How to determine enemy avenue of approach in Conquest?

[Sturmtruppe]

Generally you would figure the enemy would approach from the direction they're attacking on the campaign map -- but that isn't the case. It seems to be completely random regardless of campaign direction

[M4F10S0]

See direction where your AI defender units look.

[egdejo]

Isn't it more challenging that way? A general does not always know which direction the enemy comes from.

[IIBuxy]

could give this mod a go https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2517860408

[BHunterSEAL]

It's a great mod. One thing I learned from using that is the enemy will sometimes spawn from an illogical location. There's one map--not sure which, but forrests and a river separating one capture point from the main defensive area--where one of the enemy spawn points is to the rear of the entrenchments etc.

[Mactheknife]

I enjoy the fog of war.

[renaissance_man_30533]

I agree with the originally submitted premise. Even in this era, most maneuvers in a combined arms war at the platoon or company team level start with an understanding of where the front is. Knowing the spawn locations takes it to another level but maybe there is a compromise between the two options.

Consider spawning sister elements (green friendly forces) on the left and right so it is obvious where the front is. You already do this in the campaign scenarios. This is a doctrinal part of an operations order to identify friendly forces on the left and right, units in reserve, fire support(artillery and air defense artillery) that is in general support of the sector. If you want to add even more realism, enable the RNG to occasionally allow AI to overrun a unit on the left or right, forcing a player to create a reserve to react/counterattack a penetration mid game(I typically play conquest). This increases the value proposition on building supplemental positions, as well as increasing the value of mid game flank obstacle building to counteract breakthrough mobility. Higher headquarters would assign a unit to restore the front so the player need not occupy the overrun position. Also note that because of this, artillery units should be allotted machines guns for local defense which is part of an artillery unit's table of organizational equipment for this period. Sometimes even AT weapons were added during this era.

If this were not combined arms warfare but rather guerrilla warfare, then 360 degree defense of strong points/fortresses would be appropriate. But logistics tie a combined arms ground forces to a limited number of options of which direction they can attack/ conduct a breakthrough, because they have to 1)evacuate wounded - and this era it was ground based, 2) communicate with higher headquarters - at most flexible radios with limited range or wire layed and uncut during the advance 3) water, ammunition, and fuel resupply to hold a position or prepare for attacking follow on objectives. Players might appreciate the implications of this if they have waves 3,4,5 coming in during the AI attack because if they chose the wrong point to defend then their main supply route from their own spawn point subjects their reinforcements to attack or elimination before the link up with the defending unit.

Finally, reconnaissance units from the battalion, regiment and brigade/combat group all have units which operate in front of the forward edge of the battle area either as outposts or patrols to give early warning of enemy movements. This is called the covering force area. These units do not defend locations but fall back as the enemy moves forward either moving out of the way of an attack or passing through friendly front lines in advance of the attack. During this era these units would be supplemented with overflights in good weather. The point is that one would not only know which direction and enemy force was coming in from, but also when an attack was imminent and what units and vehicles were attacking. Salute reports(standard format for reporting an enemy sighting) include size, activity, location, unit, time, equipment. Fog of war gives you the option of continuous perfect information (turned off) or no information (turned on) but reality is somewhere in between.

Thus to summarize, knowing the general direction of the enemy attack is doctrinally consistent with what a platoon leader or company commander would know when initially setting up a defense or defending a newly secured objective.