Author Topic: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!  (Read 10218 times)

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Offline NGTM-1R

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Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
Steel Panthers was a long-running series of turn-and-hex-based military strategy games released by Strategic Simulations Incorporated, the same guys who made Panzer General and the like. Support, such as it is for the games now with SP: World at War and SP: Main Battle Tank, is through Matrix Games and The Camo Workshop; those two games are free so don't buy them from Matrix. Steel Panthers 3 can only be found via abandonware sites by now though I actually have a CD. It was subtitled "Brigade Command" and operates on a larger scale than the other games: the basic unit is the platoon rather than the squad (or individual vehicle) and rather than company or battalion level combat it simulates regimental or brigade level combat.

An important mechanic in all of them is that in a campaign, after a battle you are given a certain number of points for replacements or upgrades. Start with bad stuff, get better.

Behold the greatest music ever used for a TANKS video


I'm going to run a very random battle to show things off for you guys, and then we'll discuss what we really want to do. Japan vs. Canada, because why not, in early 1995.

TO&E for the first fight. This is very unoptimized; in a real game I'd probably delete some of the less-useful support sections.

Command Section
- 8 infantrymen.
- 1 Type 73 APC; not native, they need a ride. The Type 73 is basically an M113, down to the pintle M2, except for some bizarre reason it has a bow-mounted M1919 .30cal.

Armor Battalion
- 2 Type 74 main battle tanks for a battalion command section. Japan's second indigenous tank design, the Type 74 is comparable to early Leopard 1 variants or late models of the M48 Patton, and carries the Royal Ordnance L7 gun. For 1995 they are not great vehicles, but fortunately their APFSDS and HEAT round are much more modern than they are so they're not totally helpless against other second-line tanks.
- 3 companies of Type 74 MBTs consisting of 2 tanks commanding, three platoons of four tanks for the fighting part, and a single Type 82 Armored Car modified with extra radios for the Forward observer role. The FO vehicles, and their ability get rapid response artillery, are the most important part of the company.

Mechanized Infantry Battalion
- 8 infantry and 1 attached Type 73 APC command section. Infantry in Steel Panthers are often kind of samey, with a rifle, an LMG, grenades, and an RPG/LAW. Except Japanese infantry don't have RPG/LAW standard. Hence their profusion of Gustavs.
- 3 infantry companies consisting of 1 platoon of 36 men and 2 platoons of 24 men, 3 squads of 3 Carl Gustav recoilless rifle teams (upgradeable to proper ATGMs), and one platoon of 5 Type 73 APCs and two platoons of 4 Type 73 APCs for transport. Plus an FO vehicle each. Gotta call that arty.
- Mechanized ATGM company consisting of Type 73 Light Trucks with a Type 79 Jyu-MAT ATGM on a post mount. Gotta go fast, pop tanks. Good for a delaying force and blocking for a turn, but hard as tissue paper.
- Mechanized Mortar Company consisting of 3 platoons of 3 Type SV 60 mortar vehicles, essentially a Type 73 APC with a hole in the roof for an 81mm mortar to shoot out of.
- Anti-Air Section: 1 squad of 3 Stinger teams and 3 jeeps for transport. Our only native anti-air. Here's hoping for a lack of gunships!

Grid Square Eraser Rocket Artillery Battalion
- 2 companies of 3 platoons of 6 vehicles of the good old M270 MLRS. These are for erasing vehicles mostly, though given country training they may not be as capable against moving targets as the American version.

The mission is to advance; the battle is a meeting engagement with three victory areas, one for us, one contested, one for Canuckstan. Unlike normal, however, they're not in a rough row, so this could get sticky with flanking movements.

Our forces are deployed with the tank battalion set up to advance and capture the contested objectives, supported by two of the infantry companies. One infantry company, and the mechanized ATGM company, are to the north, as flank guards.


