Question about bicycle troops
 

Playing around with the Finnish Oob I found the Jaeger bicycle troops. I am abit confused about these. How are they supposed to be simulated in game terms?

In reality the bicycles were used for road marches and dumped imediately if enemy was detected. The troops would then fight it out on foot. Perhaps there should just be a bicycle transport unit that can load infantry squads?

I guess it is a similar thing as with cavalry in most cases. I think only troops that still attacked mounted in WW2 were some Polish cavalry. Others just used the horses for transport and dismounted to do battle as regular infantry.

Re: Question about bicycle troops
 

The short answer is there may be a better way to do bicycle troops similar to the way some MC troops are handled and some cavalry but because they are very much a niche item there has been little reason to change from what we have used since day 1 because it's not been an issue for players so in cases like that we tend to think.........."it ain't broke, leave it alone".

I changed some MC units as an experiment and that seems to be working so *perhaps* bicycle troops could be re-worked somewhat but it would require code and OOB changes. That's not to say this is an impediment, just that it would require more than a "simple" change


Don

Re: Question about bicycle troops
 

I just made a little test comparing the movement of bicycle troops to basic infantry on different types of terrain. Appears the bicycle troops are faster on all types of terrain, at least on the following types I tested: clear, dirt road, forest, tall grass, rough and tilled field. In my opinion they should only be faster on road, clear and perhaps tall grass. Their speed should definitely be decreased to basic infantry speed on forest and rough terrain, perhaps also on tilled field.

I'm not requesting code change, but I'd welcome it. Before that I simply won't be using them. I would also reduce their size to 1, but that's something I can easily do myself with the OOB editor.

Re: Question about bicycle troops
 

A man riding a bike is no taller than a man standing, maybe make the bicycle units size 1?

Re: Question about bicycle troops
 

@Don

I`m just curious. What kind of experiment with the MC?

Cheers

Re: Question about bicycle troops
 

Since they had not modern MTBs, I'd expect them to be even slower in rough terrain, for they'd probably have to push a bicycle ;) On the other hand, the Vietnamese reportedly used bicycles as a kind of pushed cargo cart.

BTW: as for mounted attacks, there were few cases of such attacks of Polish cavalry, but I'd bet, that the Soviet one also was used this way, maybe even more frequently.

Re: Question about bicycle troops
 

Can you not see that 12 men on bikes would be a bigger target than 12 on foot ??

On top of that they were made larger so people wouldn't by all bike troops for their extra speed

Re: Question about bicycle troops
 

In the German and Russian OOB's there are the traditional SSI all in one MC units AND ones that the passengers can dismount from..

ALSO in the Slovak OOB ( apparently nobody plays as the Slovaks........) the Bicycle Platoon has the bikes set up in the scout vehicle UC so troops can use them as transport then dismount like some cav units...the bikes need a " crew ' but that's the game

Re: Question about bicycle troops
 

Could do it much like cav @ motorcycle units if really wanted.
Dismount would use same weapons speed 6 & have squad size reduced.
Bicycle unit would consist of men removed from squad to stay with bicycles & would be armed with a rifle/carbine (same first slot weapon) as above plus a pistol or grenade.
Firepower is therefore now far worse when on the bicycles.
Cant get round the fact leaving a few men to stay with horses/motorbikes they could conceivably move them. Bicycles probably not which could be why its not being done.
They should definitely be size 2 larger & can predict path well its not a person dashing from cover to cover.

Re: Question about bicycle troops
 

Yes I see they are a bigger target. Cavalry is also size 2, I thought the bicycles are closer in size to infantry than cavalry. Size two takes more casualties than size 1. Ok for horses but a bike is smaller and doest amount to much as a target for vision or bullets, it is only a frame. I thought it might be easier to make them size 1 than create dismountable. If people want too many maybe make them more expensive? I have been reading the old posts this is a really great community.