why buy armor?

[Uncle_Joe]

No matter what we do, someone ends up unhappy. All we can do is provide the options to work around whatever shortcoming each individual gamers thinks exists in the game and choosing the force you want to fight is one of the oldest and easiest to do and if you set up three or four of them in advance then pick one at random you'll likely forget exactly what you picked for the AI anyway unless you always pick the same thing

Granted. But this has nothing to do with map size or a specific force I pick or small points vs large points (which is precisely why posting a save isnt going to do anything other than limit the scope of what I'm trying to say!). Perhaps I'm not being clear in what I'm trying say. So, let me give a quick example using SPMBT and SPWW2

In SPWW2, using Sov units in 1944 (using approximate costs since they will vary based on exact weapon choices).

'Standard' tank platoon (T34/85): 243
'Heavy' tank platoon (IS2): 339
Rifle Company (foot): ~230-300
Mech Company (halftrack): ~390-400

The price variance here is fairly small. Being mechanized for the infantry costs about 33%-80% more depending on equipment mix. And a tank platoon costs about the same a coy of foot infantry. Note that the number of long-ranged weapons which can reach out and smoke those halftracks isnt going to be nearly as high as on the modern battlefield (ie, its very unlikely to lose one moving at 15 hexes, unlike the way the ATGMs have a 99% hit/kill if you happen to move in LOS for a single instant).

Here are some examples from 1990 Sov force:

'Standard' tank platoon (T72): 770
'Heavy' tank platoon (T80s): 800-900
Rifle Company (foot): 300-400 (depending on ATGMs vs RPG teams)
Mech Company (BTR): 800-900 (depending on AT weaponry)

The disparity between the vehicle forces and the leg infantry is much higher. Yes, those vehicles are more capable, but in general, so is the infantry. On the modern battlefield, infantry is generally far more lethal to armor at range (especially light armor like APCs/Halftracks etc).

Thats what I see as the 'problem'. To me, the infantry to armor cost disparity should be LOWER in Modern than in WW2 (on average). Yet here its higher despite the ease with which most modern infantry can dispatch vehicles.

On another note, are modern vehicles THAT much more lethal to infantry than their WW2 counter-parts? Yes, their firepower is superior in some ways, but they still have to find the infantry and they still have avoid AT weaponry. And this limits their ability to control the battlefield much the same as in WW2. They are more lethal, but 2x more lethal overall?

Note that I didnt go through and cherry-pick specific units to prove a point. I just randomly opened each game and looked at the cost for what I consider 'typical' units for those periods.

If you think that modern armor/transport is worth more on the modern battlefield than WW2 armor was in its day, then so be it. Its obviously your call. What always brings me back to this issue is that buying all leg-infantry in SPWW2 does not seem to convey the same advantage as it does in SPMBT.