land transport menu option

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moondrift
Captain
Posts: 140
Joined: May 30 2004

land transport menu option

Post by moondrift »

I'd like to see an option on the right click menu to transport a unit by land. We have air transport and sea transport, but I think it would be really useful if you either had some generic land transport unit, or that the nearest supply truck without orders would come and pick the unit up. It would simplify the movement of troops when you can't use helicopters or do not have sufficient capacity. This is specifically targeted towards leg units.
Igor_88
Corporal
Posts: 2
Joined: Oct 28 2006
Location: Cyprus

String Roads

Post by Igor_88 »

String Roads

My advice is to introduce the third transportation type to the game (two previous are road and railroad): string roads.
This is a real technology, which was developed in Soviet times by a group of russian scientists somewhere in the end of 80's - beginning of 90's. However, as everything developed that time it was frozen in 90's (like all other projects). But, the main constructor nowadays has made a test string road, about 3-4 km long.

It has a very special and unique way of functioning. Inside a metal "string", which looks more like a tube moves a special kind of a "train", that uses some kind of unique reactive and electric engines (I don't know the exact physics which they are using here). It may move very quickly (the possible speed can be up to 300-500 km/h), it doesn't need bridges (it is like a spring, it can stretched - if needed - or opposite).

My advice is to introduce the technology, called something like "String Roads Ability", which has a prerequisite of 110 Tech Level (for example) and needs some other techologies.
The technology should provide the advance in Infrastructure rating; also, it makes the land units to move faster.

If it is built on a map, it can be done like green-colored (or any other color) "tunnel" or "tube" (or "road").
Il Duce
Brigadier Gen.
Posts: 577
Joined: Aug 10 2005
Location: Venice - the Doge's palace on the Pacific.

Post by Il Duce »

You can presently use land transport.

see my post 'Stupid Radar Truck Trick.'

http://www.bgforums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7672

The long and short of it is that supply trucks can indeed carry cargo - with the same semantics as used for helo loading. The key limit is that most of the trucks have a rather limited capacity. However, I routinely transport special forces and leg AA units in supply trucks - most often from bases to airstrips when loading them on planes. Nice trick there is that when you load the loaded truck on the plane, it unloads. On the other hand, loading a loaded helo on a ship does NOT cause an unload - see the post mentioned for details.

One thing you cannot do is 'call a taxi,' in the way that you can for air transport. However, calling the nearest air transport, without actually specifying the unit (using the 'advanced > load into' semantics when the air unit is in the same or a nearby hex), generally results in more unpredictable results than you want. For instance, the Russian KA-29 ASW helo also has a cargo capacity and it will come running [off station] if it is a candidate for an air transport request. Probably not what you had in mind. ...From my point of view, I don;t think I'd want to extend this silliness to land units - only to see that critical supply truck fueling an AA in the red nearby come trundling over to get my other unit which hadn't yet been deployed. Another unpleasant side effect of the existing 'air transport' command is that it will often call for more units to respond than are actually needed. It's hard enough to remember where things are without them moving in a less than explicit manner [IMO].

BTW, another nice trick is to include the air-droppable FARP truck in your airborne brigades, as then those leg units have a little more tactical mobility once you drop them [8 Km/hr by foot is abut the best speed rate you will find for leg units, but most of them are 4 or 5].

Overall - transport, in my mind, is an aspect of supply generally. There is a pretty lively discussion of this also in the 2020 development forum. My advice here is that if you haven't already made provision for a resource, asking the game to go find you one is typically counter-productive.
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously [but otherwise, they do not worry and are happy].
moondrift
Captain
Posts: 140
Joined: May 30 2004

Post by moondrift »

no, I see where you are coming from, and yes I know that supply trucks can be used to transport leg units. What I mean is there should be an order to land transport units. Like a lot of people I organise my forces that need transporting and make sure more than enough transports of appropriate type are in or near same hex, it is just fiddly to have to manually load each leg unit onto the trucks. Helicopters are the most useful and tactical means of transport on the battle field but if the enemy has AA or air supremacy then they are very vunerable. So I like to use trucks. Maybe it is just my personal preference, but I have been playing this game since it came out and find myself not utilising some very good leg units because of their limited mobility.
Draken
General
Posts: 1168
Joined: Jul 14 2004
Human: Yes
Location: Space Coast, FL

Post by Draken »

moondrift wrote: Helicopters are the most useful and tactical means of transport on the battle field but if the enemy has AA or air supremacy then they are very vunerable.
Or you just don't have helicopters... ( Some poor african regions come to mind...)

I've said it before but I'll say it again in support of Moondrift... Land Transport orders similar to Air and Sea transport orders are needed.
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Balthagor
Supreme Ruler
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Joined: Jun 04 2002
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Location: BattleGoat Studios

Post by Balthagor »

since SR2010 development is done, I take it this is a SR2020 wishlist item?
Chris Latour
BattleGoat Studios
chris@battlegoat.com
moondrift
Captain
Posts: 140
Joined: May 30 2004

Post by moondrift »

sorry, yes please. I think I started this before 2020 but could you either move it or take it that it is for 2020 now.

Cheers
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