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[NUKE9.13]

So, question.

Do reinforcements to fronts 2 & 3 magically pass through the besiegers, or do all the troops coming from hive node one get 'stuck' defending Menotos proper? (I put stuck in quotes because we might actually like for that to happen)

Much depends on the answer to this. Namely whether to design siege tech right now, in an attempt to overrun the forts we are besieging, or to think more long term, given that without reinforcements we will almost certainly get beaten back to the border.

If reinforcements magically pass through blockades, I suggest the following:

Battering Beetle: A Soldier drone, possessed of a massive, thick plate of chitin on the front of its head. Its ability in melee has been sacrificed for greater muscle power in its legs, making it a slow but utterly unstoppable force, that simply plows through enemy ranks, their spears breaking uselessly against its reinforced front. Additionally, the Battering Beetle may be used during sieges, to break down gates, or even weak walls, simply by running its head into them repeatedly.

If not, I'm going to suggest flight again. I like the idea of jumping as a sort of cheap alternative, but godsdammit, I want fliers. They'd probably be useful in the Charge phase, or, I dunno, ranged? The point is, they'd give us a bit of reach. And obviously they would be very useful in sieges, once we get back to that point.

Gene bank: Basic wings: In the long war with the Archaeans, the ability to fly across the battlefield was invaluable. Sadly, the genes required to create such flying creatures are lost to us. However, traces remain in the gene banks, presenting us with the opportunity to reconstruct lost knowledge. We shall focus first on basic wings, capable only of lifting the lightest members of the hive. But the humans shall one day tremble once more, as the skies grow dark with flights of our airborne brethren.

[crazyabe]

0 Burster
2 "Thermal" Infrared Compound Lenses: Shadowclaw, RAM
0 Field Fortifications:
0 Jumping legs:
0 Battering Beetle:
1 Gene bank: Basic wings: Crazyabe

[10ebbor10]

Anyway, a bit of combat analysis.


First front

54 Soldiers, 1200 Workers

vs

32 skirmishers
17 bowmen
21 hoplites
11 cavalry
1 ballistae
1 apprentices
313 spearmen
2272 slaves

Our reinforcements : 27 soldiers, 600 Workers => 800 Manpower
Their reinforcements : 9 skirmishers, 5 bowmen, 6 hoplites, 3 cavalry, 81 spearmen, 1848 slaves =>  1958 Mp 136 T 102 ore 5 Timber 

Our losses : 808 Workers, 6 Soldiers   => 844 Manpower lost  WARNING : LOSSES EXCEED REINFORCEMENT RATE
Their losses : 12 skirmishers, 6 bowmen, 2 hoplites, 3 cavalry, 97 spearmen, 1536 slaves => 1662 Manpower 148 Training 106 Ore   6 Timber

Conclusion. We're loosing slowly on this front. Our losses are equal to 105.5% of our Manpower income. In return, their training losses are equal to 108% of their training income, but their manpower losses are only equal to 84% of their income. Hopefully, our strong fortifications will allow us to hold back the enemy.

Second Front

  20 spitters
  46 soldiers
  1020 workers

vs

  8 aphrokema
  21 skirmishers
  10 bowmen
  14 hoplites
  7 cavalry
  1 ballistae
  1 apprentices
  0 mages
  204 spearmen
  2148 slaves

Our reinforcements : 10 spitters, 23 soldiers, 510 workers => 800 Manpower
Their reinforcements : 2 aphrokema, 6 skirmishers, 3 bowmen, 4 hoplites, 2 cavalry, 0 ballistae, 0 apprentices, 0 mages, 55 spearmen, 1254 slaves =>1330 MP 111 Training 75 Ore 3 Timber

Our losses :   422 Workers, 3 soldiers and 2 Spitters  464 Manpower  Losses below replacement rates
Their losses : 1 aphrokema, 16 skirmishers, 8 bowmen, 4 hoplites, 4 cavalry, 136 spearmen, 2001 slaves => 2178 Mp 218 Training 155 Ore   8 Timber   Enemy Losses way above replacement rates

This front went excellent. We only lost 58% of our reinforcements, while we killed 163% of the enemy manpower reinforcements and 196% of their training reinforcements. Unless the fortifications are very powerfull, we may shatter this army next turn.

