"Road Movement" question

FM WarB · 12-20-2006, 06:20 AM,

Lets say you are on a curvey road. How can you determine whether it is faster to move along the road using waypoints which can impose more command delay, or to move in a straight line, point to point on and off the road? (It does seem silly to me that in effect you must order units to stay ON the road, not the other way around.)
Has anyone seen anything like a Terrain Effects on Movement chart, which would aid such calcualtions?
Are there any tricks to road movement I am not aware of?

herroberst · 12-20-2006, 06:43 AM,

I think you have to waypoint the entire length of the road in order to stay on it. For particularly long roads just take a chunk at a time, i.e. 60 seconds worth rather than the whole road because the units will accrue too much pause time otherwise. If you don't waypoint the units start trying to straight line going off into scattered trees, etc. You should also check your road movement by unit as for some reason the orders you gave it become straightlined for some reason. As well, if one of your units is slow in taking off it will stack up the other units and cause them to reverse and move strangely. In a related subject take care moving close to buildings. If you don't give vehicles enough space they could start maneuvering to get to the stop point and turning flanks and rear to enemy.

FM WarB · 12-20-2006, 07:20 AM,

I'd like to figure out how to do it, as the PO sure doesnt know how to. In the BB tutorial scenario the PO can only manage to get its three panzer plts, one pzgr pt, four 37 ATs and two 88's all snarled up on one road going through woods!

Soldier · 12-20-2006, 07:23 AM,

I do double columns on roads, staggering my vehicles about ten meters apart. Give only three way points movement order per vehicle. A fourth way point if used, is usually a turning in place order. Like in making the turn in the road, etc..
Starting with third sometimes second vehicle in the column, ten sec delays are used..

FM WarB · 12-20-2006, 07:59 AM,

Soldier,
Thanks for those ideas. Do you mean two vehicles abreast on the road? Second vehicle next to first in column and sometimes delayed?
Any tips for manging two columns approaching a road junction? Even ole George Patton would have problems with that one!
WB

Soldier · 12-20-2006, 12:01 PM,

Yes, you can place them side by side. Even better if you stager them, say 5 to 10m intervals back, etc.
Make sure you place the center of each vehicle just on the edge of the road, left and right. Just where the soft shoulder meets the pavement. This assures enough space between the two columns, so vehicles can pas by each other, without colliding.
One more thing, very important. Check the top speed of all your vehicles that will participate in your two columns. Fastest vehicles lead each column and so on down the line..
After your first minute movie/orders sometimes you may have to make an adjustment or two. Some vehicles may collide, being slowed down by turns. After that, it's smooth sailing.. :-)