Special forces bonus for taking beach heads

[pcw27]

Title: Special Forces Bonus for Taking Beach Heads

Summary

From the Myrmidons at Troy to the Rangers at Normandy, highly trained troops are frequently the go to units for taking over a beachhead. Special forces already get advantages when fighting against fortifications, why not one when landing on a defended beach?

Details

Special Forces have a reduced penalty when fighting to land in a defended region from the sea.

Benefits

Encourages marshals and generals to change up their tactics when conducting an amphibious assault.

Possible Exploits

If the benefit were too great people will overload on SF which is bad. So the benefit can't be too high.

[Eirikr]

Possible Exploits

If the benefit were too great people will overload on SF which is bad. So the benefit can't be too high.

I like the concept, but maybe it would be more easily balanced by letting the benefit be high and having it as a random SF power. Like how the Behexed Artillery supposedly act as siege engines, "Sea Dogs" could act as amphibious attack units... but it'd be a random chance you get their specific SF type.

The other cool thing about that is it would mean some realms would naturally gravitate to sea invasions and others land.

[pcw27]

I've always been unclear on how random SF abilities work.

Do you have to test the unit in combat to notice them or does it say it somewhere on your unit stats?

[Eirikr]

I've always been unclear on how random SF abilities work.

Do you have to test the unit in combat to notice them or does it say it somewhere on your unit stats?

You have to test them. For the most part, that testing is entirely subjective as well... Makes it fun!

[pcw27]

That... That doesn't sound all that fun, or realistic.

I'm imagining the conversation with the recruiter.

"In addition to their great skill in combat these elite soldiers are specially trained to...do something... something secret. I can't tell you what,"

[Celindra]

The existence of Special Forces "abilities" have never been confirmed (or outright denied) by anyone with access to the code base to the best of my knowledge. The evidence put forward is based on a small sample of the RC's out there, and I have never seen a sample group big enough to be of any use in statistical analysis of their performance. It is based purely on peoples interpretations of standard battle reports, and assumptions as to the "correct" performance if they had no such ability.

Personally I think it telling that the best we have gotten out of the Dev team in the most recent discussions appears to be them questioning the proof we as players have as too the existence of these abilities.

[Tom]

I'm imagining the conversation with the recruiter.

"In addition to their great skill in combat these elite soldiers are specially trained to...do something... something secret. I can't tell you what,"

Well, he could tell you... but then he'd have to kill you. :-)

[Eirikr]

The existence of Special Forces "abilities" have never been confirmed (or outright denied) by anyone with access to the code base to the best of my knowledge. The evidence put forward is based on a small sample of the RC's out there, and I have never seen a sample group big enough to be of any use in statistical analysis of their performance. It is based purely on peoples interpretations of standard battle reports, and assumptions as to the "correct" performance if they had no such ability.

Personally I think it telling that the best we have gotten out of the Dev team in the most recent discussions appears to be them questioning the proof we as players have as too the existence of these abilities.

To be fair (and this actually counters both our points in a unique way), much of the speculation has been around only two centers inparticular: The Behexed Artillery and the Mystic Monks, both of which reside in Icegate on Atamara and are confirmed to be unique centers (99/99 stats).

[BarticaBoat]

Desert catapults in Talerium with a unit of ~75 men 90+ cohesion no damage produces 500-700 hits consistently from range (range of 3) and when firing into the new row, produces 1200+ hits. In close combat it produces 400-600 hits. Every time. If that's not a power, I don't know what is. I've roleplayed it as Shortbows from range, Greek Fire from the next row, and whatever melee weapons.

I should probably mention I suspect the skill in close range is from mixing Mystic Martial Artists into the unit.

[Indirik]

My Akanos-trained SF on FEI produce those results with only 29 men.

[De-Legro]

Desert catapults in Talerium with a unit of ~75 men 90+ cohesion no damage produces 500-700 hits consistently from range (range of 3) and when firing into the new row, produces 1200+ hits. In close combat it produces 400-600 hits. Every time. If that's not a power, I don't know what is. I've roleplayed it as Shortbows from range, Greek Fire from the next row, and whatever melee weapons.

I should probably mention I suspect the skill in close range is from mixing Mystic Martial Artists into the unit.

I don't understand how that is a power? Firing on a closer row should logically produce more hits shouldn't it?

[Anaris]

I don't understand how that is a power? Firing on a closer row should logically produce more hits shouldn't it?

It does indeed. For every ranged unit in the game.

[De-Legro]

And this is what people mean when they say the evidence is largely subjective. To definitively say that the increase in hits is a special ability we would need a data set from several battles for the SF unit in question, as well as data set from as many other ranged SF units as possible. Then it would be feasible to determine if the increase in hits due to range fit within the established "normal" range or was indeed an abnormal result and likely due to some sort of skill tweak.

[^ban^]

FYI, Icegate's Mystic Monks are not a custom SF center. Only the Behexed Artillery are.

[egamma]

FYI, Icegate's Mystic Monks are not a custom SF center. Only the Behexed Artillery are.

in terms of the 99/99, in terms of special abilities, or both?