Third front

  54 soldiers
  1200 workers

vs

  17 skirmishers
  8 bowmen
  11 hoplites
  5 cavalry
  1 ballistae
  161 spearmen
  1686 slaves

Our reinforcements : 27 soldiers, 600 Workers => 800 Manpower
Their reinforcements: 5 skirmishers, 2 bowmen, 3 hoplites, 1 cavalry, 42 spearmen, 958 slaves reinforced => 1021 Mp 71 training 53 Ore   3 Timber

Hive 3rd Front Deaths: 414 Workers, 3 Soldiers  => 432 Mp   Good
League 3rd Front Deaths: 12 skirmishers, 6 bowmen, 2 hoplites, 3 cavalry, 102 spearmen, 1608 slaves => 1739 MP 153 Training 111 Ore   6 Timber

A perhaps even grander success here. Our losses account for only 54% of reinforcements, while the enemy lost 170% of his manpower reinforcements and 215% of his training reinforcements. A breakthrough appears guaranteed.

Synopsis  :
Manpower reinforcement :  4309 =>  Increase by 581 from 3728 last turn
Training reinforcement : 318 = > Decrease by 639 from 957 last turn
Ore :  230 => Decrease by 431 from 661 last turn
Timber :  11 Timber => Decrease by 44 from 55 last turn

yet the distinctly noticeable increase in trained troops over their reliance on massed slave armies has not gone unobserve

This is strange.

Based on my calculations, there's a massive decrease, not increase. Does that mean that the enemy is already hardcapped on trained forces?

Specific Observations

1 Ballistae kills 20 workers, but appears to be ineffective against warriors and spitters, explaining why it only killed 19 on Front 2
1 bowmen kill between 2.8-2.9 workers
1 Cavalry kills  4.6 workers
1 Skirmisher kills 0.7 to 1.5 workers   [Wide range suggests something strange going on thee]
Spitters kill a ridiculous amount of enemies. Each spitter killed 36 manpower worth on average

[Iituem]

So, question.

Do reinforcements to fronts 2 & 3 magically pass through the besiegers, or do all the troops coming from hive node one get 'stuck' defending Menotos proper? (I put stuck in quotes because we might actually like for that to happen)

Much depends on the answer to this. Namely whether to design siege tech right now, in an attempt to overrun the forts we are besieging, or to think more long term, given that without reinforcements we will almost certainly get beaten back to the border.

Reinforcements to Fronts 2 and 3 evade the besiegers because while the Western front of Menotos is besieged, they are able to pass out of the eastern gate/hive tunnels.  Unless a Strategy action changes this, Fronts will continue to be evenly reinforced from the main Hive.

Synopsis  :
Manpower reinforcement :  4309 =>  Increase by 581 from 3728 last turn
Training reinforcement : 318 = > Decrease by 639 from 957 last turn
Ore :  230 => Decrease by 431 from 661 last turn
Timber :  11 Timber => Decrease by 44 from 55 last turn

yet the distinctly noticeable increase in trained troops over their reliance on massed slave armies has not gone unobserve

This is strange.

Based on my calculations, there's a massive decrease, not increase. Does that mean that the enemy is already hardcapped on trained forces?

Slightly confusing because the first turn gave everybody's troop counts before any battle was undertaken.  Both sides reinforced, then fought, so what you're seeing are their stats after already reinforcing and then getting their troops killed.  You may draw what conclusions you wish of this, but there were more spearmen at the start of the battle than were expected based on their anticipated reinforcement rates.

[10ebbor10]

Yeah, I accounted for that.

I added the losses from this turn to the remaining forces in order to get the total forces at the start of the turn. Unless I screwded up.

[Iituem]

Hot code, is all I'll say.  It should settle down to a more predictable format next turn, if all works out properly.

[10ebbor10]

Reinforcements to Fronts 2 and 3 evade the besiegers because while the Western front of Menotos is besieged, they are able to pass out of the eastern gate/hive tunnels.  Unless a Strategy action changes this, Fronts will continue to be evenly reinforced from the main Hive.

Can you give us an explanation on how territorial control works? I means, it says 309 vs 710, but how close is that to losing.1 turn, 2 turns, 50?

