1483 Combat Simulator

There are several ways to use this tool. In decreasing ease of use, these are: graphically, from this page, in a web browser that understands Java; from the command line, if you have the Java runtime on your system; or by editing the code if you are a Java programmer.

Graphically

Open the 1483CombatSimulator.html file. (You are here!). Think of a 1483 game combat you would like to simulate. Is it a land combat (armies) or a naval combat (ships)?

Land Combats

The first panel you see showing is for land combats. Enter the number of attacking infantry in the Attacker: "I" box, cavalry in "C", and so forth. "W" in the Defender box is for the "wall" factor, the defense strength of the defending city. The loss order box is what order units should be lost in, format being number of units, then type of unit. * for number means "all". The default order is as in the rules, "all infantry, then all cavalry," etc.

For General skill points, "Spread Evenly" is the default as in the rules, give the points to all units as evenly as possible each round, "Make 9s" means to add all points to the most powerful unit until that shoots at 9, then any left to the the next most powerful, etc. Select a general special ability, if any. The ones marked with (parentheses) don't have any effect on the combat, they are just there for completeness. Enter the number of tests you want to run in the Rounds: box, and click the "Run Combat" button.

Naval Combats (new!)

If you want to try a naval combat, click the "Simulate Naval Combat" bottom at the bottom right, and you will see a simpler screen. Naval combats are simpler. The M box is for the number of Merchant ships (or Transports), F for Frigates, S for healthy Ships of the Line, and Z for damaged Ships of the Line. Generals don't affect naval combat unless they have the Admiral special ability, and there is a checkbox for that for each side.

Whether or not ships are carrying troops does not affect the combat, but if you are worried about that, write the Loss Order carefully. So, for instance, if you want to keep 1 loaded merchant ship alive as long as possible, and lose 1 empty merchant and 1 frigate first, write "1M1F1M" in the Loss Order box, and it will be up to you to remember that the last M left is the loaded one.

Enter the number of tests you want to run in the Rounds: box, and click the "Run Combat" button.

Results

After filling in all boxes to your satisfaction, hit the "Run Combat" button, and if everything is input correctly, you will see a pie chart of results (it will take longer depending on how many combats are run, of course). The redder the slice the more attacking units left, the bluer, the more defending units left, the larger the slice the likelier the possibility of this result. Specific units left and percentage of likelihood is given as text by the slice. There is a pulldown affecting how to arrange the slices, in order of largest probability, or in order of result - how many units the winning side has left. Hit the next button to try another combat.

If you don't see the pie chart, then you entered an illegal value somewhere. Open the Java console and see if you see any message - or just look over the boxes and see where you typed in an illegal value. This could more user friendly, I admit.

Command line

Download and unzip the 1483CombatSimulator.zip file. Run the CombatSimulator class. (Most of the other classes have individual test drivers you can also play with if you'd like). 
Usage: java CombatSimulator A:force D:force
[-r rounds] [-al lossorder] [-dl lossorder] [-debug] [-ag generalpolicy] [-dg ge
neralpolicy] [-as specialgeneral] [-ds specialgeneral]
Force format -- D:2I3C1A8G4W means 2 infantry, 3 cavalry, 1 artillery, and an 8
factor general in a 4 factor walled city.
Loss order format -- 1C2I*C means lose 1 cavalry first,  then lose 2 infantry, t
hen lose all the remaining cavalry.
General policy -- 'spread' or 'focus'.
Special general ability -- number 1 through 10.
The "-d" option shows a runtime trace, showing each combat as it is being rolled. If you want to know how it works, run it that way.

Further Development

This is a completely Open Source project. The 1483CombatSimulator.zip file also contains all the Java source code. Feel free to edit and play with the individual classes. I would appreciate getting an email of any changes so I can keep the definitive version here, but it is not strictly necessary.

Among other things you will see this currently does not do coast invasions or straits. (Those will be complex, not as much for the computer to simulate but for the GUI - what if some units are coming by land, others by ship and yet others by strait?) If someone adds them, please write, and I will put the changes here, and give full credit.

Credits

George Ruban, Jan 2001.