Noob question: Combat engineers

[Symon]

Once again … It’s not hard, one just has to pay attention. Find the device number of the engineer squad you are interested in; open the editor; go to that device number; look at it.

If the Device Type is 24 – Engineer, it can always help build.
If the Device Type is 23 – Squad, it cannot ever help build.
If the Device Anti-Armor is >1, it will add to the fort reduction algorithm.
If the Device Anti-Armor is 0 or 1, it will not add to the fort reduction algorithm.
If the Device Anti-Soft is >9, it will add to the assault value algorithm.
If the Device Anti-Soft is 9 or less, it will not add to the assault value algorithm.
If the Device Shore Party switch is set, it will add to the load/unload algorithm.
If the Device Shore Party switch is not set, it will not add to the load/unload algorithm.

The Device “Name” is merely a text string. It is meaningless. The Device data field values are everything.

[margeorg]

Thanks, Symon, for the explanations. So far I´ve always overlooked the editor, as I´m just playing, and not modding. Seems this tool contains something for the average player too ...

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Symon

Once again … It’s not hard, one just has to pay attention. Find the device number of the engineer squad you are interested in; open the editor; go to that device number; look at it.

If the Device Type is 24 – Engineer, it can always help build.
If the Device Type is 23 – Squad, it cannot ever help build.
If the Device Anti-Armor is >1, it will add to the fort reduction algorithm.
If the Device Anti-Armor is 0 or 1, it will not add to the fort reduction algorithm.
If the Device Anti-Soft is >9, it will add to the assault value algorithm.
If the Device Anti-Soft is 9 or less, it will not add to the assault value algorithm.
If the Device Shore Party switch is set, it will add to the load/unload algorithm.
If the Device Shore Party switch is not set, it will not add to the load/unload algorithm.

The Device “Name” is merely a text string. It is meaningless. The Device data field values are everything.

Thanks, it helps to know this but a little common sense does not hurt. One should not need to go to the editor to know that a sherman tank is going to help reduce fortifications and a truck is not. Players need only think about the historical roles of units and have a little knowledge of WWII combat and then need not worry too much about checking the editor. In that respect you guys have designed a damned good game.

[Yaab]

What if there are two devices, the first one is:

anti-armor 1 / anti-soft 10

the second one is:

anti-armor 10 / anti-soft 1

Do they add to assault calculations?

[Symon]

The editor does help. The Device listing, above, is to answer the “engineering” question. And no, Shermans are not adders to the fort reduction algorithm. They are part of the nominal assault value reduction process.

Many engineering devices have “names” that are misleading. A squad can be called somethingorother “Eng” yet not be able to add to the fort reduction algorithm, and not add to the assault value. Others may be able to do one or the other, still others might be able to do both. Yet others are simply labor devices and can’t do anything except consume supply. One needs to consult the editor data to determine which is which.

As one can see, some engineer units (devices) may contribute twice to fort reduction; once by being assault value capable (Anti-Soft >9) thereby contributing to the nominal, AV odds based, reduction process, and again by being “Eng” Typed, and having Anti-Armor >1, thereby contributing to the “Eng Adder” portion of the process. Other engineer devices can’t contribute to either.

LCUs very often have a mix of two, or even three, different types of engineer devices. It behooves a player to understand the differences between their capabilities in order to avoid those embarrassing wtfo? moments.

Consulting the editor is not a difficult process, and one quickly becomes familiar with all the various types, making it eventually unnecessary.