A Discussion on the Possible Discrepancies Between the Southern Storm and Reality

[HXLFSJ]

Firstly, the hex size in the game is 500 meters, which is a rather awkward dimension. It is too large for a platoon but too small for a company. During the Cold War, the typical platoon defensive position size was around 200–300 meters, while a company defensive position could reach up to 1,000 meters. Secondly, this hex size also has flaws in describing artillery effectiveness. Referring to Soviet military textbooks, the suppression range of a single artillery piece is generally about 0.5 hectares. This means that it would take a staggering 50 artillery pieces to suppress a single hex. In other words, without observation and direction, the blind firing of artillery can be considered ineffective.
Based on the above reasons, I believe it is worth considering adjusting the hex size in the game in the future. The ideal size should be either 200 meters or 1,000 meters.

[CapnDarwin]

Actually, 500m hexes works out well on many levels. NATO forces maneuvering in platoons allows those forces to deploy across a greater range of terrain to contain attacking Warsaw Pact companies. It fits well with the Warsaw Pact forces on the attack as we have recon and other supporting elements in sections and platoons, while the major elements of armor and mechanized infantry are at company strength. The only case where unit size for the Pact falls short is on the defensive, where the need to fan out over 1000-1500 meters would be more accurate. We are considering adding platoon-level constructs in the next game to cover these defensive settings better. Most scenarios in Southern Storm have the Warsaw Pact on the attack, so the impact of the unit sizes is minimal.

As for artillery, we cover both observed and blind fire into a hex (or hexes) to ensure the accuracy of the rounds on targets. We look at a per shell per target mapping of a salvo and take into account the spotting effects and the travel and terrain of the target unit when performing the calculations, as well as the type and number of shells fired. The only aspect of the artillery system that may be a bit overturned is the response time loop of target spotting to rounds on target. That has been noted as being a bit too fast and will be addressed in the new game engine.

Thanks for posting your observations. We take the game's fidelity seriously, as versions of it are used professionally.