stacked units

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dust off
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Post by dust off »

On some of the screen shots stacked units begin to look difficult to identify. I presume that players will be able to click on the stack and scroll through the units.

The most important question is: will stacked units fight like a combined arms battle group? For example, would a stack of tanks get the benefit of having infantry with them and vice-versa? If so how will this manifest in the game mechanics
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BattleGoat
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Post by BattleGoat »

There are many optional ways to view the HUD, so unit stacks don't always look as crowded. As well, I've just done another redesign on it that makes it even a little cleaner (George hasn't implemented it yet though).

As to the benefits of Unit Stacking, yes you benefit from the combined forces -- up to a point. Since each "Unit" represents a battalion, you only get a benefit up to seven units. After that we assume additional units are back from the front and not engaged. As well, they will try to unstack automatically. (Note : This only applies to same unit Classes - land, sea, air. You can have seven Helicopter squadrons also in a hex with seven tank battalions. And if it was a bridge over a deep river, there might also be seven ships present.)

There are other rules about stacks geared towards the combined force aspect... For instance if artillery are in the same hex as some of your infantry and they come in direct contact with an enemy unit, we always assume that the infantry is between the enemy and the artillery --- the enemy has to get through the grunts to get to the gravy!
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Post by dust off »

Different dispaly options sound like a good way to manage units, or rather get a feel fo the overall situation. As for the staked units, 7 batalions actively fighting in a hex would seem about right, as does assuming the artillary is behind the teeth arms. (same could be said of other rear echelon units: supply, anti air) But what happens if the unit stack is engaged on one front, whilst also attacked on flanks or rear??

Also, will there be a penalty for stacking units when the arty and air attacks hit them: thereby providing the concentration of force vs dispersion dilema?
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Post by BattleGoat »

We had to assume that some of your units that had a close attack value were always protecting your artillery, and supply vehicles if they are in the same hex. So flanking moves do not immediately get to these vulnerable units. Flanking moves will of course increase the speed at which the protectors are killed off and make it far more likely that you will get to the arty before it gets a chance to run away.

As for susceptibility to indirect fire... Yes, all units in a stack would take casualties from indirect fire at the same time. (Direct fire only targets one battalion at a time).
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Balthagor
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Post by Balthagor »

It should be noted that we have not implimented any penalties for flanking at this time, though some of us are still big supporters of the idea so it's certainly not dead. We do have a redesigned HUD on the way at some point.

A comment on missiles, it is our intent that missiles will not have a HUD so that once they are in the air, you don't know who's they are.
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