The diversity of the units is huge, there being hundreds of types. The addition of range fire is new to the system and will force experienced Panzer Generals to develop new tactics. Although ammunition and fuel are still tracked and must be replenished, one change in the supply system has been made. Because of the smaller scale of the game, it is assumed that aircraft would have sufficient fuel to travel the entire map many times over during the length of the various scenarios. The combat system takes terrain into account and has many additional subtleties.
Leaders possess a key strategical and tactical abilities enhancing the units' abilities.
Despite all these subtle rule changes and relative complexity and variety of units, all of this is hidden from the user through an intuitive and easy to understand interface. In fact, Panzer General II is probably one of those few wargames that does not require one to read the manual before playing the first time. The great fun of this game is to play these scenarios in campaigns. Each campaign is introduced by a narrator with a soft accent of the nationality being played, while nationalist music in the background sets the mood and fuels flames of patriotism. Many players report easy victory on even the hardest levels, with many others complaining that they cannot even win the initial scenarios at the easy difficulty.