Unit Paths Comment... plus...

[NY Cavalry]

So who here likes pie?

Shouldn't you have started a new thread???????????????????????????????????????

[RebBugler]

So who here likes pie?

Shouldn't you have started a new thread???????????????????????????????????????

Least he didn't ask about courier pie...

Hopefully some good will come about with my overreaction, because unit pathing is still a work in progress as far as I consider it. And, we don't need any danged courier issues talk here.

The pathing sets SOW apart from the other TC games. It's aim is to provide realism of troop behavior whereas moving in front of or through firing lines was totally unreal. Making the pathing tiles available in the Debug mode is how folks can check out and scrutinize the pathing system, and possibly provide suggestions to improve this feature.

Now we have a serious thread dealing with this less than perfect system. So let's all finish our pie, and continue down the right PATH, unit that is.

[SouthernSteel]

So who here likes pie?

Shouldn't you have started a new thread???????????????????????????????????????

You go to hell! I shall have my pie and eat it too.

Will the line of sight fix that's coming do anything to fix pathing, or is that all coded separately? Also any ETA on that patch?

[RebBugler]

Doubt if the LOS fix will help with the pathing issues introduced in this thread. Patch is ready, Norb should get the installer up any day now.

Too bad we don't have any pathing fixes, I'd like more than anyone to get this resolved. Maybe one fix to consider would be for units that must detour their straight line path due to pathing constraints, automatically form into column formation, thus narrowing their pathing field. Thoughts?

[RebBugler]

I think that another toolbar button could be added into the game that would disable the pathing for this particular unit.

It can be designed so that if any of the units should come into contact with another unit friendly \ foe that it would automatically deactivate.

This would allow for simple maneuvers to be preformed without the AI taking over and directing the units on an roundabout course.

Considering that this can only be assigned to say a brigade or lower unit, this should not have any negative affect on the game, or the AI routines. Just as the Take-Command is only applied to said units this would work the same way.

It could also be designed to not allow any unit to travel more than one-hundred-yards.

This would pretty much solve this problem.

davinci

I like this idea of being able to override the pathing when necessary. Throw in a penalty whereas regiments involved could not fire, and would be helpless while the intermingling took place.

However, and a big however, and don't think it's possible to turn off pathing for any duration or for individual units.

[Drummerboy]

I like that idea of the unit automatically forming into column formation Reb, they tend to move a little faster when they do, getting them to their position sooner. I have often wished that they did many times, and when it`s multiple units doing it at the same time, it can be a pain, as it slows them down, and they make good targets for the other side.

[RebBugler]

Double Post

[WriterJWA]

The pathing sets SOW apart from the other TC games. It's aim is to provide realism of troop behavior whereas moving in front of or through firing lines was totally unreal. Making the pathing tiles available in the Debug mode is how folks can check out and scrutinize the pathing system, and possibly provide suggestions to improve this feature.

At the risk of being brash ... in order to avoid a smaller problem of units passing through or residing in the same space as other units in order to trump up realism, the game instead fattens gawdy unrealistic actions while doing little to mitigate the first one. Units still can stack one upon the other, as Parker can certainly attest to. Just yesterday, I saw two regiments occupy the exact same space. Day before that, a player in MP was able to stack a fence line with practically three brigades of infantry stacked up on each other. This happens routinely. Meanwhile, players have to micro-manage their regiments to get them into position because they go on wild routes.

Doubt if the LOS fix will help with the pathing issues introduced in this thread. Patch is ready, Norb should get the installer up any day now.

Too bad we don't have any pathing fixes, I'd like more than anyone to get this resolved. Maybe one fix to consider would be for units that must detour their straight line path due to pathing constraints, automatically form into column formation, thus narrowing their pathing field. Thoughts?

My basic, and albeit somewhat knee-jerk, idea is to shut off the pathing until it can be better worked out. Or, if practical, designate specific objects that are considered impassible on the maps and have regiments wrap their routes around the dimensions of the object as tight to the object as possible if the path is blocked by such an object. A good example of this is how regiments go around buildings. Putting the regiments into column may not work, either, when facing an enemy regiment in line. If I want them to move forward in line, then putting them into column will make them more susceptible to casualties.

[RebBugler]

Very good points!

Units still can stack one upon the other, as Parker can certainly attest to. Just yesterday, I saw two regiments occupy the exact same space. Day before that, a player in MP was able to stack a fence line with practically three brigades of infantry stacked up on each other.

This should not be possible with the coming LOS fix. Unless the elevation permits 'shooting over'.

[SouthernSteel]

This should not be possible with the coming LOS fix. Unless the elevation permits 'shooting over'.

I am really hoping this works. Also, I think the column idea is actually fine. It's an imperfect fix, but if it can be implemented while a more long-term solution is implemented, that would be nice.

You should only be susceptible to casualties briefly, unless you're making a really long advance. But most moves I make would seem to accomodate the brief switch to column (to move up short distances in support or to flank the enemy). If you're really going to press up, you might as well just go to assault column.

Making intermingling units unable to fire would also work, and would actually help tackle these two problems simultaneously. This is already done in part by having a unit's LOS able to be blocked by another friendly regiment, but the effect could be enhanced, I guess.