Danube Front 85 - Air Interdiction Query - some insight please

[Hadge]

Guys - some insight please!

I've played quite a few Danube Front 85 games, and it has always struck me as unusual the way that Air Interdiction seems to strike at some unit types much harder and more frequently than others.

Now it might just be a false perception on my part but it seems to me that HQ's, FAARP's, Engineers and Artillery get hit more frequently and certainly harder than "normal" Infantry or Armour.

Its not unusual for entire batteries (or a very high percentage of guns), a complete FAARP, or 25%-100% of an HQ to be decimated in a single hit; additionally these sorts of unit type seem to get struck more frequently in a single movement that the "normal" types.

Now - is this my imagination and the ramblings of a deranged mind , or is it a game intent?

I know there are some real experts out there with regards to the workings of "the code" and PDTs etc. - can anybody shed any light on the subject?

Cheers

Chris

[tbridges]

Guys - some insight please!

I've played quite a few Danube Front 85 games, and it has always struck me as unusual the way that Air Interdiction seems to strike at some unit types much harder and more frequently than others.

Now it might just be a false perception on my part but it seems to me that HQ's, FAARP's, Engineers and Artillery get hit more frequently and certainly harder than "normal" Infantry or Armour.

Its not unusual for entire batteries (or a very high percentage of guns), a complete FAARP, or 25%-100% of an HQ to be decimated in a single hit; additionally these sorts of unit type seem to get struck more frequently in a single movement that the "normal" types.

Now - is this my imagination and the ramblings of a deranged mind , or is it a game intent?

I know there are some real experts out there with regards to the workings of "the code" and PDTs etc. - can anybody shed any light on the subject?

Cheers

Chris

Ditto!

[JDR Dragoon]

HQs and towed artillery usually gets hit harder because their already low defence value gets lowered even further by the travel mode.

[Aaron]

I dont notice one type getting hit more then the other but since as JDR as said hq and art type units get hit alot harder because of the low defense compared to a tank/mech unit. This might make you subconsciously think there getting hit more. I do notice that when i cross over another unit thats when it gets hit more so i avoid crossing over other units as much as possible.

Aaron

[Outlaw Josey Wales]

I still say the air game needs to be redone to the point cdrs have control over squadrons and their assignments and areas. There should be an air map with ranges for the a/c to operate and be assigned missions, offensive and defensive, including interdiction missions. I sugessted an idea some time ago, if nothing else, at least a starting point to do it.

[Aaron]

I still say the air game needs to be redone to the point cdrs have control over squadrons and their assignments and areas. There should be an air map with ranges for the a/c to operate and be assigned missions, offensive and defensive, including interdiction missions. I sugessted an idea some time ago, if nothing else, at least a starting point to do it.

Agreed, mentioned it myself in the past. It doesnt have to be anything complicated, Tiller has an air system in the Strategic War series that could be modified and ported over.

[tbridges]

I still say the air game needs to be redone to the point cdrs have control over squadrons and their assignments and areas. There should be an air map with ranges for the a/c to operate and be assigned missions, offensive and defensive, including interdiction missions. I sugessted an idea some time ago, if nothing else, at least a starting point to do it.

Agreed, mentioned it myself in the past. It doesnt have to be anything complicated, Tiller has an air system in the Strategic War series that could be modified and ported over.

Perhaps a small petition to Rich Hamilton might get John's attention at this point?

[Aaron]

I still say the air game needs to be redone to the point cdrs have control over squadrons and their assignments and areas. There should be an air map with ranges for the a/c to operate and be assigned missions, offensive and defensive, including interdiction missions. I sugessted an idea some time ago, if nothing else, at least a starting point to do it.

Agreed, mentioned it myself in the past. It doesnt have to be anything complicated, Tiller has an air system in the Strategic War series that could be modified and ported over.

Perhaps a small petition to Rich Hamilton might get John's attention at this point?

Hey 100 posts could do it....lol. I do believe it doesnt need to be complicated, the old Microprose Nato commander always comes to mind when i think of simple but effective. In the scale of the MC series yes i dont believe we should be controlling the whole air war but there should be a simple system that at least lets you put air units on air superiority, interdiction or ground attack and of course the cpu takes care of everything from there as in modifiers and combat losses except in ground attack where we can still choose who to strike, simple yet effective for this scale and shows losses all around.

Aaron

[Strela]

I still say the air game needs to be redone to the point cdrs have control over squadrons and their assignments and areas. There should be an air map with ranges for the a/c to operate and be assigned missions, offensive and defensive, including interdiction missions. I sugessted an idea some time ago, if nothing else, at least a starting point to do it.

Agreed, mentioned it myself in the past. It doesnt have to be anything complicated, Tiller has an air system in the Strategic War series that could be modified and ported over.

Perhaps a small petition to Rich Hamilton might get John's attention at this point?

Hey 100 posts could do it....lol. I do believe it doesnt need to be complicated, the old Microprose Nato commander always comes to mind when i think of simple but effective. In the scale of the MC series yes i dont believe we should be controlling the whole air war but there should be a simple system that at least lets you put air units on air superiority, interdiction or ground attack and of course the cpu takes care of everything from there as in modifiers and combat losses except in ground attack where we can still choose who to strike, simple yet effective for this scale and shows losses all around.

Aaron

There is actually a system similar to what you are requesting in the First Blitzkrieg series. You put air units on ground attack/superiority etc with losses then being determined and the remaining units available for tactical support. It's quite elegant and could work well in PzC....

Ps That series of games needs to be played more - it's quite a good system...

David

[goomohn]

Keep it simple stupid. I think the airpower aspect is well represented here. The ground commander is provided a list of available ground attack squadrons and recon flights. The area of operations is small enough to assume the airbases are to the rear. A limit of range for interdiction/ground attacks would be just another complication. Meanwhile, the airwar overhead is taken care of by simple percentages for interception.

I'm no code expert, but I also notice the A.I. will attack smaller/less defensible units in it's artillery and direct defensive fires. So, perhaps there is a built in algorithm concerning interdiction strikes and which units trigger an attack.