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Jacques' compendium

 
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Jacques' compendium - 12/23/2021 2:16:30 AM   
JacquesDeLalaing

 

Posts: 88
Joined: 10/7/2016
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I'm really loving the game so far and I'm taking lots of notes privately to delve deeper into the game.
I thought it could be a good idea to share some of my notes. I will keep the first post updated. There are also quite a few things that I found to be incorrect in the manual or in tooltips, marked in red.

Feel free to discuss and share your own insights! :)


-----------------------------

re. traffic points
  • unit movement generates traffic points like this: unit weight * 5 (manual doesn't list *5)
  • The manual states each supply point generates 0.1 traffic point and each fuel point generates 0.3 traffic points. From my observations ingame it rather seems to be 0.2 traffic points per supply point and roughly 0.25 traffic points per fuel point (hard to tell exactly as traffic points build up).

    re. overstacking during an attack from multiple hexes
    The first hex allows for 200 stacking (manual says 100)
    The second hex still allows for 200 stacking
    The third and each additional hex allows + 100 stacking

    re. Combat Modes
  • Probe gives -67% attack and +50% hitpoints (tooltip says +150%), max combat rounds = 2, orderly retreat initiated at 10% losses
  • Recon in force gives - 50% attack and + 66% hitpoints , max combat rounds = 4, orderly retreat initiated at 25% losses
    NOTE: The unit will initiate an orderly retreat at the end of round 2 (probe) or 4 (recon in force). The retreat then takes another 2 combat round. So actually you need to pay Action Points for 4 (probe) or 6 (recon in force) combat rounds!

    re. Battlegroups (units without TOE)
  • you can add any elements to battlegroups, there is no TOE
  • on creation, they need to have a minimum power of 50; creating a new battle group costs 3 PP.
  • as there is no TOE, battlegroups don't request any replacements, so they're not part of the "automated" replacement system
  • they suffer a malus on their hitpoints if they have less than 50 Power, i.e. they become very brittle and prone to casualties; this malus is listed as "Battlegroup Small Size" in the detailed combat reports
  • the manual mentions that battlegroups suffer a base -15% attack malus, I didn't observe this ingame

    re. Ranged fire actions by indirect fire elements (mortars, arty)
  • indirect elements do not lose their entrenchment when they fire (in contrast to direct fire elements!)
  • if the indirect element has a direct LOS on target, they get a bonus (+1% for each LOS%)
  • I suppose that other units can only "spot" for arty/mortars insofar as they provide recon points on the enemy, thus revealing enemy elements (if you don't see the enemy elements, you need to score "lucky hits" (higher chance if the hex has a lot of stacking/is very crowded) and the target gets + 100% hitpoints). Also, the number of your recon points on a hex determines the chance for your arty/mortars to conduct intercept fire (very important!).
  • they ignore any height advantages their targets may have (no hitpoint bonus for being on high ground)
  • does not suffer any "max attacked" malus (no malus for attacking enemy elements that have already been attacked a lot in this combat round)
  • may target "backbench" (support) elements
  • a lack of readiness does not make the target as vulnerable (see manual p. 103)

    re. entrenchment
  • An element gains entrenchment points each turn according to the elements' "entrenchment cap." value (usually +40). It can never exceed the "maximum entrenchment" of the terrain in its hex though. Pioneer elements have increased "entrenchment cap" (and may also help other units in the hex, according to the latest patch notes?).
  • Entrenchment is lost when an element moves, is split off a unit, is merged with another unit, fires offensively (exception: indirect fire elements) or due to combat: a pinned hit subtracts 50 entrenchment points from the target, a retreat hit 100 points. However, a ranged fire action can only reduce an element's entrenchment by -33% of the initial (pre fire action or pre turn?) (my impression is: pre-turn) entrenchment points.
  • Implications: The better your entrenchment, the less likely you get hit (bonus on hitpoints), the less likely you lose entrenchment (chance for pinned/retreat hits). It's a cascading effect. The best way to fight an enemy's entrenchment is therefore to engage him early on (before he can build up entrenchment). If you really need to attack a strong enemy position (enemy stationary for many turns in defensible terrain), my suggestion would be to 1) recon/probe his positions (in order to gain recon points and discover his elements for your arty), 2) to hammer him with heavy artillery over a couple or turns, 3) then close in (make sure he loses his APs so that he cannot intercept fire when your combat troops approach) and 4) attack from multiple sides (concentric attack bonus; remember that there is a malus if the units come from several divisions; you should re-assign your units accordingly).

