AO placement

[splinter]

Was a day 1 player.  Been gone for a decade but back to see how the game has evolved.

Love the evolution to a more infantry dominant model.  Cover is much better.  Architecture - especially rural buildings is better.  Some of the bunkers are maddening/confusing but I guess that might be realistic.  Focusing battles via AO's is great - I think this was in game when I left - not sure.

Seems to me that when an AO is placed, the attacking side should also risk losing their base of attack.  Both ends of the AO could go hot and be allowed capture.  When the original attacking side decides to pull the AO, they must wait until they have repelled any counter attack that may have formed on their base of attack town, uncontested and/or ews clear.  Might make for a more interesting attack/counter attack dynamic.  Might make FB ownership more critical.  If you lose the primary fb you cant just rely on the other(s) to continue the attack.  Of course you would have to put some guardrails on an AO being pulled during a counter attack that hasn't contested yet.  Maybe a minimum time window once a fb has been lost?  Not so different from the timers before capping during the initial stages of an attack.