RIP Special Forces. 2016-2018. You will be missed.

[Meglok]

I have not played the expansion yet but I think we should also consider how command Powers can affect stuff such as naval landings and other operations.

Force attack is nasty.

 

[stl3l9n]

If we want special forces to be "elite" they should be able to be trained up to the seasoned level without any wars - I can imagine that people won't send paratroopers on (possible) suicide jumps into Paris so much anymore if they are elite troops.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

One change I would probably make is that Commando Expert in MIL high command should increase the %cap slightly. Like 2.5%-5% So countries with specialty in it should get a little bit of boni there. Or make how it counts slightly different. But in general I do find current cap pretty ok/good, and it's nice to have them treated as actual elites (or trying to) instead of just making entire armies of marines/mtn etc.

My main issue with them is that you don't get enough via floor to even create one 80 width of attack force. Even if you want to really push all your special force resources into one spot on the map, you're getting 48 width.

I think if you make a bunch of weirdo mixers with some arrangement of special forces, infantry, and artillery you can finegle the special forces adviser bonus onto 80 width but that's awkward and reintroduces some terrain penalty.

Anyway, the tiny floor makes them a non-presence to many nations, I'd like to see the floor raised to ~40 battalions, just so that one specialized attack location can see max width.

 

[Meglok]

My main issue with them is that you don't get enough via floor to even create one 80 width of attack force. Even if you want to really push all your special force resources into one spot on the map, you're getting 48 width.

Not sure what you are complaining about. Is it that you can't make a lot of 40w Special Forces divisions in 1936? That is historical, and according to PDS masses of Special Forces troops running around caused balancing problems. There were few nations, with the exception of French and Italian Alpini, that had a lot of trained Special Forces pre-1940. Even the US Marines were scattered around in penny packets and Regiments.

The base is 24 battalions and the base goes up as your army expands. And there is tech available in 1940 that expand your base %. So you can easily create a large force pool of Special Forces by mid 1940. I have easily had over 100 battalions of Japanese SNLFs battalions by the end of 1940, not to mention the same with Chinese or Soviet Mtn battalions.

Anyway, the tiny floor makes them a non-presence to many nations, I'd like to see the floor raised to ~40 battalions, just so that one specialized attack location can see max width.

Expand your army and improve your tech, expand your base. If you are Belgium you are not going to have the luxury of paying to field and train a high % of Special Forces, at least not until you conquer Europe.

 

[Zwirbaum]

My main issue with them is that you don't get enough via floor to even create one 80 width of attack force. Even if you want to really push all your special force resources into one spot on the map, you're getting 48 width.

I think if you make a bunch of weirdo mixers with some arrangement of special forces, infantry, and artillery you can finegle the special forces adviser bonus onto 80 width but that's awkward and reintroduces some terrain penalty.

Anyway, the tiny floor makes them a non-presence to many nations, I'd like to see the floor raised to ~40 battalions, just so that one specialized attack location can see max width.

Considering how popular was so called '7/2' composition, one can assume that it could be base for balancing amount of the min. cap of battalions (7x4= 28 pretty close to 24, or you can go 6 SF bn. in divisions) and that basically gives you 80 width you desire.

If you will raise min. cap to 40 battalions, you'll start to hear complaints (800 or 400 battalions needed to start getting higher unit cap) - that it basically makes no difference between minors and majors, or that min. cap is too lenient, but it scales badly, and you don't get more etc.

IMO, slightly more lenient scaling (like in my CRT suggestion) would be better, than leaving slightly higher min cap.

 

[Th3master]

If we want special forces to be "elite" they should be able to be trained up to the seasoned level without any wars - I can imagine that people won't send paratroopers on (possible) suicide jumps into Paris so much anymore if they are elite troops.

This, Special forces are a rare occurrence to meet on the battlefield and especially mountain troops feel weak to me, a 10% buff to defending in mountains should be raised. It would be cool to see special forces being able to be trained to a higher level or even some way of replenishing them out of experienced troops from regular divisions you have (which would probably lower the XP of them slightly).

Just throwing around some ideas. It seems strange to me that in HOI4 I rarely see veteran or elite divisions when in reality there were many formations made from elite soldiers that you could consider being "veteran" or "Elite".

 

[Noble713]

Just throwing around some ideas. It seems strange to me that in HOI4 I rarely see veteran or elite divisions when in reality there were many formations made from elite soldiers that you could consider being "veteran" or "Elite".

Combat experience gain should be non-linear. Units go from "Recruit" to "Trained" VERY quickly if they survive....maybe 2 weeks of sustained high-intensity combat. From Trained to Regular in 1-3 months. Regular to Seasoned maybe 6 months. Seasoned to Elite.....eh, not sure there. This is just my shoot-from-the-hip assessment after reading a LOT of small unit AARs from WW1 to today.

 

[Shaka of Carthage]

If we want special forces to be "elite" they should be able to be trained up to the seasoned level without any wars

Agree that should be included.

... seems strange to me that in HOI4 I rarely see veteran or elite divisions when in reality there were many formations made from elite soldiers that you could consider being "veteran" or "Elite".

The problem is that replacements are green. No training at all. You lose the seasoned/veteran quicker than you should.

Combat experience gain should be non-linear. ... This is just my shoot-from-the-hip assessment after reading a LOT of small unit AARs from WW1 to today.

These are the existing values. They are already non-linear. The problem, as stated above, is that once they do suffer casualties and require replacements. they are getting green replacements. That hard earned experience drops quickly. While not every nation handled it the same way, it would be better if unit replacements were drawn one level below the unit. ie Veterans draw replacements from Seasoned units, Seasoned draw them from Regulars, etc.

Green 0%
Trained 10%
Regular (Experienced) 30%
Seasoned (Veteran) 75%
Veterans (Elite) 90%