Do attacking units have an advantage?

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Author Topic:   Do attacking units have an advantage?

The Dude posted 05-31-99 02:38 AM ET
It seems to me that if you attack first, you always have the advantage. I have seen an inferior unit defeat a superior one simply because the inferior unit attacked first. This makes it very hard to build up a defensive line since your defensive line will easily get decimated by attacking units. I've seen the same thing happen when units are stockpiled in a city.
Am I missing something, or do attacking units really have some unfair advantage?
MichaeltheGreat posted 05-31-99 04:37 AM ET
Generally, attacking units have the advantage, as in real life. There are several things you can do to even the odds in static defense situations, such as bunkers, sensors, and picking good defensive terrain.
A light screening force of units with hand weapons, and the best armor you have, with special abilities as needed (ECM, AAA etc.) is a lot cheaper than having offensively high powered units for the same job. Behind that screen, you can have artillery and light reinforcements, as well as heavy hitting mobile units, backed up with air power.
Don't forget the old but true adages that the best defense is a good offense, and that nobody ever won a defensive war. Try to be in a position to hit the other guy first - this may mean teaming up small groups of units for fire and movement tactics - one moves and finds the enemy, and if it can't attack, it has a buddy nearby who can back it up and hit the enemy first. Solo unit banzai tactics are just a way of asking to get popped.
Goobmeister posted 06-01-99 02:48 AM ET
The Dude, do not waste your time and resources building a static defense. It is not encouraged or rewarded by the game. If the enemy is encroaching on your lands attack him, otherwise you should focus on your own expansion.
Note: Do have a unit or two for defense to guard against the quick rush of a few units. But even if you lose a city to a determined attack the city in turn should be ripe for a counter attack immediately afterward.
Defense works against poor attackers. Offense works against the better ones.
Goob
MichaeltheGreat posted 06-01-99 03:02 AM ET
On principal, Goob is right, but sometimes you have to locally - if you don't have enough units available to attack, or if you really need to dedicate your production to building a few critical SP's, or if you are fighting heavily all over the map. Also the defensive line I described works well for containing a rival you are not at war with, but who you share the same land mass with. You don't want to start a war (yet), but you don't want them to expand at your expense either. If you play at transcend, it is very tough to get into too many fights too early in the game.
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Author	Topic: Do attacking units have an advantage?
The Dude	posted 05-31-99 02:38 AM ET It seems to me that if you attack first, you always have the advantage. I have seen an inferior unit defeat a superior one simply because the inferior unit attacked first. This makes it very hard to build up a defensive line since your defensive line will easily get decimated by attacking units. I've seen the same thing happen when units are stockpiled in a city. Am I missing something, or do attacking units really have some unfair advantage?
MichaeltheGreat	posted 05-31-99 04:37 AM ET Generally, attacking units have the advantage, as in real life. There are several things you can do to even the odds in static defense situations, such as bunkers, sensors, and picking good defensive terrain. A light screening force of units with hand weapons, and the best armor you have, with special abilities as needed (ECM, AAA etc.) is a lot cheaper than having offensively high powered units for the same job. Behind that screen, you can have artillery and light reinforcements, as well as heavy hitting mobile units, backed up with air power. Don't forget the old but true adages that the best defense is a good offense, and that nobody ever won a defensive war. Try to be in a position to hit the other guy first - this may mean teaming up small groups of units for fire and movement tactics - one moves and finds the enemy, and if it can't attack, it has a buddy nearby who can back it up and hit the enemy first. Solo unit banzai tactics are just a way of asking to get popped.
Goobmeister	posted 06-01-99 02:48 AM ET The Dude, do not waste your time and resources building a static defense. It is not encouraged or rewarded by the game. If the enemy is encroaching on your lands attack him, otherwise you should focus on your own expansion. Note: Do have a unit or two for defense to guard against the quick rush of a few units. But even if you lose a city to a determined attack the city in turn should be ripe for a counter attack immediately afterward. Defense works against poor attackers. Offense works against the better ones. Goob
MichaeltheGreat	posted 06-01-99 03:02 AM ET On principal, Goob is right, but sometimes you have to locally - if you don't have enough units available to attack, or if you really need to dedicate your production to building a few critical SP's, or if you are fighting heavily all over the map. Also the defensive line I described works well for containing a rival you are not at war with, but who you share the same land mass with. You don't want to start a war (yet), but you don't want them to expand at your expense either. If you play at transcend, it is very tough to get into too many fights too early in the game.