    re. unit management/micro
  • If you create a new unit, the new unit will have 0 AP and its elements lose all of their built-up entrenchment. The parent unit is unaffected.
  • If you shift an element between two units, the parent unit keeps its current AP whereas the target unit loses all its AP. In addition the shifted element loses its entrenchment.
  • Remember that 80% of a unit's elements need to be of "transporter" type (this includes tanks!) in order for the unit to count as a transport unit. Only transport units can use the "transport" button. A unit that is being transported will have its movement type changed to that of the transporting unit at the start of the next turn and needs to move together with the transporting unit until disembarkation. Embarkation/Disembarkation does not cost any APs.

    re. movement
    Units always move at the speed of their slowest element. Be carefull with adding wheeled vehicles to tracked units! ("4x4 wheel" units count as "tracked", so they're fine).

    re. terrain in combat
    The terrain combat modifiers listed in the detailed hex tooltip are mostly incorrect (or I'm failing to understand them). The factors listed in the manual p. 102 don't seem to be fully correct either.
    EDIT: It seems to work like this: If unit Alpha (positioned in terrain A) fires at unit Beta (positioned in terrain B), then unit Alpha uses its offensive atk rating and the offensive atk modifier of terrain B. Unit Beta fires back, using its defensive atk rating and the offensive modifier of terrain A. In ranged combat, both sides seem to use the offensive modifiers of the targets' terrain.

    re. anti air
    AA units that have a ranged fire capability also exert their AA points over range.

    re. armored infantry
  • Halftracks have a special mechanic. Whenever an infantry element would be targeted by a combat action, there is a test (50%-50%) to see whether a halftrack element of the same unit will be targeted instead. As halftracks are hard target, this is usually beneficial against artillery.
  • However if - against its nature - an armored infantry unit is stationary in a defensive position, I prefer to split off the halftracks and move them out of the harm's way. As they cannot entrench as well as the infantry, halftracks are usually lost very quickly. In fact I should probably split the halftracks off before close combat assaults as well...

    re. combat stats of elements
  • "Hitpoints" indicates how difficult it is to score a hit on the element, i.e. how vulnerable the element is. The first value is against close combat and direct fire, the second value (i) is against indirect fire.
  • "Hard attack" indicates how good the element is at scoring hits against hard targets. The first value is used if the the element is attacking (initiating a fire action or close combat), the second value is used if the element is defending (shooting/fighting back against attacking elements). Very confusingly, I have observed anti tank guns to use their defensive attack in offensive actions.
  • "Soft attack" is the same as hard attack but against non-armored targets.

    re. supply
  • If a unit is out of optimal supply range (beyond 100 AP of the depot, green overlay), no supply points are "lost" on the way. Instead the depot just sends fewer points. E.g. if your unit is in the yellow supply area (100-150 AP distance to the depot), it receives only 75% of the points it requested. The remaining 25%, however, are not substracted from the deopt's supply points. They just never get sent.
  • Remember that fuel works differently than supply. Whereas supply dispatches get gradually reduced the farther the unit is away, fuel dispatches reach units either fully or not at all (no gradual reduction). E.g. A unit in the yellow (=100-150AP distance; 75% supply power) receives 75% of the supply points it demands and has a chance of 75% to receive 100% of the requested fuel points (and a chance of 25% to receive no fuel at all).

    re. Recon
  • Recon points that you gain by combat are lost in the next turn. This usually means that the enemy unit will still be displayed in a very detailed manner in the following turns due to its "(partially) identified" status. The actual, true recon status, however, might be very poor. This is important because you need good true recon status for your artillery to be effective. Short: Just because you see a unit and its details on the map does not mean that you can target it effectively with your artillery. Always check the recon vs. hidepoints on the hex first!

    re. AP and fire actions in the opponent's turn
  • A unit needs to have 40 AP left to conduct intercept fire.
  • If a unit with 0 AP is range-attacked by the enemy, it can still fire back (starting in combat round 2, as usual). So firing back against enemy ranged attacks does not require any AP.

    re. Anti tank guns
  • In contrast to ordinary units, anti tank guns seem to use their defensive stat in offensive ranged combat. I need to check if sp. ATGS/tank hunters also work the same...?

