I set up a test scenario to see which was the best towed AT gun of 1943, the 88flakAT or the 17 pdr AT gun. Using the same starting positions for them and their targets the results of the test should have pointed out a winner. Strangely, the test just gave me new questions to ponder.
The 88's were able to see and fire further than the 17pdrs even when they were given the same crew experiance and officer ratings, is there a modification to the sighting distance for a unit based on its rangefinder value or fire control value? Or perhaps a larger gun (sitting higher off the ground) has a larger visual horizon?
The other puzzling aspect of the test was the point values at which the opposing force surrendered.
The defending AT guns were about 1000 points, all bought from the German list; the attacking force was approx 9000 points of T34 m42's. The Soviet side surrendered with as few as 4 tanks destroyed and always surrendered to the 88's with fewer losses. The scores of the 88's ranged from about 440-120 to 1600-280 while the scores of the 17pdrs were more like 2500-600 to 4400-800. Is there a built in psychological test in the ai to cause it to surrender when it knows it is clearly just there getting slaughtered? Why would it surrender when it has only lost 4 tanks out of nearly 4 regiments?
In back of the AT guns were neutral vp hexes totalling 750 points set as the movement objective of the Soviet side, but they never continued the game long enough to make it there. When I set up the test I assumed the 9-1 advantage would give the Soviets enough tanks to blow through the AT gun line and destroy all the guns, unfortunately they don't continue past about 13 tank losses to the 88's or 30 lost to the 17pdrs with even lower losses in some of the battles.
At least some of the AT guns survived all the battles.
If anyone has any answers, I would be glad to hear them. It has me stumped as to which towed AT gun rules 1943.
thanks, John.