Each scenario comes with some points for auxilary units. You'll notice I've got a bunch of Type 87 SPAAGs; enough to deploy a pair with each infantry and tank company for helicopter and aircraft defense. The 35mm cannon are also useful against most light and medium armor, so there's that. We also have a single AH-1J Cobra guarding the extreme northern flank, armed with 70mm rockets and TOW-2 missiles.

This is the pre-mission bombardment screen. Artillery in SP3 is love. It is life. Get used to the bombardment screen. We have a pair of F-4E's with napalm on standby. I'm going to commit them to attack along the road linking the contested and Canadian victory hexes, which will inhibit movement. I'm mainly concerned with killing the first wave and then moving in through the rest of the losers.

Also visible: priority target hexes for pre-registered fire; another way to get quick artillery response.

The Phantoms attack exactly nowhere near where they were supposed to, expending their attacks on some Leopard 1CE tanks and Lynx recon vehicles. Artillery is generally somewhat reliable, but aircraft go for what they can see, and sometimes that's not what you want. In fact, considering where they attacked they were probably angling for friendlies before they spotted enemies further on.

They also spot a bunch of Grizzly APCs. APC fight with Ma Deuce being the biggest gun anyone has, go!

Or we could use the northern group's FO vehicle to wreck faces.


Tanks easily seize the contested objectives, but find no enemy units as we push forward there.

And then it pretty much goes to hell in thirty seconds, as one of our platoons of ATGM jeeps gets its face pushed in while trying to sweep around to flank detected enemy units. Look at all those Leopard 1CEs.
The AI didn't deploy to seize the contested objectives. It didn't even deploy to protect its own objectives, it deployed in the center of the map mainly to attack ours. We are way out of position.


Immediately one of the tank companies is diverted north and the MLRS ordered to retarget, while the the infantry company and ATGM jeeps are deployed for a holding action. Smoke is also called for from the mortars, but the 81mms are incredibly short ranged in terms of Steel Panthers 3 maps.


The infantry company deploys, vehicles on the ridge, infantry just behind, to hold off the rush of Canadian Grizzlys as long as possible. Unfortunately, this plan is interrupted by a bunch of Leopard 1CEs from the North. Still, as a blocking force, they're working for now; the AI stops to try and make them move out of the way rather than push through them, and the predicted APC fight commences. Designed to be proof against the 14.5mm KPVT, the Grizzly and Type 73 are incapable of hurting each other mostly.


Then even more Leopards crash the party.


The results are grim. The resistance of the infantry company is quickly reduced to theory rather than practice and most of their vehicles are wiped out. But they stand their ground, stiffened by the shouted orders of the regimental command section near them, forcing the Canadians to remain where they are mostly. And buying time for the MLRS and the Phantoms.

The ATGM jeeps are busy trying to interdict the people who might try to bypass us and head directly for our objective area, to which another of our infantry companies has been dispatched to defend it.

The Phantoms make up for their previous behavior, drawing two lines of fire across the contested hill and dumping napalm all over many of the Leopard 1CEs.

One of the Phantoms is hit by a Canadian ADATS missile, but after completing its run. It survives but it's no longer useable.

But the rockets come too late. The last act of Combat Command HLP's command section is to guide the fire of the MLRS in to the mass of enemy AFVs around them, but the remains of the brave infantry company begin to retreat in the face of the enemy, or are simply killed. However, the time they have bought worked; one company of Type 74s is in position and another is coming up from the south to sweep over the hill.


Even the flanking forces have flanking forces here; this is still closing on our objective area, though harassment by the ATGM jeeps, some MLRS fire, and the Cobra have managed to slow them down. AI APCs carrying infantry drop them when fired at, presumably so they don't take casualties when the vehicles are hit and destroyed, but it can be exploited. The ATGM jeeps have taken it on the chin buying time too; only a single platoon of them is still alive, and it's down by one vehicle.


On the other hand, we're capping out. There was no defense at all.


This is getting kind of sticky, though they've not managed to kill any of the APCs. I don't have the infantry out because they'd get the bejesus machinegunned out of them in seconds. Need more Grid Square Eraser ASAP!