    < Message edited by JacquesDeLalaing -- 1/3/2022 7:02:15 AM >
  • Post #: 1
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 12/23/2021 7:21:44 AM   
    Stelteck

     

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    Thank you very interesting !!!!

    (in reply to JacquesDeLalaing)
    Post #: 2
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 12/23/2021 12:58:00 PM   
    carll11


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    Yes thank you.....some guidance re; replacements would be very nice, somewhere I read that you can order HQs to 'prioritize' specific units to receive replacements like Case Blue? I cant seem to remember who said it or what thread I saw it in.....

    (in reply to Stelteck)
    Post #: 3
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 12/23/2021 1:15:44 PM   
    Goodenough


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    Thanks from me too.

    There's an awful lot of detail in the game, any help to understand it all is much appreciated.

    (in reply to Stelteck)
    Post #: 4
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 12/23/2021 4:14:06 PM   
    MemoryLeak


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    quote:

    ORIGINAL: carll11

    Yes thank you.....some guidance re; replacements would be very nice, somewhere I read that you can order HQs to 'prioritize' specific units to receive replacements like Case Blue? I cant seem to remember who said it or what thread I saw it in.....


    Hi,

    I believe you can prioritize replacements in the units tab on the right side of the main map screen. I don't have it in front of me and I can't remember what I had for breakfast, but i think you canset replacement priority there. Or I dreamt it.

    _____________________________

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    USS Long Beach CGN-9
    RM2 1969-1973

    (in reply to carll11)
    Post #: 5
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 12/23/2021 5:53:40 PM   
    JacquesDeLalaing

     

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    My impressions so far:

    1. You can buy replacements via the replacements card. When you buy the card, the replacements are immediately spawned at the highest ranking HQ that is closest to the map entry point of the replacements. You can immediately see the elements in the HQ unit.
    2. At the start of each turn, elements are shifted from the highest ranking HQ(s) via the subordinate divisional and briagde HQs to the requesting combat units. This movement is automatic (and according to the manual also generates traffic points on the roads). Check out your replacement reports to see which units have received replacements.

    How do units request replacement elements?
    All units except battle groups have a TOE (table of organisation and equipment), defining their ideal paper strength and composition. If a unit is below its paper strength, it requests replacements accordingly at the start of each turn. You can check out what a unit is missing and requesting in the unit tab ("replacements"). Also note that the size of the bar on the right hand side on the counters indicates the strength of the unit compared to its TOE/ideal paper strength (the color of the bar indicates the current readiness of the unit). Note that a unit can only request up to a certain number of elements per turn. So a unit that is at 50% paper strength can not recover completely in a single turn, even if there are sufficient replacement elements available at your HQs.

    By changing the standing orders of units, you can set your units' (and subordinate HQs!) priorities for replacements. You can find the priority setting in the unit tab under "standing orders" / RPLC.

    Note that battle groups have no TOE, so they're never missing elements and never request replacements. If you want to reinforce a battle group, you need to merge it with another unit. (For battle groups, the bar on the counter probably represents base combat strength? Note that a battle group that falls below 50 power points suffers an additional malus in battle)

    < Message edited by JacquesDeLalaing -- 12/24/2021 9:59:53 AM >

    (in reply to carll11)
    Post #: 6
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 12/27/2021 1:46:59 PM   
    tombo

     

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    bump. Good data and useful.
    pls continue to expand.

