TO&E...U.S. Flamethrower Platoon

[JoMac]

I generally setup games as QB, Meetings, Mix, either Rough\Village type Terrain, and in next screen have players only use the 'Suggestion' box to purchase 'Formations' (Just makes it easier and less time consuming and we let the AI pick our formations)...So, I just found out about this Formation when I was looking around as U.S, and there is around a Platoon of U.S. Tanks in this 'Flamethrower Platoon' (one example; mix of 2-3 M4 75 and couple M4 76, and maybe a M8 HMC or AC, with only a Squad\Platoon of Heavy Weapons of sorts).

Generally, when playing V3 or V4.0,  I'm sure in a 'Mix', then 'Infantry Only' Formations that the U.S. or Germans would get something like a Company worth of Infantry and support with 1-2 Tanks and maybe a lightly Armored Vehicle or similar...So, this New 'Flamethrower Platoon' really puts a Monkey Wrench with all that Armor.

I'm playing Germs now (with standard mix of company worth of Infantry and couple tanks ) in a Meeting Engagement against U.S. opponent and fear he may decide to purchase one of these Formations.

Joe

 

Edited February 29, 2020 by JoMc67

[Kevin2k]

Was looking for a bug report threat. But here you are talking about the same issue. So yes, it seems that v2.02 Quick battle US random MIX force selection favors 'Flamethrower platoons', which usually consist of non-flame related US tanks. To such a degree that I now have to manually check the force selection and fix/regenerate it to something more balanced.

Sorry to say that similar problems exist in other titles, like in CMSF2 Marines Mix force: the game favors Assault Amphibious Vehicles without their infantry teams. Since I remember complaining about this years ago lets nag some more: Is this mix force selection really such administrative programming challenge? Take a suitable infantry formation and cut out squads until it leaves enough requisition points to buy some single armor, then attach some armor to it. Surely a better system then what the game does now, whatever it does. 

 

 

 

 

[JoMac]

Yeah, I don't know what has happened after v4.0 (didn't seem to have problems in prior patches)...Not only the above issue, but in CMFI Meeting Engagements the Germs get Panther Bunkers...So, I don't know what's going on.  

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[Kevin2k]

3 hours ago, JoMc67 said:

Yeah, I don't know what has happened after v4.0 (didn't seem to have problems in prior patches)...Not only the above issue, but in CMFI Meeting Engagements the Germs get Panther Bunkers...So, I don't know what's going on.  

 

I tested the different CMFB versions a bit and it seems the "Flamethrower platoon" was one of the Mix force picks from the start in v1.00. Though it is not present all that often there. Starting with the v2.01 patch, the game tends to select "Flamethrower platoon" much more often, like one out of three times.

In addition. When adding a flamethrower platoon like manually, chances of it containing an actual flame throwing vehicle seem less then 10%.

Edited March 25, 2020 by Kevin2k

[Kevin2k]

On 3/24/2020 at 2:58 PM, Kevin2k said:

Was looking for a bug report threat. But here you are talking about the same issue. So yes, it seems that v2.02 Quick battle US random MIX force selection favors 'Flamethrower platoons', which usually consist of non-flame related US tanks. To such a degree that I now have to manually check the force selection and fix/regenerate it to something more balanced.

Sorry to say that similar problems exist in other titles, like in CMSF2 Marines Mix force: the game favors Assault Amphibious Vehicles without their infantry teams. Since I remember complaining about this years ago lets nag some more: Is this mix force selection really such administrative programming challenge? Take a suitable infantry formation and cut out squads until it leaves enough requisition points to buy some single armor, then attach some armor to it. Surely a better system then what the game does now, whatever it does.

CMFB v2.03 patch level still has the same undesirable behavior: QB, US Army, mix force, automatic selection -> Preference for 'Flamethrower platoon' = full of tanks.

CMSF2 v2.04 patch level no longer has the AAV problem I described earlier: QB, US Marines, mix force, automatic selection -> is now quite good, infantry with HMMWVs, LAV-25s and sometimes an M1 Abrams. Awesome!