HQ Boosting

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Strategic Command Series >> Strategic Command WWII: World at War >> HQ Boosting

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HQ Boosting - 10/8/2021 12:00:20 AM

LoneRunner

Posts: 202
Joined: 8/16/2020
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HQ boosting can be critical in low supply areas like Russia and the Middle East, however the AI frequently selects the wrong HQ to boost. The screenshot shows a situation in the Middle East where five Allied HQs are available to provide supply. Patton and Montgomery have moved out into low supply desert. The other three HQs are in level 5 supply towns.

On the screenshot I clicked on Patton. The yellow outline around Montgomery indicates Montgomery is boosting Patton. Instead of selecting one of the well supplied HQs to boost Patton, the AI selected Montgomery.

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RE: HQ Boosting - 10/8/2021 12:04:07 AM

LoneRunner

Posts: 202
Joined: 8/16/2020
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Ouch, since Montgomery is boosting Patton, Montgomery can't be boosted by any of the other three HQs. That means Montgomery remains in low supply. Notice that Montgomery is distributing only 6 supply, while the other four HQs are distributing 8 supply.

I grouped several units around Montgomery expecting to reinforce them to full strength this turn. Unfortunately, they are going to have to wait.

If I was able to select the boosting HQ for Patton and Montgomery, I would not have run into this problem.

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< Message edited by LoneRunner -- 10/8/2021 12:10:36 AM >

(in reply to LoneRunner)

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RE: HQ Boosting - 10/8/2021 12:19:16 AM

LoneRunner

Posts: 202
Joined: 8/16/2020
Status: offline

Here's another example of the AI selecting the wrong HQ to boost. I expected Manstein to boost Rommel because Rommel has a much higher rating than the Romanian HQ. According to the manual the highest rated HQ gets boosted. But not in this case. The AI chose to boost the Romanian HQ and Rommel was left in low supply. Ouch, low supply threw off my expected assault on Stalingrad.

Programing the AI to select the proper HQ to boost in complex situations would be difficult if not impossible. Why not let the player manually select the boosting HQ.

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< Message edited by LoneRunner -- 10/8/2021 12:24:58 AM >

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RE: HQ Boosting - 10/8/2021 2:51:35 PM

Hubert Cater

Posts: 5199
Joined: 7/22/2013
Status: offline

Thanks for the report and it is on our list but I'm not sure if there will be an easy solution or change in the short term.

The issue is in when supply is calculated and it is all calculated before the turn begins. Setting the HQ links after your turn starts can be a bit complicated to ensure there is no gaming of the supply situation as well as how to convey to the player when, and when they cannot change the links so it is all intuitive enough.

For example, are you changing the links for this turn?, the next turn?, what happens when the HQs move and are out of range despite your preferred link setup and so on.

Currently this is why it is all auto-calculated for now before your turn begins.

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(in reply to LoneRunner)

Post #: 4

RE: HQ Boosting - 10/8/2021 4:15:24 PM

LoneRunner

Posts: 202
Joined: 8/16/2020
Status: offline

Thank you for your reply Hubert. Yes, what you said makes sense. Being able to change supply status after your turn starts could result in all sorts of gamey practices. Dang, a tough one because I don't see how you could program AI preference for HQ boosting.

How about providing a boosting preference button on an HQ, where you can indicate which HQ should be boosted before any others. You could click the button during your turn but it would not take effect until your next turn. That way if you run a critical HQ into low supply territory, like I did with Rommel in front of Stalingrad, you could indicate that Rommel should be boosted before any other HQ.

Yes, a preference button probably wouldn't work in complex situations like my Middle East example. But it would have worked with my Russia example. The preference button would not have to be used but it would be there if you needed it. And it would work best if the button were used minimally. If you had the preference button clicked on all your HQs, well, that's too bad, the AI would select which one to be boosted.

< Message edited by LoneRunner -- 10/8/2021 4:20:36 PM >

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Post #: 5

RE: HQ Boosting - 10/8/2021 6:10:01 PM

redrum68

Posts: 1202
Joined: 11/26/2017
Status: offline

I think just being able to set preferences of boosting for the following turn's supply which if for some reason can't be achieved because say the enemy cuts off the HQ or whatever then just defaults back to the current automated prioritization.

(in reply to LoneRunner)

Post #: 6