    (in reply to JacquesDeLalaing)
    Post #: 7
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 12/27/2021 5:41:29 PM   
    carll11


    Posts: 791
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    quote:

    ORIGINAL: MemoryLeak


    quote:

    ORIGINAL: carll11

    Yes thank you.....some guidance re; replacements would be very nice, somewhere I read that you can order HQs to 'prioritize' specific units to receive replacements like Case Blue? I cant seem to remember who said it or what thread I saw it in.....


    Hi,

    I believe you can prioritize replacements in the units tab on the right side of the main map screen. I don't have it in front of me and I can't remember what I had for breakfast, but i think you canset replacement priority there. Or I dreamt it.



    I took a good look, using the units tab etc., cant find any mechanism that allows me t0 channel or prioritize units for replacements....


    edit- oops, I see it now, thx memory leak and you too Jacques

    < Message edited by carll11 -- 12/27/2021 5:50:42 PM >

    (in reply to MemoryLeak)
    Post #: 8
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 12/27/2021 7:29:20 PM   
    Khanti

     

    Posts: 317
    Joined: 8/28/2007
    From: Poland
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    quote:

    ORIGINAL: JacquesDeLalaing

    My impressions so far:

    1. You can buy replacements via the replacements card. When you buy the card, the replacements are immediately spawned at the highest ranking HQ that is closest to the map entry point of the replacements. You can immediately see the elements in the HQ unit.
    2. At the start of each turn, elements are shifted from the highest ranking HQ(s) via the subordinate divisional and briagde HQs to the requesting combat units. This movement is automatic (and according to the manual also generates traffic points on the roads). Check out your replacement reports to see which units have received replacements.

    How do units request replacement elements?
    All units except battle groups have a TOE (table of organisation and equipment), defining their ideal paper strength and composition. If a unit is below its paper strength, it requests replacements accordingly at the start of each turn. You can check out what a unit is missing and requesting in the unit tab ("replacements"). Also note that the size of the bar on the right hand side on the counters indicates the strength of the unit compared to its TOE/ideal paper strength (the color of the bar indicates the current readiness of the unit). Note that a unit can only request up to a certain number of elements per turn. So a unit that is at 50% paper strength can not recover completely in a single turn, even if there are sufficient replacement elements available at your HQs.

    By changing the standing orders of units, you can set your units' (and subordinate HQs!) priorities for replacements. You can find the priority setting in the unit tab under "standing orders" / RPLC.

    Note that battle groups have no TOE, so they're never missing elements and never request replacements. If you want to reinforce a battle group, you need to merge it with another unit. (For battle groups, the bar on the counter probably represents base combat strength? Note that a battle group that falls below 50 power points suffers an additional malus in battle)


    In betas some battlegroups (older, in existence from start) have TOEs and can get replacements/

    _____________________________

    There is no such thing as a historically accurate strategy game. Every game stops being historically accurate from the very first move player do. First unit that moves ahistorically, first battle with non-historical results, mean we ride in unknown.

    (in reply to JacquesDeLalaing)
    Post #: 9
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 12/27/2021 7:30:57 PM   
    Khanti

     

    Posts: 317
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    quote:

    ORIGINAL: carll11

    Yes thank you.....some guidance re; replacements would be very nice, somewhere I read that you can order HQs to 'prioritize' specific units to receive replacements like Case Blue? I cant seem to remember who said it or what thread I saw it in.....

    Yes.
    If you do not set priority - replacements go to weakest unit (less % of TOE).

    _____________________________

    There is no such thing as a historically accurate strategy game. Every game stops being historically accurate from the very first move player do. First unit that moves ahistorically, first battle with non-historical results, mean we ride in unknown.

    (in reply to carll11)
    Post #: 10
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 12/29/2021 5:18:38 PM   
    JacquesDeLalaing

     

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    Small addition to the first post:

    re. Recon
  • Recon points that you gain by combat are lost in the next turn. This usually means that the enemy unit will still be displayed in a very detailed manner in the following turns due to its "(partially) identified" status. The actual, true recon status, however, might be very poor. This is important because you need good true recon status for your artillery to be effective. Short: Just because you see a unit and its details on the map does not mean that you can target it effectively with your artillery. Always check the recon vs. hidepoints on the hex first!

