Idea: Change LL - Neutralized Subs Roll With Main Combat Roll
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The suggestion is that if all first strikes are neutralized by the presence of destroyers, then subs will roll with the main combat roll.
This is to prevent dicings in LL that can happen when subs are rolling separately. For example, when there is a combined power of '6', it is supposed to be a guaranteed hit. This is not the case when there are for example 2 destroyers (power of 4) and 1 sub (power of 2). In that case you can get 0, 1, or 2 hits (which is almost dice!).
For example, if you have 1 DD, 2 subs, and the enemy has 1 DD, then it would be just one guaranteed hit (power of 6). If you have 1 DD, 2 subs (total power of 6), and the enemy has 2 subs and 2 transports, then all of the first strike units (subs) would roll on their own as they do today.
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@LaFayette i don't think it makes sense to group the attacks it would be a de facto change of rules. also, some maps do not use the standard method of destroyer/sub warfare so there's that too.
…but i don't really care for LL anyway so maybe my opinion shouldn't count for much.
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It is a slight rule change. Instead of 'first strike' rollers rolling first but the first strike not counting for anything special, they would instead roll with the main combat. This changes dice in a mostly cosmetic way, for LL it is a significant change that reduces variability when subs are present in combat.
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I don't think this should be LL only. I don't think the "non-first strike" sub firing should be separated from the other units. This was actually something I was thinking of "fixing" during my changes to the Combat code.
If we implement the custom battle phases (https://forums.triplea-game.org/topic/2481/custom-battle-phases), then the map can be explicit about grouping all the units together if a destroyer isn't there or keeping them separate even if the destroyer is there.
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Yeah, this is not specific to LL. On the other hand, this would be an important change for LL and less consequential for dice.
I don't know if this should be map specific, I would not want to have maps to have to opt-in to get this, and having other maps opt-out is questionable. Really this is a change to the game mechanic and for first-strike & destroyers.
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@LaFayette said in Idea: Change LL - Neutralized Subs Roll With Main Combat Roll:
The suggestion is that if all first strikes are neutralized by the presence of destroyers, then subs will roll with the main combat roll.
@LaFayette said in Idea: Change LL - Neutralized Subs Roll With Main Combat Roll:
It is a slight rule change.
@LaFayette said in Idea: Change LL - Neutralized Subs Roll With Main Combat Roll:
Yeah, this is not specific to LL. On the other hand, this would be an important change for LL and less consequential for dice.
Actually which rules do you refer to?
In v2 for example the presence of an enemy destroyer does not cancel or "neutralize" the first strike ability of a submarine. The presence of an enemy destroyer does not affect submarine's action at all.
So this change would be far from being "slight".
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@Panther when you say "In v2 for example the presence of an enemy destroyer does not cancel or "neutralize" the first strike ability of a submarine.",
That means first strike casualties (that do not also have first strike) are removed immediately?
To clarify, a neutralized first strike is one where the presence of destroyers allows any first strike casualty to fire back. I'm wondering if you are making a distinction between having 'first strike' and the impact of first strike on casualties.
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The proposed change to dice would very certainly be "slight".
Let's say you have 2 subs , 2 destroyers (DD), and 1 bship vs the same.
Today:
- subs roll, casualties are assigned
- destroyers and bship roll, casualties are assigned
- defending subs roll, casualties are assigned and removed
- defending boats roll, casualties are assigned and removed
- defender casualties are removed
In the above (rolling dice), if the subs roll with the other boats, it's the same thing.
In the above, the change for LL more is significant. Let's say the powers for sub are '2', DD are '2' and a bship is '4'.
Today the rolls would be:
- attacking subs roll at 4
- attacking boats get an auto-hit and roll at a 2
- defending subs roll at a 4
- defending boats get an auto-hit and roll at a 2
The above breaks LL, it is a relatively "high" luck scenario, both sides can get anywhere from 1 to 3 hits. With the change proposed, both sides in the above would have the subs roll with the main boats yielding 2 auto-hits both and no extra rolls.
Now, as soon as there is an option where one side would have a first-strike casualty that could not fire back, the subs would go back to firing on their own. So in the above example, let's say either player chose both DD's as casualties, then both subs, offense and defense, would go back to firing on their own.
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@LaFayette said in Idea: Change LL - Neutralized Subs Roll With Main Combat Roll:
To clarify, a neutralized first strike is one where the presence of destroyers allows any first strike casualty to fire back. I'm wondering if you are making a distinction between having 'first strike' and the impact of first strike on casualties.
Well, it is not necessarily me doing this, but rather the rules instead.
There indeed is a distinction between "first strike" and the impact of first strike on casualties.
As I said in v2 the enemy Destroyer does not affect the Submarine at all. It just enables the casualty of its own side to fire back during the regular step.Despite the presence of an enemy destroyer the submaine still fires during the Opening Fire Step. And their casualties have to be chosen immediately at that time.
It is just that those casualties are not immediately removed but fire back.Now if you ignore this opening fire step as you suggested the submarine casualty selection will be different.
