Soak off attacks, love or hate them and what to do?

[Walrus]

Hi
The Op-Fire filter is already in both MBT and WW2..
You need the CD version though, not the DownLoad.
Cheers

hmmm

- what about to use filter (option) in MBT ?

and next idea: should be easy for SP CAMO to made similar filter in SPWW2 ???

[klanx171]

As mentioned soak off attacks happen in other board and war games and could be considered a battle tactic (distraction, attacking the weak point first) but if there is only one single tank which can be subjected to a range of enemy fire then its worth asking the question what was that tank doing there without support?

I recently fought battle where my opp tired to do attacks like that and because I had grouped tanks and infantry support any attempt to do that was countered by a hail of return fire, making it a situation to either commit to a full scale fight or keep hidden.

Of course in all situations its not always possible to have it like that but if single tanks can be subjected to soak off attacks then it may not always be a fault of the soaker but the other player, trying to correct it by making a setting or rule may not help if one player is leaving his tanks in such a position.

I do soaking and have been subjected to it but I try to avoid it in several ways...

a.) keeping units mutually supported so no one unit can be subjected to soak off fire because the other units will support it in returning fire.

b.) never leaving tanks exposed. In the older version of SP you could get away with it but in WaW exposed tanks are subject to more than they can dish out if all alone. So I either pull them back into cover after firing or make sure there is enough support out so that no one unit is exposed and has to take it all alone.

c.) screening by infantry or light vehicles. It can some time back fire when on the attack and speed is needed but in other situations it means that potential enemy can be baited into firing if their range isnt zeroed out. This works better as most players will zero their AT guns and even infantry but often leave their MGs set up as cover and these can be tricked into firing and setting off a firefight and exposing the hidden positions.

I often make use of HMGs to spray bullets around on enemy tanks to get them to button up and while it doesnt prevent snap shots it can often be enough to make the difference between a hit and miss if they do snap shot when my tanks pop up and in some cases they will fire away at the MGs and not.

I think soaking is legitimate and while its a sort of exploitable game mechanic the game is a simulation of RL and in RL such things occur (say if a lone tank sticks its head up) so I have no problem with it.

[Outlaw Josey Wales]

It's not expoitable or gamey. How many times has anybody heard you go over there and get his attn while we sneak around to the flank or rear and take them out?

[RERomine]

I'll pipe in as another person who uses the soaking off attacks. Every infantry unit in the area peppers a tank and then a bazooka team walks up to point blank range and POP, no more tank.

As pointed out, it is a generally a tactical error that has put a tank in that kind of position to begin with. A soaking off attack doesn't work that well if an infantry unit fires at a tank and a dozen units fire in reply.

[Cross]

You said a bad word...RL. :cheeky: This is a game, I have stopped trying to force it to be RL as it is nothing close to the sort no matter what the reviews say. SP use to frustrate me to no end (BS - this would never happen in RL) until one day a big heavy brick hit me in the head and I saw the light....it is a game.

In medieval times, when the rules of Chess were being adjusted to the European mindset, an argument sprang up between the realism camp and the ‘it’s just a game’ camp.

The realism camp insisted foot soldiers (pawns) be able to move 2 squares on their first move, representing the energy of the initial charge. The ‘just a game’ camp saw this as an unnecessary complication.

Realism camp stuck their ideological heels in, while the ‘just a game’ camp shrugged; after all it’s only a game and the rules are the same for both sides…so the rules were changed to make Chess more realistic.

SP is really no different to Chess. Except Chess uses squares instead of hexes. :rolleyes:

[seabolt]

The realism camp insisted foot soldiers (pawns) be able to move 2 squares on their first move, representing the energy of the initial charge.

*smack* That's what that's all about. I thought it was so you could get your black pawns out before the white player spammed you with overwatching horseheads.

-- 30 --

[Alby]

I remember when we used to play SP3 online, some players would run trucks back and forth to use up your shots...:mad:
However SPWAW came up with the special Op fire routine, where you are never quite sure a units shots are used up, they can return fire an unlimited amount of times if they pass experience and morale checks....best thing they ever came up with.
:)

[seabolt]

I remember when we used to play SP3 online, some players would run trucks back and forth to use up your shots...:mad:
However SPWAW came up with the special Op fire routine, where you are never quite sure a units shots are used up, they can return fire an unlimited amount of times if they pass experience and morale checks....best thing they ever came up with.
:)

After the introduction of special opfire, players no longer were tempted to use trucks outside of their intended role: as airstrike magnets!

Special opfire is a great SPWAW feature, in all seriousness.

-- 30 --

[Outlaw Josey Wales]

I agree using trucks for soak off is definitely gamey, but not gamey if using combat units.

As for the wargame/chess statement above. I've been saying for yrs wargames are advanced chess games, different units do different things and you have to try and use them together in a correct way. Much easier said than done tho.....plus the wargames look way better than any chess game. And to me, a big part that makes these games better than anything else out there, thru email, there are a whole lot of good folks here that understand why we are all the way we are and do what we do. And a good woman that sticks with you despite the gaming is just more gravy on the mashed potatoes :)

[mosborne]

I suggest making tank fire more lethal for infantry. It seems you can put several rounds in the vicinity of an infantry unit and inflict no damage. Infantry soak off would be given a second thought, if one knew that his infantry would get severly suppressed in the return fire and probably without even buttonedn the tank.