How to cut fighting positions with the cutter?

[dan/california]

I know that b makes the blade go down and start digging but making effective positions seems beyond me. Help?

[konstantine]

You need to go back and forth over the same terrain a few times to see a difference.

[yurch]

I've been meaning to make a sort of guide for it (since nobody ever uses them%#!) but I haven't come up with anything foolproof enough.

Here is what I've figured:

1) The cutter effects the landscape in a gridded pattern. You will note the cutter will drive for short periods and change the terrain at designated points.

2) This pattern makes for cleaner trenches if done in cardinal directions. This means north-south or east-west cutting is best. Pure diagonal trenches can be crazy enough to flip vehicles.

3) The cut is downwards, but raises dirt on the left side and slightly on the right. The deep part of the trench is about half the base of a thor.

4) Since dirt goes towards the left, rather high hills or walls can be created with several passes, and from multiple directions.

5) Deep holes usually only get the cutter stuck and aren't very useful for other tanks, either. The cutter is much taller than most vehicles.

6) Trenches where the 'protected' vehicle sits at an angle can cause difficulty firing, or worse, give the enemy a top-shot angle from far enough distances.

7) Since the main targetable area on a turret is the gun itself, trenches for (anti ground) turrets rarely serve useful.

8) Sensors and sensor jammers operate normally and with the same range no matter where they are placed. Deep holes can conceal and protect these. The same goes for AA turrets, but it usually limits thier covered area drastically.

9) Double-high walls (created from at least two passes or more) can serve as fatal speed bumps for hovercraft and other high speed craft intending to capture flags. A tempest driver hitting one of these at 280km/hr best be wearing two seatbelts. A high frequency of these walls in an area can slow down and annoy players and bots alike.

10) The cutter can be used during deployment to make the sides of steep hills habatible for a Thor or Hurricane. This can mean more attacks from hills like the ones on Raid, but not in the standard easily predictable areas.

11) Set up fighting positions to the sides or even rear of where enemy traffic is expected. If you set up in front of them, you'll get spotted earlier, have poor frontal shots on your target, and can even end up having your position used against you.

12) Use AA, jammers, and sensors whenever possible. You do not want mines dumped on you while using your position. Hull down vehicles can be difficult to spot without the radar signature.

13) Leave a panic direction, and a simple one. I usually set it up so I can full reverse out of the hole if necessary. Navagating a minefield or a maze is not something you want to do under mortar attack.

14) Don't get too attached. It's just dirt. Don't spend 10 of your 25 minutes making that perfect position that can be wrecked by a single Hurricane shot. Try to get your time down to two cutter passes.

I've been trying to find 'cookie cutter' designs that are quick to setup and useable in many areas, but I haven't found one I like enough to share.

[dan/california]

It would be rather nice if you could just say cut fighting position here and drive something else in the meantime.

I had not figured out the part about cardinal directions, very good tip.