JTCS - Comments & Suggestions

[Arizonus]

Frank,
 
     There's obviously a lot of ways to look at this, but....let's take the easy one: the game actually does TWO morale rolls for each unit at the beginning of your turn, one to recover lost morale (if any) and one to un-disrupt. Right there, you multiply, say, a 50% chance (for a unit down to 5 morale) plus a 60% chance (for a newly-full morale unit at 6). That's .5 x .6 = .3 --- a 30% chance a 6 morale unit, down one morale point, will undisrupt in one turn. The same calculation for a morale 8 unit works out to .7 x .8 = .56, nearly double the chances. Quite a difference, and possibly not what the designer intended for a "mere" two-point addition...and again, the calculation for a 5 morale unit is .4 x .5 = .2, 20%, a hell of a whallop for just a single morale-point difference.
     You can substitute other morale-related die rolls into the equation, like the odds of losing morale after retreat (in a previous turn) but it all works the same way - high numbers stay high, low numbers drop off the table like you never saw them. The rich stay richer, I guess.
     Also think about what a leader does to the equation - a little "1" leader doubles the chances for a morale 1 unit but barely affects the die at all for a morale 8 unit.
     Morale levels should be left right there in the meaty part of the bat - anything above 7 or below 6 should be re-considered seriously.....
 
                                                                                                    Ariz

[1925frank]

This is good food for thought.  I enjoy your posts too, Arizonus.
 
Wouldn't this analysis apply only for recovering the last step in morale and becoming undisrupted all in the same turn?  If a unit were two morale steps low, this analysis would not apply, and if a unit were at full morale, this analysis would not apply.  That jump might be a rarity for a poorly-trained unit, but a better-trained unit might be able to make it consistently.
 
One other thought about lowering morale, this puts a premium on keeping the units in woods or villages and on avoiding being in the open.  The idea of lowering morale occurred to me after reading one of Martin Crevald's (I may have the name mangled) books where he quoted an Israeli saying during the '48 or '56 conflict that the Egyptians fought well provided they were in bunkers but were otherwise not dependable.  A low morale unit might hold its own in a bunker, because there are morale bonuses (or supplements), whereas a low morale unit would be asking for trouble in the open.  A unit with a 5, 6, or 7 morale would prefer not to be in the open, but it's very existence would not be threatened by going bankrupt on morale if caught in the open.
 
I've seen Italian Blackshirts with morale ratings of 4.  I think I've seen that with partisan units too, but I could be mistaken.
 
I've seen units lose two morale points in a single turn.  I guess it lost one when it lost a SP and another when it retreated.  I'm not sure how that works exactly.

[1925frank]

Regarding troops with lower morale, I wouldn't suggest that with regular forces.  Their morale is right where it belongs.  There were, however, troops that were suspect.  I believe the Germans used Ostroopen in Normandy that were unreliable, not because they weren't good soldiers but because they had no interest in dying for Nazi Germany.  The Germans rushed French volunteers (Legion of French Volunteers against Bolshevism) to the Moscow front in November and December 1941 with disastrous results.  Partisan units would, by and large, probably not have the staying power of regular troops.  I'm not familiar with the Italian Blackshirts, but somebody apparently thought they were relatively unreliable.

[Arizonus]

* Sigh *

[1925frank]

  Lol.  I stand corrected.  There is a smiley face that does multiple cartwheels.  I'd prefer one that does cartwheels to the right, however.

[JoMc67]

Jason,
A player can change the Opp fire, Action Points, Moral, strength, etc, of his units and that of the AI. Can a player also change the APs a unit spends per hex of travel, example: a T34 on good road conditions spends about 7APs per hex - a PzV Panther spends about 9 APs per hex, I would like to change this to say 10 and 13 respectivley.

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: JoMc67

Jason,
A player can change the Opp fire, Action Points, Moral, strength, etc, of his units and that of the AI. Can a player also change the APs a unit spends per hex of travel, example: a T34 on good road conditions spends about 7APs per hex - a PzV Panther spends about 9 APs per hex, I would like to change this to say 10 and 13 respectivley.

The probably won't change, no.

Jason Petho

[JoMc67]

Jason,
        Thanx for your response.
Hmmm, its indeed becoming a challenge to change CS to get the desired affects I am looking for.

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: JoMc67

Jason,
       Thanx for your response.
Hmmm, its indeed becoming a challenge to change CS to get the desired affects I am looking for.

You could always edit the movement values for the units yourself.

Of course, this means you will not be able to play anyone else unless they are using the same values.

Jason Petho

[JoMc67]

How is it you can change the movement values ? 
Do you mean changing the APs from 100 to say something like 75, which will in turn give me the slower speeds I am looking for.
If so, then yes that would be my other and simpler option.  

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: JoMc67

How is it you can change the movement values ? 
Do you mean changing the APs from 100 to say something like 75, which will in turn give me the slower speeds I am looking for.
If so, then yes that would be my other and simpler option.  

No, I mean editing the platoon files to have the speeds and firing costs that are more to your liking.

This requires decryption and encryption of the platoonXX.oob files and is time consuming, considering you would have to do it for all relevent units. But can be done if you so desire.

Again, I must repeat, that you will not be able to play other human opponents if you alter your platoonXX.oob files. But if you are playing strictly against the AI, tis all good.

Jason Petho

[JoMc67]

No, I mean editing the platoon files to have the speeds and firing costs that are more to your liking.

---

Ok that is what I meant, to try and change the speeds of units.
Probably wont go and change anything yet since I am somewhat computer illeterate and dont want to mess with files. When I am ready to take up the challenge I know where to come back for help.
I Think for now I am happy to just change the AP cost of all units, however it will be alittle more difficult to find human opponents who will share the same views as myself.

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: JoMc67

Ok that is what I meant, to try and change the speeds of units.
Probably wont go and change anything yet since I am somewhat computer illeterate and dont want to mess with files. When I am ready to take up the challenge I know where to come back for help.
I Think for now I am happy to just change the AP cost of all units, however it will be alittle more difficult to find human opponents who will share the same views as myself.

That is the kicker, yes, finding opponents that have the same views as yourself.

Jason Petho