Features you'd like to see with SB

[Ivan]

Another thing I'd like to see is a method of controlling op fire. Because a lot of op fire shots are wasted at long range. If this could be set something like in the CS, short medium or long it would add an extra dimension to the game perhaps.

[TheBigRedOne]

Another thing I'd like to see is a method of controlling op fire. Because a lot of op fire shots are wasted at long range. If this could be set something like in the CS, short medium or long it would add an extra dimension to the game perhaps.

Obviously not the same thing, but putting your weapons on 'hold fire' until the enemy gets within a closer range will prevent the longer range stuff. I tend to keep most weapons on hold, save maybe the heavier stuff, for the closer-in fighting.

[Rabbit]

+1 for Ivan's suggestion regarding Op Fire. It is hard to script a default setting to be used for all situations. However setting units to "Hold Fire" means that they won't fire even if an enemy unit moves into an adjacent hex, which means enemy units can move in for an assault without receiving any Op Fire. I would love multiple options for Hold Fire (such as Hold Fire until within half range), but barring that, I would suggest changing the code such that units will fire at an enemy in adjacent hex even if they are set to "Hold Fire".

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Show the weapon parameter information for enemy weapons and vehicles when you right click on their units (after they have become visible). This information is shown for friendly units, but for enemy units you have to open the Weapon Data Dialog box and then search through that.

Instead of or in conjunction with the above, it would be nice to have an easier-to-search Weapon Data Dialog box. Right now, to find the firepower of an M1A1, you have to search the vehicles section for the M1A1, there you'll see a "M-240" for which you'll have to search the Weapon Data section to find "7.62 M-240", for which you'll then have to search the Load Data section to finally find that it has a lethality of 40, penetration of 6, and an effective range of 27. I'd rather just right-click on the unit to see that info. : )

[Rabbit]

There is already a feature in the game engine that I would like to see utilized by the scenario designers - the ability to rest to regain effectiveness. I haven't paid close attention to this, but I believe it is set to zero in all the titles by default and I don't recall any scenarios utilizing it. I am not sure why this is, as I think it would add an interesting dimension.

[SG1]

Dear all,
Would the possibility to destroy weapons or at least heavy weapons like guns or heavy MGs be something worth consideration ?
Reading the Dien Bien Phu AARs posted by JRodda on Gamesquad forum I see he quite often managed to destroy Viet Minh AT teams but understood some turns later that the recoiless gun or bazooka had been picked up by other ennemy soldiers and was used again. He thus had to occupy the hex were the heavy weapons were, even if this was not consistent with the development of the fight or the objectives.
In real life - i.e. army training - we were taught to destroy weapons that could not be carried and could be used by the ennemy. That applied to our own weaponry, primarily, but was extended to ennemy stuff as well. E.g. you raid a mortar position, killing or driving away the crews... of course you will use the little time spent on the site before moving away to make those tubes unusable in one way or the other.

[TheBigRedOne]

There is already a feature in the game engine that I would like to see utilized by the scenario designers - the ability to rest to regain effectiveness. I haven't paid close attention to this, but I believe it is set to zero in all the titles by default and I don't recall any scenarios utilizing it. I am not sure why this is, as I think it would add an interesting dimension.

The rest-and-refit was added into the games in the latest round of engine updates, at least in most of the titles. I think the first one or two may not have gotten this treatment due to an oversight. Rich Hamilton would know this answer for certain.

The tough thing about the rest-and-refit is that a unit has to stay pretty much still and not get fired at in order to 'rest', meaning anyone on the MLR isn't going to benefit from this. You'd have to move a unit out of harms way, wait a couple of turns, and then go back into the fight. In a scenario that's shorter, this might not be all that useful. Where it is useful, I feel, is in larger scenarios where you can shift units back and forth and have a longer time period to actually regain meaningful effectiveness.

I've been starting to play around a bit with some scenario design (modification is more like it right now), and it might be tricky to design in the ability for a unit to move to a rest and refit type of position.

I'm finding in my very early stages of playing around that the AI doesn't always do what you want it to do anyway, at least not well, and typically doesn't handle things well on the offense. A few years of playtesting has shown me that the offensive bogs itself down way too much regardless of how well you script the AI. It's why most scenarios are best played versus the AI with the human taking the offense or in a PBEM scenario. I'd say that playing against an attacking AI with conventional scoring should net you a win nearly 99% of the time, unless the victory levels are so skewed that it's really hard to win period.

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+1 for Ivan's suggestion regarding Op Fire. It is hard to script a default setting to be used for all situations. However setting units to "Hold Fire" means that they won't fire even if an enemy unit moves into an adjacent hex, which means enemy units can move in for an assault without receiving any Op Fire. I would love multiple options for Hold Fire (such as Hold Fire until within half range), but barring that, I would suggest changing the code such that units will fire at an enemy in adjacent hex even if they are set to "Hold Fire".

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Show the weapon parameter information for enemy weapons and vehicles when you right click on their units (after they have become visible). This information is shown for friendly units, but for enemy units you have to open the Weapon Data Dialog box and then search through that.

Yeah, I can't tell you how many times armor has rolled right past an AT position of mine because I mis-judged how quickly it would hit my positions. Very frustrating.

The enemy information I think is a feature of FOW, really, especially something like weapons loads for a variety of weapons. I'm not sure if this information should be made available to the opposing player or not.

I guess printing out the weapon's information and having it handy when you play would also be an option, but I see where you're coming from.

[cazart!]

Dear all,
Would the possibility to destroy weapons or at least heavy weapons like guns or heavy MGs be something worth consideration ?

If your enter an abandoned gun's position, the gun is destroyed. It does not apply to support weapons/small arms. However, don't forget when the owner of a support weapon is killed the weapon is dropped and loses half it's existing effectiveness.

Regarding rest and refit, it is being added to the older pdt's as the games are patched.

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Show the weapon parameter information for enemy weapons and vehicles when you right click on their units (after they have become visible). This information is shown for friendly units, but for enemy units you have to open the Weapon Data Dialog box and then search through that.

I don't see that happening, unless you are playing with FOW off. It simply increases the god like situational awareness even further. But it is also something that separates great SB players from the good. (Being able to have a feel for various weapon's threats.)

[KG_RangerBooBoo]

Here's something I'd actually like to see for all the HPS games; where you checkmark the option to have the pop up for "ask before advancing" I'd like to see it customizable, so for Squad Battles I could a line "did you put all your troops to ground" or for Panzer Campaigns I could add a line " did you fire all your artillery" I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who wouldn't mind adding their own little reminders to that pop up box.

[Mad_Dog]

I wouldnt mind something that would remind me to just press the End Turn button when I close the program, I seem to forget that pretty regularly. ;)

[rahamy]

R&R is in all titles now, after the last round of updates - but not all PDT files had values put in there...but you can do so yourself if you wish. We'll try to catch it for the next round on the ones that missed it, but that's likely to be a year or more away realistically, as we don't update after every game is released.