Three Phased Battles ARE planned for this game - light/medium/heavy units in order of appearance.

[Destraex]

I am wondering how realistic it is to expect that for every historical attack the light then medium then heavy units appear on the field with the presumption that light units are faster. The PC gamer article mentions:
"Certain units in your battlegroup will only be able to be deployed in certain phases based on their strategic speed, which is modeled after real-world logistical realities. You can’t, for instance, blitz the map off the starting line with heavy tanks. In the first phase, only your quickest and lightest units will be available."
"The devs stressed that this gives certain divisions distinct advantages and disadvantages that must be considered. The 101st Airborne, for instance, can deploy quality infantry in phase one and seize a lot of territory quickly. However, the Airborne doesn't have as much support coming in later phases, meaning they’ll have to hold onto their gains tooth-and-nail. The German Panzer Lehr, on the other hand, will struggle in the early phases until their superheavy armor shows up for the grand finale to blast away all opposition. Since each phase matters in calculating ultimate victory, not every match is going to come down to who has the bigger and better army. A commander who plans for each phase properly and looks at the big picture can overcome what is, on paper, a superior force."
http://www.pcgamer.com/steel-division-normandy-44-is-a-realistic-ww2-rts-coming-this-year/

While I like the idea of playing this way I don't think it is realistic to assume that armies do not WAIT for their heavy units to arrive before attacking. In fact heavy units would have spear headed attacks in a lot of cases. While a lot of lighter units were bereft of their own transport, especially airborne units if they were not in their initial drop phase but used as infantry. Sure scout elements of a unit would be sent in most cases to probe the enemy before an attack. But they would not "be" the attack and would not have it in them to fight as their objective. They were to scout and survive to report.

The assumption that every battle will be a meeting battle where units slowly arrive piece meal in order of how "light" they are is pure fantasy.

 

[Karlburg]

Well, controlling a large unit from a high point with perfect mouse control is pure fantasy, too, but this is why we play video games.

We're not playing Static Front simulator where we guide a patrol for a day and maybe capture a prisoner or two for intelligence.

 

[Destraex]

What exactly do they mean by "realistic" then?

 

[Guggy]

I think it will allow for a more accurate depiction of a meeting engagement at very least. Recon elements making contact with exchange of fire and the establishment of a relative "front", followed by the arrival of standard motorized and mechanical forces, and possibly culminating with clearance to deploy heavy armor assets as well as artillery types generally saved for the opening of larger oprrations, but now deployed as a means to stop what is evidently a much larger force than suspected.

 

[Mister Maf]

The Hellcat could cruise at highway speeds. Does that mean it gets to come in phase 1?

 

[Destraex]

Yeah it's a bit silly. It assumes an army will race to the field at top speed stringing itself out and engaging at will rather than formed up. That is if it is like the article says.

 

[Karlburg]

The phase system is a solution for Wargame's pacing issues which made openings skew the game a bit much and made fewer interesting deck decisions.

I mean, if paying points to deploy units or commanding them from a perfect map instead of having to work with delegated orders can be 'realistic', so can a phased introduction of units.

 

[Destraex]

I think it will allow for a more accurate depiction of a meeting engagement at very least. Recon elements making contact with exchange of fire and the establishment of a relative "front", followed by the arrival of standard motorized and mechanical forces, and possibly culminating with clearance to deploy heavy armor assets as well as artillery types generally saved for the opening of larger oprrations, but now deployed as a means to stop what is evidently a much larger force than suspected.

I do agree that in some battles where forces were committed as they arrived like at Caen and to be honest by the Germans especially at Normandy and the allies as they landed then I guess it does work.

 

[77Hawk77]

Hopefully there will be a gamemode called meeting engagement. I want to see another game mode which is attack and defend, where the defender gets to set up on half the map before attackers go in, if anyone ever played the excellent mod for COH1 called Europe in Ruins they'll know what I am talking about. In this game mode of course you'd want heavy units for attacking prepared defences.

 

[Mister Maf]

Hopefully there will be a gamemode called meeting engagement. I want to see another game mode which is attack and defend, where the defender gets to set up on half the map before attackers go in, if anyone ever played the excellent mod for COH1 called Europe in Ruins they'll know what I am talking about. In this game mode of course you'd want heavy units for attacking prepared defences.

I play the Operation Market Garden mod instead and I have to say the defense timer system is s t u p i d. If such a thing were to be added the attackers would definitely need to get a phase advantage. Honestly I'm okay with them just focusing on symmetrical game modes, which are much easier to balance.

 

[Canute]

I'd go so far as to say that maybe even the majority of attacks would have been carried out in a manner more like what is being outlined by Eugen. Every engagement does not have to be a meeting engagement, but there is a big difference between well prepared attacks against a thoroughly scouted fortified position, and a general offensive with light troops probing in front of progressively heavier reserve units.

I may be wrong, but I'm pretty certain offensive doctrine was not to spread your units evenly over a large area, but rather to find and fix the enemy with one part of your force - and once a weakspot had been found, to push heavy reserves into an attack against it. Should work that way for both Germans and allies - provided reserves were even available of course.

In such a case, the first "light" phase would be where you discovered the enemy and probed his positions (no matter whether he was dug in or mobile), or your limited front line defences received the first probing attacks. The later "medium" and "heavy" phases would then be where you committed further reserves to the attack or defense as needed. Whether you'd commit units piecemeal, or wait and build up a stronger force would then be up to the discretion of the commander.

I'm really quite curious to see how this "phase" system will play out. I think Eugen might be onto something good here. =)