Complete rethinking? Unfortunately.

[Oohps]

I love age of strategy. Mostly because the finished versions are very well balanced. To get there I think this has to be completely rebalanced. I don't know if that's possible within existing programming parameters. There's a misconception that any weapon can hurt at least a little. The truth is that if your outside your weapons function window you can only hide and pray.
Consider the following balance:
Infantry without anti Tank capability. Never any damage against any tanks. Only defence capacity against anything.
Infantry with At weapons. Damage to tanks depending on level. Only hit next tile. Attacking vulnerable tanks will be killed instantly. Non vulnerable tanks can drive through but not damage the infantry.
Tanks can never hit anything when in contact. (commands like run over them only kill one infantry soldier at a time, the other one soldier put a mine in your tracks)
Early tanks. Only effect on infantry and unarmoured vehicles from 2 tiles away.
Light real tanks. That is with long guns. From 2 tiles away effect on inf, unarmoured and similar tanks.
Sturm kanonen, tracked infantry support armoured vehicles, also called tanks by British and American generals in the beginning of the war. This is tanks with short guns with large calibers. Effect against all infantry and fortifications from max range of gun down to contact.
Heavy tanks with long guns. Effective against all other tanks with the same caliber size down to contact. Max range 2 tiles. The difference should be how much damage that occur. The Tiger and some other super heavy might hit one tile further out.
Anti tank armoured vehicles. Same as respective tank when attacked. Less protected when attacking. If that's possible to get.

Aircraft without precision bombs or attack rockets should not be able to damage tanks. They are the only weapon to kill a heavy or superheavy tank with one hit.
Heavy bombers should not be able to damage tanks.
Only certain specific artillery cannons should be able to damage tanks on any distance. The German 88 for example.
Any tank that has driven into a minefield should be vulnerable to almost anything. Be forced frozen one turn and have to back off unless the minefield is cleared by infantry or in current game machine gunners.

There's a lot more but this would make it possible to simulate WW2 fighting and different nations. Don't believe those tank games out there. They are actually simulations of light/heavy cavalry tactics from before the American civil war.

There are lots of improvements possible to what I suggested. Some statements are too simplified. Some are probably wrong. Try to get in contact with a teacher in an armor teaching facility. They would love this higher tactic variant of a game. Oohps.

[Stratego (dev)]

thanks!

tank ranges: ok! i have opened a vote on making some tanks having 2 range, HOWEVER: never forget on voting: the main objective is the good strategic playing (so we can diverse from IRL stats or facts for the sake of a good strategy playing)

mines: i think it is a nice idea that a mine could drop an immobile effect on the tank for a few turns! please someone open a separate topic for the idea - thanks!

"Tanks can never hit anything when in contact" what do you mean here? that in range 1 tanks should not be able to attack?

[Oohps]

There's a topic under units for mines. I've added mine behaviour there. Mines is a very important weapon in itself.

When tanks come in contact with infantry they are not very powerful. Maximum 10 percent hits per turn on infantry. They keep infantry down to allow own infantry to kill. On a distance of more than 100 meters they are terrible as their cannon start working That's why I say all tanks should have a 2 tile range minimum. This allow them to defend a minefield or other obstacle too. All tanks have two types of ammo in most of the war. Explosive arty type ammo and anti Tank ammo. All explosive ammo have double the range of the anti tank ammo. Later war saw the third type of anti Tank ammo. Sub caliber kinetic arrows. It became effective towards the end of the war. A late sherman could actually hurt a Tiger if it hit from the side in the right spot.

The rule should be 4 tile range with explosive ammo. Little effect on infantry in contact. Max 2 tile range against other armor. The best tanks should have a 3 tile range against other tanks.

It's easier to develop ammunition types than have all variants of vehicles into the game.

As this is meant as a general discussion post I have some views on arty too. Arty can't hit anything it can't see or get directions for. That means normal range for all arty is 4 tiles. It can also hit within 4 tiles of any other friendly unit (or town). This will allow tanks to use their speed to actually reach combat distance. Arty or non anti aircraft units should have no effect whatsoever on airplanes.

Are there excel tables available for unit stats somewhere?

[Stratego (dev)]

i planned to make things more simple, in general:
- one type of ammo and only bonus shows damage difference.
- one range only (for a unit type)


so we need to find a fair representation in these "borders" otherwise it will be a too complicated game that i dont want to. i try make it as simpe as hell

[Oohps]

I absolutely agree to simple. Atm it's too simple. If we use the magic effect for improving fighting? We shouldn't call it that of course. One ammo, one weapon, different effects. Infantry won't be affected by tank magic. Tanks would be very effected by tank (Tiger) magic. This would mean you must use infantry together with tanks to succeed. The same for artillery, lots of effect on nonprotected infantry, less or none on tanks. This would mean you must protect arty with tanks.