Matrix Games Forums

Mark Breed wrote: Sat Jun 04, 2022 9:46 pm
Now, in 1917, even before initiating an offensive, he is carrying on the same tactics. In one weekly turn alone, he has done more than 50% damage bombarding a half-a-dozen fully entrenched infantry divisions on the front and, now, they are no longer entrenched. I am not sure how to stand up to that occurring every turn. Artillery in this particular situation is too over-powered.

Well, in the real world the Entente did find that they could reduce the first line to mush with enough weight of shells, especially by 1917 once they had begun to use the artillery in better conjunction with the infantry. This led to forward sectors being held as weakly as possible. Second and third lines could not be as quickly and effectively reduced and so any offensive would bog down assaulting line after line of trenches with the Germans either counterattacking and retaking their old positions or falling back and digging new reserve trenches until the attackers were exposed in a salient which could then be bombarded from all sides.

I'd say the problem for the scenario is the scale. Almost the whole defensive system is compressed to a single hexrow, so in effect the Entente player is able to hammer multiple lines of defence simultaneously. You could still defend lightly in the forward hex but at this scale even being shoved back one hexrow every few turns is quite a serious rate of retreat.

The other interesting design issue I found is that the Entente gets better shock values than the Central Powers on their offensives.

I'd say the design issue is that the designer is using shock bonuses for offensives at all. It would be better to manipulate supply levels, which is how offensives are prepared in the real world. Not with everyone magically getting 10% stronger for two weeks.

Golden,

I agree with much of your post. The exception is the supply, but only because the game cannot make it detailed enough. At a weekly scale, an infantry unit could get fully supplied; whereas, the artillery would take more time to resupply for a two week bombardment like WWI. So, the issue is somehow separating the supply for the infantry and the artillery, which I don't believe is possible.

My thoughts are to first to do away with artillery in HQ units and make them separate combat units. Most gamers use HQ with artillery as artillery formations anyway ignoring their command functions. Then, use the cooperation levels with formations based on armies. That way, when artillery from a different army (different symbol colors) is massed it will be even more less effective than the current set up.

Regards,
Mark

Week of 21 January 1917
Week of 25 February 1917
Week of 1 April 1917
Week of 6 May 1917

Begin 15 August 1914 Begin 22 August 1914

Begin 29 August 1914 Begin 5 September 1914

Begin 12 September 1914 Begin 19 September 1914 More to follow over the coming days.

That's a BIG encirclement at Verdun. Looks quite decisive, to be honest. Could this be the end for the French?

Begin 26 September 1914 Begin 3 October 1914

StuccoFresco wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 7:40 pm That's a BIG encirclement at Verdun. Looks quite decisive, to be honest. Could this be the end for the French?

NO

The French are enjoying life .... there were heavy losses, but we have held the positions and in the meantime are on the march towards the German Reich .... well, that was a bit exaggerated .... but we are advancing ....

Ammann is correct. Note, the pictures are from 1914 and if you look at the strategic pictures, you will see that France did not go down. We are now in late 1917 and the Entente is killing Germans/Bavarians by the train load in France. More pictures to follow.

Begin 10 October 1914 Begin 17 October 1914 Begin 24 October 1914 Begin 31 October 1914

Begin week 07 November 1914 Begin week 14 November 1914 Begin week 21 November 1914 Begin week 28 November 1914

Begin week 5 December 1914 Begin week 12 December 1914 Begin week 19 December 1914 Sorry, but I am missing the file for the last week of 1914.

Beginning week 2 January 1915 Beginning week 16 January 1915 Beginning week 30 January 1915

Beginning week of 6 February 1915 Beginning week of 20 February 1915

6 March 1915 20 March 1915 3 April 1915 17 April 1915

1 May 1915 15 May 1915 29 May 1915 12 June 1915

26 June 1915 10 July 1915 Sorry folks, I am missing about 12 saved game turns after this. So, there will be a missing group of pictures.

Back to the strategic situation. As you can see the Western Front has not changed very much. Although, it has been bloody.

3 June 1917 1 July 1917 5 August 1917 2 September 1917

The Russian Revolution has begun!

7 October 1917 4 November 1917 2 December 1917 6 January 1918