Pass the Kryptonite - Oleg's Supermen are coming! 1943 AAR.

[karonagames]

I wish I knew how to do the subtitles on those things - they are too funny!

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: BigAnorak

Like you, ahistorical strategies are not what I want to be forced into, but the concept of merging/disbanding units is not ahistorical. My approach may be "gamey" in that it is designed to keep the maximum amount of manpower in the units I believe are the most important to keep Oleg from the Gates of Moscow - the infantry and the mechanised units. The support units have only a random chance of joining the combat - I want to have guaranteed fighters.

I don't think what I am doing is a bad as moving the Rumanian Army to France, like I used to do in WIR!

I just want to emphasize, I certainly didn't mean to criticize you or any other player for using ahistorical solutions or being gamey, I hope it didn't seem that way. I just meant that I am not entirely comfortable with the game having mechanics steering players into using ahistorical methods.

[JJKettunen]

ORIGINAL: BigAnorak

T3: Have to say I didn't expect Oleg to get busy in the Vitebsk area, so the local reserves were not sufficient to deal with his breakthrough.

Well, the frontline would have been three hexes to the east, and you would have had 8th Panzer Division behind the bulge in a historically accurate version. I'm designing it (shameless plug!).

[Q-Ball]

Is it a-historical to raid units for Manpower? Probably somewhat; raiding airbase, flak, or HQ units isn't, because all that actually happened.

Disbanding Luftwaffe Units didn't, but that was political. The Wehrmacht certainly thought that would be a great idea.

The only thing questionable maybe are the Construction units, because alot of those soldiers were foreign conscripts or otherwise not really fit for frontline duty.

[karonagames]

Well, the frontline would have been three hexes to the east, and you would have had 8th Panzer Division behind the bulge in a historically accurate version.

Now you tell me! Not sure I could face a restart at this stage.

Keke you need to look at the starting disabled pools - I think they need increasing by 400K for each side, and can you check the Axis Armaments pool - I don't know if mine has got corrupted (see screen shot above)

[karonagames]

I just want to emphasize, I certainly didn't mean to criticize you or any other player for using ahistorical solutions or being gamey, I hope it didn't seem that way.

No criticism taken. Believe me, I'd rather be concentrating on the fighting rather than micromanaging guys having their spades turned into panzerfausts, but the collapse that Flavio caused in earlier tests has probably scarred me for life and I am just paranoid about maintaining rifle squad strengths![:)]

[karonagames]

T4, The scary thing is fully 2,400,000 of my OOB are unarmed men in support squads, so you can see just how low the "teeth to tail" ratio is:

[JJKettunen]

Keke you need to look at the starting disabled pools - I think they need increasing by 400K for each side, and can you check the Axis Armaments pool - I don't know if mine has got corrupted (see screen shot above)

Pool numbers are pretty wild in this stock version. Axis start with 3,760,000(!) armaments points. Then there's over one million in the Soviet manpower pool....

Bob, could you post your suggestions, FE regarding disabled pools, in the designer forum (my 43 GC thread)? Thanks.

[karonagames]

T4 OOB: I will be trying to give every corps in a high intensity combat zone 6 combat SUs, to maximise the support available to each combat, including 3 arty, 1 stug/JPZ 1, 88mm based Flak and 1 specialist AT unit ( 88mm AT/nashorn/elefant etc.)

[Mynok]

So does this mean you are keeping SUs to a minimum and disbanding the rest? Did I miss that part of your Manpower Management Plan®?

[karonagames]

So does this mean you are keeping SUs to a minimum and disbanding the rest?

Pretty much, but AP shortage means it will take me well into 1944 before I get everything the way I want it.

Every disband costs 1 AP so I am spending them on larger units atm - the construction battalions are only 800men, so not worth the expenditure.

[karonagames]

T4: An example of the intensity of PBEM combat . 5 combats in one hex (plus 1 recon)

[karonagames]

T4: Narrow breakthroughs like this one near Orel are easy to deal with:

[ComradeP]

Seeing those loss screenshots just convince me even more that backhand blow strategies are basically not a good idea because they're not economical.

Losses in combat are too low for it, and you can't put the hurt on the Soviets. The only way the Soviets can currently get hurt in mid-late war scenarios is if they hurt themselves with poor attacks, and no good Soviet player is going to be making many of those.

Attriting the Soviets is not really an option currently.

[karonagames]

T4 Start: Those on a broader front are a bit harder to deal with:

[karonagames]

T4: But fortunately I have sufficient reserves to restore contact with the pocket and then fall back to form a containing Pak Front.

[karonagames]

not a good idea because they're not economical.

Economics is boring - counter attacks are fun - I like fun. I'm going to lose, but I want to have fun while I lose.

[ComradeP]

Economics is boring - counter attacks are fun - I like fun. I'm going to lose, but I want to have fun while I lose.

If your idea of fun is not being able to put a dent in Soviet AFV strength with your counterattacks, then by all means be my guest. For those who are less amused by that, myself included, it remains a problem.

[JAMiAM]

ORIGINAL: BigAnorak

not a good idea because they're not economical.

Economics is boring - counter attacks are fun - I like fun. I'm going to lose, but I want to have fun while I lose.

That's the spirit!

[Speedysteve]

ORIGINAL: JAMiAM

ORIGINAL: BigAnorak

not a good idea because they're not economical.

Economics is boring - counter attacks are fun - I like fun. I'm going to lose, but I want to have fun while I lose.

That's the spirit!

Heh. This should be my new Sig line I think [;)]