One of the Leopard C1es did manage to put a round through a Type 74 as they swept through the wreckage of the first battleground, but was annihilated by the others.

APC FIGHT! One of them wings the Cobra, and it's out. Their last Leopards turn and charge the Type 74s flanking them and manage to knock out several. And then, without much warning, the MLRS fires, and the Canadians are slapped by the fist of an angry deity. They break and run.

We are victorious. The cost was relatively high, as in the last moment Canadian artillery hit our mortars and the main contested hill. We lost 262 men, 19 APCs, 24 AFVs. The Canadian losses are 663 men, 52 APCs, and 69 AFVs. This is a weak enough victory that combined with my command section having dispersed from casualties I probably would have been kicked out of a campaign, despite the highly lopsided on-points bit.


So, that's Steel Panthers 3. Now, do you want to command a platoon? Sign up! Want to see a particular country (within the ability of the game to simulate them, I'll warn if one isn't included) fought as or against? Say so!
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Offline StarSlayer

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Re: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
Could I command a Type 74 company?   :lol:

Abuse those ridge lines with hydropneumatic suspension!
« Last Edit: January 13, 2016, 11:22:02 am by StarSlayer »
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Offline Lepanto

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Re: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
Not familiar with this game at all, but this might be interesting indeed. :cool:

Lt./Cpt./Maj. Lepanto, reporting for duty!

I'd like one of the following unit types, in order of priority:

-Air support (nothing personnel if I accidentally bomb you! :P)
-Tanks
-Artillery

Country-wise, I'd prefer fighting for good ol' 'MURRICA. Or another NATO country.

Enemy-wise, I'd like to fight a variety of enemies. Show off each faction's TO&E.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2016, 03:33:25 pm by Lepanto »
"We have now reached the point where every goon with a grievance, every bitter bigot, merely has to place the prefix, 'I know this is not politically correct, but...' in front of the usual string of insults in order to be not just safe from criticism, but actually a card, a lad, even a hero. Conversely, to talk about poverty and inequality, to draw attention to the reality that discrimination and injustice are still facts of life, is to commit the sin of political correctness. Anti-PC has become the latest cover for creeps. It is a godsend for every curmudgeon and crank, from fascists to the merely smug."
Finian O'Toole, The Irish Times, 5 May 1994

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Offline Polpolion

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Re: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
Sign me up. Put me in charge of anything that can drive me close enough to hit the enemy with a sword.

 

Offline Scotty

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Re: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
I'll command a platoon!  Sign me up for light armor or IFVs.

 

Offline NGTM-1R

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Re: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
Well, that's one vote for US/NATO and one vote (maybe?) for Japan. Somebody want to cast a tiebreaker?
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Offline StarSlayer

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Re: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
Sorry I brain stalled that the first battle was just a demo, belay my vote for JGSDF.  Any NATO member is fine, Bundeswehr would be cool.
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Offline The E

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Re: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
I want in too! Preferably artillery, preferably NATO.
If I'm just aching this can't go on
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There must be changes, miss to feel strong
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Offline NGTM-1R

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Re: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
Since everyone said nonspecific NATO, we get...nonspecific NATO, circa 1995 to provide a good range of options.

TO&E, The HLP Force

Command Section - US
- 11 Infantry
- 1 M113A3 APC

Armored Battalion - US
- 3 Companies composed of 1 platoon of 2 and 3 Platoons of 4 M3A2 Bradley-AT vehicles. 1 M981 FIST-V forward observer vehicle attached to each company; it's not native but it's needed. Given time, these will upgrade to Abrams. Buying ATGM vehicles to upgrade into tanks is pretty much how you make the best use of your points for starting a campaign unless you have really cheap tanks, but relatively few NATO countries allow you to buy ATGM vehicles in companies; pretty much the US and Germany, and the US company layout of 2-4-4-4 works out better than the German Mech ATGM company of 6-5-5.