The rules say: In any case select sub's casualties not knowing the results of the later shots of other units.
Your proposal implies: Select sub's casualties under full transparence of information of other rolls.I don't care about LL - as LL is house rule anyway. But I would not like to see this change in regular dice games.
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@Panther said in Idea: Change LL - Neutralized Subs Roll With Main Combat Roll:
There indeed is a distinction between "first strike" and the impact of first strike on casualties.
As I said in v2 the enemy Destroyer does not affect the Submarine at all. It just enables the casualty of its own side to fire back during the regular step.The change that @LaFayette is proposing won't actually affect v2. Because v2, the subs always fire before the rest of the other units. The change from @LaFayette affects the other versions where subs only fire before the rest of the other units if a destroyer isn't present. In those versions, if a destroyer is present, then the subs fire at the same time as the other units. But the engine currently keeps the subs separately from the other units even though it doesn't need to.
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@Trevan That is why I asked which ruleset he has in mind. As rules are different here.
So let's talk about which rulesets are addressed, then I will be happy to reconsider .
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@Panther said in Idea: Change LL - Neutralized Subs Roll With Main Combat Roll:
@Trevan That is why I asked which ruleset he has in mind. As rules are different here.
So let's talk about which rulesets are addressed, then I will be happy to reconsider .
And that's why I want "custom battle phases" so that the battle phases are explicitly defined in the map xml
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@Trevan said in Idea: Change LL - Neutralized Subs Roll With Main Combat Roll:
In those versions, if a destroyer is present, then the subs fire at the same time as the other units. But the engine currently keeps the subs separately from the other units even though it doesn't need to.
That indeed would be incorrect by the rules in some rulesets - and addressed in some Github issues AFAIK.
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@Panther said in Idea: Change LL - Neutralized Subs Roll With Main Combat Roll:
@Trevan said in Idea: Change LL - Neutralized Subs Roll With Main Combat Roll:
In those versions, if a destroyer is present, then the subs fire at the same time as the other units. But the engine currently keeps the subs separately from the other units even though it doesn't need to.
That indeed would be incorrect by the rules in some rulesets.
Yes, some rules don't allow that and some do. @LaFayette is wanting to change it for the rulesets where it is correct.
Edited: I think I misunderstood your original comment. Your edits to the comment appear to say the opposite of what I originally read so ignore this comment.
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@Trevan Yes, sorry about that. I am not a native speaker, so I use edits often to "optimize" my wording and to correct typos.
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@Panther said in Idea: Change LL - Neutralized Subs Roll With Main Combat Roll:
As I said in v2 the enemy Destroyer does not affect the Submarine at all. It just enables the casualty of its own side to fire back during the regular step.
Despite the presence of an enemy destroyer the submaine still fires during the Opening Fire Step. And their casualties have to be chosen immediately at that time.
It is just that those casualties are not immediately removed but fire back.This is exactly what is meant by the 'first strike' being neutralized.
Frankly, the rules be damned on this one. If all casualties get to fire back, that will never change the order of losses that someone selects. It does not matter if the subs were the ones that rolled a hit or if it's destroyers. The fact that the first strike units roll first always is more for simplicity and consistency. When it comes to LL, which is far more than a house rule for TripleA, it is extremely significant and breaks LL.
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Apologies for being a bit glib. At essence though is the assertion that if the casualties all get to fire back, that the order of losses (OOL, or casualty selection) will not change.
If that is true, then it really is just as well that subs would fire with the main group. If we can do that, then LL will be 'fixed' for a very prevalent case where it is flawed.
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@LaFayette I could see situations where the OoL might change depending on how the subs roll. If they are particularly lucky or unlucky (at least in dice) I might take different losses. Obviously, that is different in LL. I am not exactly sure how LL works, so not much comment on that.
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@LaFayette said in Idea: Change LL - Neutralized Subs Roll With Main Combat Roll:
If all casualties get to fire back, that will never change the order of losses that someone selects. It does not matter if the subs were the ones that rolled a hit or if it's destroyers.
You are wrong when assuming that all casualties get to fire back and generalizing the topic to this situation. During the opening fire step you usually don't know how many units involved in the battle will score how many hits. If a lonely submarine fights against a destroyer and a carrier and scores a hit during the opening fire step it does matter which casualty is chosen at that time. If both opposing units don't score the selection how to assign the submarine's hit might be totally different later - when already knowing the result of both rolls.
The fact that the first strike units roll first always is more for simplicity and consistency.
Maybe in some TripleA implementations, but not by the rules.
Anyway, Trevan and me have already sorted it out:
There is no dissent when talking about rulesets where TripleA incorrectly rolls for a submarine at the wrong time (creating an Opening Fire Step that by the rules does not exist). -
@Panther said in Idea: Change LL - Neutralized Subs Roll With Main Combat Roll:
If a lonely submarine fights against a destroyer and a carrier and scores a hit during the opening fire step it does matter which casualty is chosen at that time
Does it? There are three combat phases here, first strike, offense, defense. It does not matter whether the sub rolls during first strike here or offense.