    (in reply to Khanti)
  • Post #: 11
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 12/29/2021 6:39:54 PM   
    GiveWarAchance

     

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    Jacques, do you use the recon in force attack option much? I use it a lot when I only see hazy green boxes. The problem with it is it uses up a turn and costs light casualties but sometimes need to to get a decent target for artillery and other units.

    (in reply to JacquesDeLalaing)
    Post #: 12
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 12/29/2021 7:43:56 PM   
    Sheridan1969

     

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    Good thread Jacques!!!

    I have a question regarding fuel.

    Before moving several hexes a motorized or mechanized unit I see the fuel consumption prediction.. for example, 1082.

    But when I move, I check that it has only spent 131, which corresponds only to 10AP of movement of that unit...and if I only move one hexagon, the fuel consumption is also 131.

    Do you know if it is an error?

    Cheers!!!

    < Message edited by Sheridan1969 -- 12/29/2021 8:11:19 PM >

    (in reply to GiveWarAchance)
    Post #: 13
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 12/29/2021 8:00:03 PM   
    Jagger2002

     

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    quote:

    Jacques, do you use the recon in force attack option much? I use it a lot when I only see hazy green boxes. The problem with it is it uses up a turn and costs light casualties but sometimes need to to get a decent target for artillery and other units.


    Sometimes the recce card will give you the needed information if you are just below the identity threshold. If that gives you enough info, a recce attack is not necessary. Although I suspect if you combine the recce card and recce attack for greater target info, it would improve artillery effectiveness if that is your objective.

    (in reply to Sheridan1969)
    Post #: 14
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 12/30/2021 11:19:55 PM   
    GiveWarAchance

     

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    I use those recon cards all the time, almost every turn. Sometimes they don't work and the green boxes remain a mystery so I must switch to plan B with the recon in force. Occasionally I order a normal attack in if I suspect it is just one weak unit defending.

    (in reply to Jagger2002)
    Post #: 15
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 1/1/2022 12:08:05 AM   
    JacquesDeLalaing

     

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    quote:

    ORIGINAL: GiveWarAchance

    Jacques, do you use the recon in force attack option much? I use it a lot when I only see hazy green boxes. The problem with it is it uses up a turn and costs light casualties but sometimes need to to get a decent target for artillery and other units.


    Well yes, in many cases a recon attack is the only real option you have. As you say it comes at a cost though. I think it's best to use a unit that is not needed for the "main attack" to conduct the probe.

    Conducting a recon attack in order to spot for artillery can be effective if the target is not already dug-in or if you are ready to spend a lot of artillery fire on that single target. But beware:

  • If you use all your artillery offensively, it cannot conduct intercept fire in the opponent's turn. This might leave you open and vulnerable (especially against a human opponent). Remember that an offensive bombardment uses up all the artillery's AP and you need to have 40AP left to conduct intercept fire.
  • From what I've experienced in game, the extra recon points that you gain by means of a probe are only termporary - they're effective only for the very same turn and are lost at the end of the turn. As I've written above, the game might still display pretty accurate info on the enemy unit in the following turns. But that's only because the enemy unit has been identified in some earlier turn (by your probe). That info from the past does not mean that the unit is currently spotted for your artillery! So it's not safe to fire your arty on units that the game displays to you in detail. Always check your recon points versus the terrain's hide points to check if an enemy unit is a good target for your artillery.

    (in reply to GiveWarAchance)
  • Post #: 16
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 1/1/2022 12:17:13 AM   
    JacquesDeLalaing

     

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    quote:

    ORIGINAL: Sheridan1969

    Good thread Jacques!!!

    I have a question regarding fuel.

    Before moving several hexes a motorized or mechanized unit I see the fuel consumption prediction.. for example, 1082.

    But when I move, I check that it has only spent 131, which corresponds only to 10AP of movement of that unit...and if I only move one hexagon, the fuel consumption is also 131.

    Do you know if it is an error?

