More even engagements between stacks

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red
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More even engagements between stacks

Post by red »

Currently two stacks in combat with each other will direct their fire at one unit in a stack, destroy it, then direct their fire at the next unit in a stack, destroy it, and so on down the line. I think the game would be more realistic and more balanced if units engaged each other evenly, 1:1 when possible, so that all units took damage at the same time.

Maybe you can pair up strongest to strongest units, on the assumption that both sides are relatively intelligent (putting their armor against their opponents'). But you can also put some chance into it, so that low efficiency increases your chances of being badly deployed (AT engaging infantry instead of armor, you're so disorganzed).

By doing this, units would wear out more evenly, with everyone taking damage. Currently the player who is quick with their mouse can throw a stack forward and pull the one unit being damaged whenever it becomes low. It makes combat very exact and very easy to prevent any losses.
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Feltan
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Post by Feltan »

If the Goats wanted to be real exacting on this issue, they should investigate and implement Lanchester Equations to determine combat results. I don't know if their engine would support this, but it is the best and most highly regarded method for determining results in combat.

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Feltan
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Legend
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Post by Legend »

I think I know what we should do... when two stacks of units engage, we'll have big dice come up on the screen and you can watch them roll. Some units will become casualties and they will get to roll again... wait, I think this has been done somewhere before.

I think we did it the current way for 2010 because a player could pick a stack and target one unit... so to keep things even, this may be how it's done by default.

If you wish to expand on this idea here a bit feel free to offer some suggestions.
red
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Post by red »

I just meant that the default could be one unit engages one unit. Nothing dramatic to how everything works, just 1:1 engagement as the default.
Jan
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Post by Jan »

Feltan wrote:If the Goats wanted to be real exacting on this issue, they should investigate and implement Lanchester Equations to determine combat results. I don't know if their engine would support this, but it is the best and most highly regarded method for determining results in combat.

Regards,
Feltan
even if the Lanchester's maths would be better than other solution proposed here or actually ingame (you said "wargame"?), his equations are only about quantity, not quality. Neither "technological level" or teh particularities of the terrain are took in account.

So, even if it's an attractive solution, the equations shouldn't be used "as is".

PS: by the way, i don't have any solution to suggest since far more qualified people than myself that devoted a whole life to it still haven't found a really satisfactoring way to simulate warfare in it's various and particular forms.

PSbis: i'm not convinced that a commercial game can really be a warfare simulation at level below division. What is fun in SR is the ability to manage the whole militaro-industrial complex, not solely the "wargame" part.

cheers,

Jan
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Feltan
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Post by Feltan »

Jan,

You are correct, base Lanchester is only about the size of the forces involved. However, a lot has changed since base Lanchester was introduced before 1920. There are now some moderately complex Lanchester differential equations that take into account a number of factors such as technology differences.

The big difference you would see if this was adopted, is the solution to the problem Red pointed out. Lanchester models two (or more) blobs coming into proximity. Casualties are spread around, and tend to be more evenly distributed -- of course soft targets take it on the chin, but you won't see a situation where one unit in a stack is wiped out and the others are untouched.

Regards,
Feltan
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