Matrix Games Forums

I like playing with as close as possible realistic Preference settings as I can, and am wondering if the following settings would constitute that:

True Troop Cost/Rarity On
Reduced Ammo On
Characteristics On
Unit Comm On
Morale On
Move And Fire On
Mines On
Historic Ratings
Limited Intel On
Vehicle Reliability ON
Weapon Reliability On
Reduced Squads On

Cheers.

brucha ; Check with the Depot they have a few items on that subject.

I agree with all of your list.
You might want to give my Low Carnage settings a try, many agree they give a bit more realism to the game.
See the picture.

I'm still making changes as I use & test these settings.

I think Rarity ON is a bad idea, brucha. Sometimes you will find no paratroopers available in a para company, no MG's in a unit, etc.
 
 
 
Goblin

I posted the same thread question on the Depot site as well, but I know people here better [:)]
 
Interesting, JEB Davis, lower the Spotting rating, you say? What exactly will that do for the game? I presume make it more difficut for you (the human player) and the AI to better spot units?
 

I think Rarity ON is a bad idea, brucha. Sometimes you will find no paratroopers available in a para company, no MG's in a unit, etc.

 
Ahh, now I know why I am always missing parts of a infantry company, say its AT teams or its MG teams.

The version I use with these settings is v8.403 or Enhanced (just so we're talking the same thing).  Thanks, Goblin... I missed the Rarity (always have that OFF too).  Brucha, lowered spotting basically gives non-vehicle units more of a chance to hide, especially when not moving.

I use all the LC settings as a "package" so I can't vouch for the realism effects if just 1 or 2 settings are chosen.

ORIGINAL: JEB Davis

The version I use with these settings is v8.403 or Enhanced (just so we're talking the same thing).  Thanks, Goblin... I missed the Rarity (always have that OFF too).  Brucha, lowered spotting basically gives non-vehicle units more of a chance to hide, especially when not moving.

I use all the LC settings as a "package" so I can't vouch for the realism effects if just 1 or 2 settings are chosen.

Oh, I see, that makes sense. Over at the Depot site there is a thread started by FlashfyreSP concerning Low carnage settings that I feel make the game more realistic.

The basic goal of these settings are to reduce the number of casualties given/taken during a battle, but still allow a more realistic outcome with forces able to withdraw/retreat to fight another day. So watch this part carefully, and assess whether your force would have taken greater casualties under the "regular" game settings or not.

It requires turning off the Autorally setting and raising infantry toughness to 140-150%. Combined with JEB Davis' setting, I think this would be the best of all settings. Do anyone of you have experience with these "Low Carnage" settings?

[:)] Actually, I created the Low Carnage settings...
which in the beginning was just the simple 3 things:

1. Infantry Toughness 150%
2. C&C ON.
3. Auto Rally OFF

Since then those settings have "evolved" into the settings I posted in the screenshot above.
There were several threads at the Depot that were made during a bit of playtesting of LC that involved JustAToy, FlashfyreSP, and JEB Davis... I think they got combined into that one thread.

ORIGINAL: JEB Davis

[:)] Actually, I created the Low Carnage settings...
which in the beginning was just the simple 3 things:

1. Infantry Toughness 150%
2. C&C ON.
3. Auto Rally OFF

Since then those settings have "evolved" into the settings I posted in the screenshot above.
There were several threads at the Depot that were made during a bit of playtesting of LC that involved JustAToy, FlashfyreSP, and JEB Davis... I think they got combined into that one thread.

Credit Grabber!!
[:D]
[;)]

ORIGINAL: Alby
Credit Grabber!!
[:D]
[;)]

[;)]

I stand corrected, JEB Davis. I just found your original post concerning Low Carnage settings. Or maybe I should have looked at your signature! Very helpful indeed! These setting are now my favorite to play by!

Interesting. My personal settings seem to give me good results for my infantry-heavy USMC vs Japan battles. By contrast, though, I enjoy high carnage (as long as I'm the inflicter, not the inflictee). [:D] Honestly, though, casualty rates seem consistent with the historical outcomes. However, I should consider lowering spotting for the USA and raising inf toughness for the Japanese. This might provide more realism for the 1943-45 island battles, in which the almost incredible American firepower was offset by the Japanese ability at concealment. Hmm...

I'm gonna try this:

1. Reduce US spotting to 80%
2. Reduce Japanese tank toughness to 90%
3. Increase Japanese inf toughness to 120%

I do this on an incremental basis, because during the Guadalcanal campaign, Japanese attacks were invariably repulsed. They abandoned this tactic (eventually), but there WERE later occasions when the "banzai charge" was effective, if only temporarily. As for Japanese armor, it was plainly no match for the Americans. As for toughness, the Japanese were indeed tenacious, if not outright fanatical, particularly as they elected to dig in and bleed us as we blasted and burnt them out of their bunkers and caves during late 1944-mid 1945.

For more of a challenge turn off "Charateristics" when using US and USMC, to eliminate the .01 artillery routine.
 

Wouldn't that eliminate the Japanese fanaticism characteristic also?



Goblin

ok then just dont buy an FO
[:D]

ORIGINAL: Alby

ok then just dont buy an FO
[:D]

I just plot off the target and then shift fire until the time is slower, though I often skip the FO with US forces too. [:)]

reduce spoting makes infantry way too good IMO.  after playing 100s of online games the spoting should at least be at 100 if not higher ( 120-130 ) due to the fact that if it is lower there is really no need to buy armor because the unspotted infantry just tears them up on the map. also if you only move 1 hex you still may not be spotted by armor even if moving right up on them. we have gotten to the point that in our online games seldom is the real expensive armor even used because its just way too easy to kill.  better off buying a bunch of hard to spot cheap infantry and flood the map. those US Rangers 44 with the bazooka are great and can kill armor at range. also the flaming infantry can tear you up and only cost 5 points.  great for forest stuff.  basically if you turn the spotting down  the team with the most infantry will have a major advantage. Turning it up past 100 makes it easier to spot in open hexes ,  which is really where the main problem for armor exist. 
   

Ah, so "spotting" ratings work just the opposite of what I thought, then. This is the chance of "being spotted", NOT "spotting the enemy", right? So, I should reduce the Japanese number, correct?

As for using FOs, I never buy them. The USMC commander selects offboard & onboard arty/81mm mortars, and the 60mm mortars use themselves as observers. I've read that US arty was so effective because of the number of available radios. So, their quick-fire capability is not overstated in game terms.

I've often wondered why the AI's arty seems so good, but Mike Wood explained that the use of offboard arty is one of the few things the AI does well. Given that the poor dumb AI needs every advantage it can get, I'm not complaining. [;)]

RE: national characteristics. I've always loved that feature, so I leave it "ON". This gives certain countries a unique "flavor", and this is something that has helped turn SPWaW into a classic game.

Spotting is the chance of spotting the enemy, as you thought, Glenn. I personally disagree with Krec. Sounds like war to me. That's why infantry were/are so dangerous to tanks. That's the beauty of the Preference settings in the game. Everyone gets to make the game feel fun to them! Gotta love that. [8D]


Goblin