More of my *****ing...

[Dan Caviness]

Hello Larry:

You make some excellent points.
I find myself unamazed, you continue to be one of the more precise minds in this group. No small feat.

Blocks and Autopath
Yeah...really fun stuff.

Autopath seems to handle movement based on the map files, and doesn't see the changes made by the designers in the scn files?

Autopath loves to run you into previously scouted minefields to teach you humility.
I find that equally frustrating, and especially when the minefield is yours to begin with. While it may have happened from time to time I don't believe it rings true. I think you should know where your own minefields are without having LOS to them. I also believe when units found enemy minefields they left marks or signs or dead bodies or burning tanks w/dead bodies to indicate it's position...eliminating the need to rediscover it every time you accidentally run another unit that way.

Autopath being what it is, we all learn to avoid it in tough terrain, but I still space out from time to time and inevitably start inventing words when it reacquaints me with it's perverse need to send me the wrong way.

It also seems to be "getting it wrong" more and more as time goes by. Maps getting more complex? Debugging needed? When the game first came out, Autopath seemed fairly reliable with the exceptions of SCN editor mods like blocks, minefields, etc. Now it seems to lose track in complex terrain more and more and you just can't trust it in thick terrain. Select "save points to unload" and it gets even worse. For some reason when you "save points to fire" it seems to do better, and often plots or takes a more intelligent path. It's determined to save you those 35 APs...

Engineers and Smoke
Smoke is a powerful tool in the CS series. We've all ran into some of these "smoke wizards" and as usual Herr SL is on point by advising designers to add it with caution. When you look through the original scenarios, smoke is pretty rare. The Axis side usually has none or very few, and I believe quite correctly as smoke was not a large part of German operational doctrine during WWII.

Add smoke with caution, it's a game changer.

I will note that some WWII engineer units possessed smoke generators in addition to the usual smoke grenades and they did produce prodigidous amounts of smoke with very little material. Vaporized oil sprayers and burners make huge amounts.
Their use, and all smoke use, was subject to the wind direction. That isn't an issue in the game, smoke goes exactly where you need it.

Unfortunately it's use within the game can be even more effective.
Try Tarawa against a good smoke player. They can land entire Marine battalions on the island without ever suffering a casualty, and that is not accurate at all. It's ruined some good scenarios in Rising Sun once you learn the trick.

We sometimes institute ROEs asking that when you play these scenarios players have to drop smoke on the enemy hex rather than on the hexes between that block LOS. This halves their fire, but they can still shoot. Seems more realistic. No, it's not perfect, and can still go wrong when they move where you didn't think they would, but it's an attempt.

Lastly to Dragoon, many vehicles that generated smoke simply had hot plate generators adjacent the engines where they sprayed diesel oil or other fuels directly on them. Very effective for making smoke, and a practically "unlimited" supply of it.

On the artillery barrage.
It would seem what you desire would be a form of "intelligent" OP fire setting that would allow your artillery to trigger sequentially as the enemy closed?
I share your desire Larry...and would extend it to all OP fire as well...but if we manage that we'll have made the first AI that can think. You can save your APs and set your OP fire settings with your arty to blast those you want at the range you want...more or less...but you'll still have to pray the AI doesn't decide to open up on the enemy horses...and let the Panzers roll in...lol...

You can of course plot a barrage using your OP fire and walking it towards the enemy. That actually pays off from time to time, the AI seems to enjoy retreating shelled units into another hex that is bound for more indirect love.

As usual, my three cents worth...now we got a nickle invested in this thread Larry...

Regards,

Dan