Negative combat modifiers

[Simon1397]

Just a thought, leaders get random events such as assault, counter-attack, encirclement based on their extra skills (offensive, panzer leader, defensive, et cetera) and these are always assumed to be a good thing. From my admittedly light reading of events it appears that often being overly offensive (i.e. Rommel's 7th Panzer in France) could result in overstretching logistics, outrunning infantry support and being liable for flanking counterattacks and being cut off.

So to be realistic the combat engine should give bonuses for offensive as it does now but also occasionally should represent over-stretch by imposing a penalty or modifier such as out of supply/communication. Good players don't allow armour divisions to be cut off from supporting infantry but that is in strategic terms; within a province it should be possible for negative events to occur because of the positive aspects of the leader.

 

[unmerged(94130)]

It's the QG which allows combat events during a battle. Advanced doctrines increases the probability.

And new leaders skills, like counter attack specialist, increase again the probability.

But i agree that a encirclement causes a penality for the army which is encircled.

 

[Draigh]

Just a thought, leaders get random events such as assault, counter-attack, encirclement based on their extra skills (offensive, panzer leader, defensive, et cetera) and these are always assumed to be a good thing. From my admittedly light reading of events it appears that often being overly offensive (i.e. Rommel's 7th Panzer in France) could result in overstretching logistics, outrunning infantry support and being liable for flanking counterattacks and being cut off.

So to be realistic the combat engine should give bonuses for offensive as it does now but also occasionally should represent over-stretch by imposing a penalty or modifier such as out of supply/communication. Good players don't allow armour divisions to be cut off from supporting infantry but that is in strategic terms; within a province it should be possible for negative events to occur because of the positive aspects of the leader.

I disagree. Combat events are a small-scale manoeuvre in one part of a province, where the space used is usually too small to conduct large-scale counter-offensives. Besides, every combat event lasts only four hours, so it's quite unlikely that a defender could stage a reaction, execute it and break the encirclement or cut off the spearhead all within four hours. The real problems with encircling and breakthroughs should start popping up when the distance between a spearhead and the main line becomes too great, which only happens on the strategic map.

 

[Simon1397]

Okay, perhaps I was too specific; what I'm getting at here is that leaders traits are always assumed to be 'good' whether in defense or attack. It seems to me that this doesn't take into account the unpredicability of battles and how leader's predisposition to a certain doctrine would help or hinder.

I would have thought that the possibilty of random events occouring for players so that an offensive general would overstretch his lines of communication or a defensive general would allow too much attrition would add an element of randomness that the game lacks.

 

[Draigh]

Okay, perhaps I was too specific; what I'm getting at here is that leaders traits are always assumed to be 'good' whether in defense or attack. It seems to me that this doesn't take into account the unpredicability of battles and how leader's predisposition to a certain doctrine would help or hinder.

I would have thought that the possibilty of random events occouring for players so that an offensive general would overstretch his lines of communication or a defensive general would allow too much attrition would add an element of randomness that the game lacks.

Hmmm... Then perhaps we could use a more fluid combat event system, where the effects of combat events aren't set in stone and can turn awry. For example, usually assaults and counterattacks trade enemy organisation for a little bit of friendly manpower, but if they went down the drain, the enemy would barely lose extra organisation while the assaulting or counterattacking troops would suffer horrid casualties. Or, breakthroughs and encirclements not not being too effective and barely achieving any effects.