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GrumpyMel -> Thoughts on Fortifications (12/29/2014 5:02:49 PM)
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Getting into this game and learning to play it better as well as enjoying it. However, I thought I'd share a few observations about fortifications. Does anyone else feel that fortifications are too quick/easy to build up and maintain? Some thoughts....
- Units enjoy the full benefits of fortifications even though they've just been fully switched into the line. This seems a bit unrealistic and I think makes for an unsatisfying game play mechanic. It seems to me that part of the benefit of fortifying is not just the physical apparatus (fox holes, barbed wire, entrenchments, etc), but the units familiarity with the battlefield... that isn't something that would be fully transferable to a new unit taking it's place in the line. From a gameplay perspective it creates a sort of shell game where a defender can simply switch in their most powerful unit(s) to a portion of the line where their forts have been depleted, making the hex practicaly unassailable until the forts have been fully rebuilt. This wouldn't be so bad against a human opponent that at least has to maintain proper reserves in good combat shape across the entire line to protect it.... but the AI seems able to "cheat" moving units to spots in the line where they really don't seem like they should be able to get to if they followed regular movement rules.
- Concentrated bombing (and concentrated artillery) seems to do nothing to fort levels. I've put entire air forces worth of air power ground striking a single hex on multiple occasions and the fortification level doesn't budge an inch. That's highly unrealistic... in reality concentrated air power and artillery was one of the solutions to built up fortifications. They should be ripping through the fort levels in a hex, instead of doing nothing.
- From a gameplay perspective, I've got myself bottled up in the toe of Italy and unable to break out due to Axis fort levels. Partialy this may be my own fault (it's my first game) due to choice of invasion spots (near Crotone) and not maintaining the momentum (though horrible weather made that difficult). However, I've still got something like an 8 hex front that the Axis seems to be able to hold with just a few weak units in high forts... and whenever I break a Fort down a level in one spot the HG Panzer Division and another strong unit seem to instantly warp into that location (8 hex's over mountains and rough terrain in light mud, through enemy ZOC's without taking a readiness hit) and if the fort isn't fully rebuilt by my next turn, the hex is still pretty unassailable due to the strength of the units occupying it). It makes for a pretty unsatisfying gameplay situation. I wouldn't mind it so much, if the AI really needed to have significant forces committed there to keep me bottled up.... but thanks to warping Panzer divisions and fortifications that seem completely impervious to concentrated air power and artillery...it doesn't.
- I really feel there needs to be a solution available to the player to knock out fort levels if they are willing to concentrate the resources to do so. By all means make manuver and keeping momentum important and penalize the player for failing to do so.... but the player should have a solution for bulling their way through a well fortified line if they run up against it... if they are willing to concentrate the resources and if their enemy really hasn't concentrated alot of reserves to give the defense some depth.
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