Team Game

[ComradeP]

I really want to make it clear that the slow grind through bunkers vs. much faster progress vs trenches/IP's is completely historical.

Sure, I understand that and don't have a problem with a difference as such, but the unpredictable nature of defending in bunkers (the randomness involved with disruption) and the casualties defenders take from direct fire makes the difference larger than it would in my opinion have been in the war.

For example, German units have such high SA values that they can kill defenders in trenches with direct fire with relative ease. Trenches provide good protection against flat trajectory weapons and a reasonable amount of protection from artillery, but the percentage protection bonus in the game decreases casualties only slightly and artillery fire is still devastating. D quality platoons often disrupt after the first barrage, or after losing a handful of men (this is similar to PzC where 600 men Rifle battalions would disrupt after losing about 10 men or so).

Regardless of terrain, when the Soviets are in trenches the Germans tend to wash them away like a tidal wave in a handful of turns. Casualties from infantry combat are low when facing defenders in trenches (and not necessarily all that much higher when facing defenders in bunkers, the low Soviet SA and quality ratings limit the casualties they inflict).

If the Germans (the Soviets need to do so anyway) would need to assault defenders in trenches, the pace would already slow down somewhat. This could be achieved by making the stacking limit percentage casualty multiplier work both ways, so for when units are above and below the limit. It already seems to work that way for artillery (platoons rarely take more than 1 or 2 losses from artillery units that would cause 5-10 losses to them as ~150 men companies), but an SS A quality PzG company can normally kill ~10 men with a single direct fire action.

There being a difference between defending a fortified line or a line of trenches and improved positions is fine, it's the difference in how long it takes the Germans to move through them and how many casualties the Soviets take per turn that feels out of proportion in relative terms when comparing bunkers to trenches/improved positions.