Does size matter?

[Imp]

A hint here when defending on big maps you do not need to defend everything just the objectives & your arty park. By all means have people out on flanks or forward to cause delays & see whats coming but more often than not pull them out soon after contact & either move them to bolster your main force guarding the flags or position them for an ambush or some such. This slows the attack catching him off guard may well draw arty & can give the impresion you have more forces than you actualy do.
If he sends some people to deal with you they have done there job there is no need for them to stay & get outnumbered.
As you are defending gaining the initative is not really possible but you can throw him off by making him wonder what you are up to which is the next best thing.
Lose control of the battle & you have probably lost it full stop.
Don't set up close enough though that you are a prime arty target you want good interlocking fire & surviverbility to make him pay.

[PanzerBob]

IMHO, size really matters in what you are trying to portray. I for the most part Campaign, however I use varying map sizes depending on the battle and its location. I use bigger maps for open spaces and smaller for the more closed in areas, but this is only a guideline so it can become fairly mixed up as well. I try to think of what my KG's mission is and where is it on the battlefield. I'm I, an armoured Recce in force, or a flank guard or a defending a sector with other units etc, all these factors figure into what your units' Area Of Responsibility (AOR) might be.

80 x 80 does seem to be a good generic size if that is more what you are looking for.

Bob out

[gila]

Thought i'd share this bit of info on unit sizes, it may help on choseing map sizes
http://www.secondworldwar.co.uk/units.html

[Imp]

For WWII the general consences seems to be 80x80 or 100x100
Change the depth as in front mainly dependant on number of units.
Width I would say if have a decent number of vehicles 100 or 120 seems to work but also take into account the following.
Dense terrain like urban or jungle you might want to shrink.
Open like desserts you might want to increase
Vision also plays a part if its 70 odd in a dessert you can often see the first unit that moves if its only 5 obviosly you can't.
For MBT as things get more modern & quite a lot faster with wheeled APCs having 30 odd MP I tend to increase the width.
Once SAMs & helos are possible nearly always play at the max as they are very quick & engagement ranges go up for everything except infantry, a kill at 2+km is not unusual so 80 wide in open terrain is not enough esp if its not a meeting.
Also might increase depth slightly as speed makes units more capable of darting from cover to cover & good radios allow a greater flexibility to the units.

[Lt. Ketch]

I just had a thought about what it would be like to assualt on a 50 wide by 100 deep. A long, narrow front with multiple levels of defense. That would be quite the challange. I also realize that that was probably a standard situation for some battles.

[Imp]

Set the game up the other way ages back did a German vs Russia Kursk type thing on 120x200 map playing up it through several lines of defence, 3 lines of trenches if I remember. Need some time mind think it lasted over 70 turns & Russia did not commit its good armour till very late & the defences had taken there toll. Saved most of the rockets for the counter offensive to which takes a lot of self control.

[Ramm]

Now thats what I call community involvement!

[Demtrek]

I've been experimenting alot lately myself. I generally like to play the Germans and see just how many different countries I can fight against.

I get discouraged for instance if I go right from fighting Polish to the French with out first fighting a couple Norway or Belgium battles...I have yet to trigger Denmark..

With that said..I adjust map sizes now. In the past I did massive amounts of everything and a huge map. However after about 10 battles like that it just takes too long.

Now I have Three armor groups...1 light...1 medium/heavy..and 1 with wierd stuff, like flame tanks or mortar SPs. Maybe a few mobile AA's.

Infintry I generally go with about 20 squads and a few snipers or scouts.

Reserves I use planes and arty and very seldomly buy armor or extra troops with them.

I find this set up gives me enough to experiment with everything the Germans have to play with while at the same time fight battles that are either close or spread out.

[Ramm]

NEW QUESTION

(But feel free to to answer part (A) and part (B) of the first question if you have not already done so to receive a thank-you)

Does any one on a regular basis use rectangular shaped maps? or the stock 80x100?
If so please tell us how non-square maps effect your gameplay and why you like them.

Sincerely,

Andrew Nault

[Imp]

All the time as I said about 5 posts back the criteria that determine both settings are diffrent forces vs speed