So, the equipment recovery is bugged...

[icedlemon]

... and I thought I was capturing my opponent's equipment. In my current run, I built tons of small 10 width divisions and used Mass Assault right. Just as I thought I figured out a brilliant strategy, a quick google reveals that I was actually unintentionally exploiting a bug.
Now this realization totally sucked the joy out of my current run. I took a long break before firing up the game again so the equipment recovery is a new thing to me. How long have this bug been in the game? Does anyone know a way to "patch" this bug via a mod or something? I spent a lot of time recently trying to re-learn and explore new stuff, now I realized the "feeling" I learnt about how much IC I need for each equipment is totally wrong because I have been getting different level of equipment recovery based on my division size lol.
Or alternatively, anyone knows how to disable equipment recovery in the game file? I don't really care about achievement.

 

[bitmode]

This is the sort of bug demonstrating that 99% of players must be playing very differently than we do. It is very easy to observe, has a large impact on the economy, but is mostly ignored.

Does anyone know a way to "patch" this bug via a mod or something? [...] anyone knows how to disable equipment recovery in the game file?

I disabled it. Probably the only option right now. You can create a tiny mod that adds a .lua file in common/defines with this content:

NDefines.NMilitary.RELIABILTY_RECOVERY = 0

You can also edit common/defines/00_defines.lua directly in the game files and change that variable there. But game updates are relatively frequent now, overwriting that file every couple of weeks.
Another advantage of the modding method is you can put other defines you want to fix in there as well and have an easy overview of what you changed.

NDefines.NMilitary.RELIABILTY_RECOVERY = 0 -- disable equipment recovery to work around bug 1509215
NDefines.NNavy.HIT_PROFILE_SPEED_BASE = 14 -- average ship speed around 28 knots for hit profile

 

[bitmode]

This is the sort of bug demonstrating that 99% of players must be playing very differently than we do. It is very easy to observe, has a large impact on the economy, but is mostly ignored.

I disabled it. Probably the only option right now. You can create a tiny mod that adds a .lua file in common/defines with this content:

NDefines.NMilitary.RELIABILTY_RECOVERY = 0

You can also edit common/defines/00_defines.lua directly in the game files and change that variable there. But game updates are relatively frequent now, overwriting that file every couple of weeks.
Another advantage of the modding method is you can put other defines you want to fix in there as well and have an easy overview of what you changed.

NDefines.NMilitary.RELIABILTY_RECOVERY = 0 -- disable equipment recovery to work around bug 1509215
NDefines.NNavy.HIT_PROFILE_SPEED_BASE = 14 -- average ship speed around 28 knots for hit profile

How long have this bug been in the game?

Since reliability enables equipment recovery, in patch 1.11/NSB:

Reliability
For the tank designer it was important that reliability was more impactful [...] At the end of combat units with better reliability will be able to get back a certain amount of tanks etc to simulate that simple more reliable constructions would work better for battlefield repair and be less fragile when taking damage. So it's a bit like capturing enemy equipment in combat - but in reverse

 

[Herennius]

At least it has been officially recognized and confirmed as being buggy:

HoI 4 - Recovered Equipment after battle greater than total equipment lost. v1.11.5.5b4f checksum 7e1e

Description of issue Recovered Equipment after battle greater than total equipment lost. v1.11.5.5b4f checksum 7e1e Game Version Steam (windows 10) v1.11.5.5b4f checksum 7e1e Enabled DLC Together for Victory, Death or Dishonor, Waking the...

forum.paradoxplaza.com

 

[Mister Analyst]

@icedlemon

The HOI4 wiki section Equipment recovery and reference footnotes lead me to believe that creating a simple mod that overrides the define from NMilitary RELIABILTY_RECOVERY = 0.1 to NMilitary RELIABILTY_RECOVERY = 0.0 should accomplish the desired affect that you are seeking.

 

[Mister Analyst]

A big "Thank You!" to @bitmode for adding the "equipment capture and equipment recovery" sections to the HOI4 wiki during May of 2022.

Just wanted everyone to know that my reply was in process when bitmode responded and it was based upon bitmode's previous work.

Kudos to bitmode!

