Odd trench placement restriction

[Dschugaschwili]

Playing around with the QB generator yesterday I noticed that you can't place trenches over craters. This makes creating decent trench systems on heavily damaged terrain nearly impossible. Is there a reason why this restriction should be in place? :confused:

Dschugaschwili

[gunnergoz]

Think about it a little bit...how would you program the characteristics of a trench/crater? They can't replicate everything, you know.

How about if you just run trenches right up to craters, to simulate the end of the trench and the beginning of the crater?

[CMplayer]

I agree that trenches should be able to go on craters. Half the digging work is already done. Just treat it as 'trench'. No point in trying to combine trench/crater.

Can you place trenches in buildings and on pavement? I think both ought to be allowed as well.

[Dschugaschwili]

gunnergoz:

The problem is that you can't place shorter trenches that would only cover the space between two craters. We are stuck with our single length trenches. Try starting an assault QB as the defender on a heavily damaged map and try to place a couple of trenches in places that look like they have been fought over. It's frustrating.

CMplayer:

You can't place trenches in buildings/on pavement. You can't place them in rubble. I haven't tested rough.

On the other hand I don't mind not being able to place them on these terrain types, but not being able to place them on open ground just because there's a crater there doesn't make sense to me.

Dschugaschwili

[CMplayer]

I f soldiers are doing engineering work, like digging trenches, then breaking through the surface of a street oughtn't to be such a big deal. This goes double for cobblestone pavement.

[Michael Emrys]

Originally posted by Dschugaschwili:

...not being able to place them on open ground just because there's a crater there doesn't make sense to me.

Granted it's a flaw, but how important is it? When I discovered the problem a couple of weeks ago in a scenario, I just repositioned the trench. It was still part of a continuous trench system and it still worked in more or less the desired manner. The only time I can think of it being critical is if an important LOS is at stake, and that should be rare.

So, yes, one hopes that it will be fixed—along with a long list of other items—in the engine rewrite if not sooner. But I think I can live with it for now.

Michael

[Dschugaschwili]

I guess your scenario wasn't particularly crater-heavy. Try a QB with maximum terrain damage and tell me if you have changed your mind afterwards.

Dschugaschwili

[Andrew H.]

You could always assume that the craters caved in part of the trench.

[CMplayer]

This is the sort of thing that is probably very easy to fix.

I still think trenches should be allowed on pavement as well.

[Michael Dorosh]

Do craters provide the same cover advantages of a trench? If so, what is the difference?

[Dschugaschwili]

I think (don't have CM in front of me right now) that craters offer the same level of protection as a foxhole, which is much less than a trench.

Dschugaschwili