Graviteam

I've not played for sometime.  But I've started playing Shield of the Prophet as of late.  I'm playing as the Soviets.  Of course at the beginning of the campaign I'm winning the battles and blasting away Iranian tanks and infantry.  I've accumulated several Victories and Major Victories.  I did get one draw when I overwhelmingly routed a small Iranian force. 

Here is my problem.  I'm capturing the flags, the map shows that and that the territories are Red.  But I've only got half as many points as the Iranian forces.

I'm confused.  I have tried going through each battle area to clear out the enemies.  At times there might be 1 that I missed I supposed.  But for the most part...nothing.  Then the game comes to a close when they offer a cease fire and retreat.  Yet, I don't get the points?

Can someone explain the scoring once more for me?

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7PqsgFfiHtg/Uoi64eYInuI/AAAAAAAAAEk/zXOjtl02nsM/s640/8Judgement.jpg)

I am not sure I understand...In fact, I KNOW I don't understand.

All I see is a pic of FailTeam Tactics.

Ok.  I went back and found an old post where you guys (Dane and Lavish) tried to explain it to me.  I reread it (Albeit with 4 kids screaming in my ears).   I think I understand better now.

I now also understand Failteam Tactics.  Had not looked before.

If you attack a small enemy forces of a large force - win the battle with a victory will not possible. In this case you waste resources.
And you have a two options in this case: draw if your casaulties is small or fail if casaulties is big.

Flags not directly affect on victory points as in other games. Ie capture flags not equal gain of victory points, they affect as multiplier on forces on square that contain flag.
This makes possible, with competent defense, small forces to hold territory. But the areas where there are no troops, does not count for victory points.

Thank you for your help.

That's the beauty of this scoring system. The flags aren't the sole determining factor for victory but act as modifiers to the overall control of the grids in question. None of that last minute all or nothing rush on the flag to gain a victory regardless of casualties that seems highly improbable and gamey in real life.

The cool thing about this game when playing campaigns is that force preservation while attaining your objectives is the deciding factor in overall victory.

I second you, Dane. The screen of Fail Team is even lenient. I obtain often "defeat" when I have some losses while I have a clear advantage against my enemy, even if I win.

I do think it's starting to make sense to me now.

Yes, but in conventional war it is territory gained (tactically significant territory such as elevation points, cross roads, towns, etc) that is important.  If my opponent is stupid enough or unlucky enough to put small forces on an important spot (flag in this game) then I should get victory points if I take it.  I don't think there is enough emphasis on taking critical or important ground in this game.

It should pretty much be apparent during the course of the campaign that when you take tactically significant terrain features that your forces will benifit from it in the long run.

Most of the flags in this game represent key points pertaining to the best roads that facilitate the easiest and best ways to traverse the map, most likely for supply purposes. Your job is to keep the enemy from interdicting these points and ascertaining which terrain features to defend or attack that best accomplishes that mission.

The end result is all that matters. If your forces completely secure the grid you get the points. What's the point in taking a key cross road if the hill over looking it is in enemy hands. You take the tactically important terrain features and that in turn helps to secure the key points.

So basically, secure the tactical key terrain features surrounding these points(flags) with the proper forces and you can hold the key points with a smaller force.

Only the big fat flags are placed by a person where an actual important or semi important location.  The small flags are pretty bloody random and often make no tactical sense.  Just going to throw that in the pot.   

The flags seem to represent key roads and/or crossroads for supply and communication purposes that were important during that particular battle. For quick battles these key points aren't really that important or relevant.

It's up to the player in most instances to figure out what important terrain to secure to help control these major supply lines during a campaign. I don't think the game should have to point that out to players and hand hold them in this respect.

For quick battles though these key points seem awkward since there isn't any real campaign significance to them.

Oh of course not. 

However, the flags effect how the AI may deploy.  Based on how important it is and how big the area is set too.  These are placed by the mission maker.  Generally the small seems to be based on some criteria the game decides and is often vary random.  In fact the bigger the circle that is set in the campaign editor the more interesting it becomes.  Well with in reason.  Setting something like a 500 meter circle results in vary interesting deployment of forces by the ai.  And not remotely predictable.  On the defense some ends up in that area and others just out side it.  Meaning it becomes real interesting even for the mission maker.  No way to know or predict how things will role.  Placing multiple flags with various weights with in one square gets real interesting with how the ai will deploy. 

Put how they are placed and where the random ones pop up and most certainly greatly influence how the ai will deploy.  If they are on the offense not a real big thing.  On defense it really can be. 

That's always been my problem with the flags-How the AI reacts in the game because of them, especially when designing a QB. Which is why I had mentioned once that I think being able to place the flags yourself should be an option in the QB editor.

The AI is also kind of predictable in it's deployments and artillery barrages concerning the flags, which is another reason why I never defend on or near them, but keep them under protective watch from a distance.

Yes, in qb being able to place flags and set the radius and weights would really help QB. 


Yes NEVER place your forces right under a flag...ever...   :P  And of course defending an objective does not mean you have to BE in the objective.  Real world if your mission is to say defend an air field, you don't deploy on the air field.  Hell, you might not be anywhere near it.  If there is good higher ground that is probably where you want to be.  Can sweep the whole thing with fire from one or two areas. 

Oh yes, it would be a nice feature to add in the game, with small flags and big ones :)