Armoured trains

Gud · #1 June 15th, 2006, 03:21 PM

Yeah, here comes my pet obsession.

I'd love to see armoured trains in the game someday. Fair enough, a number of you will rise your eyebrows and go "wtf ?", which is a bit understable as this particular weapon was never really popular in the West, let alone USA.

However, the more East you go, the more important the "railway tanks" become. They were used a lot, in particular when they were not in danger of air attacks.

I realize that coding them so they move along railways would be a bit too much, however perhaps having a few extra unit classes so that we can make individual carriages/wagons/drasines and deploy them in player-made scenarios/campaigns ? Pretty phleeze

)))))

thatguy96 · #2 June 15th, 2006, 03:30 PM

You could easily do this with unused tank classes. I think someone had previously suggested that it would be fine so long as you and your opponents agreed to only move them along rail hexes and the like.

narwan · #3 June 15th, 2006, 03:59 PM

A number of new ways to use waypoints have been developed recently (by Pyros in particular; see the Kalpaki scenario for example) which MAY allow units under AI control to follow fixed movement paths. There's plenty of room though for the movement to veer off course somewhat so it will be tricky (and maybe impossible) to keep the 'train' moving solely on the railway tracks.
It will need a lot of work (testing in particular) for this to work in a scenario. If someone wants to put the effort in and try to find ways to make it work (which isn't garantueed to succeed btw) for a specific scenario it would be very interesting indeed.
But don't expect trains to make an appearance as regular features of the game. There are simply too many obstacles to overcome within the existing limitations of the code.

For PBEM games it can work, except off course when movement is under AI control, for example when a unit retreats due to suppression. The train could then move off the tracks. You can minimise this risk by making sure that the railway runs straight east to west; that'll increase the chance that the train will retreat along the path of the railway track but it is still possible it'll retreat in another direction (especially with multiple enemy units nearby).

Another trick would be to put impassable terrain along the railway track so the train can't move into those hexes. Unfortunately the same will apply to most other units too (vehicles especially) so this will limit the trick to use for set-ups and scenario's with infantry and few vehicles.

Narwan

Helm · #4 June 15th, 2006, 04:01 PM

I'd love to see armoured trains TBH but can see how the limitations of the AI could screw it up though

MarkSheppard · #5 June 15th, 2006, 04:25 PM

Or you could have the armored trains be "immobilized" on the track, representing them stopping to offload infantry and fire on partisans.

DRG · #6 June 15th, 2006, 07:19 PM

You are NOT going to see armoured trains. This is getting a little old as it's brought up each time we release and we give the same answer over and over and over.

As for.........."perhaps having a few extra unit classes ". We have the maximum allowed number of unit classes in both games. There will be no new ones now or ever.

Don

Gud · #7 June 15th, 2006, 07:33 PM

Ok, fine, I'll drive one over to your house Don (providing you have any railway tracks nearby) and I bet when you'll see one of those beauties you will fall in love on the spot !

Seriously tho - I understand, sniff sniff

Mobhack · #8 June 15th, 2006, 07:41 PM

Hmm - just get onto the Microsioft Train Simulator message boards, and ask there

!

Hmm - may be useful in railroad Tycoon as well, add extra "leverage" to any takeover negotiations between companies

!

Cheers
Andy

PopskiPPA · #9 June 16th, 2006, 04:51 AM

Quote:

DRG said:
This is getting a little old as it's brought up each time we release and we give the same answer over and over and over.

Don

Just like barbed wire ...

Popski

PatG · #10 June 16th, 2006, 02:18 PM

Ok then have a look at the attachment (scen slot 335). About 10 minutes work with no attempt at realism. The lead "somua" is unloadable as is the infantry carrying coach - however the "rolling stock" will displace in the hex. Sadly - it doesn't move.

However, with some custom Icon work - it could be workable.

Anyone know of any good shpedit tutorials?