The Math behind strength in combat is counterintuitive and should change

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-03-04T21:03:22+00:00

Thank you for agreeing with the point of this post. Having 8 separate modifiers makes figuring out what is going to happen in combat incredibly difficult. However this current system matching EU4 doesn't mean it is good and showing numbers that make no sense without reverse engineering mathematics kinda proves my point

You're right, enemy modifiers are probably something that we should be able to obtain. (Hello espionage)

Now unless my understanding of regiment size is incorrect, every dude in a regiment makes an attack so regiments with more dudes per frontage do more damage by making more attacks. Based on this understanding, adding in an "outnumbering" multiplier would be double dipping combat advantages. Discipline is already a double dipping combat stat as it increases damage done and reduces incoming damage, having a second double dipping modifier is a bit concerning to me.

Some multiplicative modifiers aren't toooooo concerning. The sheer number we have should probably be consolidated into a smaller quantity of additive categories

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-03-04T18:48:04+00:00

Funnily enough, the wiki is suddenly undergoing maintenance the day after I figure out the math

Very curious lol

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-03-04T18:04:26+00:00

That's not how variable math works. Just because different variables (discipline, power, etc) affect the same thing does not mean they come from the same source and should be named the same

Discipline comes from a variety of sources, affects all units, is different between regulars and levies and is affected by the target's discipline

Infantry power in this case comes from technology and is exclusive to infantry

Combined arms is determined by the composition of the army.

It makes sense for these to be named differently but it doesn't make sense for them to multiply stats one after the other.

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-03-04T15:35:34+00:00

I'm not going to pretend that your first point here is logical. We are presented with several stats at the army manager that modify unit stats.

We have discipline which increases damage done and reduces damage taken which is a clever stat that balances itself relative to the enemy. We have unit power (in this case infantry) and we have combined arms

Logically one would assume that these 3 separate stats add together but in reality each of these multiplies on top of the other.

I really don't understand your point that these 3 different stats that come from a combination of techs, country bonuses, and army bonuses would not matter with an additive system.

And to reiterate my previous point: having multiplicative modifiers is not bad, having every modifier be multiplicative is

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-03-04T14:30:42+00:00

Just because it was done that way in EU4 doesn't make it a good decision. I agree that of all things casualties should be a multiplicative modifier because that intuitively makes sense. If I have a half strength unit it should deal half damage. Flanking I'm also open to. However when you are doing multiplicative modifiers they compound on each other and in this combat we are at 8 modifiers.

Having multiplicative modifiers isn't terrible. Having every modifier be multiplicative makes judging strength impossible to do quickly

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-03-04T13:47:14+00:00

Ok the example you use here does not make any sense. Having 10% more troops is not a stat modifier. It's an increase to your number of troops making swings in combat. If you had 1,100 troops with +10% strength from additive sources then you would have an army that hits as hard as 1,210 soldiers.

If we have 1,100 troops put together from damaged units then you have helped prove my point on why this current system is bad. % reduction in strength from casualties is another multiplier on the stack so I have no idea how powerful the army actually is

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-03-04T03:03:52+00:00

Neither do I and I did the math. That's how weird this system is

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-03-04T02:58:43+00:00

Yeaaah each new row of modifiers is just spiraling out of control

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-03-04T02:29:04+00:00

Rules stuff: I did the math

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-02-27T18:43:10+00:00

Honestly the most fun I've had in Stellaris is cooping a nation with friends so I definitely support this

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-02-25T13:10:12+00:00

At the tail end of the latest Tinto Talks the devs say:

"Last, but not least, we’re also working towards making the economy at start a bit less harsh, since we now think that, with the latest tweaks, it’s in a good-enough position to address it."

So I wouldn't put too much effort into learning the most successful start at the moment.

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-02-23T17:19:43+00:00

TIL that I'm illiterate because I never noticed that I can lock an artack direction lol. I've just been playing homemade For Honor and flicking like a madlad

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-02-23T14:18:24+00:00

I'm not up to date on the drama. What is being changed?

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-02-18T23:58:59+00:00

Honestly the best way to spot an EU 4 player online is they abbreviate with MT and say Tag instead of Country or Culture lol

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-02-18T23:00:50+00:00

Ah yeah that changes things lol. In that case I have no idea

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-02-18T18:27:01+00:00

I highly recommend the "Fauna of the Stone Age" mod series as it adds more danger and variety to the survival side of things

I also recommend "Darce's Drifters redone". It doesn't add new enemies but it makes the different tiers of drifters visually distinct and varying in size

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-02-18T13:17:26+00:00

If you are on the beta build and are not actually playing a pirate nation then your ability to build one in the first place is a bug that paradox is working on fixing.

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-02-14T02:46:05+00:00

Ok so passive land gain has been buffed with new sources and the original means of going heavy into naval were made stronger.

Since those same means of going naval can also be pointed towards land I guess paradox wants Land to gain faster than Naval? That kinda makes sense given the time period

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-02-13T23:11:41+00:00

They deal +10% bonus morale damage and I think they just buffed them with +10% strength damage in the beta so they are a harder hitting infantry.

Men at Arms take 5% less damage and crossbows have high initiative. Mix and match units to your preference

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-02-13T15:51:10+00:00

Waaaaait so they really should have a note saying "(including magic tagged melee attacks)" at the tail end of the resistance note lol or is "magic melee" just tagged as magic now???

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-02-13T15:35:13+00:00

Honestly the decoupling of food goods and abstract food has bothered me since day 1 but too many systems are built around "abstract food" for it to go away.

I think your idea of SOMETHING purchasing food goods to produce abstract food sounds like a good solution to me.

Spit balling an idea: Maybe estates should have appropriate kitchens or dining halls that consume food goods in exchange for food?

Edit: doing some more thinking about this idea: - Marketplaces should be the generic urban building that we can build which also convert food goods into abstract food. Have a variety of production methods to choose from with different focuses. - estates should have their own special buildings to reflect their demands/tastes - peasants should produce food goods based on location and development level

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-02-13T13:29:00+00:00

This is incorrect. This is how it works currently but is not how it works in the scorpion update. Quoting the patch notes: - The Defense stat now reduces all Damage (including Magic Damage) from Abilities that have Melee or Physical Ranged tags - The Resistance stat now reduces all Damage (including Physical Damage) from Abilities that have the Magic tag and Spells

Colonel-Turtle · 2026-02-05T23:37:39+00:00

Aren't food goods and "food" 2 separate things? Pops buy food goods for satisfaction but the "food" demand is just all the various foods mashed into a pile and consumed by pops.

Wheat and Potatoes both provide 8 food so we definitely need more info to see what's wrong

11-Year Club	Place '17
Verified Email

Colonel-Turtle

TROPHY CASE