Overwhelmed by AA

[form dk]

Matrix;

I am generally happy with TOAW3. However, there are some issues (especially with airpower) that make gameplay extremely frustrating.

One is the observation that ground-based AA seems overpowered. The first attack launched in a combat turn attract lots of ground support aircraft, and due to overpowered AA, losses are high no matter the composition of the defending force.

Attacking (in Olympic '45) with armor and overwhelming airpower an extremely diminished unit of infantry (the size of a few companies) with no dedicated AA weapons resulted in me losing 10 aircraft, including 2 high altitude bombers. I lost no ground forces in the attack, and the defending unit evaporated. This is very maddening.

In the same scenario, I swing from turn to turn having an extremely high interdiction level to an interdiction level of zero. This is even though the scenario time scale is full day turns, and I have interdicting units that aren't reorganizing.

Are there any fixes for this, or patches due soon that will address this problem?

-Form DK

[Chuck2]

Have you already downloaded the latest patch? That should help.

[form dk]

I have the 3.0.0.17 patch.
 
Here's another example:  In the Desert Storm '91 scenario, attacking the Missle Artillery Unit (at 26, 47) on turn 1 with overwhelming airpower results in: 4 AH-1 Cobras destroyed and 1 OH-58 Kiowa destroyed, for 6 Scud-B SSMs and 4 trucks.  There are no SAM weapons in range of the defending unit, and the enemy is also able to respond with counter-battery (the TOAW equivalent) that takes out several pieces of equipment in a hex where the attacking helicopters came from.  This is after attacking with 269 Apaches, about 350 Kiowas, and 150 odd Cobra's!
 
-Form DK
 
 
 

[form dk]

Same scenario, 1st turn:  I attack the same Missle Artillery unit with 45 F-15E's and 20 F-16's.  I trade 1 permanetly destroyed F-15E (with 4 more aircraft 'damaged' and placed in the force pool) for 4 Scud-B SSM's and 3 trucks.  That hardly seems like a fair or sensible trade, especially considering that the Scud-B SSM is listed as having an anti-air strength of 0.
 
-Form DK

[Chuck2]

This scenario doesn't have the precision guided weapons level set, which could explain why the aircraft aren't destroying more equipment. Try going into the editor and setting it to 300 for the Allied side. This should yield better results.

As for the invisible AA, that is interesting. I tried this myself and can confirm you findings. Not sure why this is happening. All I see in TOAW log is:

Smite: Coalition 1st Arm Div, 1-1 Cav/4th Bd, (bombardment), attrition%= 5.
Coalition anti armor max shots per target: 2.
Coalition anti personnel max shots per target: 2.
Iraq anti armor max shots per target: 2.
Iraq anti personnel max shots per target: 2.
Iraq weapons firing on Coalition OH-58 Kiowa Warrior.
Potentially effective hit on Coalition OH-58 Kiowa Warrior by Iraq weapon.
OH-58 Kiowa Warrior damaged, sent to replacement pool. (specific_attrit=10)
Weighted direct combat losses: 5%
Check morale: Coalition 1st Arm Div, 1-1 Cav/4th Bd, ouch=50,ouch threshold=50.
Morale check passed (quality or deployment).
End smite...

Perhaps the Scuds are bombarding the helicopters and airfields? Doesn't seem realistic.

[form dk]

I don't know what to say about the Scud.  It does seem that it 'fires back' at the defending hex, though.  I attacked with about 30 helicopters, and took significant losses to units within the attacking hex.  This is frustrating ...[:(]

[form dk]

I just did some test in a 'custom' scenario I designed.  It appears that it's 'counter-battery' fire.
 
-Form DK

[JAMiAM]

ORIGINAL: form dk

I just did some test in a 'custom' scenario I designed.  It appears that it's 'counter-battery' fire.

-Form DK

That is true. Helicopters are somewhat peculiarly implemented in TOAW, straddling behaviors of both artillery and aircraft. Some improvements might be in order here, but admittedly they will be of a relatively low priority until we get some other things taken care of.