Mechanized Infantry Battalion - German
- 3 Companies of Panzergrenadiers, consisting of 1 platoon of 24 men, 3 platoons of 18 men, and two AT squads of 4 teams armed with Panzerfaust 3 rocket launcher. Transported by 4 platoons of 4 M113GA1 APCs. Similarly, an M113-Forward Observer conversion has been attached to each company, though it's not native. In time we'll upgrade the APCs to Marder 1A3 IFVs and the missile teams to the Milan ATGM.

Rocket Artillery Support Group - UK
- 2 full regiments of M270 MLRS launchers, consisting of 6 platoons of 3 vehicles each. A British MLRS regiment is the size of a US MLRS battalion, and smaller than a German rocket artillery battalion. They all have the same battery size, though. Draw your own conclusions.

Air Defense Group - US
- 2 batteries of fixed I-Hawk SAMs, composed of 2 groups of 2 launchers each. Eventually upgraded into Patriot SAMs, because why not.
- 6 platoons of 2 vehicles of Avenger HMMWV vehicles. These will probably be passed out to the fighting companies for point defense.

(Future) Helicopter Gunship Group - US
4 M981 FIST-V vehicles. FO vehicles upgrade weirdly, like into helicopter gunships; these will become Apaches in time.

In addition when selecting auxiliary forces before battles I'll try to mix it up with other NATO members where able.

To face our NATO all-stars in action requires countries with diverse military capability, or extreme crazy. So naturally, Russia, China, and Best (North) Korea have been selected as our possible opponents across a 50-battle campaign.

We'll do our first mission this evening.
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Offline StarSlayer

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Re: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
Sign me up for the Brad Cav!  I will sow chaos and destruction with Bushmaster and TOW until getting one shot by stronk Pact wedge tank.
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Offline Lepanto

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Re: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
Which units do we all command?

Also, do you have any RP fluff story in mind for why our Combat Command is at war? If not, I'm thinking an alternate 1995 where the Soviet Union never fell, and somehow got in a major conventional war with NATO, dragging China and North Korea along.
"We have now reached the point where every goon with a grievance, every bitter bigot, merely has to place the prefix, 'I know this is not politically correct, but...' in front of the usual string of insults in order to be not just safe from criticism, but actually a card, a lad, even a hero. Conversely, to talk about poverty and inequality, to draw attention to the reality that discrimination and injustice are still facts of life, is to commit the sin of political correctness. Anti-PC has become the latest cover for creeps. It is a godsend for every curmudgeon and crank, from fascists to the merely smug."
Finian O'Toole, The Irish Times, 5 May 1994

Blue Planet: The Battle Captains: Missions starring the Admirals of BP: WiH
Frontlines 2334+2335: T-V War campaign
GVB Ammit: Vasudan strike bomber
Player-Controlled Capship Modding Tutorial

 

Offline NGTM-1R

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Re: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
Which units do we all command?

Also, do you have any RP fluff story in mind for why our Combat Command is at war? If not, I'm thinking an alternate 1995 where the Soviet Union never fell, and somehow got in a major conventional war with NATO, dragging China and North Korea along.

I can rename unit commanders and reassign units in the deployment phase of our first battle; my comments about attaching certain units here are of intention, not fact. That's when I'll post people to units. And I actually do have a basic story in mind, centered on an ill-advised North Korean nuclear test.
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Offline Scotty

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Re: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
In the absence of a French light armor battalion fielding AMX 13s, I suppose I'll settle for a Bradley company (or the battalion command if StarSlayer doesn't want it).  Otherwise I guess we'll be Bradley Bash Brothers until the Abrams comes along and my alliterative appeal absconds.

 

Offline The E

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Re: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
Looking at the lineup, I am going to request a transfer to one of the PzGren units.
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Offline NGTM-1R

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Re: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
Quote from: The Situation So Far
It is April of 1995. Three months ago, North Korea decided to demonstrate to the world they had a nuclear weapon small enough to fit on a missile, in the most ill-advised manner possible: conducting a missile test with such a weapon fitted. The detonation over the Sea of Japan resulted in a fizzle, with a yield estimated by most monitors as less than half a kiloton. As a weapons test, it was an unmitigated failure.

