Firaxis: one problem with pathfinding...

[simwiz2]

...is that it doesnt take into account ZOC's, even when the enemy unit is clearly visible and an alternate way that avoids the ZOC is just as fast. I was moving a stack of tanks across my completely railroaded, huge empire using J. A stack of enemy tanks was on one of my RR squares, about to attack a heavily defended city between where my tanks were and where they were going. as i watched in horror, almost half of my tanks were shot. surely this is not intended? if there is another way where the units wont be shot at and wont take any longer (there were hundreds of these ways btw) then the units should take the other way. because stack movement is a convenience feature, not a tactic. i could have moved all 38 tanks across, square by square, and avoided the visible ZOC, but that would have taken hours. Convienience features should NEVER have disadvantages with them IMO. Surely i'm not expected to scroll along the entire red line just to make sure the AI isnt going to run my units into a (rather basic) trap? So firaxis, was it really supposed to work this way?

 

[damunzy]

Pathfinding is something that even Zouave should agree they improved upon in Civ3....I haven't ran into this problem yet as I don't use stack movement often...

What do you mean by your tanks got shot? What where they shot by and why?

 

[cephyn]

Originally posted by PaleHorse76
Pathfinding is something that even Zouave should agree they improved upon in Civ3....I haven't ran into this problem yet as I don't use stack movement often...

What do you mean by your tanks got shot? What where they shot by and why?

I've run into the problem. The pathfinding will send units right past enemy units with ZOC -- so there's a chance that those enemy units will get to take a potshot at the moving units. It can be a bit irritating.

 

[Beam]

It is not related to stacked movement at all. IIRC has cavalry ZOC ability and will attempt a shot when a unit passes by. Can be very irritating indeed!

 

[Lt. 'Killer' M.]

another thing is that the routine is supposwed to use terrain advantages if possible - but somtimes it doesn`t.

e.g. if the unit could go straight right, diagonally right down, then straight down thus being on mountain all the time it will still choose diagonally right down 3 times, even if that means sitting next to enemy troops on plains after moves 1 and 2

 

[Park Ranger]

An easy way around this problem: select waypoints that will skirt the enemy ZOC's. You can still use the "J" command, just move the stack in two (or more) stages. Better than moving each unit separately, I think.

 

[Beam]

Before I add one more thing for improvement.......... Pathfinding, specially over railroads, is one of the best improvements in Civ III compared with Civ II I guess every Civ I and II players remembers the way units had to be manoeverd with the more-then-occasional unplanned mistype and that critical tank ending on a mountain....

If the pathfind routine could create an alternative route when it hits an AI unit on its journey it would be very handy!