 

[icedlemon]

This is the sort of bug demonstrating that 99% of players must be playing very differently than we do. It is very easy to observe, has a large impact on the economy, but is mostly ignored.

I disabled it. Probably the only option right now. You can create a tiny mod that adds a .lua file in common/defines with this content:

NDefines.NMilitary.RELIABILTY_RECOVERY = 0

You can also edit common/defines/00_defines.lua directly in the game files and change that variable there. But game updates are relatively frequent now, overwriting that file every couple of weeks.
Another advantage of the modding method is you can put other defines you want to fix in there as well and have an easy overview of what you changed.

NDefines.NMilitary.RELIABILTY_RECOVERY = 0 -- disable equipment recovery to work around bug 1509215
NDefines.NNavy.HIT_PROFILE_SPEED_BASE = 14 -- average ship speed around 28 knots for hit profile

Since reliability enables equipment recovery, in patch 1.11/NSB:

@icedlemon

The HOI4 wiki section Equipment recovery and reference footnotes lead me to believe that creating a simple mod that overrides the define from NMilitary RELIABILTY_RECOVERY = 0.1 to NMilitary RELIABILTY_RECOVERY = 0.0 should accomplish the desired affect that you are seeking.

View attachment 986153

Thanks guys!

 

[Secret Master]

This is the sort of bug demonstrating that 99% of players must be playing very differently than we do. It is very easy to observe, has a large impact on the economy, but is mostly ignored.

For the longest time I thought it was a display error and not actually happening.

 

[icedlemon]

For the longest time I thought it was a display error and not actually happening.

I thought the same initially, until I noticed that my 30ish divisions offensive netted me 4k infantry equipment lol.

This actually makes playing China/USSR with MA-R ridiculously OP. Build a lot of small infantry divisions with support arties and concentrate them in one spot, then just use the high recovery rate org grind down the enemy lines. The more you lose the more you get after the battle. I had so much equipment I shifted all my factories to planes.

...Which actually sucked because the "optimized" strategy I spent a lot of time on as China was totally invalidated because I was basically cheating lol.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

71cloak tested it a while back and even showed this on video. there are two problems:

1. equipment capture %, in general, is a lie. you capture less than the % indicates you should.
2. troops in reserve can "recapture" equipment, despite having lost none, which in situations like op's can result in instead getting way more capture than you should.

when he made the video i suspected it might be possible for two players to engineer a situation where they can outright generate equipment by fighting each other. it would be pretty hard for both sides to gain rifles naturally this way though.

 

[bitmode]

when he made the video i suspected it might be possible for two players to engineer a situation where they can outright generate equipment by fighting each other. it would be pretty hard for both sides to gain rifles naturally this way though.

I've seen this happen organically in an AI Soviet civil war. The losing side was pushed in to only two or three provinces, with over a dozen divisions in each one. Held on for years without ever running out of equipment.

 

[2brucben]

Honestly it's a bit ridiculous that this is still bugged. The bug repoort was made over 2 months ago and they have since released patches... Why do such game breaking bugs exist for so long? But hey, we got some random research changes that we didnt really need...

 

[icedlemon]

71cloak tested it a while back and even showed this on video. there are two problems:

1. equipment capture %, in general, is a lie. you capture less than the % indicates you should.
2. troops in reserve can "recapture" equipment, despite having lost none, which in situations like op's can result in instead getting way more capture than you should.

when he made the video i suspected it might be possible for two players to engineer a situation where they can outright generate equipment by fighting each other. it would be pretty hard for both sides to gain rifles naturally this way though.

I think, in order to do this, you need high enough org recovery to keep the offensive going while taking a lot of damage in the process. So basically attacking with tons of small infantries + MA-R.
I suspect the reason not many people realizing this bug is that it's most obvious when you combine small divisions with high recovery and high casualties. If someone plays the more meta build where he only attacks with large high breakthrough armor divisions, the battles are usually much shorter, involve fewer divisions, and cause less casualties. In this scenario the bug doesn't really do much.

 

[HugsAndSnuggles]

So this means that battalion-sized (superheavy) tank divisions are actually quite a viable strategy for Italy?