Can you change the direction of AI retreat?

[Skirmisher]

I'm working on a scenerio where the right side of the map is ocean,so if the AI retreats in the usual way they will go into the water? If so,how can I adjust it so they retreat to the north instead of the east?

Thank you

[WBWilder]

Can't be done, my friend, as far as I know. In some SP games an exit flag is used and that would work but that feature is not included here.

I could be wrong, however, and the game gurus here may know of a way to make it happen. I'd be interested in knowing for sure.

WB

[Skirmisher]

What will the retreating units do when they get to the water?

[desh44]

Shirmisher...check out post number 380833...I had seen this one before and DRG tells how to alter the direction of retreat. I found it by searching for subject "retreat" in all the SPMBT forums. The only thing I think that happens when you do this is that you switch the direction for each side so now the other side will retreat to the ocean.

Tom D

[Pyros]

Hi,

You should specify if your scenario is a beach landing scenario?

If it is, then the answer is no.

cheers,
Pyros

[Skirmisher]

No it isnt a beach landing. There is ocean on the right side of the map,the rebels hold a town on the coast and the players forces must attack from the south. I was hopeing to get them to retreat north.

Though when I purchase equipment for the player (left side of map) I am asked If I want to purchase landing craft,to which I always say NO.

[Pyros]

Ok,

First of all, you can't modify the retreat direction to anything else than a left-right axis (if you put obstacles * for example impassable terrain for vehicles, you may force these units to move to a different direction) .

Secondly, since this isn't a beach landing you should make 2 things:

1. From the scenario editor screen you should press the "swap" button on the map sides option.

2. When you design your map at the "map edit" you should press the shift + "$" and you will be asked if you wish to change the status of the map from "beach landing" to "normal" (do this in order to avoid being asked if you wish to buy barges for your units).

cheers,
Pyros

p.s Whenever you create an ocean beach with the "create beach" tool (from the map editor), the status of the map will be automatically changed to "beach assault".

[DRG]

"rally points" that could be set up by each side to direct retreat direction has been one of my quiet crusades for a couple of years now. They have always ended up a low priority items becasue there was always a couple dozen more important things that needed doing. It's still on my personal to-do list for these games and maybe it might even happen someday

Don

[WBWilder]

The tools in the game are amazing. I'm still learning new things about it every day. Thanks for the information. Rally points is a good idea, very good, to determine retreat directions.

I'm assuming that a rally point would be a point on the map that units could be assigned to go to, should they be in retreat. Is that correct?

The Shift $ sign is a real bonus. I avoid the 1/2 beach button just because it creates more problems that it solves for me personally.

Wild Bill

[Skirmisher]

Thanks everybody for your input.

When I created the map I didn't use the create beach tool,I did it all manually.
I'm curious what the retreating rebel forces are going to do when the run into the ocean?
Will they just stop at the beach?

[Skirmisher]

desh44 said:
Shirmisher...check out post number 380833...I had seen this one before and DRG tells how to alter the direction of retreat. I found it by searching for subject "retreat" in all the SPMBT forums. The only thing I think that happens when you do this is that you switch the direction for each side so now the other side will retreat to the ocean.

Tom D



Thanks but the search funtion doesnt seem to be working,where is that post?

[Double_Deuce]

Skirmisher said:
I'm curious what the retreating rebel forces are going to do when the run into the ocean?
Will they just stop at the beach?


They probably will, unless they have rafts. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif They may retreat along the coast away from the enemy forces if the enemy units are close enough.

[desh44]

Skirmisher...the one post is listed as designing questions in the Campaign/scenario set the person posting is Artur and the date was 9/19

Tom

[Pyros]

Skirmisher said:
Thanks everybody for your input.

When I created the map I didn't use the create beach tool,I did it all manually.
I'm curious what the retreating rebel forces are going to do when the run into the ocean?
Will they just stop at the beach?



Here is your answer:

If they posses swimming ability/movement they will start moving/swimming through the water hexes until they reach the edge of the map.
If they don't have water movement and they become very suppressed they will probably surrender.

cheers,
Pyros

[Skirmisher]

Thank you Pyros,going to make sure they don't have any rafts http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Do you still recomend that I swap the sides?

[Pyros]

Probably it is better if it is the player's units that retreat to the water hexes, because you will have better control (moral control, protection, smoke cover, etc...) over their reactions.
Leave the Rebels(AI) to retreat towards the land hexes as you will have a better overall result.

cheers,
Pyros

p.s It is weird http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/shock.gif... how did you manage to create "beach landing game conditions" without using the beach creation tool or using the SHIFT+$ function?? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[Skirmisher]

Pyros said:


p.s It is weird http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/shock.gif... how did you manage to create "beach landing game conditions" without using the beach creation tool or using the SHIFT+$ function?? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif



Not sure exactly,I tried the make half map water option,but I wasnt happy where the beach was,so I started over.
Perhaps I didnt start totally fresh and that carried over to what I have now.Only thing I can think of. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Pyros]

Yes, this is the case.

The game ,once you have clicked the "create beach" button has automatically changed the map from "normal" to "beach landing"...
After that action, the only way to make your map a normal map would be to manually alter the condition by shift+$.
Anyway, good luck with your scenario designing work! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

cheers,
Pyros

[DRG]

WBWilder said:

I'm assuming that a rally point would be a point on the map that units could be assigned to go to, should they be in retreat. Is that correct?

Wild Bill



That's how I see it but think of it more as a waypoint. Units would head towards the nearest RP when they are retreating. Once they get past that point, if they are still in route, I figure they would then start retreating in the "normal" way. If we treat them like we did the re-enforcement points they could be placed anywhere on the map but if you wanted to direct them off map you'd put them in a grey edge hex.

Remember..... this doesn't exist and may not. The retreat code is, to put it mildly , convoluted this idea whould only make it more so.

Don

[desh44]

Hi Don One other thing which would be nice to add on with rally points would be to set it so units do not retreat onto enemy unit. The problem I run into is when I have a blocking force that had gotten to the rear of the enemy and a retreating or routing enemy retreats onto one of my units then gets hit with opportunity fire by other units of mine bringing my unit under friendly fire.
Thanks
Tom http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Double_Deuce]

DRG said:
Units would head towards the nearest RP when they are retreating. Once they get past that point, if they are still in route, I figure they would then start retreating in the "normal" way.


If this could be done I think it would be a great addition. So in this way you could use the North or South edge as the Rally direction (by placing the RP hex near that edge) to fall back away from the enemy and then once there move East or West toward their actual retreat map edge.

If it can be done with the existing code that would be cool.

[DRG]

desh44 said:
Hi Don One other thing which would be nice to add on with rally points would be to set it so units do not retreat onto enemy unit. The problem I run into is when I have a blocking force that had gotten to the rear of the enemy and a retreating or routing enemy retreats onto one of my units then gets hit with opportunity fire by other units of mine bringing my unit under friendly fire.
Thanks
Tom http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif




The problem is, units in high supression that are routing or retreating are literally in a blind panic. They don't see the units that are blocking them. When they do they will not enter that hex but when they are in a total panic they have total tunnel vision and are blind to the enemy units around them and that is why they retreat into your blocking hexes. There WAS some work done on them for this patch and they DO work better now than in v1 but there are still things I would like fine tuned. I would prefer that anytime two opposing infantry units are in the same hex they trigger a melee. That will happen in some cases but not always. However, in many ways the best analogy to working on this bit of code would be dominos. One small change could have far reaching effects so it has to be done carefully. It's not just the retreating unit that needs to be considered.

Friendly fire episodes like you mention are rare in the game but things like that DO happen in RL as well

Don