Matrix Games Forums

Hi,
I just bought this game on sale and it looks promising. But I have one question after playing some of the tutorials: How is combat calculated? I mean the infantry units shot at each other several times but there hardly ever occured a hit.

There is a combat results table but maybe someone could explain it to me; especially why there is hardly ever a hit in range combat.

Thanks!

It will heavily depend on what you are attacking with and what type of terrain the defending units are in.

The further you are, the less likely you will have an impact on a dug in unit in defensive terrain. Here is the combat results table:

3.2.9 Combat Results Table and Damage Results
The Combat Results Table is used to determine the outcome of an attack. When a unit attacks, the program actually conducts a number of attacks equal to the attacking unit’s Strength Points. The number of Strength Points is halved (fractions rounded down, to a minimum of 1) if the attacking unit is low on supply. The program takes each individual result and determines the net result versus the defender.
A B C D E F G
1 6 0 0 0 0 0
1 5 0 0 0 0 5
1 4 0 0 0 5 5
1 3 0 0 0 5 10
1 2 0 0 5 10 10
2 3 0 0 5 10 25
1 1 0 0 10 15 25
3 2 0 0 10 20 25
2 1 0 0 10 25 25
3 1 0 5 15 25 25
4 1 0 5 20 30 30
5 1 0 10 30 35 25
10 1 5 25 25 25 15
15 1 20 25 40 10 5
20 1 30 45 25 0 0
25 1 50 45 5 0 0
30 1 75 20 5 0 0
Column A: net attack strength
Column B: net defence strength
Column C: % chance of inflicting a loss of 3 Strength Points
Column D: % chance of inflicting a loss of 2 Strength Points
Column E: % chance of inflicting a loss of 1 Strength Point
Column F: % chance of causing a Disruption
Column G: % chance of causing a Morale Check

You can read more about Combat in 5.21 in the manual.

For example:
If Attack = 7 and Defense = 7
then I have to look at the column

A B C D E F G
1 1 0 0 10 15 25

=> I have a 10% chance to destroy ONE point? Really?

Yes, that is correct.

ORIGINAL: Jemus

=> I have a 10% chance to destroy ONE point? Really?

You must remember that "ONE point" represents either a single vehicle or a half squad, thus a half dozen soldiers more or less.

Since in the Campaign Series of games, we don't account for combat losses individually (except for vehicles), in game terms a "miss" or "no effect" in actual effect might mean the loss of just one or two men (or no loss at all) -- insufficient in itself to reduce the unit by as much as a single SP (Strength Point).

Thus destroying an SP in reality represents the combined effect over time (over several combats, maybe over several turns) of "hits" and "misses".

The important thing to bear in mind is that 1 SP does not represent a single soldier. The SP is an abstraction, and the entire game is built around that abstraction.

ORIGINAL: Jemus

Hi,
I just bought this game on sale and it looks promising...

Keep at it. I've been playing this series since the first EF release by Talonsoft in '97. It is the one computer game that has stayed on every computer I've purchased. When I get bored with the rest, I go back to the best... JMO

Updates to the game, as in CSME and upcoming Viet Nam, are excellent. Unfortunately the time frames and/or settings do not capture my interest like WW II. An update to early Eastern Front is scheduled to follow the Nam game.