Random Battle Balance

[DRG]

Originally Posted by wulfir

I played a generated game with me defending as ANZAC vs Germany.

Aussies 870 battle points vs Germany XXX.
Visability: 20
Number of turns: 29
Location: Tobruk
Map size: 30x30
Autodeployed VHs.

I bought two rifle companies, one HMG platoon and one AT-gun platoon, a carrier section one single captured Italian mortar, one single captured Italian 20mm Breda AA gun.

The German auto-picked force included about a company of tanks and half tracks, some mortars and infantry guns and a 10,5cm battery and about two companies worth of infantry.

Positioned one company to defend and one to counterattack into the flank. Counterattack started on turn 11. Enemy on map artillery overrun by turn 20. Game ends. Aussie casualties 90 while the German losses amount to nearly the whole force.

(I did not use Z-fire).

I don't see any problem with delaying (or defending) games - the basic setup gives you a fair chance. Veteran players will probably always do well vs the AI. If you want to make it harder or easier you can...

The problems here is you bought what you ( and we.....) considered a balance combined arms force and it's looking like he overwhelmed the defenders with infantry..a reverse "AI horde" that you get when you fight a first world force in SPMBT against something like the VC or Mujahadeen. A human player would hammer something like that down with arty but on a 30x30 map there really isn't enough time for the AI to do that before they are in it's lap.

Try your test again with the same ANZAC force but with a very infantry heavy attack force.

Best defence against something like that is ample mortar support and HMG's ( and snipers ).....not trying to kill so much as disable the attack by keeping them pinned so they cannot get close and overwhelm you with their own suppressive rifle fire

But the terrain given by the map generation program is critical in a map that size and there can be more variables on a small map....postage stamps as Andy says....... I set up a map usually with a small hamlet at a crossroads then fight it out as a meeter with maybe 700 points...that gets you a couple of coys and a tank or two

Don

[wulfir]

Originally Posted by DRG

Try your test again with the same ANZAC force but with a very infantry heavy attack force.

I tried it again. Same setup with basically the same ANZAC force - two rifle companies, HMG platoon, carrier section, and one former Italian mortar unit - however I got rid of the AA gun and got some LMG teams and a sniper instead.

Autogenerated map, VH locations and turns (now 35 turns).


Bought the German forces myself. One leg rifle battalion (three rifle companies, heavy company), one light tank section, one CS tank section, engineer platoon, one AT gun platoon, scouts a LMG team, and one 10,5cm battery.

It took more time to grind down the enemy but it was certianly doable. Concentrated on both flanks and let the HMGs cover the middle. Made an effort to set up kill zones where I could expect the AI to move units. Counterattack at turn 25. Lost 54 troops and both carriers. Enemy losses amounted to the entire battalion force save for one at gun and the HQ unit.

The defend/delay game is not impossible vs the AI. It would have been very hard against an experienced human opponent though with this small size map...

[DRG]

Originally Posted by wulfir

I tried it again. Same setup with basically the same ANZAC force - two rifle companies, HMG platoon, carrier section, and one former Italian mortar unit - however I got rid of the AA gun and got some LMG teams and a sniper instead.

Autogenerated map, VH locations and turns (now 35 turns).


Bought the German forces myself. One leg rifle battalion (three rifle companies, heavy company), one light tank section, one CS tank section, engineer platoon, one AT gun platoon, scouts a LMG team, and one 10,5cm battery.ze map...

Now get rid of the CS tank section the light tank section and the ATG plt and the 10.5 battery and buy more infantry and you'll see what he's been doing