Posture bug?

[elmo3]

Just tried to change the posture of the Soviet Western HQ from Offensive to Neutral. A message popped up saying sorry but we can't communicate with Western HQ. All of my remaining posture cards are now gone?! Is that a bug or WAD? I still have 8 PP remaining and had quite a few unplayed posture cards.

[pierreoza]

I think it's wad.

U cannot communicate with hq because of breakdown communications: so no change posture

U can enhance commnunication with a card - forget the name exactly "reorganisation ..." - : decrease chance to breakdown.

[elmo3]

I understand that you can't play a card on that HQ. Why should that stop me from playing it on another Central Front HQ that is in communication? Why should that stop me from playing a card in the Northern or Southern Frontier? *All* cards just disappeared after trying to play one on that out of communication HQ.

[lancer]

Hi elmo,

Yep, that's WAD.

It's a Soviet specific mechanic that's there to simulate the chaos and confusion of the early days of the war. Communications was a huge problem for them.

The assumption is that your communications have failed between STAVKA and the fronts.

While this isn't terribly realistic (more likely you'd lose contact with one army but retain it with others) it's there for game play reasons. Previously the system worked as you've mentioned and it was found to be very micromanagement orientated and annoying. You'd go to play the posture card on multiple HQ's and they would all fail their comm's check in quick succession. Lots of clicking for no result.

It's been changed to how it is now so that a single failed check will shut down your comms with everybody, as it does when you ask units to Report their Status (yellow button down the bottom). You are either in a state of comms now or you aren't.

As indicated above you need to play the command card 'Reorganise' which will greatly improve matters as well as increasing your activation chances. It can be played multiple times.

So while game play has trumped realism here the overall effect of pacing up and down in STAVKA, being unable to have your orders carried out because of a chaotic, poorly functioning command structure is there. Reorganisation is the key here, as it was historically.

Cheers,
Cameron

[elmo3]

OK, thanks for the reply. Seems pretty harsh to me but I'm only in my first game right now. I could see losing that one card with a failed check but losing every posture card for all three fronts feels excessive. And yes I did play the Reorg card on my next turn. [;)]