Hi all,

This one features an overhaul of everything armour related, three new parts, AI formations and improvements as well as a major vehicle optimization.

This is live on the experimental branch for a few days until you've all nailed down any issues.

To opt-in:
1. Right-click the game in your library.
2. Click properties.
3. Open the 'BETAS' tab.
4. Move onto the 'experimental' branch.

You can opt out at any time.

New Parts

• Track belt segment off of the Mark IV.
  
• Churchill sprocket wheel mount.
  
• Sherman idler arm.
  

Additions

• Addon armour is now visible in the armour view.
  
• Maximum expected armour is now shown in the era description (this is the same as the slider soft limits).
  
• Armour view can now be toggled with a hotkey ('A' by default)
  
• Addon plates and track panels now add armour and mass.
  
• Added AI formations, featuring line and convoys.
  
• Added cruise control, driving without having to hold a button.
  
• Added graphic to show the attachment currently under the cursor.
  
• Added open/close animation to space/mass summary dropdowns.
  
• Added open/close animation to AI order menu.
  
• Added post-processing settings for vignette, motion-blur, chromatic aberration, bloom, ambient occlusion, contact shadows and depth of field. Disabling these will give a significant performance boost.
  
• Added several new midwar enemies.
  

Fixes

• Fixed unpredictable results when sampling armour thickness of mantlets.
  
• Made effective thickness added by external armour more realistic.
  
• Tracks and external fuel tanks no longer fully absorb shots. They now function as standard applique armour.
  
• Fuel tanks blown off the vehicle now remove their fuel.
  
• Fixed the cannon-load indicator not showing the correct value when switching from a vehicle with a destroyed loader to one with a functioning loader.
  
• Removed the gap underneath roadwheels on destroyed tracks.
  
• Switching vehicles now carries over throttle and steering control, you no longer have to release and press.
  
• AI command highlighted selection no longer gets stuck with the highlighted colour.
  
• Fuel tanks blown off the vehicle no longer match the owner vehicle's level of detail, stopping low quality barrels lying around.
  
• Fixed cannon designer updating the cannon with outdated values, resulting in unpredictable results.
  
• Fixed potential crash with rollers enabled and a track configuration with no rollers.
  
• Decals are no longer cut-off when placed on the boundary of the hull and a fixed superstructure.
  
• Deleting a blueprint while waiting for confirmation of another delete no longer causes the confirm panel to get stuck on screen.
  
• Fixed blueprint-loaded decals disappearing when detached and scaled up.
  
• Fixed "Taiga" scenario being unwinnable.
  

Changes

• Hull/turret armour design now enables full armour view, instead of only the part being designed.
  
• Turret traverse motor torque can no-longer go below hand cranked torque.
  
• Roadwheels not in contact with the ground now spin at the same speed as the rest of the track.
  
• Fully reworked "Fields" scenario. It has changed from latewar to midwar.
  
• Changed lighting on "The Crossroad", creating an even gloomier atmosphere.
  
• Changed text style on message logs.
  
• Improved AI movement with Clutch-braking steering system and tight turns.
  
• The scope crosshair now receives anti-aliasing, making scope markings appear crisper (with anti-aliasing enabled).
  
• Various polish to designer GUI.
  
• Track end wheel mounts are now flipped depending on which end of the vehicle they're on.
  

Optimizations

• Attached parts are now merged with the hull/turret into a single model, massively reducing the workload on the CPU. This is especially noticeable with high-part count vehicles or big battles.
  
• Made CPU processing of all vehicles more suitable for multi-threading, more noticeable at higher part counts.
  
• Reduced rendering cost of wheels at far distances.
  

Next up:
Designable addon structures that extend the hull/turret, contributing to internal space and mass.