Question about Attack & Defense

[Nupremal]

I am confused about when an Attack Value interacts with a defense value and have not seen any explanation.

Examples - An Infantry attacks a tank - does this mean it uses Tank Attack vs. Soft Defense? Does the Tank fire back at Soft attack vs Tank Defense?

What about the really confusing Carriers? How do Air, Carrier, and Naval Attack and Defense interact? I have no idea. Is it a single attack followed by a simultaneous defense? - or 2 actions - or is it 1 action, attack vs defense - I dont see how it can be 1 action or some stats would not apply. Is there some explanation I missed?

[SeaMonkey]

Uh Oh, now you've really done it. Now ...you've got to be in possession of the SC1 manual, and I'm not sure that the equations still apply.

A lot of water has passed under that bridge, but for orientation, which Hubert can expand on later, there is a plus or minus one variable for strength loss also adjustable with the editor. Some like +- 2.

First you must calculate the readiness = supply+strength+command rating+morale bonus divided by 3.

Since naval units and strategic resources are not attached to HQs readiness= supply+2 times(*) strength/3.

Now compute the combat multiplier for attacker and defender = readiness/10.

Combat formulas:

Attacker losses = Defender(D) Multiplier * (defend_type_value+D experience/2)-attacker(A) multiplier * A experience/2.

Defender Losses = A multi*(A_type_value+A exp/2)-[D multi*(D exp/2+D entrenchment+D bonuses)]

Just use the suggestive losses at the top of the screen, that's what we all do.

Sorry you asked?

[SeaMonkey]

You have to use the soft values(A) when the target is soft(D). When the target(defender) is hard(a tank) you use the hard attack value of the infantry(attacker), for example, to attack the defending hard(tank) unit.

If the Atk is a tank, then its soft attack value is used to Atk the defending unit, a soft infantry target.

Refer to target combat values and target type tables.

[Nupremal]

I saw the science doc - let me be more specific.

A Carrier attacks a BB - what does it use, Naval Attack? Then what does the BB use? Naval Defense or Carrier Defense? Then what about the reverse. How about when a Fighter intercepts? Is it Carrier Attack vs Air Defense (Fighter attacking) and then Air Attack vs Carrier Defense (Carrier Attack)?

Are there 2 calcs - attacker vs defender + defender vs attacker - simultaneous?

I don't care about the other various factors - I just want to know what the "sequence" is - without any modifiers. I can account for those later.

[Ottosmops]

The type of the defender determines the attack value that the attacker uses to damage the defender.

The type of the attacker determines the defense value that the defender uses to damage the attacker.

The numbers in brackets in the following examples are from the table in the PDE manual page 18.

If a carrier attacks a BB it uses its Naval Attack value to damage the BB. (3)

The BB uses its Carrier Defense value to damage the carrier. (3)

If a BB attacks a carrier it uses its Carrier Attack value to damage the carrier. (4)

The carrier uses its Naval Defense value to damage the BB. (2)

If a fighter intercepts it doesn't matter whether it is the attacker or defender, because the fighters Carrier Attack and Carrier Defense values are the same, (1) and the carriers Air Attack and Air Defense values are also the same. (0)

This means the land based aircraft has in any case a small advantage.

I think the loss calculations are done with the values that the units had before combat begun, i.e. simultaneous.

At least that is how I imagine the things work.

I could be wrong.

[pzgndr]

Now ...you've got to be in possession of the SC1 manual

It's all in the SC2 manual, which comes with the game and expansions.

It doesn't go into excrutiating detail about the combats if I recall. Basically if unit type X is attacking unit type Y, the unit type X attack values are used against the unit type Y defense values from the CTVs. Pretty simple stuff, as Ottomops described. Should the manual provide more detail??

[Nupremal]

I just could not find it in the manual - also the air value matters because a level 4 advanced air carrier would be 4 air attack - but that makes sense what you say.

Reason I am asking is, since I need to use PDE for my world campaign, I want to boost the abilities of carriers, or at least Japanese and US carriers, as their naval attack cannot increase with tech. The BB has an advantage, but the BB can only attack if it is next to the carrier, which can attack at range. I am also considering giving carriers 2 strikes.

Any ideas anyone has are welcome.