Ground combat

[Prospective]

Ok, here are a couple of questions:

 

1) How does a 3 sided ground battle get resolved? Is it similar to space combat, where two of the 3 sides are paired up against the 3rd?

 

2) In ground combat, how are the "Unmodified odds" determined? I assume that there is nothing to do with racial modifiers (or it would be called modified)... but calculating the ratio of offensive to defensive ratings does not seem to be the answer. Anyone have any clues?

[TErnest]

Ok, here are a couple of questions:

 

1)  How does a 3 sided ground battle get resolved?  Is it similar to space combat, where two of the 3 sides are paired up against the 3rd?

 

2)  In ground combat, how are the "Unmodified odds" determined?  I assume that there is nothing to do with racial modifiers (or it would be called modified)... but calculating the ratio of offensive to defensive ratings does not seem to be the answer.  Anyone have any clues?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Prospective,

 

When you issue a Ground Attack order, your army attempts to gain control of all population centers on the planet. That means, I believe, that you go up against all armies on the planet that do not belong to you.

 

Unmodified odds, as I understand the concept, is a straight-up comparison of the number of attacking divisions divided by the number of defending divisions. Then, that starting point is modified by any number of factors... various combat ratings, racial bonus, leadership, terrain on the planet, phase of the moon, the length of skirts in this year's spring fashions, etc.

 

Then, once final odds are calculated, the battle begins. Casualties are inficted are further modifed by how hard it is to kill your particular lifeform. (It is very possible for a force of juggernaughts to win against an army of brains-in-a-jar in this way, even with inferior numbers, division mixes, and technologies.)

 

TErnest

[Prospective]

So, if there are 3 empires on one planet, and one empire decides to get frisky and launch a GATK, he is fighting against BOTH defeneders at the same time? Do the two defensive forces get combined, or are they attacked one at a time?

 

Regarding the unmodified odds... I'm not sure it's a direct comparison. In the most recent battle, I had 63 units to the defender's 30 units... that would lead me to believe that the "unmodified odds" would be about 2.1

 

However, the actual unmodified odds was 13.44815

 

I tried adding up my attacker numbers and dividing it by the defenders numbers, but that doesn't work either. So, I'm still confused how the "Unmodified odds" number is determined.

[General Miles Avatar]

So, if there are 3 empires on one planet, and one empire decides to get frisky and launch a GATK, he is fighting against BOTH defeneders at the same time?  Do the two defensive forces get combined, or are they attacked one at a time?

 

Regarding the unmodified odds... I'm not sure it's a direct comparison.  In the most recent battle, I had 63 units to the defender's 30 units... that would lead me to believe that the "unmodified odds" would be about 2.1

 

However, the actual unmodified odds was 13.44815

 

I tried adding up my attacker numbers and dividing it by the defenders numbers, but that doesn't work either.  So, I'm still confused how the "Unmodified odds" number is determined.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

most likely 2 to 1 assuming standard human baseline. 13.44815 to 1 might mean

that your race was probably a bit higher on the evolutionary scale then your

opponents but of course thats all conjecture.

 

I dont have a clue and Im sure most players several years into the game dont either

Im actually kewl with that.

[ali-t-akua]

So, if there are 3 empires on one planet, and one empire decides to get frisky and launch a GATK, he is fighting against BOTH defeneders at the same time?  Do the two defensive forces get combined, or are they attacked one at a time?

 

Regarding the unmodified odds... I'm not sure it's a direct comparison.  In the most recent battle, I had 63 units to the defender's 30 units... that would lead me to believe that the "unmodified odds" would be about 2.1

 

However, the actual unmodified odds was 13.44815

 

I tried adding up my attacker numbers and dividing it by the defenders numbers, but that doesn't work either.  So, I'm still confused how the "Unmodified odds" number is determined.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I thought all Ground COmbat "unmodified" odds took into account Combat techs.

 

Also, I am jealous that Prospective has had a major ground combat battle and I have not despite being the game longer.

[Vince]

I have no idea what has possessed me to enlighten the masses - it must be a character flaw

 

Sum all your "Tactical Rating Modifiers", divide by 10 - presto! You have your unmodified odds.

[hobknob]

In a ground combat with 3 or more participants, everybody gets to play. However, You ahve to tell Pete ahead of time who your allies are since the PAP only affect space combat.

 

Also, If you are attacking a planet that has lots of pop groups of various empires, you can capture an undefended pop group without actually engaging the other forces present.

 

[Prospective]

Ali,

 

Don't be jealous, you have only been in for 3 months longer than I have... I'm sure your time is coming. You have any potential adversaries on the horizon?

 

 

Vince,

 

The number you are talking about is not the "Unmodified odds" value that I referred to in my initial post. What you are referring to is "Total tactical combat odds shifts" factor. And I concurr, you add up the number of + and - numbers you get in the "odds table" of 35 categories, then divide by 10...

 

How does that "total tactical combat odds shifts" factor play into the whole thing? It can't be a factor in the "Unmodified odds" calculation, since the "unmodified odds" are by definition, unmodified... right? Or perhaps the "unmodified odds" are not truly unmodified???

 

 

Hobknob,

 

Interesting, I didn't know you can target a specific pop group number. From what I recollect, the order is "GATK, army #"... I don't recall seeing the attacker being able to target a specific pop group.

 

So, what happens if two empires, each with a pop group on the same planet, decide to go head to head, even if they have a "Total Alliance" status...??? Is the "Total Alliance" ignored if a GATK order is issued?

[hobknob]

You can't target a specific pop group. I attacked a HW and fully expected to engage the HW garrison. What I actually engaged was a third parties pop group that was on the planet, capturing it as it was undefended. On the following turn I then engaged the remaining parties forces and proceeded to capture the world.

 

A Total Alliance between empires has nothing to do with ground combat. That is purely for fleet engagements and ROE resolutions. My experience is that it is completely ignored.

[ali-t-akua]

Ali,

 

Don't be jealous, you have only been in for 3 months longer than I have... I'm sure your time is coming. You have any potential adversaries on the horizon?

 

To date I have run into one Player run empire and one NPC. The NPC rolled quickly with a couple of DIP orders and the player run empire and I are trading partners. We have run into each other in a number of systems and are engaged in joint exploration of one sector of space. Interestingly we knew each other from our Information Sharing Alliance so there is some trust that I have no plans of violating. Therefore I have no one to fight yet. That's a good thing as it is allowing me to focus more resources on expanding HW production and less in building warfleets. (Note to potential aggressors: That is not zero resources on building warfleets, just less. )

[gervais]

 

That is not zero resources on building warfleets, just less. )

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Less than zero resources? How is that possible?

 

 

[bTW, I've had a couple of queries regarding my avatar -- the answer is, I don't remember where I got it from, but I liked it so I stole it!]

[Vince]

Vince,

 

The number you are talking about is not the "Unmodified odds" value that I referred to in my initial post.  What you are referring to is "Total tactical combat odds shifts" factor.  And I concurr, you add up the number of + and - numbers you get in the "odds table" of 35 categories, then divide by 10...

 

How does that "total tactical combat odds shifts" factor play into the whole thing?  It can't be a factor in the "Unmodified odds" calculation, since the "unmodified odds" are by definition, unmodified...  right?  Or perhaps the "unmodified odds" are not truly unmodified???

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

S. - well, that blows my theory! In my ground battles thus far - it works out that way. My "Unmodified odds" & Total tactical combat odds shifts" are almost identical (+/- <0.005) leading me to believe the difference was from signigicant digits. Oh well, back to number crunching.