Hoi4 stack combat bonuses multiplicative way which very easily go out of control as multiple sources of small bonuses can stack into huge bonus. Issue of high amounts of attack was noticed and attempted to deal with, however it was rather symptom cure rather than handling issue itself. There are already reports regarding stacking commander bonuses, but they are just minor part of issue of multiplicative stacking of modifiers.
Here is list of most common modifiers(however there are some specific not yet included)
Modifier / easily achievable value / extreme case that require general farming stacking bonuses etc.
1. Encryption: 5% happen quite often and 10% happen sometime, higher values are possible, but very unlikely
2. General(+Marshall) 60% is easy to achieve for 5-6 lvl generals with traits for used division type. 135% is max for cavalry with 10 attack and infantry traits on both general and marshal
3 Terrain: terrain usually apply penalties, but having terrain perks on light terrain(like hills) could lead to 10 terrain bonus(special forces can achieve higher bonuses)
3. Tactic: 25% as defender it is possible to get 35% but mostly attack matters
4. Country 30% is typical bonus due to Military high command and Army chief. 60% is reachable in some edge cases like china-japan war or multiple advisors stacking like offence chief of army, cavalry MHC, infantry MHC, attack on core territory from war support, miscellaneous buffs from national spirit/focuses
5. Ground Support 50% can be achieved with any doctrine with advisor boosting ground support. 80% is reachable with battlefield support doctrine and 10% advisor
6. Battle Plan 50% in typical play after getting 4-5 generals/marshals. 100% high planning general/marshal, marshal trait, protected by Maginot French national spirit and few other sources. make it possible to go that high.
7. experience 25% reachable with training troops 75% for lvl 5 troops/
8 Fuhrer Mana abilities 20% for force attack is available for everyone it can be also stacked with siege artillery for 40% total
Due to multiplicative nature of modifiers total modifier for easy to get situation is:
1.05(encryption)*1.6(general)*1(terrain)*1.25(tactic) * 1.3(country)*1.5(CAS ground support)*1.5(battle plan)*1.25(experience) * 1.2(ability) = 9,21
so 300 SA division template would have 2763 SA which is already pretty horrendous high.
in extreme case when top values are achieved it is
1.10(encryption)*2,35(general)*1.1(terrain)*1.25(tactic) * 1.6(country)*1.8(CAS ground support)*2(battle plan)*1.75(experience) * 1.4(ability) = 50.15
so 300 SA division template would have 15057 SA which is way beyond broken. Obviously such situation wouldn't happen often however its possibility show problem of multiplicative stacking positive penalties
As stacking bonuses is needed to efficiently push people would learn that and once again 'too high SA' would become issue.
Solution proposition:
To squash multiple sources of bonuses/penalties without removing them i would propose to change formula to
modifier = (1+sum of bonuses)/(1+sum of penalties) where current -50% penalty from terrain would become +50% in penalty sum.
with current bonuses player would easily stack bonuses to +265% which would make 300 SA template to have 1095 SA
and on edge case with every possible bonus +535% which would make 300 SA template to have 1905 SA. Pretty high but not even as close broken as 15000 SA.
This formula would squash edge values both penalties and bonuses so both divisions decreased to 5-10 SA would be rarer case and such values like several thousand attack would be impossible as well. Also it is self-manageable as more bonuses already is in extra ones are responsible lower friction of final value.
Major advantage of this solution is increase of importance of division template itself and actual strategy rather than deep knowledge of game mechanic which allow to get every possible bonus.
Here is list of most common modifiers(however there are some specific not yet included)
Modifier / easily achievable value / extreme case that require general farming stacking bonuses etc.
1. Encryption: 5% happen quite often and 10% happen sometime, higher values are possible, but very unlikely
2. General(+Marshall) 60% is easy to achieve for 5-6 lvl generals with traits for used division type. 135% is max for cavalry with 10 attack and infantry traits on both general and marshal
3 Terrain: terrain usually apply penalties, but having terrain perks on light terrain(like hills) could lead to 10 terrain bonus(special forces can achieve higher bonuses)
3. Tactic: 25% as defender it is possible to get 35% but mostly attack matters
4. Country 30% is typical bonus due to Military high command and Army chief. 60% is reachable in some edge cases like china-japan war or multiple advisors stacking like offence chief of army, cavalry MHC, infantry MHC, attack on core territory from war support, miscellaneous buffs from national spirit/focuses
5. Ground Support 50% can be achieved with any doctrine with advisor boosting ground support. 80% is reachable with battlefield support doctrine and 10% advisor
6. Battle Plan 50% in typical play after getting 4-5 generals/marshals. 100% high planning general/marshal, marshal trait, protected by Maginot French national spirit and few other sources. make it possible to go that high.
7. experience 25% reachable with training troops 75% for lvl 5 troops/
8 Fuhrer Mana abilities 20% for force attack is available for everyone it can be also stacked with siege artillery for 40% total
Due to multiplicative nature of modifiers total modifier for easy to get situation is:
1.05(encryption)*1.6(general)*1(terrain)*1.25(tactic) * 1.3(country)*1.5(CAS ground support)*1.5(battle plan)*1.25(experience) * 1.2(ability) = 9,21
so 300 SA division template would have 2763 SA which is already pretty horrendous high.
in extreme case when top values are achieved it is
1.10(encryption)*2,35(general)*1.1(terrain)*1.25(tactic) * 1.6(country)*1.8(CAS ground support)*2(battle plan)*1.75(experience) * 1.4(ability) = 50.15
so 300 SA division template would have 15057 SA which is way beyond broken. Obviously such situation wouldn't happen often however its possibility show problem of multiplicative stacking positive penalties
As stacking bonuses is needed to efficiently push people would learn that and once again 'too high SA' would become issue.
Solution proposition:
To squash multiple sources of bonuses/penalties without removing them i would propose to change formula to
modifier = (1+sum of bonuses)/(1+sum of penalties) where current -50% penalty from terrain would become +50% in penalty sum.
with current bonuses player would easily stack bonuses to +265% which would make 300 SA template to have 1095 SA
and on edge case with every possible bonus +535% which would make 300 SA template to have 1905 SA. Pretty high but not even as close broken as 15000 SA.
This formula would squash edge values both penalties and bonuses so both divisions decreased to 5-10 SA would be rarer case and such values like several thousand attack would be impossible as well. Also it is self-manageable as more bonuses already is in extra ones are responsible lower friction of final value.
Major advantage of this solution is increase of importance of division template itself and actual strategy rather than deep knowledge of game mechanic which allow to get every possible bonus.
