Courier Pathing

[Kerflumoxed]

Unfortunately, while we were playing an MP game today, we SADLY noticed that the old pathing routes for couriers had returned! Couriers are now trotting down the road, once again, much to the dismay of the majority of courier players. PLEASE, PLEASE, restore the settings that will allow the couriers to pick the shortest paths?

Thanks for our consideration of this built-in bug!

J

[Davinci]

Much to the dismay of the majority of courier players. PLEASE, PLEASE, restore the settings that will allow the couriers to pick the shortest paths?

Please, take this one-step-farther, and allow this to be a user-selected-option in the ini file.

I hope that this doesn't upset you Kerflumoxed , but I prefer that the couriers travel on the roads.

davinci

[Kerflumoxed]

Much to the dismay of the majority of courier players. PLEASE, PLEASE, restore the settings that will allow the couriers to pick the shortest paths?

Please, take this one-step-farther, and allow this to be a user-selected-option in the ini file.

I hope that this doesn't upset you Kerflumoxed , but I prefer that the couriers travel on the roads.

davinci

Not at all! In fact, an excellent suggestion regarding the ability to make the change locally!

J

[Marching Thru Georgia]

Davinci wrote:

Please, take this one-step-farther, and allow this to be a user-selected-option in the ini file.

That's a very good idea, as I also prefer that couriers take the direct path.

[Saddletank]

In agreement with the optional toggle. Our group uses a HITS distance of 2 yards so our viewpoint is very limited and in the heat of battle when you send a courier to your troops or a report to your commander and the courier rides away in a totally unexpected direction (such as straight towards the enemy) just because the nearest road is quite out of sight to you is pretty un-nerving!

There is also an issue if the nearest road is in fact blocked by enemy troops. I had a courier last night get killed trying to (stupidly) get to the nearest road through an enemy regiment when a longer route across the fields was perfectly open to him. This is silly so needs to be an option for the player.

[Davinci]

All , this is why I like the couriers to take the long path by following the road system. Well, there are really two reasons.

There is a sort of cheat in the current game, which allows for the Commanding Officer to be stationed farther back than the main body.

Now, I have been complaining about this cheat for quite a while, but it seems to fall onto deaf ears. So, as long as this cheat is in effect, I’m going to exploit it!

This is why the courier really does need to be dispatched by the sender of said message, and not the Commanding Officer.

This probably doesn’t work for the Multi-Player group, but it does for the Single-Player game.

The cheat is that as long as the Commanding Officer is safely stationed two miles behind the front-line, and I can station my men to control all of the roads from him to them my couriers are safe.

I can play a hundred games without ever getting a single courier killed due to this cheat. I can't even remember the last time that I have had a courier killed.

You see, the courier is always coming from behind the lines, and never taking a path towards the enemies line, because my Commanding Officer is always positioned behind the brigades.

The other reason that I like it is due to the fact that if this game ever moves in a new direction of campaign-strategy the roads must be protected at all times.

So, this gives me a lot of playing time by always controlling the roads to bring up reinforcements, supplies, and having an open-line-of-communications.

davinci

[Saddletank]

This probably doesn’t work for the Multi-Player group, but it does for the Single-Player game.

I agree with what you say and this is why an optional toggle is needed.

[gbs]

We don't hear from Norb much on this topic or many things that he works on really. Some of you guys, (and you know who you are) probably do. The courier system is what sets this game apart in my view. I would hope that he is spending much time perfecting this aspect of SOW.

[Davinci]

Hey, which patch are you Guy's using, I'm still using the 1.4012 Version, and my couriers are still crossing over the land, instead of using the roads.

Pic#1 : General Pickett runs into a large body of the federal army, so I dispatch several couriers to move the two brigades resting on the extreme right to support Gen.Picketts right flank.

Due to the couriers moving so slow, I dispatched several more brigades that were stationed behind Gen.Longstreet to move to the extreme left of Gen.Pickett - which allows me to move several of Picketts brigades to the extreme right. I would have keep these in reserve.

Also - bear in mind that I play the game with extreme movement penalties for crossing over the land, and the water. To me this simulates the time it takes to make decisions, and to move the men around rough terrain.

The attachment pic1_2012-03-06.jpg is no longer available

The attachment pic2_2012-03-06.jpg is no longer available

davinci

[Blaugrana]

The courier system is what sets this game apart in my view. I would hope that he is spending much time perfecting this aspect of SOW.

I think it's safe to say Norb has been working his fingers to the bone on couriers recently. Thanks again, Norb.