    Cheers!!!


    Uh-oh. I just tested it and indeed it seems to be true. If you move a unit, it always seems to consume the base cost for 10AP, regardless of the actual AP cost of the move. Now that's a big fat bug! :O

    Unless of course it's on purpose and the whole fuel system is used differently for DC:Ardennes due to the smaller scale of the action.

    Afaik a SdKfz 251 halftrack had a range of approximately 300km with a single full tank which would correspond to roughly 250 hexes ingame (vehicles don't go straight along a bee-line...)? Ingame the SdKfz 251 halftrack-element has an internal storage of 45 fuel points and consumes 2 fuel points. If those 2 fuel points were consumed per 10 AP - as the ingame info and the manual make us believe-, then the actual range of a fully fuelled halftrack would be a ridicolous 22km (if we assume movement along a minor road = 10 AP per hex). If instead those 2 fuel points were consumed per "move" (i.e. any move up to 100 AP) - as it is actually the case ingame - , then the range increases to 220km, which seems about right. (Actually the range will be a bit lower, because you will not be able to spend precisely 100AP every turn...)

    The same is true with other vehicles. E.g. the Panther/Panzer V has a storage of 135 and a consumption of 6. If we read it as consumption per move (up to 100AP = 10km on minor road), rather than per 10AP, then a fully fuelled Panther ends up with a range of 225km/hexes, which seems fine. Note though that a Panther's fuel will require more resupply transports/generate more traffic points on the road than a halftrack's fuel.

    But then I also found a vehicle that seems a bit strange: The US GMC truck (storage 15, consumption 1) has a range of just 150 hexes (along minor roads), which seems too low...? But maybe I'm missing something. I'm not exactly an expert on WW2 vehicles. :D

    So my assumption is that it is on purpose. But then this should be clearly stated in the manual and the ingame info should be changed (fuel consumption per "move", not per 10 AP).

    (Then again one could argue that vehicles were not refilled every turn/6 hours, but that's another matter...)


    < Message edited by JacquesDeLalaing -- 1/1/2022 1:08:29 AM >

    (in reply to Sheridan1969)
    Post #: 17
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 1/1/2022 5:06:30 AM   
    GiveWarAchance

     

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    I usually use recon in force to either spot for artillery this turn or to just find out what is there for my own well-being. Sometimes I do small recon look see, then pounce with remaining units on the same turn if the enemy is not too numerous. It's a good mechanic I haven't seen in other games, and realistic.

    (in reply to JacquesDeLalaing)
    Post #: 18
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 1/1/2022 7:50:00 AM   
    Tempest5

     

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    quote:

    ORIGINAL: Jagger2002

    quote:

    Jacques, do you use the recon in force attack option much? I use it a lot when I only see hazy green boxes. The problem with it is it uses up a turn and costs light casualties but sometimes need to to get a decent target for artillery and other units.


    Sometimes the recce card will give you the needed information if you are just below the identity threshold. If that gives you enough info, a recce attack is not necessary. Although I suspect if you combine the recce card and recce attack for greater target info, it would improve artillery effectiveness if that is your objective.


    +1

    (in reply to Jagger2002)
    Post #: 19
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 1/1/2022 4:49:24 PM   
    Vic


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    Will give this thread some serious attention the 3rd of jan onwards!

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    (in reply to Tempest5)
    Post #: 20
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 1/3/2022 12:30:20 AM   
    tombo

     

    Posts: 356
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    quote:

    ORIGINAL: JacquesDeLalaing

    My impressions so far:

    1. You can buy replacements via the replacements card. When you buy the card, the replacements are immediately spawned at the highest ranking HQ that is closest to the map entry point of the replacements. You can immediately see the elements in the HQ unit.
    2. At the start of each turn, elements are shifted from the highest ranking HQ(s) via the subordinate divisional and briagde HQs to the requesting combat units. This movement is automatic (and according to the manual also generates traffic points on the roads). Check out your replacement reports to see which units have received replacements.

