Rethinking Smoke

[Greyfox]

It WAS worth a try..... and would keep the rules within reason. (I DO tend to agree with you but.... since there seems to be quite a lot of "griping" about some of the rules.....) 

GG

I encourage you to experiment, but do it rationally.

For example, if you think the urban assault modifier is suboptimal, play a dozen or more scenarios with urban assault RAW to fully-understand the current modus operandi over and above any variability due to dice or nation/forces involved.

Then think through your desired adjustment, and play another dozen or more that way and compare the outcomes.

"I tried it once and it was weird" is no basis for establishing a sane set of rules.

Shad,

       Like your recommendation for a comparison of RAW with proposed house rule.  I do however believe that one can read the rules and, at a glance, identify potential problems - an example being this rule.  When there is ambiguity I always try to approach using the "common sense test."  I ask myself about how real world or historical leaders approached these issues.
       In this case, limiting smoke to only 10% of turns instead of 10% of the ammunition allocation for a unit doesn't pass the smell test.  My experience is that all artillery and mortar units have a mix of rounds (it may include HE, Smoke, illumination, etc).   To be fair, this is not true of all armies in all time periods.  For the American Army and the British Army this is certainly true during WWII.  Those rounds are husbanded for use when needed.  Limiting the use of those rounds to 10% of turns isn't logical, nor does it provide much in the way of flexibility to the commander on the ground.  In that case I am not sure you should or would have compare and contrast over 20 scenarios.
       Ideally, use of smoke should be covered/constrained in the the scenarios special rules.  As an example smoke is available for side 1 and side 2, or is available for side one for all mortars 81mm and above, and artillery 75mm and above.  Another way to limit is that smoke is limited to OBA.  Then the commander could figure out how and when he should use smoke and how to integrate it into his fire plan.   

Mike