[MarkSheppard]

When SP2 originally shipped, it came with two sets of RAM recommendations:

8 MB of RAM (16 MB for PBEM replay)

The minimum RAM needed was about 6~ MB.

Additionally, they had special unique email-only save slots:

Regular save games got saved in \STEEL2\SAVE\
PBEM save games got saved in \STEEL2\EMAIL\

When SP2 was patched to version 1.1; they removed the "save email games only in special slots" requirement, and made all save game slots email useable.

Also, what I think they did (as an undocumented feature); was they introduced PBEM savegame compression in v1.1 as a result of feedback from PBEM players asking them to please do something about file sizes!

1996/1997 have been so long ago, a lot of us have forgotten modem speed limitations.

But back then at 14.4 kbit/s:

690 kb = 7~ minute download/upload time.
190 kb = 2~ minute download/upload time.

Additionally, AOL (remember them?) and others used to charge by the HOUR of connected time.

Because the SSI programmers were lazy, when they made all save game slots email compatible; they also by default made save game compression the new defacto standard.

The compression routines might been "backported" from the SP3 codebase, which was actively being developed at the time; and some SP3 stuff was actually put in SP2 v1.1 per the README:

The patch automatically provides the user with enhanced infantry and artillery routines much like those used in SSI's new Steel Panthers III: Brigade Command, which, without compromising any of the playability of Steel II, allow a more effective role to both.

Unfortunately for programmers like me, the capability of SP2 v1.1 to read both compressed and uncompressed SP2 save game files meant that SP2 scenario/save files can be of two types (Compressed/Uncompressed) because in pre-internet days, not everyone patched/updated to the latest game; so you had a frankensteined scenario collection, some being compressed, some being uncompressed.

Fred Chlanda's WW2Map.exe only can take SP2 v1.1 compressed files for input; so in order to convert a SP2 map to SPCAMO for use in SPMBT, it has to either be in 1.1 format or converted before hand. Otherwise, Fred's program throws: "NOT A VALID SP2 v1.1 or SPWW2 FILE!"

So I'm looking at having to make a map converter so people don't need to run SP2 v1.1 in DOSBOX to get a map converted over...