At making the rest of the world freak out, it was far too successful. Fears of a failed attack on Japan resulted in an immediate stand-off around the Korean peninsula as Western governments demanded the immediate and total dismantling of North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities. They had shown, to the eyes of much of the international community, that they were too irresponsible to have them. North Korea staged further missile tests in response, without designating no-sail zones. The first stage of such a test passed near enough to a US battlegroup that one of the AEGIS ships in the group engaged and destroyed the spent stage as a possible threat.

The North Koreans apparently interpreted this as an attempt to interfere with the test itself and retaliated against South Korean border installations with artillery fire. The powder keg went off. A month later, as a multi-national force pushed into the outskirts of Pyongyang and the Korean buffer state seemed likely to collapse, the People's Republic of China and Russia declared themselves the protectors of North Korean sovereignty and sent their armies to the Korean peninsula.

The war remains localized to the Korean peninsula and surrounding seas for the moment.

Our location is somewhere south of Pyongyang. Russian units have been reported pushing in our direction, and allied units are currently spread out to deal with guerrilla North Korean resistance. If a Russian armored spearhead hits now, defeat in detail is a real possibility. Task Force HLP has been ordered to block the Russian advance and buy as much time as possible.

We have been detailed two batteries of FASCAM-equipped artillery and have the support of a company of French mechanized infantry company that was in the area, but no aerial assets are available.

In expectation of a Russian preparatory bombardment, Companies A, B, and C of the Armor Battalion have been deployed behind high ground; after the bombardment they will advance to positions on the high ground and engage enemy forces as they approach. The FASCAM units will be busy mining the approaches to Company A (under Scotty)'s position. (It's one of the victory locations and on the direct road line to the other two.)


Company C to the north under Polpolion will guard the flank of Scotty's company and provide supporting fire. Company B, under StarSlayer, will guard the flank to the south and if possible flank the enemy advance. StarSlayer will be supported by Company D, the first company of our Panzergrenadiers under The E, and the French mechanized infantry company.


The other two companies of Panzergrenadiers have been placed in fallback positions to defend the road behind Scotty's company. If necessary they can be remounted and moved to support a push in the center as well.



Our misc. FIST-V vehicles under Lepanto (I promise they'll be helicopters soon, the game doesn't let me take permanent aircraft options at first, only as auxiliaries) have been deployed forward wherever there was available cover to call in MLRS fire on enemy units as they approach.


The predicted Russian bombardment does not occur, but our FASCAM units deploy mines to guard the center field. (FASCAM is insanely useful for defense, and often cheaper than buying mines to emplace before the scenario for yourself.)


One of the FIST-V vehicles is not in as good cover as it should have been, and is engaged and destroyed by a pair of Russian Hind-E gunships.


Enemy forces are sighted in the center and the south. In the center we have T-80UMs charging into the minefield, supported by BMP-2s and T-62MVs.

To the south, StarSlayer's company engages T-80BVs, destroying a couple with TOW launches as they appear over a ridge in no-man's-land. They fire back, but at the French mech infantry. The MLRS are immediately tasked to targets, and StarSlayer's company launches more TOWs, knocking out another tank. Reactive armor defeats five other hits, unfortunately.

The Avenger pair attached to Scotty's company drives the Russian Hind-Es back with a pair of Stinger launches, but fails to hit them. (Helicopters will "evade" and fall back if fired at by anything with a hit chance higher than 6%, which is the base hit chance for most guided missiles fired as a snapshot; if a unit has been tracking an enemy unit's movement it gets a higher chance based on how far, across turns, and the unit's fire control rating.)

The enemy is starting to flank around the minefield in the center.



On the positive side, StarSlayer's company has destroyed nearly an entire company of T-80s now. There's a group of T-62MVs coming up from south of them though that are threatening to make a mess of the French mech infantry.



