Are the General/Field Marshall traits turning this game into a slog-fest?

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pdstanbridge

Lt. General
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May 1, 2010
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I am really enjoying WtT but obviously there are quite a few changes, and a certain amount of time is required to re-learn all the mechanics. I can live with this, but I am trying to ascertain why infantry combat is substantially more challenging.

As has been reported in a few threads I've read the soft combat and artillery adjustments are requiring a new strategy to be successful. I'm guessing the devs wanted to slow the combat down, and by doing this they have definitely achieved their goal. But I'm also wondering if the new traits system (which I love by the way, and can see loads of potential) is turning it into an entrenchment simulator. Do the bonuses accumulate or multiply or whatever? Because, as an example in my current save playing as China, Japan has developed some crazy powerful generals. I can see those bonuses on top of the infantry stats, and then dug in, some with a 35% entrenchment bonus, are just impossible to kill. Even with a 10-1 in favour of me, they will not budge, and by the time I have broken them down, they are reinforced. Now this may be deemed realistic, and to a degree I agree with this. But what do people think? Is that how it is supposed to be?

Even naval invasions, where supply is totally cut off, are taking an age to kill. I've got 80,000 Japanese men, encircled by 170k Chinese, whom are stuck in one province. These Japanese are typically tenacious, but they refuse to die. With no supply. In fact, if I left them, they attack my garrisons trying to free a port. Now I celebrate the AI improvements here, but with combat taking forever, I don't know what one is supposed to do to tackle this. Do we have to introduce new equipment? Like building SPG into every infantry division?

I love the improvements that have been made to date. But I feel the strategy to play succesfully has completely changed the game.