Why did our battle end early?

[John Galt]

We were playing a PBEM game of 28 turns. We both had enough equipment left for the battle after 15 turns but the game came to an end and it was declared a draw. What determines when a battle ends? I hadn't claimed any victory hexes at the time, planning to get them later, there being plenty of time left. My opponent occupied them but I planned on capturing them after I mopped up a little more. Of course he would have something to say about that! So did I learn another lesson the hard way here? How can you plan a strategy if you don't know how many turns the game will let you play?

[Redleg]

There is a "formula". Something like this but I can't find my printout. Two-thirds of units suppressed, routed or destroyed and no hexes in control of one side or the other and the battle may end early.

This is also something much more likely to be seen in earlier versions of the game. I haven't seen much early termination of battles lately.

Monitoring the "health" of units can prevent this from occurring.
Having at least a single v-hex in control is important also.

Someone else will probably have the exact "formula".

[John Galt]

We were using 7.1. All VHs were under opponent's control except one. I didn't have any. And we both had forces that were unsupressed and ready to kick some serious butt.....

[tiggwigg]

Was 28 turns the number you had entered when creating the game, or was it the number shown in the battle info window?

When creating a PBEM scenario, I have encountered an annoying situation where the generator applies the AI rules for battle length, over-riding the number of turns I had entered...eg a 40 turn battle came out as 12 turns (and 4 turns in another attempt).

Apparently the AI generator uses the size of the battle to determine the upper/lower limits for a random number of turns...the bigger the map the more turns.

Possibly you had set the turns at 28 when you started, but the game length was actually much less...and the battle simply ended on that turn.

[Goblin]

tiggwigg nailed it, I think. If you set turn length, then map size, it may have randomly generated a number without telling you. It does the same if you set visibility, then change the lighting or weather conditions.

Goblin- A Goblin fails to see why;)

[Redleg]

Yes, if you do not check the "actual" number of turns, often an unpleasant surprise is in store.

[John Galt]

I didn't create the battle so I can't answer that. But the 28 turns was the number in the battle info window. We will be aware of that from now on. Thanks guys.......

[Truckeye]

i created the game, the turns, weather, were left alone, only map size and nations were changed.

[Major Destruction]

If you do not occupy any VH and you make no attempt to capture a VH the game may end at any time.

[Wild Bill]

:This problem was worked on by Michael or Tom and some changes to the coding was done to improve this problem.

Actually, knowing the precise time of a battle's ending is somewhat unrealistic. Ideally, one should feel the pressure of time on occasion and the added uncertainty has some advantages.

But not always! I personally have always preferred a variable ending type of scenario. It might end a turn or two early or a turn or two later.

Why?

This prevents that famous last minute rush if you are the second player to take the objectives and leave your opponent with his mouth gaping and frothing at such "gamey" tactics.

I wanted it but never got it. I was outvoted.

If you can grab an objective or two you can almost guarantee a full game. Protecting your A0 unit can't hurt either. Watch casualties. Too many will have the game saying, "This is a lost cause! Better end it."

So there are even more pressures on the human player to attack or defend hard but watch losses. I guess that would be historical, wouldn't it?

Wild Bill