Miscellaneous suggestions

[CoHtaku]

Hello! I've put together a few ideas i've gathered over playing to -hopefully- improve the mod. I welcome any counter-ideas anybody may have to add.

• Grand Offensive:
  I always play victory point games, so i only recently noticed this option when setting up a L.A.N. game and changing the victory condition to annihilate. Could somebody please explain what it is? I noticed it increases the pop-cap to 999, but does it do anything aside from this? Why is it not available with victory points?
• Defensive structures:
  The basic defensive structures (Strongpoints & Platoon Outposts) are way too weak. Not necessarily in terms of health, but their susceptibility to plain rifle fire makes abilities like demolitions and bangalore torpedoes completely redundant. Especially with the 'Hindenburg Line' upgrade, your Strongpoints should be completely immune to small arms fire, requiring explosives to take them out.
  
  Also, Strongpoints can be upgraded outside of friendly territory. I'm not sure if this is intended or not, but i think it would better if they couldn't be. (Platoon Outposts can't produce units outside of their own territory.)
• Maintenance Crew upgrade:
  I wonder if the maintenance crew upgrade for your Pioniere could be made to allow them to recover A7V Sturmpanzer to make up for their limited availability?
• Mk.IV/V tanks:
  Having the Mk.V tanks available as call-ins effectively makes the Maintenance Bay a useless structure, which by extension makes the Tankodrome a useless upgrade. I would suggest making them replacements for the Mk.IV versions rather than off-map call-ins, to bring both the aforementioned structure & upgrade back into the game. (They should be the same price as their older counterparts, but with a higher command point cost.)
• Female vs. Male tanks:
  Both tank sexes are the same price and available at the same time, despite the male version being far superior to the female. Why is this? I suggest the male be made dearer, and available later (requiring the Ammo Dump, or a further upgrade within the Maintenance Bay). (As for the Beutepanzer, you could have the call-in grant 2 tanks, 1 of each spam, obviously for a higher price.)
• Mine detection:
  I often find my units detecting enemy mines, despite them not having any mine detectors. Is this a bug? It's pretty silly because it makes mines near-useless.
• Medics:
  Only 2 medic station upgrades are available for the Germans, despite the upgrade tooltip not saying this. This allows a total of only 4 medics for the Germans, and 6 for the British.
  
  Also while we're on the subject, maybe more medics could be spawned from the stations, either by default or via an upgrade of some kind? Since infantry are weaker and their squad sizes are larger in this mod, i think it would make sense to have more medics.
• Shrapnel barrage:
  The shrapnel barrage ability of the field guns does virtually no damage. Like the gas barrages, it's a complete waste of Munitions.
• Scout Command Post:
  The Scout Command Post has a flag pole, but no flag to go with it. I wonder if a flag could be raised when Fire & Movement is researched? It would be a nice touch.
• Whippet:
  WIth the extra machine guns upgrade, the Whippet still has an unused slot to the rear of the vehicle. I wonder if all four machine guns could be available, but with the secondary gunner moving between the extra guns so that only 1 of them will fire at a time?
• Yellow Cross & Flying Circus:
  The Yellow Cross barrage is far more effective than the Flying Circus. The mustard gas seems marginally effective (causing health damage but no actual casualties, so about half as effective as the H-E shells), but the heavy shelling of the area is quite lethal. On the other hand, the planes seem to do almost no damage and mostly just cause suppression (similar problem with the British strafing run). I therefore propose that the prices of the abilities be swapped, and the aircraft be significantly buffed to tear up enemy infantry.
• Minenwerfer
  And lastly, i'd like to play a little game called Spot The Minenwerfer:
  
  
  
  Can you see it? No?
  
  
  
  Oh, there it is!
  
  Could you please add a helpful ring around it like with the Stokes? I don't usually see them until i inadvertently move my mouse pointer over them.

There are some other issues i have with the game, but that'll do for now. Thanks for reading, CoHtaku.

[The Soldier]

I'll bring up these bits to don_Durandal.

@Defensive Structures
Probably right when Strongpoints shouldn't be able to upgrade outside of territory.

@Mk.IV/V tanks
Yea, it's something that we're working on.

@Female vs Male tanks
The female is pretty damn effective against infantry, 2 extra machine guns.

@Mine Detection
For some reason, all German infantry units can detect mines at maximum range. It's a bug.

