Ideas how to improve WinSP MBT/WW2 !

[EpoletovSPR]

Muhail2:

Ricochets are nicely simulated by small supression around the hex, which receives fire. What I'm talking about is the whole volley of all squad's rifles and MGs going somewhere far from the target. That can't be explained by an ocassional ricochet. By the way, I really doubt that a 120mm HEAT round can ricochet and go as far as 100m from the targeted hex. But it does, in game.

About the blocks:

With the current defence values, soviet platoon can easily rout the german soldiers back into the block and than some with plain fire across the road and than advance unopposed. All in 1 turn, 5-7 minutes. If you're lucky, 3 squads are even too much, 2 could've done the job just as well.
With the proposed changes they'll have to bring down all the fire they can muster and then advance en-masse to sucessfully assault the enemy out of the block edge. 3 squads are the bare minimum to conduct this, just as in real life. And it will take 2-3 turns in most situations.
You see? It just seems so very same at first, but the differences in the details are great. Urban combat can become a serious business =)

BTW, that suggestion is based on the Squad Battles, which have a quite decent urban combat, though with flaws of their own, but I've taken them into account.

Also, you don't need to go in details about rooms, levels and backyards. That's just not in the scale of SPMBT.

Pregenerated maps with separated building hexes, as I understand it, were just made for the same purpose - to spice up the urban fighting. Or to represent a village with few houses. But these are pregenerated and are in minority.
And I don't think we should take AI in consideration. It can't use 70% of SPMBT features, why bother with him now?

[Imp]

Okay now I understand what you are talking about more, there may be a case for better protection adjustment not staying adjustment however if defender gains extra protection so does the attacker of course.

The situation you show lets assume no arty as if attacker has dropped defender should often have done likewise adding time.
Attacking squads first have to get in position if no smoke or arty will definetly need 3 squads as first probably lost a couple of men.
They probably can however take him down because he is a lone squad.
If the defender has chosen terrain correctly though they will face say a platoon so it becomes difficult to get the 3-1 ratio first guys may not even see the defenders as move up before running back.
As the game stands then the easist & safest way to take a block is at its corners normaly due to less defenders then roll it up. This also has the advantage of hopefully letting you isolate the block by getting behind it. The deffender of course is trying to stop this with covering fire from other blocks.
So there are tactics & a slight increase in building terrain cover may improve them making a straight run at the block more dangerous. Hovever as the attacker gets these benefits to he will have less pinned units & so can coordinate attacks & get in position in the first place easier.
So the problem is now both sides take less damage suppresion so getting your squads in position facing the road is easier for the attacker. If he now has 3 squads in position who take less suppresion whats to stop him using 2 to draw all opfire letting the 3rd who has suffered no suppresion due to stray fire nip across the street into his hex?
Just thinking out loud this might make the attackers job easier as he has more good order units & will be subject to less surprise opfire shots as the defender cant lose suppresion it does not have.

The Z fire I said that most shots including the HEAT round should stop in the first dense hex entered rather than bouncing most of the time.
But its fudged old code you could not fire at a hex you cant see & I am fine with it for the little effect it has on the game.
As you tend to use this when you have other units near to the hex you are Z firing like in a woods & you want to move adjacent it represents the fact you might hit them by mistake, yes its abstracted a bit but gives the right feel.