Combat Results Issues

[Steely Glint]

This is a classic case of a game working exactly as it was designed to work and a player not understanding that fact.

[BillRunacre]

ORIGINAL: Scar23

Let me start this thread by saying I am enjoying the game, its simple (in concept) and rather entertaining.

However, there are some things that flat don't seem to work with the combat mechanic.

First, units can bang away at each other turn after turn, with little gain. I see this most often in Russia. The Germans can have three armies all attack a city being held by a Russian unit and very little is accomplished. Cut the city off and its a little better, but can get similar results. But, one German bomber unit can obliterate that same unit in the city.

Same for fighting in the open. Very little is accomplished with units firing away, but bring in the airforce and units disappear quickly.

I like the idea of the air units reducing unit readiness and softening up defenders, but it seems too much. In fact it seems the only way to take positions. Even the artillery units can't compare.

Then units in ports, they seem overly strong and well supplied even when isolated. In the example I uploaded, this poor infantry corps attacks turn after turn, gets one hit or so, but no real progress against this Russian HQ. If I sent a bomber unit over it would be eliminated quickly.

Then there are the examples of units that are fairly well supplied that get wrecked by other ground units. The hardly put up a fight and are eliminated quickly.

In all I guess my complaint is that there is little consistency in results. Maybe if you really dive into readiness and supply state it can all be figured out, but for such a simply game that shouldn't be required to understand or predict results.

Is anyone else seeing these types of things?

Hi

Thanks for posting this and some others have already given some potential solutions.

I just want to add to some of this discussion that things have changed somewhat since release, in that in version 1.01.02 we penalized the morale of units in zero supply further so that they will be easier to destroy.

So experiences from games prior to that release will be different from those after.

We do have a change coming that will make it slightly harder for the Axis to obtain good supply in North Africa and the USSR, and this will help struggling Allied commanders in those areas.

In terms of the actual example above, a Corps with no supply is facing an HQ that has some supply and will also benefit somewhat from being in a town.

My advice would actually be to leave the town in Soviet hands, keep a naval unit there to prevent the HQ escaping, and just continue your advance eastwards. That HQ is trapped and providing the Kriegsmarine keeps it thus, it is of no threat to you and can be safely ignored by your ground units.

Even destroying it with an air attack is a diversion of resources. Not necessarily futile, but if it detracts from the advance east then it shouldn't be attempted.

Bill

[KorutZelva]

Combined arm is actually air force & everyone else holding its jockstrap.

The AI isn't in on the secret yet though and can't pass the USSR borders without a healthy dose of free XP.

[Hubert Cater]

ORIGINAL: Guderian1940

I would guess that these results are against the AI. A human vs Human would have very different results. Just to keep this in mind. From my experience the AI and the Human play in completely different. Just saying if you get frustrated with the AI. The German Human vs human juts rolls over anybody in the first couple of years. I find the AI cheats a lot [:)] just to make it a challenge.

Hi Guderian,

Can you provide some more detail here on what you might be thinking or seeing when it comes to the AI? I only ask as we really went out of our way to ensure that the AI does not cheat at all when it comes to combat and the expected combat results.

Thanks,
Hubert

[Hubert Cater]

Just to add a bit to this discussion in that what some players might be seeing is a bit of a double whammy in terms of combat results and effects.

For example, using low supply ground units to attack will result in lower than expected results, while air units, that are further back and in good supply (likely near an HQ or city/resource supply source) will feel overpowered in comparison as their results will be more ideal due to their higher supply and readiness.