Gregor_SSG
Posts: 681
Joined: 3/6/2003 Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: DBeves Is it just me that misses the DB system for shifts being applied for artillery. when it was originaly touted that artillery would have the ability to cause step losses by themselves I presumed this would be for non combat bombardments (and counterbattery)and the old system of odds shifts would b in place still for close combat in battlefront speak... This is a much poorer representation I think ... 1. The arty is reduced in power now ... shifts usually made the difference between a bad attack odd and a good one - a true reflection of arty power. 2. As far as I can tell there is now no defender arty support ... I have lost count of the number of times I've read accounts of how vital arty could be to defensive siuations 3.Artillery seems no longer to be able to interdict 4. The shifts not only represented the power of artillery but of the the immediate disruptive and mental effects of a bombardment before the assault went in - not possible now I never really had a problem wih the old arty system - counter battery is good We made the changes to the artillery system because of the change in game scale, and we think that they are a more appropriate reflection of events at the Battlefront scale. I'll try to give an explanation nof our reasoning. 1. Artillery can still make a big difference, but perhaps not all in one combat resolution as it could in the DB system. Causing a step loss can definitely affect the odds. Also, if the defender can be induced to retreat, then they will lose their entrenchment and usually be much more vulnerable to artillery fire in their retreat hex. This should really be thought of as part of the same combat when thinking about artillery effects. 2. Defender artillery support is not modelled as it was in the DB system, but it was usually limited there to 1 shift for the defender, which usually didn't make a big difference. In DB the defender gets to shoot at the attacker as they advance, unintrenched, to contact and also gets to shoot at them, again advantageously, if they advance after combat into new ground. It's fine to force a guy out of a hex but if he can cause you a couple of step losses on top of any attacker losses from the CRT, then the attacker will definitely feel the power of artillery in defence. 3. We didn't feel it was appropriate for artillery interdiction at this scale. 4. Each step loss from artillery adds one to the retreat chance of a defender if attacked in the same turn, so the demoralisation factor is definitely accounted for. Also, the changes to the supply system now force a player to be much more selective in their use of artillery. If you want to make an offensive push, then you will need to have built up artillery supply beforehand, otherwise you'll run out of artillery support just when you need it most. Likewises the defender you have some hard choices to make. I find this part of the game very exciting and very realistic. Gregor
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