MLRS is tasked to clear the enemy pileup around the north flank of the minefield, after an abrupt change of direction to rush the center missed the last salvo. Scotty's group has lost a couple of vehicles but gamely fights on, focusing on the southern flank of the minefield. The FASCAM are continuing to drop mines in the center and doing a marvelous job there. Several enemy units in the mines have attempted to retreat after losing a vehicle only to run into more mines.


Sadly, three of four of our forward-deployed FIST-Vs under Lepanto have already been lost, and the last is probably not long for this world. (The AI is aware of the danger of forward observer vehicles and will prioritize them unless being actively fired on by other units.) But his vengeance shall be terrible; the last one is going to be dropping an awful lot of same-turn MLRS facewrecking in a moment...


As predicted, the last FIST-V vehicle does not survive. But he has an honor guard of at least a company each of T-80's and BMP-2s to escort him to the afterlife. Scotty's company takes several more losses to Russian tank fire, but his vehicles survive repeated hits from BMP and Hind cannon. A T-80BV drives right up to the forward element and fires at them, missing, only to be killed by a snapshot TOW. (A salute to this guy, he was the only one who got pounded by MLRS, survived, and passed his morale checks to continue advancing.) To the south, StarSlayer's Bradleys, hungry for more, completely annihilate the advancing T-62MV company as it passes in front of them.

But the majority of the Russian units have no fight left. The sacrifice of Lepanto's last FIST-V vehicle has destroyed their tanks or left them stranded in a minefield. Their attacks are those of a spent force. The surviving BMPs and the other couple of T-80s that survived the fury of the MLRS begin to retreat, followed by the dismounted infantry. The retreat quickly turns general.


Task Force HLP has completed its mission, driving back the initial Russian thrust at the cost of 10 (4 FIST-V vehicles, 2 MLRS to Russian counterbattery, and four Bradleys from Scotty's company) vehicles and several dozen lives. (The other casualties were the French mech infantry. A salute to their MILAN anti-tank missile guys, who retreated one turn after their AMX-10P was blown up only to turn around and pop a pair of T-62s when shot at the next.)

Post-battle screens show that the Russians had over a dozen aircraft and at least as many batteries of self-propelled artillery on standby, eight Hind gunships, and roughly another company and a half of T-62MV tanks to commit. But with an overstrength battalion of T-80s blasted into oblivion and most of their supporting mechanized infantry's vehicles shot away leaving them on foot with a minefield behind them and the angry Bradleys of Scotty's company to their fore, the AI lost its nerve and decided to end the battle. Considering we still had the Panzergrenadiers and both StarSlayer's and Company C's Bradleys intact, this was probably wise though their aircraft would have caused a lot of trouble.

I have enough points after the battle for replacements for all the units that lost vehicles and people, and enough points left over to get Lepanto's vehicles upgraded into AH-64A teams and The E's company of Panzergrenadiers to be outfitted with Marder 1A3s so they can contribute alongside the Bradleys. (Also one platoon of M113s in another company.)

« Last Edit: January 14, 2016, 10:14:11 pm by NGTM-1R »
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Offline StarSlayer

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Re: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
Who loves dishing out wire guided smite? Bravo Company that's who!



Do units accrue better stats through experience?
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Offline NGTM-1R

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Re: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
Do units accrue better stats through experience?

Kind of. The game treats units as rookie, green, regular, veteran, and elite. This does not improve their durability or damage or anything. It does not make their snapshot bonuses or repeated fire bonus better.

But it does improve their bonuses to aimed shots, their morale (base and the commander's ability to rally the unit and reduce suppression as a result of enemy fire), and their shots per turn stays higher. Normally a Bradley unit starts with a 6:6:1 shots per turn, representing 6 shots from their 25mm Bushmaster cannon, 6 from their coaxial machine gun, and a TOW launch. As they engage enemies in previous turns, are shot or have other vehicles in their unit destroyed causing suppression, and move around, these drop. On the last turn we just had, for example, most of Scotty's were at 2:4:1 shots representing their reaction fire on the enemy turn and suppression.

