Feature requests for 2019

[Mobhack]

Artillery is an attritional weapon - in order to achieve killing effect, especially on dug-in troops, it needs to be applied over a significant time. In the game, that means like 5 moves plus of application. And quantity has a quality all of its own WRT arty, and size does matter.

Lesser applications will produce a significant suppressive effect, which can be exploited with an assault into the stonked zone within 1 move, maybe 2 in order to sweep up the stunned troops who will likely be cowering in their tranches in "retreat" status. That is effectively "neutralised" in army parlance - routed (or severely suppressed) troops in trenches will tend to stay in these, rather than run out into the barrage. They may run if they know of enemy within 5 hexes or so though.

So if I am assaulting, I lay on the arty where I think the enemy is, and either run tanks with riders or mech inf into the zone, even walk in sometimes. The key here is control of the arty since you are "leaning into the barrage" by keeping very close behind it, so stray shells may wander into your assault group - so it is best to have a FOO right up with the attackers, using an AOP AFV (APC or FOO tanks say). In MBT you have FOOS with Thermal Imagers, or Ground Surveillance radars who can spot through the smoke and dust of the barrage - very useful.

Mechanised infantry,or tank riders, have the advantage that the carriers can stay that bit further behind the barrage compared to walking grunts, and then run in and poach the objective.

But if you just pound the ground and expect the enemy to be slaughtered - that wont happen. See WW1 for days-long barrages that left surviving defenders able to get their act together when the barrage lifted and set up a "reception committee". German storm-troop tactics, and the Canadians who were prime exploiters of "keeping right up with the barrage" tactic and so got in while the enemy were still neutralised did better in WW1 with quick neutralising barrages and then in with the bayonet ASAP.

So combined arms - neutralise with shed-loads of HE bricks, which do not have to be high-calibre "cratering" ammo, smaller sized HE is better for the troops leaning into the barrage in fact since drop-shorts are less lethal and the blast circle is smaller so letting dismounts get closer to the barrage line (which is why the 25 pounder was designed post WW1 by the UK). Then in with bomb and bayonet for the kill, using mechanised transport if you have it.

[Felix Nephthys]

Just an observation, why not just increase the artillery effectiveness in the preferences? That would seem to be the solution right? I play at 100% but for some people it can be different.

It says in the manual...

This game cannot be all things to all people. There are far too many differing opinions on what is 'realistic' and what makes a fun playable game. Satisfying one segment of gamers is sure to alienate another. Also, please define 'realistic', that is one of those 'how long is a piece of string' debates. To some folk, realism is micro details of millimetres of armour and exact slope angles, or how much extra water an Italian division needs to boil pasta (as factored in one actual cardboard wargame!), or the exact model of bolt action rifle carried. Generally, those who worry about micro details like armour angles and exact thickness in millimetres tend to be from the civilian 'armchair general' side of the fence. Those with real military experience tend to define realism in terms of command and control, and how much intelligence is given away for free, 'fog of war' factors. Military-experienced folk worry less about exact rifle type, and more about morale, training and leadership of their men. Armchair types worry about exact TO&E charts, and declare a game 'unrealistic' if the supplied formation is not to the exact field regs, and not at 100% strength. Military folk would be amazed to find a unit anywhere near 'paper' strength, and with all its vehicles present on the battlefield as 'runners' rather than being in the repair shop, broken down in a ditch on the approach march, or just plain lost or skiving!

During playtesting we encountered this on more than one occasion where some would say a game feature was too little, some would say too much and some would say it's just right. (We knew we had finally reached middle ground when 'angels on pin heads' type debates started).

When SSI originally released Steel Panthers 2 they included a Preferences Screen to allow the end user the ability to modify various elements of the game to suit individual tastes and abilities. We have noticed from our e-mails that many people quite simply do not understand the functions of this screen or how it can change the game to suit your particular style of play, or even that it exists, in some cases. We have had a multitude of "suggestions" ( or in a couple of cases "bug" reports!) for code changes that can actually be made simply by adjusting a control in Player preferences.

We have made the preferences screen available from more points in the game now, this is both because it can be handy to turn some things, for example- individual unit ID tags, on or off, but also, some end users may just notice the new buttons :-> !

Reality settings are your call, not another person's. Tweak these settings until you get the game performing the way you like it, should you find the default settings unrealistic, or too easy or too hard. Of course, in a PBEM game, you may find you may need to discuss these matters with your prospective opponent!

