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Minor quibble:
French & UK (maybe all haven't checked) Bombers (TAC & MED) have Naval Attack as the first Tech slot.
This is problematic visually for 2 reasons: 1) We are all conditioned to see that first slot as Ground Attack when looking at the counters on the map, and 2) The plane silhouette 'upgrades' are keyed off that first Tech slot and they too are used as a visual clue to the planes primary function.

Taxman66 wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 11:56 am Minor quibble:
French & UK (maybe all haven't checked) Bombers (TAC & MED) have Naval Attack as the first Tech slot.
This is problematic visually for 2 reasons: 1) We are all conditioned to see that first slot as Ground Attack when looking at the counters on the map, and 2) The plane silhouette 'upgrades' are keyed off that first Tech slot and they too are used as a visual clue to the planes primary function.

Its all, and ok

Just noticed that you have removed all defensive modifications for terrain, or at least they don't show up (e.g. cities/towns) or show 0 when looking at properties of a terrain hex.

Can you point/link to a post regarding why you did this?

I do remember you posting about allowing units in marsh to fortify (which I don't agree with, but didn't think it worth mentioning). However, the idea that units defending cities, behind rivers aren't getting a benefit seems wrong; and tanks should take penalties in cities/attacking cities and should take even bigger penalties dealing with marshes.

Or are these effects hidden somewhere?

Taxman66 wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 3:29 pm Just noticed that you have removed all defensive modifications for terrain, or at least they don't show up (e.g. cities/towns) or show 0 when looking at properties of a terrain hex.

Can you point/link to a post regarding why you did this?

I do remember you posting about allowing units in marsh to fortify (which I don't agree with, but didn't think it worth mentioning). However, the idea that units defending cities, behind rivers aren't getting a benefit seems wrong; and tanks should take penalties in cities/attacking cities and should take even bigger penalties dealing with marshes.

Or are these effects hidden somewhere?

They are not removed, they were moved to a different part. You have to look at the unit (while it is in the terrain) and also look at the properties and then select the terrain.

Reason is that defensive bonuses did not stack with resource defensive bonuses. So a City bonus did not stack with a Mountain bonus (this is all other Mods and the official game, TRP is the only one were the two stack).

This change was done several releases ago.

I do not know what you mean about units being allowed to fortify in the marshes. This is built into the EXE and I never changed anything with that. You can build a fort in any hex that does not contain a resource and you have at least 5 supply.

Ok, that's good reasoning. Too bad that it gives no impression unless a unit is in the terrain (and you have to know the unit's base values as well I presume).

Sorry ment 'entrench' in a marsh, not to build a fort in a marsh.

Taxman66 wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 5:25 pm Ok, that's good reasoning. Too bad that it gives no impression unless a unit is in the terrain (and you have to know the unit's base values as well I presume).

Sorry ment 'entrench' in a marsh, not to build a fort in a marsh.

Yea, I wish the bonuses were easier to see. Unfortunately I do not have control on how they are displayed. The more important part is that they are stacking properly.

For entrench in a marsh: Marshes are really nasty. You can dig in (which is not necessarily digging a hole) and create natural fortifications to make it a nightmare to get through.

This change was done because of areas like Leningrad which needs the extra defenses to hold back the Germans.

I understand the reasoning. They're just a different sort of beast. I can see the argument where some units would get some advantage out of them, but IMO they are as much a hinderance to defense as a help. However, I admit that my opinion is not based on anything more than presumption and I would defer to any historical reference/documentation otherwise.

Taxman66 wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 7:26 pm I understand the reasoning. They're just a different sort of beast. I can see the argument where some units would get some advantage out of them, but IMO they are as much a hinderance to defense as a help. However, I admit that my opinion is not based on anything more than presumption and I would defer to any historical reference/documentation otherwise.

Let me know how your experience with the new combat numbers work out. The attacker should have higher casualties than with the previous numbers. This was offset a bit by lowering plane costs.

