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Moving Armoured Columns


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How can you move armoured columns in a way so that they aren't constantly smashing into each other! I find this extremely frustrating at times, and realistically I have FUBAR'ed the current map I'm playing (I forget the name of the map, but it's the one that is 75 turns, and you have to storm a town after crossing a bridge, while trying to take a railroad station)! Great map- but I believe I've taken way too big of a bite for me to chew. My first attempt at crossing the bridge left most of my vehicles in smoking ruins on the bridge, making it exceptionally difficult to cross (D'oh!).

Anyways, that is not the point- I need to know how to move the armoured units properly, and as efficiently as possible. Thanks in advance...

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"Childhood's over the moment you know you're going to die." -The Crow

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Hi Steve,

First of all, you’re going to have to smoke that bridge to get across. Second, when moving a column I usually hit pause before setting the waypoints of the second, third, fourth, etc. vehicles in the column. No pause for the first one, one pause for the second, etc...

A more effective way to do it is to line your column up in order of vehicle speed, with the fastest in the front. However, there can be problems in mud and snow, but if your on a road it shouldn’t matter too much. Keep your spacing.

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Thanks, I tried to do that, but like you said, sometimes you don't have that luxury of placing your vehicles.

<font size=5 color=red>SPOILER ALERT!</font>

(Another big tactic for that bridge is a little hill on the road below the bridge which is perfect for tank overwatching [while hull down]).

<font size=5 color=red>ALERT ENDS!</font>

BTW I sometimes don't see that my units are paused, but when it comes to the action phase- they pause for up to 30 seconds, why!? Also, if I want a vehicle to go from point A to B- how can I assure that the vehicle will do that without engaging in a gunfight, and thus pausing to engage the enemy- this as well has happened on occassion! Thanks again in advance...

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"Childhood's over the moment you know you're going to die." -The Crow

[This message has been edited by Suicides-by-Steve (edited 09-13-2000).]

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Steve,

There is a "follow" command that is in the works. It will allow us to convoy an armored column along a road, i.e. follow the lead vehicle, all the while maintaining the same speed and distance.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>BTW I sometimes don't see that my units are paused, but when it comes to the action phase- they pause for up to 30 seconds, why!?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Anytime you add new movement lines to an existing movement order the vehicle will pause at the completion of the old orders before resuming the new ones. This pause will not show up if you had added the new lines while the vehicle still had old lines to complete.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Also, if I want a vehicle to go from point A to B- how can I assure that the vehicle will do that without engaging in a gunfight, and thus pausing to engage the enemy-<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The vehicles number one priority is self preservation, so if it feels threatened it will stop to engage. The level of the threat will determine if the vehicle will stop or not. It might continue rolling if it encounters a sniper, but will surely stop if it encounters a Tiger. This is a realistic reaction.

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Charlie don't surf!

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<font color=red>"Anytime you add new movement lines to an existing movement order the vehicle will pause at the completion of the old orders before resuming the new ones. This pause will not show up if you had added the new lines while the vehicle still had old lines to complete."</font>

So how do I avoid this complication? Do I actually map out the whole course of the vehicle? Or can I alter the speed, by clicking on the movement icon and then modifying the movement, and thus avoiding this delay?

And when and how do I find out about the new news about CM? When is the follow command due? In a patch, a new version of the game? Thanks again...

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<b font size=3 color=red>"Childhood's over the moment you know you're going to die."</b font> -The Crow

[This message has been edited by Suicides-by-Steve (edited 09-13-2000).]

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Hello Steve,

You can plot the entire course for the vehicle, although I wouldn't recommend it. You might outpace your infantry and find yourself in Shreck alley.

Picture how tankers manuevered in real life (in a combat situation). They would scoot from one patch of cover to another, stopping each time to:

a) cover the advance of fellow units and,

B) to get a better "feel" for their surroundings

If you are confident that their is little risk in a non-stop advance, then you can plot continuos, multiple-turn movements. Otherwise the safest way to go is just like how the grunts move, short hops from A to B to C, stopping long enough each time to cover your buddies.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>And when and how do I find out about the new news about CM? When is the follow command due? In a patch, a new version of the game? Thanks again...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Keep tuned to the BBS. This is where I go to find out about patches, progress on follow up games, etc... Also, your PBEM friends will share any news once it comes out (I had 6 e-mails when the 1.05 patch was released, 2 of them within minutes of the official BTS announcement). And one more place (he'd be pissed if I didn't mention it) always drop by Madmatt's site. It is the candy store of CM stuff. News, Mods, POTD, scenarios, it's all there.

As to the follow command's release date, I don't know. I'm pretty sure it won't be added to CM1 because it will require all new coding, and CM1's code was locked up a while back. The patches we've been seeing were tweaks to existing code. CM2 is a better bet.

BTW, You owe me a cold beer for each response. Do you have any more questions? wink.gif

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Charlie don't surf!

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In addition to adding increasing numbers of pauses for subsequent vehicles in a column (which works but tends to spread the column out quite a bit) you can also use different movement commands for the first portion of the move. For example, have the lead vehicle move at Fast speed. Have the second vehicle move at Hunt speed for 30 meters or so then shift to Fast. Have the third vehicle move at Move speed for 30 meters then shift to Fast. The fourth vehicle gets a pause command and moves at Fast speed, and so on. If your vehicles are too close together for this to work, use the initial move to have the column assume a herringbone type formation (alternately move them diagonally left and right) to increase their spacing and avoid collisions until the lead vehicles have gotten out of the way.

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Leland J. Tankersley

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Suicides, I had the same experience in that scenario, and found one piece of advice that really helped:

Use both sides of the road.

Sounds a bit obvious, but if you typically have your unit sizes at +2 or 3 it looks as if there's only room for single file, when actually you may fit 3 abreast.

The other point to come out of the threads Intelweenie posted was that the careful management of many vehicles is not everyone's cup of tea, so if it drives you nuts, go for convoy-free scenarios. Personally, I find a smoothly maneuvered convoy as satisfying as a successful building assault.

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