More experienced units have a resistance to these factors letting them fire more. Elite units even tend to have a base number of attacks one higher than normal.

SP3 calculates a total experience gain for the battle...And then throws EXP around almost at random, weighting it somewhat based on kills but not entirely. Some of our Panzergrenadiers got enough to move up, in that fight, though their particular unit wasn't engaged. Also, it has an internal list of experience amount by country and unit type. Our Bradleys are considered regular on purchase, for example. Our Panzergrenadier infantry are considered green, but their vehicles are regular. If I had sprung for US artillery or actual tanks, they often start at veteran representing a high level of training.
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Offline Lepanto

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Re: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
...Well, at least my unit died a hero's death, despite being wiped out in its first engagement. :cool:

RP post incoming short-ishly.
"We have now reached the point where every goon with a grievance, every bitter bigot, merely has to place the prefix, 'I know this is not politically correct, but...' in front of the usual string of insults in order to be not just safe from criticism, but actually a card, a lad, even a hero. Conversely, to talk about poverty and inequality, to draw attention to the reality that discrimination and injustice are still facts of life, is to commit the sin of political correctness. Anti-PC has become the latest cover for creeps. It is a godsend for every curmudgeon and crank, from fascists to the merely smug."
Finian O'Toole, The Irish Times, 5 May 1994

Blue Planet: The Battle Captains: Missions starring the Admirals of BP: WiH
Frontlines 2334+2335: T-V War campaign
GVB Ammit: Vasudan strike bomber
Player-Controlled Capship Modding Tutorial

 

Offline Scotty

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Re: Let's Play Steel Panthers 3: Campaign Generator Madness!
Do units accrue better stats through experience?

Kind of. The game treats units as rookie, green, regular, veteran, and elite. This does not improve their durability or damage or anything. It does not make their snapshot bonuses or repeated fire bonus better.

But it does improve their bonuses to aimed shots, their morale (base and the commander's ability to rally the unit and reduce suppression as a result of enemy fire), and their shots per turn stays higher. Normally a Bradley unit starts with a 6:6:1 shots per turn, representing 6 shots from their 25mm Bushmaster cannon, 6 from their coaxial machine gun, and a TOW launch. As they engage enemies in previous turns, are shot or have other vehicles in their unit destroyed causing suppression, and move around, these drop. On the last turn we just had, for example, most of Scotty's were at 2:4:1 shots representing their reaction fire on the enemy turn and suppression.

More experienced units have a resistance to these factors letting them fire more. Elite units even tend to have a base number of attacks one higher than normal.

SP3 calculates a total experience gain for the battle...And then throws EXP around almost at random, weighting it somewhat based on kills but not entirely. Some of our Panzergrenadiers got enough to move up, in that fight, though their particular unit wasn't engaged. Also, it has an internal list of experience amount by country and unit type. Our Bradleys are considered regular on purchase, for example. Our Panzergrenadier infantry are considered green, but their vehicles are regular. If I had sprung for US artillery or actual tanks, they often start at veteran representing a high level of training.

So how do the Bradley companies look in terms of skill?  It'd be cool to have some veterans since my company took a decent amount of the brunt of an armored thrust.

 

Offline NGTM-1R

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So how do the Bradley companies look in terms of skill?  It'd be cool to have some veterans since my company took a decent amount of the brunt of an armored thrust.

Still listed as regular. I don't doubt you picked up XP, but it probably wasn't enough to bump to veteran, and the game keeps track of such stats "under the hood" so I can't tell how far along the track to the next level any particular unit is. (From the relative command values, which do go up with experience, your command section is actually very close, though.)

Our next mission is a spoiling attack against a North Korean counteroffensive. No ground support this time, but plenty of aircraft.
« Last Edit: January 15, 2016, 12:27:47 pm by NGTM-1R »
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