Still early (Jan 1940) with 1 freebie experience pip for the Axis AI...

Polish Airforce blew itself up trying to be useful (since you can't disband them), doing nada. I think a GE FTR might've taken 1 damage in the air engagement.

GE bombers plinking French INF Corps east of Verdun. Doing about 75% more damage than they're taking (one turn found french Arty and did 6 damage to it though). I'm keeping the French Fighter in reserve to keep its morale up and eventually use it to escort.

Few notes:
1. UK Strat bombers set to convoy raid and in position to do so (where no GE FTR could reach) failed to do so.

2. Forgot UK can't operate ground units in France. Seems a bit harsh, but meh.

3. UK DE text to upgrade Malta AA still mentions it coming in at strength 13, it only comes in at 11. I don't know if you adjusted the cost of the DE, but maybe it should get the Tech upgrades. Doesn't really seem worth it to go from 10 to 11.

Taxman66 wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:07 pm Still early (Jan 1940) with 1 freebie experience pip for the Axis AI...

Polish Airforce blew itself up trying to be useful (since you can't disband them), doing nada. I think a GE FTR might've taken 1 damage in the air engagement.

GE bombers plinking French INF Corps east of Verdun. Doing about 75% more damage than they're taking (one turn found french Arty and did 6 damage to it though). I'm keeping the French Fighter in reserve to keep its morale up and eventually use it to escort.

Few notes:
1. UK Strat bombers set to convoy raid and in position to do so (where no GE FTR could reach) failed to do so.

2. Forgot UK can't operate ground units in France. Seems a bit harsh, but meh.

3. UK DE text to upgrade Malta AA still mentions it coming in at strength 13, it only comes in at 11. I don't know if you adjusted the cost of the DE, but maybe it should get the Tech upgrades. Doesn't really seem worth it to go from 10 to 11.

Are you playing with the difficulty settings I recommend?

I'm playing at Veteran with +20% (maximum) MPP to the AI.

I think free/full Tech is too much. Or rather it offends my sensibilities too much maybe.

Hi Lothos,

Perfect timing for me that V 1.2 is available now. i have three MP series on YT going but one of my productions is a wrap and the other two nearly so. Will do some SP testing at the recommended AI settings I believe.
Later some casual MP testing perhaps as I would like to do a full blown MP campaign for YT in the future. If I do that, it will require a big commitment from both parties. So before that, testing will be necessary!

Anyways thanks for all this. Will give you my impressions as I go along.

Side note regarding marshes: Fortifications in marshes could be very strong in swamp/marshes, particularly on the Eastern Front. The Finns and Soviets both build formidable defense works on the Svir River line for example.
Same for the Soviets (and later the Germans) around Leningrad, Volhkov and Novgorod.

Thanks for the hard work Lothos.

Edit: Played 3 turns as Allies in SP so far so good. Had two initial observations.

1) I had read in posts above that terrain bonus properties are not visible. Exactly what is meant by that? In my test where ever I hover over a terrain hex, I see different max entrenchment values. Is there something else I am missing here that's changed in regards to viewing terrain defensive properties? btw I like the concept of stacking terrain types eg. A town on a hill hex for example.

2) Experience for units only up to plus 1. Hqs up to 5. That's fine and I like it. One thing though, is the Malta AA. Before, if the UK took and paid for the DEC to reinforce the AA Unit on Malta, that unit would be 13 strength. Now its only 11 if the DEC is chosen. The price is the same I believe though as before. Is this intended?
Note at times I thought the 13 strength AA unit was a bit too strong, but here with TRP's extra turns, a Malta 11 strength AA unit will be easier to kill for sure. If that is intended I am probably fine with that also but wanted to here your take on this.

I attacked a sub with a CVL (bomber mode) and was surprised to see the estimated combat predict the losses of 1:2.
The sub successfully dived so I don't know if it would have happened.

