FWWC: Night Movement

[Strela]

Road stacking limits in FWWC are generous compared to those in PzC titles.

In both series, the road stacking limit and the maximum stacking limit are also two different values.

When moving a unit or stack would mean the maximum stacking limit is exceeded in the destination hex, movement is impossible.

The maximum stacking limit can only be exceeded by reinforcements appearing in the hex, the unit or stack recovering strength through replacements/recovery so their total strength exceeds the maximum stacking limit or units using rail movement moving into/through the hex (the units can't leave rail mode when that would overstack the hex). 

When moving a unit or stack would mean the road stacking limit is exceeded in the destination hex, the selected unit or stack won't benefit from moving along the road and normal movement costs for moving into the terrain in the destination hex apply.

A single unit can always move along a road, even if it has a size that exceeds the road stacking limit. The road stacking limit is only applied when a stack is created through a move.

Example: in many PzC games, the road stacking limit is about 2 companies worth of units, but single battalions can travel along a road in T-mode.

Okay I get all that.  I even get the design decision to make night movement cause disruption for the time period.  I don't believe I should have to stop and calculate the stacking value before moving a unit.  If the stacking limit is X the game should prevent me from moving into the hex if the value is exceeded.  I can (and do) play lots of board wargames that all the counter handling is necessary, that should not be the case with a PC game.  In almost 10 years of testing PzC games for Glenn I don't believe stacking ever once came up as an issue, it was what it was, whether on roads or deployed.  But then again, no one was disrupting the units because a number value had been exceeded.  I was playing around with PzB series game yesterday, if a move exceeded stacking value the game prevented the move.  That's how it's supposed to work.  As it is in FWWC with night moves you have to move every unit one hex at a time lest the AI take you off road and cause disruption.  

It is what it is, I ain't gotta agree with it (and don't).

I think the point is still being missed here by Steel God.

For night moves, you can not enter a hex if you exceed the overall stacking limit. This is what he remembers and has seen in PzB. This has not changed and is nominally usually ~1,500 men in most PzC titles. 

As ComradeP points out there is a lesser road stacking limit, usually 350 to 400 men. This is the critical number when it come to night moves. A unit in travel mode will potentially disrupt if it moves through a second unit if the road stacking limit is exceeded. It won’t be able to enter the hex if the overall stacking limit is exceeded. The grey area is if the value is between the two, as you’re not advised that you may disrupt.

So the moral is check stacking when moving through other units on a road at night.

Personally, I think the system handles it perfectly and it’s another incentive to stop and rest...

David