@Shrapnel Barrage
You have to get pretty much a direct hit to do damage. Infantry also have to be in the open for it to be effective. When you do get a direct hit - things get messy. Besides, it's more meant to slow down infantry rather than be a direct counter to it - otherwise, field guns would dominate everything.

@Yellow Corss & Flying Circus
The Flying Circus completely nullifies enemy air support while active (any planes the enemy call in will be shot down upon entering the map) AND it target enemy tanks with bombs in addition to strafing infantry (which is also damn useful). Very, VERY good ability to use just before you launch an assault - you get covered from enemy air support, pin down enemy troops trying to reinforce the attack area, and any enemy counter attack involving tanks gets hit. It's one of the most useful abilities in the mod if you ask me. Not to say that Mustard Gas isn't good, though.

@Minenwerfer
Yea, the Minenwerfer is treated as an anti-tank gun for animation purposes (2 guys wheeling it around). So the game assumes it's big enough that it doesn't need a circle. Not sure if it can be added.

[CoHtaku]

Hi The Soldier, thanks for the reply.

@Female vs Male tanks
The female is pretty damn effective against infantry, 2 extra machine guns.

It doesn't just have 2 extra machine guns; It's at the expense of 2 6-pounder cannons, which are more effective against infantry (especially when they're bunched up), and are necessary to counter defensive buildings and vehicles. There is absolutely no reason to buy a female tank whatsoever.

@Mine Detection
For some reason, all German infantry units can detect mines at maximum range. It's a bug.

Thanks for clearing that up. I usually play as Germans, so that's probably why i kept noticing it all the time.

@Shrapnel Barrage
You have to get pretty much a direct hit to do damage.

That seems pretty silly for a shrapnel barrage though, doesn't it?

Infantry also have to be in the open for it to be effective.

How much in the open? Negative cover? No cover?

Besides, it's more meant to slow down infantry rather than be a direct counter to it

Why would i pay Munitions to slow down infantry when i can counter them for free? Really the only thing the shrapnel barrages have going for them is the ability to fire over shot-blockers.

@Yellow Corss & Flying Circus
The Flying Circus completely nullifies enemy air support while active (any planes the enemy call in will be shot down upon entering the map)

I did not know this. Why is it not in the description?

AND it target enemy tanks with bombs in addition to strafing infantry (which is also damn useful).

I have never noticed the planes (not sure what they're called) dropping bombs on enemy tanks. Their machine guns do, however, do a great deal of damage to the Rolls Royce - They can just about destroy one at full health, which is far more than they do against infantry.

I still think the price of the Yellow Cross barrage should be increased -- It's probably the best barrage in the game, and is way too cheap at 125 Munitions in my opinion.

[CoHtaku]

Crazy idea: I noticed that the Rolls-Royce appears to have seats in the back; Perhaps it could have the ability to transport troops, with them able to fire from their positions? It would be a nice counterpart to the Ehrhardt with its additional machine guns.

Also, while i'm here i'd like to state that i've spent some time playing around with the Flying Circus, and i never once saw any of the planes bomb enemy tanks. (If you like i could send you a replay, but you should be able to see it for yourself if you test it.)

[CoHtaku]

I just had an idea: Why not remove the male tanks from call-in/production, and make them accessible only via upgrade from the female tanks? So you always start with the inferior spam, which is only good against infantry, and then convert them to the superior spam for, say, 100A, so they can then deal with emplacements and vehicles? It makes such perfect sense, given the Pumas 20mm cannon upgrade, i have no idea why i never thought of it before!

[GeneralCH]

Well the idea is that you should wisely choose what you need. Both tank versions have their advantages and disadvantages.

However you might find this interesting:

[Higgins]

I get your point, but the male tank feels still more usefull in the most situations.

[CoHtaku]

Thanks for the pic GeneralCH, i didn't realize there were hermaphrodite tanks. Strange how each side is so different.

Do you think you could provide an example of a situation in which a female tank would be better than a male? Just one will do.

[Comissar Zhukov]

They were used very effectively to clear and supress sections of trenches. By just parking over them and firing both machineguns on each side down the lines.

The male vas very useful to blow up machinegun nests and other hard targets. But the machineguns on its sides had a poor arc of fire. Leaving only the frontal one (also limited by the tracks) to do the work.
So the female was also more useful to supress enemy positions while advancing, to protect the infantry behind.