[jivemi]

Originally Posted by Felix Nephthys

Just an observation, why not just increase the artillery effectiveness in the preferences? That would seem to be the solution right? I play at 100% but for some people it can be different.

It says in the manual...

Arty is fine against troops NOT dug-in IMHO so wouldn't want to upset the balance otherwise. The advice given by yourself and others is sound; the game cannot be all things to all people and there are ways to use arty below 155mm effectively to suppress, possibly rout dug-in units.

No doubt I'm being persnickity but my particular objection is to a mere 3 millimeters of difference which excludes the Russian 152mm from that caliber of arty which CAN cause casualties in this situation. As zovs66 notes, "when I can afford 155, they are devastating to the Germans, its almost like cheating when I hit a dug-in area for 3-8 turns and then walk up and kill off the rest." So if 155mm is devastating, 152mm is not?

At any rate the game is great the way it is, wouldn't want to mess it up with incessant fiddling over personal pet peeves. Thanks for your kind consideration folks and have a great day. Cheers!

[blazejos]

Important future ability in scenarios

Weather effect’s

That is possible now of course by manipulation of visibility during scenario creation but will be great to have button in editor with some prepared weather configurations now we need table. Something like rain, sunny day, night with fog etc. During play of the game will be great to have small part of panel showing what type of weather we have as a graphics or as text for example: rainy day short visibility 30hex or as a sound played on the beginning of every turn. The best will be to have dynamics weather effects like scenario designer can for example prepared rain after turn 12 until turn 30 that will be a game changer in some scenarios. Of course that last will be not trivial task to coding but will made game more interesting and challenging if will be used.

[Kiwikkiwik]

Well I would really enjoy a slider in preferences to adjust artillery suppression I think casualties is about right at 100.

[PantherCub]

I have a feeling that unspotted AI units are completely unaffected by artillery fire. I have several times put a barrage in an area, and when I reach it the next turn with my troops, I spot enemy infantry in ready status. Is it my imagination or could it be a bug?

[jivemi]

Originally Posted by PantherCub

I have a feeling that unspotted AI units are completely unaffected by artillery fire. I have several times put a barrage in an area, and when I reach it the next turn with my troops, I spot enemy infantry in ready status. Is it my imagination or could it be a bug?

No bug. Countless times I've bombarded certain hexes "blind" just ahead of forward infantry ("beaters). Most of the time, if my infantry haven't been too suppressed by their own barrage, they advance to find mostly suppressed enemy units. This generally occurs with a rolling barrage along a specific frontage. The arty is plotted about every 100 meters about 150-200 meters ahead of the forward infantry along the front. (That's with medium mortars; 81/82mm. Heavier stuff is targeted further ahead.)

Of course there's always the chance that an unspotted plot will miss its intended destination, in which case there's a fair chance the enemy will still be OK. Stuff happens. Hope this helps.

[Kiwikkiwik]

Just a note on artillery fire effects. Have a good look at this site.

http://nigelef.tripod.com/wt_of_fire.htm

table 5 is what we are talking about here.

For a 25 pounder the table says that BEFORE you begin to have ANY effect on the Morale of troops you need to drop 100 rounds per minute of 25pdr for 15 minutes in 10000 sq yds. That is 25 shells per hex per turn.

I did this, I put 1945 German infantry in trenches and shelled them with a light batterie (48) this gives an average of 13 shells per 4 gun 119 artillery troop landing in the target hex, this gives the required weight of shot.

All the target squads were at 99 suppression at the end of 1 turn, ie 3 minutes, There should be NO morale effect until they have sat out 5 turns of this shelling.

The site also says this,

The morale and neutralisation data need to be treated with caution; the evidence for achieving the defined demoralisation in 15 minutes was based on a single operation, at Wesel, during the Rhine crossings. Before this it was thought that at least 4 hours were needed.

Artillery suppression effects (Or maybe suppression effects in General) in the game are WAY too high can we please have an artillery suppression effect adjuster in preferences or maybe make Artillery suppression conform to some real world Data?

This Super Suppression means Artillery is the answer to every problem in the game. I think it makes the game far too easy, Shell mop up, shell mop up.

[PantherCub]

I do not think suppression is too high, after all, there has to be a meaningful way to use combined arms in the game without waiting for 5 turns of artillery fire.

What I do think is too deadly with artillery I the game is its effect on light armored vehicles. Half tracks and SP guns are dead meat when caught by artillery, which is one thing that makes these units much less survivable in game than in reality.