Supply Truck mechanic need input.

[AlvaroSousa]

Originally supply trucks were meant to be used in sparingly for offensives or special low supply areas like North Africa. Apparently it's turned into a stable like apple pie in America or tea time in England.

The concerns I have...
#1 the micromanagement level of it. You know I hate micro management
#2 the over use of it
#3 if it is now in the absolute category of play.

(A) I was considering making a limitation of how many supply trucks you can have available at any one time. Say 30 so players can't build up this vast quantity of them.

OR (B) changing it to a high production item that is only used on HQs. When used it increases effectiveness of units in a 5 hex range that have a connection to the HQ for say 12%. There would be a limit of 1 or 2 available at any one time in the queue or in the pool.

The thing is making such a large change to a mechanism will create a lot of chaos and is generally not good to do so after game release.

I would like your input on the supply truck mechanic please.

[Jeff_Ahl]

Why not baby steps? You did not do any radical changes initially, but I have to raise my concerns. The game is doing some pretty hard turns now.

Increase the cost is my suggestion. Start there and then evaluate the effect. Think that would make a difference.

[squatter]

I think you're right to look at this Alvaro.

I agree with Jeff - probably baby steps to avoid the risk of unbalancing every game being played at once.

Out of the two proposed solutions I would favour A.

I also wonder if it's possible to limit their use to resupply units whose port supply is being blockaded. Currently you can use them to bypass ports which are otherwise completely blockaded. ie possibly they can only be used while under port supply if there is some excess supply still available in a port in any given port supply 'net'. Or perhaps double their cost per unit (6 instead of 3) for units in basic supply?

[michaelCLARADY]

Leave the trucks as they are.

[gwgardner]

ORIGINAL: Jeff_Ahl

Why not baby steps? You did not do any radical changes initially, but I have to raise my concerns. The game is doing some pretty hard turns now.

Increase the cost is my suggestion. Start there and then evaluate the effect. Think that would make a difference.

+1

Better yet, do what michaelCLARADY said.

[AlvaroSousa]

I'm just asking. It was brought to my attention.

[ComadrejaKorp]

My option would be, limit it to 60 and raise the price a little, so that it really is a luxury item.

[ncc1701e]

I would leave the mechanism to buy supply trucks like it is today. I do not think this is too much micromanagement.
The only thing I would change is to limit the maximum number of supply trucks per country.

My idea is to have a formula based on the Logistics points.

Taking the actual numbers in the game, I arrive to something like this:

[baloo7777]

Just curious... it was America's industrial output that plowed the Axis under (remember the Arsenal of Democracy)... so how are Germany, Britain, and the USSR logistics so much higher than the USA? The resulting 5% supply trucks are pretty far off then also?

[baloo7777]

As far as the supply trucks go, my PBEM experience is limited, but against the AI I certainly use up supply trucks at a high rate. I would rather see some sort of historically based limiting on the use of supply trucks by Country... meaning by late-1943 the allied air campaign having reduced Germany's production to bring down their ability to resupply (by supply trucks).

[AlvaroSousa]

The US splits it between 2 theaters.
Their logistics is also based on the reality that they couldn't field more than X units overseas despite being able to support over 200 divisions on home soil.

[ncc1701e]

This formula is perhaps better.

Like this, UK and France have less supply trucks than Germany.
But later, UK and USA can have more supply trucks than Germany.
And USSR can have more supply trucks than anybody.

Just an idea.

[ncc1701e]

And since supply trucks are coming by (x10). If we adapt a little the Logistics points (in red), something like this:

[MorningDew]

I'm a fan of baby steps. I would expect a cost increase will have the effect of a cap.

[Insano]

Hi wanted to put in my two cents on this. I like supply trucks as they are but I would add the capability to build more logistics. There are different times with different countries throughout the game where there is nothing to build as you are capped on logistics. You don't want to disband units to free up logistics and supply trucks are one of the few things you can build that don't cost logistics. Now I know I should just hoard my production for when I will need it - but what's the fun in that [:)]

[battlevonwar]

I wasn't going to chime in here on the "Supply Trucks," but I have to. They are OP and part of the Micro of the game. Not the "ONLY," micro part of the game ... Nobody wants to expend supply trucks on Infantry with a HQ? It's a waste of resources. Supply Trucks are too expensive generally for this. You pump them into your Fighters, CAS and Armor. This keeps them going!

Issues are for instance in the narrow frontages on these new maps and already in France you sort of required to use a bit of them to break the enemy before you are broken. Panzers have to utilize all their movement. When the fronts widen they actually are then more dangerous. Plus coupled with Experience + Tech = Strong Units...

Historically all the US divisions were pretty much motorized(truck supply heavy) as were the British so. The Germans and Soviets were both truck poor(aside the Soviets who got some lendlease).

Hard for me to tell you to change something until you see how it functions on a larger map with lots more rivers and rough terrain. . . I might hold off?

[Harrybanana]

Personally I would like supply trucks just left as they are; but I am a supply truck junkie so perhaps I am biased. If the Rule is going to be changed (which I am against) than I would prefer putting hard limits on the total number supply trucks each nation can have either in their pool or in the build queue.

[AlvaroSousa]

I was considering the following. A nation can have at most 3 in stock or being built at any one time.

They can only be used on HQs.

They have a single large effect on upto X land units within 5 hexes of the HQ.

double the bonus since they will be not used every turn

#1 Lowers micro management
#2 keeps them to limited use
#3 makes it a more operational decision that a tactical one
#4 lowers casualties for a more balanced late game.

[Jeff_Ahl]

ORIGINAL: AlvaroSousa

I was considering the following. A nation can have at most 3 in stock or being built at any one time.

They can only be used on HQs.

They have a single large effect on upto X land units within 5 hexes of the HQ.

double the bonus since they will be not used every turn

#1 Lowers micro management
#2 keeps them to limited use
#3 makes it a more operational decision that a tactical one
#4 lowers casualties for a more balanced late game.

Well, the game is beginning to derail when it comes to changes. Can not see any bigger issue with truck supply as it is. But I can see alot of possible problems if you are going to implement the suggestions above.

Smaller in size army will benifit more from it. Supply trucks now is a tool to break stalemates or actually do a succesful breakthrough in late game. Your suggestions has the obvious risk to make games bogging down in places it should not.

Please do not walk into the all to common trap that alot of strategy games do and make radical changes. Steel Division 44 went from excellent to totally FUBAR after some major changes.

[baloo7777]

I think your supply truck fix will drastically change the game. Tactical and ground support air would lose effectiveness after just a few attacks and take so long to make effective again, the game will deteriorate to be more like a WW1 Infantry vs Infantry in trench warfare along the front.
I prefer hard limits according to each countries historical supply abilities.