    How do units request replacement elements?
    All units except battle groups have a TOE (table of organisation and equipment), defining their ideal paper strength and composition. If a unit is below its paper strength, it requests replacements accordingly at the start of each turn. You can check out what a unit is missing and requesting in the unit tab ("replacements"). Also note that the size of the bar on the right hand side on the counters indicates the strength of the unit compared to its TOE/ideal paper strength (the color of the bar indicates the current readiness of the unit). Note that a unit can only request up to a certain number of elements per turn. So a unit that is at 50% paper strength can not recover completely in a single turn, even if there are sufficient replacement elements available at your HQs.

    By changing the standing orders of units, you can set your units' (and subordinate HQs!) priorities for replacements. You can find the priority setting in the unit tab under "standing orders" / RPLC.

    Note that battle groups have no TOE, so they're never missing elements and never request replacements. If you want to reinforce a battle group, you need to merge it with another unit. (For battle groups, the bar on the counter probably represents base combat strength? Note that a battle group that falls below 50 power points suffers an additional malus in battle)


    If you set an HQ to lower replacement priority, do all its assigned units also go to the same lower priority? Or do i have to set each unit separately?

    (in reply to JacquesDeLalaing)
    Post #: 21
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 1/3/2022 6:45:47 AM   
    JacquesDeLalaing

     

    Posts: 88
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    Can't tell for sure. You would need to test that out ingame.

    I suppose that replacements go to the highest ranking HQ first (if there is a tie, they go to the HQ that is closer to the replacement entry point). Then, at the start of the next turn, they're forwarded to the subordinate HQs - here, the subordinate HQ's replacement priority settings might play a role. And then, in the very same turn, they're forwarded from the subordinate HQs to the combat units.

    (in reply to tombo)
    Post #: 22
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 1/3/2022 7:52:27 AM   
    Stelteck

     

    Posts: 1376
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    I tested it, if you select a higher HQ to, for example, 50% replacement instead of 100%, all the HQ and units below will request replacement only under 50% instead of 100%.

    If a higher HQ is selected to 50%, and a lower HQ is selected to 50 also, all units attached to the lower HQ will request replacement only at 25% (50% of 50%).

    BUT if a unit attached to the lower HQ is set to PRIO, it will override the coefficient of the HQ and the unit will be 100%

    (in reply to JacquesDeLalaing)
    Post #: 23
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 1/3/2022 2:53:42 PM   
    Vic


    Posts: 8262
    Joined: 5/17/2004
    Status: offline
    Hi Jacques,

    Thanks for the in-depth and quantative feedback. Should have enlisted you as beta tester ;) yes.

    As for traffic point weight. Supply point is 0.2 traffic weight. Fuel 0.3 traffic weight. will update errata.

    As for max stack vs attack directions manual is wrong, game is right. will update errata.

    Tooltip is right on +150% for probe. Combat calcs where wrong. Fixing for next patch.

    Your right about the 15% attack score penalty not being applied to battlegroups. Fixing this for next patch.

    Rule clarification: Initial entrenchment is set at start of turn, but updated after movement and retreats.

    Rule clarification: When doing ranged direct fire the attack score is the highest score the trooptype has (off or def)

    Big fat bug on Fuel will be solved in the new patch. Coming ASAP! Not sure when i introduced it, but must have been with 1.04 :( apologies.

    Best wishes,
    Vic



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    (in reply to Stelteck)
    Post #: 24
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 1/3/2022 4:26:07 PM   
    Vic


    Posts: 8262
    Joined: 5/17/2004
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    quote:

    ORIGINAL: Stelteck

    I tested it, if you select a higher HQ to, for example, 50% replacement instead of 100%, all the HQ and units below will request replacement only under 50% instead of 100%.

    If a higher HQ is selected to 50%, and a lower HQ is selected to 50 also, all units attached to the lower HQ will request replacement only at 25% (50% of 50%).

    BUT if a unit attached to the lower HQ is set to PRIO, it will override the coefficient of the HQ and the unit will be 100%


    Thanks! could not have said it better myself. Used your text for the manual errata! :)


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    (in reply to Stelteck)
    Post #: 25
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 1/3/2022 7:33:29 PM   
    JacquesDeLalaing

     

    Posts: 88
    Joined: 10/7/2016
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    Thanks for the extensive answer! :) Looking forward to the patch!

