[WarInEur] Combat results oddity

[SGMINFO at aol.com]

In a message dated 25/08/2008 02:59:09 Atlantic Daylight Time,  
kentsue at cox.net writes:

However, the attrition option almost requires the use of low  odds attacks to 
soak off the ememy strength.  It was while playing a  hotseat game that it 
occurred to me that when the defender is flipped he  always has the option to 
retreat but the attacker doesn't.  Which given  the rules regarding flips always 
have the retreat option seemed odd. So I  brought it up for comment.


Remember that the tables under attrition are not, unlike the  original game, 
fixed.
 
 
 
If we are finding that thelow odds soak off attacks are disrupting the  
historicity of the observed behaviour.
I.E. We are starting to engage in bahaviour that is unrealistic.
 
We have the ability to change the values in the attrition tables.
 
Note when I introduced this feature I made  it user accessable.
 
the reason for this was:-
 
The effect of this feature was generally felt to be neneficial, and a great  
aid to realism..
 
I realised, however, that the effect might be short lived...
 
The reason?
 
Gamers are inventive, and resourceful. Many design effects put into a  game 
originally, for good reason, are now found to result in modified gaming  
behaviour, which largely defeats, or completely changes, the  provision.
 
For example the soviet retreat to an axis oos position, followed by the  
1step retreat which prevents the Axis player closing and forcing battle, and the  
German stepwise retreat to avoid that artillery meatgrinder are well  known...
 
If users are finding that the present table  results in the game  'bending' 
under their resourcefulness, I might suggest altering the defenders  'hit' of 
16% on receipt of an attack, and halving it to 8%, toning down the  'soak off' 
feature.
 
Remember, the attrition option is an aid to realism, not a fixed feature,  
when the body of gaming experience becomes more settled and agreed about the  
preferred effect then at the next update that can be incorporated as  the 
'default settings.
 
At this stage in testing it is not possible to come up with definative  views 
on this.
 
One of the oft quoted drawbacks of the original game was that insufficient  
playtesting caused some screwups and unintended abuses.
 
By designing options to be 'soft' or malleable, we have the best of all  
possible worlds with an inflexibly hard-coded computer game.
 
A similar feature appears with the CAP limitations on air power for the  
East, and the variable sided die option for the air combat system.
 
Those who are experimenting with these options are beginning to see the  
possibilities and deeper implications.
 
Above all I had hoped that this philosophy may cause a sea change in the  way 
that many approach the SPI ethos. Competitive, as ever, yes,  but take  
people a little sideways into experimentation and encourage further study.
 
 Playing the game competitively is but one aspect (the smaller- I tend  to 
think), having the ability to 'flex' the model and explore the dynamics a  
little, leads to huge leap forwards in conceptualising what you are first  looking 
at.
 
SPI always put on the title:-
 
'An historical Simulation Game'
 
Many who dip their toes into these waters (simulation games) find  it an 
illuminating experience.
Expanding their choices and broadening the model, adds immeasurably  to their 
experience of the game, and the longevity of the  product.
 
I have often said with these, its the taking part in, and the  experiencing,  
that is everything.
 
'Napoleon at Waterloo', picture this with differing and variable  effects.
Or a Battle of Britain simulation with similar  options.
 
Each could be invaluable to the student, where assumptions can be  
challenged, and tactics experimented with. Such modelling actually invites  study, and 
encourages further  exploration of he subject.
 
It puts a capital E into the educational part of he  project.
 
 
 
 
-|steve|-
 
 



   
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.halisp.net/pipermail/warineur/attachments/20080825/c41ff44f/attachment-0001.html