GERMAN INFANTRY, ETC.

[aesop]

Traditionally, the german army during the early stages of ww2, was superior to the allied forces and this should have been reflected in giving them a +1 in anti-tank. (Veteran german units in the later part, especially ss units, were tough nuts to crackzen!) I know the two leaders being present is supposed to account for that to reflect their combined arms superiority. I still think it is a shortcoming (well, I guess with the editor this is moot).

I know that the game is nearing completion, but right along this point, I think there should have been representation of airborne and SS troops (Germany fielded 500,000 SS combat troops).

I also think it is a misrepresentation that strategic bombers can bomb units (as RAF's sole bomber unit can do).

Actually, french armor was better than the germans during the start of ww2 but they did not organize into effective battlegroups and when they did later, they simply got tore up by the luftwaffe. I think this latter part is reflected correctly in the french's stats in SC.

[Camicie Nere]

In the latter stages of the Normandy campaign, Allied strategic bombers were extensively used against German ground combat units. (Operations COBRA and GOODWOOD, if I am not mistaken.)

[gorski]

The USA strategic bombers were not used extensively. On two days, the USAF did carpet bombing of German frontline units instead of hitting strategic targets. The first attempt was a disaster. The bombers killed a high ranked american general and quite a few american soldiers. Also, the bombs were too big, and the resulting craters made it too difficult for vehicles to advance. The second attempt went better, but I can't remember the details. The Germans didn't survive these attacks in very good shape, but it wasn't as big of a success as you might think.

Gorski

[Hawk]

Originally posted by aesop:

Traditionally, the german army during the early stages of ww2, was superior to the allied forces and this should have been reflected in giving them a +1 in anti-tank. (Veteran german units in the later part, especially ss units, were tough nuts to crackzen!)

When you play as the allies against the AI, just give the Axis forces a +1 or +2 experience bonus.

A +1 in unit strength isn't that much of an advantage.

I don't think the average German soldier was that much better than his counterpart on the allied side. However, superior strategy from the German High Command (and not quite so superior strategy on the other side) gave Germany a good advantage in the first years of WWII.

Just my 2 cents.

[blackbellamy]

I'm not too sure if the strat bombers are all that effective against ground formations after all.

In all my attempts to invade Italy, the strat bomber unit causes minimal damage to ground units, and takes frightfully expensive casualties. It's not unusual for the bomber unit to be reduced to a 2 or a 3 after about 3 bombing runs.

[grimlord]

Originally posted by gorski:

The USA strategic bombers were not used extensively. On two days, the USAF did carpet bombing of German frontline units instead of hitting strategic targets. The first attempt was a disaster. The bombers killed a high ranked american general and quite a few american soldiers. Also, the bombs were too big, and the resulting craters made it too difficult for vehicles to advance. The second attempt went better, but I can't remember the details. The Germans didn't survive these attacks in very good shape, but it wasn't as big of a success as you might think.

Gorski

well the carpet bombing of st. lo was a success but i agree the main allied air strength came from tac air and total air supremecy not strat bombers

[DevilDog]

Hawk,

It's not just the unit strength that increases with tech advances, but the unit stats (like soft attack & defense, armor attack & defense, etc.) do too.

[aesop]

Hawk you have a good point. But german training was just superior at that time combined with their tactics and leadership. These troops are also battlehardened from Poland and some "volunteers" from the Spanish civil war. Basically, the allies were outfought during the first part of the war. In that line of thinking, Italian troops were almost useless and should have a negative rating (the game of course does not allow for it). When Germany had to go into Italy in 1943, they have dicovered hoard of numerous supplies that they have sent to Mussolini. One German general remarked, to the effect, if we only had italy as an enemy instead of an ally, they would have won the war!