    I will re-write/update the first post. But it may take me a couple of days...



    < Message edited by JacquesDeLalaing -- 1/5/2022 11:10:40 AM >

    (in reply to Vic)
    Post #: 26
    RE: Jacques' compendium - 1/3/2022 8:25:20 PM   
    JacquesDeLalaing

     

    Posts: 88
    Joined: 10/7/2016
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    Summary on entrenchment vs. artillery/mortar fire

    This is what happens when an indirect weapon (arty, mortars) fires against an enemy element:

    The firing element will use its highest attack rating (either defensive or offensive). The attack rating will be lowered according to the terrain in the target hex (using the "guns att-mod" of the terrain). If the artillery/mortar element has a direct line of sight on the target, it will get a bonus on its attack rating (according to the LOS %). Common standard factors also apply (HQ, XP, Readiness, uncertainty roll).
    (Note that an indirect fire element does not lose any entrenchment when it conducts a fire action)

    The target element's vulnerability or "hitpoints" - as the game calls it- are based on the element's "defense vs. indirect fire" stat (the value with the "i", after the slash). The hitpoints are increased according to the current entrenchment level of the element: each entrenchment point provides +1% on hitpoints. Note that against indirect fire, elements don't get any bonus on hitpoints for being "uphill". Common standard factors also apply (XP, Readiness, uncertainty roll).

    The game then rolls for the firing element (0 - modified attack score) and the target element (0 - modified hitpoints). If the firing element's result is higher, it scores a hit. In the case of indirect fire, this can either be a kill or a pin (there are no retreat hits in ranged combat). A kill hit results in the element being eliminated. A pinned hit reduces the element's readiness by 25% of its current readiness. Also, the element loses entrenchment points until it reaches 66% of it's initial (=start of the turn or after movement/being forced to retreat) entrenchment level. E.g. if the element started the turn with 180 entrenchment points, it's entrenchment cannot be reduced beyond 120 by indirect fire this turn.

    At the end of the bombardment, for each type of element in the unit (for each element card in the bar at the bottom of the screen, so to speak), the game sets the entrenchment points to the average of all elements of that type. So, e.g. if 10 engineer elements survive a bombardment with 180 entrenchment points and 5 - having suffered pinned hits - survive with just 120, then the new entrenchment level for all engineer elements will be set to 160.

    At the start of each turn, elements gain entrenchment points according to their "entrechment cap." stat (40 for infantry, 20 for vehicles) until they reach the maximum entrenchment level of their current terrain (MX-ENTR). Engineers have increased entrechment capability and give a bonus to other units. You can also use an "Entrench" officer card to speed up entrenchment. In addition, each terrain provides some base entrenchment level (automatic entrenchment, A-ENTR).

    Be very carefull with splitting up and merging units (see first post). You don't want to lose 4 turns worth of entrenchment!

    todo: prevention of vigor recovery if under fire?
    -------------------
    TLDR entrenchment/preparation seems very essential to me - as it should be. The better entrenched a unit is, the smaller its chance of losing entrenchment to artillery fire, and the longer it will take artillery to tear down the entrenchment. As units generate entrenchment points every turn, low intensity artillery fire is of relatively little effect (particularly if there are many elements in the target unit, so the entrenchment loss averages out) and will tire out the artillery (keep an eye on its vigor!). On the other hand, it goes two ways: You should try to keep your units safe in the early stages of preparation. If your entrenchment is still bad, artillery might score hits more reliably, thereby slowing down your entrenchment process. You should keep in mind how long it will take your units to dig in to the full potential of the terrain - usually 4 turns (i.e. one full day!). When chosing your defensive position, you should also consider the guns' malus (guns / ATT-MOD) and the hide value of the terrain.

    < Message edited by JacquesDeLalaing -- 1/4/2022 7:23:15 AM >

    (in reply to JacquesDeLalaing)
    Post #: 27
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