suggestion for multi-stacking units on roads

[ZapRowsdower]

I have a suggestion for improving the use of roads now that we have one unit per tile. In my opinion, the utility of roads is compromised by enforcing the 1UPT principle on them. However, unlimited stacking would allow for major exploits. I think that they should allow unlimited multistacking on roads with the following limitations:

1) you must be on a road or railroad in friendly or neutral territory (a given)
2) if you are attacked, a stack of units will not defend themselves and will be destroyed (imagine that the troops are in a troop truck or the tanks are being transported on another vehicle)
3) No stacked units may attack. A unit must begin its turn 1upt in order to attack that turn.

This would allow you (and the AI) to do peacetime and wartime transportation of units along efficient routes without too much bumping, but with sufficient penalties that there would be no tactical exploit that affects 1upt in combat.

Opinions? Suggestions?

 

[BothofUs]

great post. Agreed. Nuff said.

 

[paradigmx]

Interesting idea, I don't think the roads should allow unlimited stacking, but 5 units would be good and would still require you to have to think about how you organize your units. It would vastly increase the benefit of roads for sure.

I don't think the units should be defenseless however, you could work it in 2 ways, either use the average strength of the units in the stack or the highest strength as their defense value and if the unit is lost, then the entire stack is lost. Units should not be able to attack from a road unless they are the only unit on that road hex though.

 

[Abremms]

could make roads work like water and "embark" them as trucks. interesting idea, i like it.

 

[Suspiria]

2) if you are attacked, a stack of units will not defend themselves and will be destroyed (imagine that the troops are in a troop truck or the tanks are being transported on another vehicle)

No this is terrible, sorry. A lot of the times ill be moving defenses on roads to defend cities. I dont want a stack being entirely vulnerable.

3) No stacked units may attack. A unit must begin its turn 1upt in order to attack that turn.

Agree with this.


Great idea, though dont like the idea of a stack being easy pickings.

Perhaps you should be able to set a way point, where the units can open up from their stack to take residence in a bunch of tiles.

The rules should be:

You can create a stack of 6 units maximum that can move freely together across roads.

You must set a waypoint and area of designated tiles that your stacked units will expand to 1upt once theyve reached their destination.

Stacked units cannot fortify or attack in their stack.

 

[Doctor Phibes]

Actually, that sounds way good. And realistic - a regiment loaded onto rail wagons is not a fighting regiment, but it does get there. Abremms, exactly right, you would 'embark' onto roads/railways. Cool. Waiting for someone to chime in with the downside. (OK, I can think of one straight away - the poor overstressed AI won't be able to handle it - it doesn't know how to cope with regular embarkation in the first place.)

 

[Abremms]

No this is terrible, sorry. A lot of the times ill be moving defenses on roads to defend cities. I dont want a stack being entirely vulnerable.

it doesn't need to be mandatory, make it a toggle. give the unit the option of going into transport mode or staying out and being able to defend itself. that would lead to some interesting tactics, but getting the AI to handle it would be a real pain in the ass.

 

[JanissaryRush]

It is very good as you'll often have lots of troops moving around.

My big concern with all of the stack being killed is the AI. I can easily see it obvliously losing huge armies to this.

 

[Doctor Phibes]

It is very good as you'll often have lots of troops moving around.

My big concern with all of the stack being killed is the AI. I can easily see it obvliously losing huge armies to this.

Yep, it will lose everything. Look what it does with embarking them at sea. This is why this is a great idea that just can't be implemented with the current state of the AI.

 

[Savoir10]

Does the Ai need to use it? I would think this is just for the player to move units quickly. The Ai doesn't get frustrated moving lots of troops.

 

[Jayhawks]

Its a good idea in theory, just like 1 UPT , but the whole killing one unit to kill the stack concept with the best unit defending was used in Civ II, not sure if it was in Civ III, but definitely Civ II. I abused the crap out of it too. Drawing the AI into choke points then killing them all at once. Units with higher moves per turn would be abused heavily as you can imagine. Just picture it, bombard the stack a few times then knight your way in there, or just brute force your way through. If you lose 2 units but they lose 5 its worth it (depending on difficulty settings).

 

[Doctor Phibes]

Does the Ai need to use it? I would think this is just for the player to move units quickly. The Ai doesn't get frustrated moving lots of troops.

It's not about frustration. You, the human, will be able to move big stacks of troops efficiently around 'interior lines', classic defence tactics. One does this anyhow, it just amplifies it.

But either:

1) The AI can't. If you have the intel, you know that your guys can get to point X on interior lines like almost instantly. But the poor old AI has its whole army 5 moves away from point X. And a railway in between too. Shame.

2) The AI can. Ever seen Lawrence of Arabia?

 

[Savoir10]

1) The AI can't. If you have the intel, you know that your guys can get to point X on interior lines like almost instantly. But the poor old AI has its whole army 5 moves away from point X. And a railway in between too. Shame.

2) The AI can. Ever seen Lawrence of Arabia?

1) I would think the kill one kill the stack would make this a risky maneuver. Another solution is make the stacking available in home/neutral/friendly territory only.

2) Not sure if you are talking about a game or the real Lawrence. You do know the "real story" is mostly BS. Lawrence and his great Arab army liberating cites that had already been captured by the Australian Light Horse. The Aussies thought it was a great joke.