So divisions in HoI4 are composed of battalions and support units, with each piece contributing to the overall division stats (soft attack, hard attack, softness, org, etc) in some way. Assuming the combat model has all the known elements plus potentially some sort of combined arms system, how would you design the battalion and support stats to encourage historical division compositions and reasonable outcomes?
I guess what I am asking is: What is the historical role of each type of battalion and how would you realize that role in the HoI4 combat system?
Here's some very rough thoughts:
Infantry - the foundation
Every effective division should need some kind of infantry, but a division of only infantry should only very rarely be the best choice. I'd like pure infantry to be fairly cheap to equip, but lacking in punch somehow. I think I'd make infantry the most cost-effective source of ORG and the necessary component of combined arms (as in the last iteration of HoI3), but moderate soft attack and defense, very poor hard attack and breakthrough and practically non-existent piercing and armor. As technology advances, infantry hard attack and piercing could rise to moderate.
You put infantry in your divisions to get decent ORG, to get combined arms, to get good performance in rough terrain. Pure infantry on infantry on bad terrain could be very protracted.
Artillery - infantry force multiplier
I think of artillery as very powerful but fragile, expensive and very supply-hungry. In HoI terms I would think excellent SA and defensiveness, moderate HA and breakthrough, low piercing and no armor. Critically, they would contribute very little ORG, so you can't win battles through artillery alone. One source of combined arms. Infantry supported by artillery should be much stronger (and much more expensive) than infantry alone and should be able to attack pure infantry with much more success (on most terrain). When both sides have artillery, the balance of offense and defense is similar to infantry vs infantry. Art shouldn't contribute to width, so the bonuses it offers are most consequential when you already have enough front-line units to fill the combat width.
Tanks - breakthrough mechanism
Tanks are basically the answer to the question: How do I break through against an enemy who can fill the combat width with INF+ART? Exploit the HA vs SA and Piercing vs Armor mechanism to win battles. Expensive and supply-hungry, but marginally cost-effective against opponents without adequate anti-tank measures (effective but expensive). Could be very cost-effective if you can cut off and wipe out enemy troops. Similar ORG to infantry (but much more expensive to equip), tanks have good stats in everything (including breakthrough) except terrain penalties, cost and supply. Gives a bonus to combined arms, relies on infantry for combined arms and more cost-effective ORG, relies on art for combined arms and more cost-effective SA.
The rest of the types I can see using the standard mechanisms. I suppose my main suggestion is to rejig the relationship between infantry and artillery so you generally want to pair them if you can afford the IC cost and supply cost.
I guess what I am asking is: What is the historical role of each type of battalion and how would you realize that role in the HoI4 combat system?
Here's some very rough thoughts:
Infantry - the foundation
Every effective division should need some kind of infantry, but a division of only infantry should only very rarely be the best choice. I'd like pure infantry to be fairly cheap to equip, but lacking in punch somehow. I think I'd make infantry the most cost-effective source of ORG and the necessary component of combined arms (as in the last iteration of HoI3), but moderate soft attack and defense, very poor hard attack and breakthrough and practically non-existent piercing and armor. As technology advances, infantry hard attack and piercing could rise to moderate.
You put infantry in your divisions to get decent ORG, to get combined arms, to get good performance in rough terrain. Pure infantry on infantry on bad terrain could be very protracted.
Artillery - infantry force multiplier
I think of artillery as very powerful but fragile, expensive and very supply-hungry. In HoI terms I would think excellent SA and defensiveness, moderate HA and breakthrough, low piercing and no armor. Critically, they would contribute very little ORG, so you can't win battles through artillery alone. One source of combined arms. Infantry supported by artillery should be much stronger (and much more expensive) than infantry alone and should be able to attack pure infantry with much more success (on most terrain). When both sides have artillery, the balance of offense and defense is similar to infantry vs infantry. Art shouldn't contribute to width, so the bonuses it offers are most consequential when you already have enough front-line units to fill the combat width.
Tanks - breakthrough mechanism
Tanks are basically the answer to the question: How do I break through against an enemy who can fill the combat width with INF+ART? Exploit the HA vs SA and Piercing vs Armor mechanism to win battles. Expensive and supply-hungry, but marginally cost-effective against opponents without adequate anti-tank measures (effective but expensive). Could be very cost-effective if you can cut off and wipe out enemy troops. Similar ORG to infantry (but much more expensive to equip), tanks have good stats in everything (including breakthrough) except terrain penalties, cost and supply. Gives a bonus to combined arms, relies on infantry for combined arms and more cost-effective ORG, relies on art for combined arms and more cost-effective SA.
The rest of the types I can see using the standard mechanisms. I suppose my main suggestion is to rejig the relationship between infantry and artillery so you generally want to pair them if you can afford the IC cost and supply cost.
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