I don't think subs should be able to do damage to planes.

April 6, 1940 turn
GE AI has not yet declared war on the low countries (best weather was plain mud so far).
Air attacks on French units east of Verdun continue. French AA unit has evened out the losses a bit more. France has lost 511 MPP (including 2 points to a DD) and Germany (after subtracting damage from attacking Poland) is a bit over that, but it includes having a sub sunk near Venezuela.

Taxman66 wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:29 pm I'm playing at Veteran with +20% (maximum) MPP to the AI.

I think free/full Tech is too much. Or rather it offends my sensibilities too much maybe.

Increase their experience to 1 and their vision to 1.

Yes I debated the free research part back and forth which is why I made it the hardest setting. It does really make the game harder which is what I think most veteran players want from the AI. The free Research is the same as giving them more MPPs (which is the only alternative) in this case it is more focused.

Taxman66 wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 12:16 am I attacked a sub with a CVL (bomber mode) and was surprised to see the estimated combat predict the losses of 1:2.
The sub successfully dived so I don't know if it would have happened.

I don't think subs should be able to do damage to planes.

This is a draw back to the combat system built into Strategic Command. If you make it so subs have no way to defend themselves then the only way to level the damage off against a sub is to not allow planes to get ASW.

The way the combat system works let me explain this using tank Tech as an example

Level 0 tank vs Level 0 tank will be something like 1 to 1 damage as the defense and attack are the same (no terrain bonuses.

Level 1 tank vs Level 0 tank will increase the damage done slightly for the Level 1 tank and perhaps increase its damage to the level 0 tank

Level 4 vs Level 4 tank will do exactly the same thing as a Level 0 vs Level 0 tank

Subs vs Planes work exactly the same way. If I do not allow sub tech to negate some of the plane damage then plane damage will increase exponentially to the point you can almost do a single shot and kill a sub (this is because of ASW)

One other Note: Many subs did have some small amount of AA abilities (not much)

The only other option here is to flat light all planes to the amount of damage they can do to a sub and remove ASW as a tech for them. I can then remove the plane defensive abilities from the sub. By doing this then ASW is limited to just ships and no longer available to planes.

Taxman66 wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 2:38 am April 6, 1940 turn
GE AI has not yet declared war on the low countries (best weather was plain mud so far).
Air attacks on French units east of Verdun continue. French AA unit has evened out the losses a bit more. France has lost 511 MPP (including 2 points to a DD) and Germany (after subtracting damage from attacking Poland) is a bit over that, but it includes having a sub sunk near Venezuela.

AI should attack on the first turn in May assuming everything in Poland went normal.

Veteran sets the spotting and experience to +1, and mpp to +10%. I just upped the mpp to 20%.

Fair or not, I don't like the idea of always being behind in all techs, through the whole war.

Not a big fan of the increase in spotting as it distorts the naval game, but it does help the AI in the land game. So I keep it at +1.

AI with +2 experience is just too damn frustrating.

Looked it up, U boats shot down a grand total 116 planes over the course of the whole war. With 96 separate boats registering a kill.

U boats got wrecked by planes either directly or by assets brought to bear when the planes found them.

I don't know what possible improvements were made in subs to protect them from planes short of improving their underwater capabilities and perhaps ability to spot planes. To me that just reads as dive chance increases associated with the advanced sub tech.

I'm not suggesting a change here per say given that you now have 5 levels of naval weapons. Note in this mod CVLs use naval weapons not ASW. The only planes with ASW are Maritime bombers and the US blimp. Those are even less likely to suffer losses from subs than CV/CVL wings are.

That April turn (mud in north France but clear in the center/south), GE bombers did 7 damage to a fresh French corps in the woods east of Verdun that was covered by the French AA. Without the AA they may have outright killed it.
Can't tell how much damage the planes took as that has the old bug of explosions without numbers on the first hit.