Rail capacity: how to check

[FM WarB]

Is there a way to check how much rail capacity you have and are using while you are playing these games?

[Glenn Saunders]

Same way you any value setting - Help | Parameter Data.

Glenn

[Mike Bowen]

I think that only tells you you can and not how much you have left.

Also (and forgive me I do not have a Pz Camp to hand) I forget if the rail capacity is units or Strength and its difficult to track I agree.

[Ricky B]

It is per unit, and no info on amount currently being used - I generally find out I am at capacity when I can't put more units on rails.

[Mike Bowen]

Anyother instance when size should matter

[Glenn Saunders]

Anyother instance when size should matter

Really? I mean this is a huge abstraction which is set in the PDT for a title NOT a Scn. If you really got down to this level it would be a scn setting not a game\pdt setting even if it does come into play only in longer CGs. But in the big pictyure this would be a needless detail which would not really add more to the game in my opinion Mike.

Glenn

[Volcano Man]

Yes, I think the abstraction works well enough. What you would do, as a commander, send your large "important" combat units by rail first. Then in the second load, send your small support units up to where you dropped off the combat units. Besides, who is to say that this "rail capacity" is number of rail cars, locomotives, currently available trains (at that exact given moment), or some tonnage capacity?

I do like the fact that given that it is controlled by number of units, it can vary on the size of units that are transported at once. Do I transport 15 full strength infantry units, or do I transport 15 supply units or company sized support / gun units? Or, do I send a mix of combat and support units together for the whole organization, but in small pieces? It does make it seem a little less precise in a way, which I believe is a good thing because its not as if you would have a consistent number of trains / rail tonnage moving capacity / locomotives available at any given time. Well, that is how I justify it in my mind anyway. ;)

[James Ward]

It would be nice to be able to see how many total units are entrained at a given moment particularly in games where you have a large rail capacity for a side.

[Mike Bowen]

By size matters I meant that there is a huge difference in the capacity used to shift a full Division of 20 units say compared to 20 infantry companies at half strength if the PDT could be changed to deal with it by way of stacking points that would be better IMHO

However I can see the argument against it in that you would not send a train to rail 1 co of 50 men.

Perhaps an alternative would be to consider the number of formations you could use for rail purposes?

I do agree that the abstraction works ok on th whole I was just exploring alternatives.

Mike

[Strela]

Well I just learnt something new again. Having the rail capacity in the PDT vs in the scenario has just caused me an issue with a current project.

I have a large campaign game that is essentially two operations. I have 3 different scenarios - the two individual operations and the combined campaign. If I set the rail capacity sufficient for the combined campaign then the rail is overstated for the two seperate operations or understated for the campaign if I base it on the individual operations.

No one in the scenario design team have seen an issue with this before? Or have they just tried to get a 'universal' number and lived with it?

David