[NUKE9.13]

Alright then. In that case, I'm going to vote for the Battering Beetle. Even a basic Siege-capable unit should ensure our victory on fronts 2 & 3.

I'm preemptively going to say NO to a second design, even though we could afford it, since we should absolutely use a Strategy action to dedicate more troops to front 1. I'd go as far as a 1200/600/600 split to ensure victory.
Not that I think defeat this turn is likely, given that level three fortifications should provide a considerable force multiplier. But still, they're getting far more reinforcements on that front, so we should respond in kind.

0 Burster
2 "Thermal" Infrared Compound Lenses: Shadowclaw, RAM
0 Field Fortifications:
0 Jumping legs:
1 Battering Beetle: NUKE9.13
1 Gene bank: Basic wings: Crazyabe

Edit: ebbor, maybe the missing training was put into building more ships? From the core thread:

Biremes      Cost: 20 manpower, 10 training, 50 timber.  Passenger Capacity: 50 manpower.  Combination cargo ship and battle ship.  Limited passenger capacity, but reasonable ranged combat with bows and a ram.

E2: Then again, that would require an awful lot of ships. They probably couldn't afford the timber costs to build that many. :/

[Iituem]

Reinforcements to Fronts 2 and 3 evade the besiegers because while the Western front of Menotos is besieged, they are able to pass out of the eastern gate/hive tunnels.  Unless a Strategy action changes this, Fronts will continue to be evenly reinforced from the main Hive.

Can you give us an explanation on how territorial control works? I means, it says 309 vs 710, but how close is that to losing.1 turn, 2 turns, 50?

I'll put this in the core thread, but in essence you need 50% more Territorial Control than your opponent to push a Front back.  The Hive's TC will shoot up next turn, as will the League TCs, because all three fronts are about to become sieges.  I'll post stats in the main thread.

[10ebbor10]

Much depends on the answer to this. Namely whether to design siege tech right now, in an attempt to overrun the forts we are besieging, or to think more long term, given that without reinforcements we will almost certainly get beaten back to the border.

Depends on the strength of the fortifications. The enemy lost more than they can replace.

For example, this turn it was 1200 workers vs 1686 slaves. Even without reinforcements for us, next turn it would be 786 vs 1,036, which is a slightly more favorable ratio. If we do reinforce however, it'll be a disaster for them. Because at that point, we'll outnumber them and since we're better in quality, we'll simply smash through

E2: Then again, that would require an awful lot of ships. They probably couldn't afford the timber costs to build that many. :/

Yeah, if they build that much ships, we're kind of screwded because it also means that they can move in an additional 3000 men

[NUKE9.13]

Right, and we do reinforce, so it'll be a disaster for them. 

Except that, as Iituem says, their fortifications will provide a large force multiplier. Large enough to win? Perhaps not. I'd rather make our victory a certainty though, by getting some siege capable units, like their ballistae.

Ballistae   Cost: 6 manpower, 20 training, 10 ore, 10 timber.  Negates siege bonuses, some extreme-range anti-personnel effects.  [Siege stat counteracts fortification bonuses on a flat level.]

Edoot: Well, seeing what Iituem posted in the core thread, I think we should be fine on front 3 regardless. I haven't done the math on front 2. If it turns out that we are slated to win that front handily even without siege, then I'll vote for something else. Don't have time to figure that out right now, though.

[10ebbor10]

Blergh.

Redoing math.

[NUKE9.13]

Hey, is this correct?

Territorial Control: 309 vs 710

Hive 1st Front
  48 soldiers
  392 workers

Because on every other front it looks like 1 unit (be it Soldier, Worker, or Spitter) = 1 TC. Which would yield a TC of 440 here.

[10ebbor10]

Yeah, I just ran it through a linear equation calculator, and it suggested that workers have a negative TC value.
 
x1 = -14205/2956    (Worker)
x2 = 8139/5912       (Warrior)
x3 = 62629/26604    (Spitter)

[NUKE9.13]

Wut. That don't seem right. I mean, for fronts two and three, the relationship is pretty obvious.

Territorial Control: 659 vs 130.75

Hive 2nd Front [National!]
  18 spitters
  43 soldiers
  598 workers
659 total units

Territorial Control: 837 vs 97.5

Hive 3rd Front
  51 soldiers
  786 workers
837 total units