Digging In

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Curtis Lemay
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Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2004 3:12 pm
Location: Houston, TX

RE: Digging In

Post by Curtis Lemay »

ORIGINAL: ColinWright
Yeah -- but the difficulty is that one is still penalized for mounting minor attacks. Let's suppose I've got a wave of assaults I could make with none of the turn gone, a secondary attack I could launch at 40%, and a couple of fairly important ones to make that will use 80% of the turn.

I'd be crazy to launch the 40% attack without launching the 80% attacks simultaneously. This is the problem with the system. Since the effects are universal, you can't risk that attack with Ski Battalion 39. It might halt Panzer Group Kleist down in the Ukraine -- simply because the check will be carried out.

So while I certainly appreciate the need for early turn ending, I don't think it works to make the effect universal -- whether you see it as coming from one combat or as coming from a general check. The simple fact that one will risk undergoing the check if one makes a given attack suffices to produce unreasonable disincentives to attack.

One could say that I in fact don't want true early turn ending. What I want is for the turn to end for specific areas of the front.

Gives one an edge if you have a high force proficiency. If you have a low one, better not get too "cute". So high prof forces get the advantages of multiple rounds, while low prof ones have to be cruder in their choices.

I'll admit the effect increases as the size of the scenario expands. But that can be somewhat addressed by appropriate increases in Force Proficiency.
That's a rather good idea -- assuming it's practical to program. However, note that if it is implemented, the likelihood of other forms of turn ending should be increased.

I've got some reservations about it. It will just about eliminate all the skill required for round management - just set every attacker at "ignore losses" and go.
My TOAW web site:

Bob Cross's TOAW Site
User avatar
Curtis Lemay
Posts: 14658
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2004 3:12 pm
Location: Houston, TX

RE: Digging In

Post by Curtis Lemay »

ORIGINAL: ColinWright
ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay

2. You randomly suffer a Force Proficency Check failure. This is an important feature that somewhat counters some of the IGOUGO issues. It must be retained.

I'm beginning to wonder if it still functions in the first place.

In one scenario I'm play-testing, the British are dialed all the way down to 50%. I've yet to see them get off fewer than three rounds.

It's working. Be sure you understand the true risk of check failure:

Both the check against Force Proficiency fails and the check against rounds expended fails.

So, if only one round had been expended in the above case, the risk of early ending after that combat phase would be 5%.

If half the turn had been expended, the risk of ending after that combat phase would be 25%, etc.
My TOAW web site:

Bob Cross's TOAW Site
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