes.

What will change? My PG-HQ, all of it.

This is by far the most substantial change we've made to the site since launch. The play and AAR record system is the core of PG-HQ. Almost every single page of the site - ~5,000 in all at this point - draw upon your plays and AARs to create statistics.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it! True. But it has never been easy to use, and it desperately needed new features. What features? You'll see tomorrow!

Lastly, three of our members have recently completed tours of duty. I have not forgotten about you lads! I just don't want your awards announcement to be buried in an avalanche of site upgrade announcements. You'll get your medals once the dust has settled from this upgrade.

Apart from the initial confirmation email, PG-HQ has a very loose policy on email - you can change your address whenever you please, and no further attempts are made to verify its existence.

That's going to change.

Starting March 1st, if PG-HQ tries to send you an email and delivery fails because the address is bogus, your account will be placed on double secret probation and you will not be allowed to log in again until you provide a working address.

The reason is simple: 2012 will see a variety of tools added to PG-HQ that depend on reliable communication with the members using them.

If you wish to maintain radio silence, you will have the ability to opt-out of all site emails.

This warning is going up ~6 weeks before the Email Cop goes online in order to give all of you plenty of time to verify that your account email is usable.

If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments!

I hope everyone is winding down an enjoyable end to 2011...

The bounty system, aka PG-HQ's Most Wanted, has been revived from stasis.

All bounties owed have been paid in full, and at the same rates of gradual adjustment they would have received had it been running continuously since late August. Sadly, those of you who were owed bounties did not receive interest on the late payments ;-)

Until the new plays and AARs system goes live, bounties will run silently: you will not be immediately awarded a bounty when you record a new play or write a new AAR. Instead, your bounty goes in a queue that pays out every 48 hours when the value recalculation occurs. This is a temporary fix to bridge the gap between the old and new systems.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line anytime!

Enjoy your holidays, folks, and play as much as you can!

Some said it would never be done, some said it would be done but would also take years, no one imagined there would be a soldier so determined, so efficient, as the man they call "beast013". Without complaint, battle after battle, marching ever forwards, he has slain the granddaddy of all tours - Eastern Front Deluxe Edition. To put his incredible achievement in the proper perspective, PG-HQ has prepared a short statistical breakdown of the path of destruction beast013 has wrought across the Soviet Union:

• Overall Record:
  • Germany & Romania 81 victories
  • Soviet Union 31 victories
• German Breakdown:
  • Attacking: 45 wins, 17 losses
  • Defending: 20 wins, 9 losses
• Romania Breakdown:
  • Attacking: 15 wins, 4 losses
  • Defending: 4 wins, 1 loss
• Soviet Union Breakdown:
  • Attacking: 19 wins, 42 losses
  • Defending: 12 wins, 39 losses
• Average Rating: 3.3125
• Rated '2': 2 times
• Rated '3': 73 times
• Rated '4': 37 times
• First Play Date: 2011-06-01
• Final Play Date: 2011-12-22
• Campaign Real-time Length: 204 days
• Total Turns: 3,102
• Total Counters: 8,126
• Total Maps: 291
• Total Map Area: 39 sq m, 420 sq ft
• Plays & Days:
  • 22 plays on Sunday
  • 9 plays on Monday
  • 7 plays on Tuesday
  • 17 plays on Wednesday
  • 6 plays on Thursday
  • 13 plays on Friday
  • 38 plays on Saturday

beast013, in recognition and commemoration of your accomplishment, you are hereby awarded this ribbon:

Outstanding!

As of this morning, 294 members have indicated a country of residence in their profile. Among them, 11 are listed as residing in Afghanistan.

While many members of the armed forces enjoy wargaming, having nearly 4% of our entire muster stationed in Afghanistan seemed a bit high...

And my suspicions were confirmed when I saw one of our guys list himself as Afghanistan, Texas, Kerrville.

Just a friendly reminder folks: the country select on your My PG-HQ Profile page defaults to the first country on the list - Afghanistan. Take an extra 2 seconds when you enlist to make sure that's really where you are!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with the Politburo... ;-)