Concerning Surprise Attacks

[carnifex]

Yes, I know the Surprise Attack modifier is currently not working

Currently as documented, only attacks against 'frozen' regions receive the combat modifier. However, the un-freezing happens immediately after the first attack. This means that a country like Japan, which needs to make 4-5 opposed landings/attacks on the first turn of it's war will only receive the surprise modifier for the first attack, even though all the attacks can be presumed to be taking place simultaneously?

Or that Germany can only surprise the Soviet Union in one territory, and even then they can blow their surprise by sending in a bombing force first. Is this as intended? Just wondering.

Also, are neutral minor countries considered frozen? The mouseover doesn't say so, which makes me think there are no bonuses there either.

[Paul Vebber]

When it works it applies to the turn the areas unfreeze not the instant they unfreeze.

[IDrinkBeer]

ORIGINAL: Paul Vebber

When it works it applies to the turn the areas unfreeze not the instant they unfreeze.

Unless things changed right at the end of the Beta this statement is not true... Only the first attack.

[Joel Billings]

Yes, only the first attack is supposed to get the surprise bonus. So once we fix the bug, be careful which attack you do first.

[literati]

Is there any reasoning for this? Surely a country could plan a number of attacks to happen simultaneously - a wave of first strikes. Just a balance thing?

Then again, I hate that 'frozen' countries can't shift troops, too. If I was Stalin and saw half of the german land forces massing on the border, I'd sure as hell fortify those positions, even if we weren't at war yet. Drives me batty.

[Mr.Frag]

Curious about that one too ... logically if you were going to toss off the surprise attack, you would be doing it in more then one location. Was it just too powerful a tool for germany against russia giving a blitz 2 deep on a wide front and rolling over them?

[Joel Billings]

It was always just one area. It was inserted primarily for the ability to do Pearl Harbor and you get one area of bonus in Russia. This is a 3 month turn and we felt that giving more than the first attack would be too much of a benefit. Coding any more than the initial attack would entail having to "remember" what was frozen after the attack that unfroze the area, so at this point it would involve a change in the way the program was set up. Again, with a 3 month turn, we felt it best to give you one bonus attack (it's a big bonus) and leave it at that. The areas that are frozen are already at a big disadvantage because the player has not been able to move forces around before the attack while the attacker can plan out a "perfect attack". This in itself is enough bonus in our opinion.

[literati]

ORIGINAL: Joel Billings

It was always just one area. It was inserted primarily for the ability to do Pearl Harbor and you get one area of bonus in Russia. This is a 3 month turn and we felt that giving more than the first attack would be too much of a benefit...The areas that are frozen are already at a big disadvantage because the player has not been able to move forces around before the attack while the attacker can plan out a "perfect attack". This in itself is enough bonus in our opinion.

This seems a perfect example of making up a second rule which doesn't make any sense to help balance out a first rule which doesn't make any sense. That's, no offense, always bad game design.

I would have preferred that the surprise bonus be less (if it was deemed too unbalancing) and the 'frozen' countries still be allowed to shift forces. What was the reasoning behind not allowing them to respond to, for instance, neighboring countries (who have already proven aggressive to neighbors) massing the entirety of their armies on their borders?