One more suggestion

Larry2017 · #1 May 1st, 2022, 12:01 AM

As long as I'm at it, how about a button to rally all my units at the same time. In large games it takes a LONG time to cycle thru all the units looking for units that need to be rallied. It would certainly make the game more enjoyable if that wasn't necessary.

You could consider another button for putting all units in cover (that are able). Again it would make the game go faster. But small mortars, and maybe some other things, that are currently being used for indirect fire (bombardment) need to be exempt from this because putting them in cover cancels their bombardment assignment.

scorpio_rocks · #2 May 1st, 2022, 08:16 AM

Doesn't setting auto rally on do the same thing??

Aren't all stationary units capable of seeking cover doing so? the go to cover button only works to (attempt) to break LOS on an active unit that is being overwatch/opportunity fired at?

Mobhack · #3 May 1st, 2022, 08:47 AM

Auto rally does a rally attempt for all units at end turn. Why one would turn that preference to off eludes me, unless the user wants everyone to rout off the map??

No units "take cover" automagically. "In cover" is not a game status, its a result of a voluntary action by the unit (by user or as a reaction to fire on it) which may break LOS or not. The user is not informed if the LOS was broken, there is no flag set (like for dug-in) - merely that in the dice rolling for the "take cover" function he may or may not succesfully break the enemy LOS on that unit. The success (if any) might be inferred if the enemy continues firing on him, as in real life.

SP3 had a "positioned" flag which units got if they stayed put for a turn(or 2?) which was a kinda-sorta 1/4 way to being dug in. And they may have become dug-in in 10 turns or something like that IIRC, but SP3 was a brigade level game where turns were 10 minutes or so.

In all earlier SP games and ours, you get to be "positioned" by halting for a whole turn. Its a very minor bonus. and applies if the "moving at x Mph" message is not shown.

lansoar · #4 May 1st, 2022, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mobhack

Auto rally does a rally attempt for all units at end turn. Why one would turn that preference to off eludes me, unless the user wants everyone to rout off the map??

I often play with it off so that some units that are in retreat mode will do so vs possibly rally and stay in place (which might be a bad place to stay in)

Its not as critical in WinSP as it was in WAW due to the former's far more durable portrayal of soft units. Doing so, I just accept the fact that I have to manually rally all forces though. Big battles, I'd agree that the easiest solution is to just turn the feature back on. Micromanagement has its price.

Larry2017 · #5 May 3rd, 2022, 04:04 PM

Rally button:
Looked at Auto-Rally in the manual. If I understand what that means then at the beginning of my turn, all my units should be rallied as much as possible because they were Auto-Rallied at the end of last turn. I shouldn't be able to improve their status. But that's not my observation. At the beginning of my turn many of my units can have their status improved by selecting them and pressing the R key. That's the reason I asked for a Rally All button. It's a pain to have to cycle thru all the units to see which ones need to be rallied.

This is a playability issue.

Cover button and status indicator:
No argument about what the intent of cover is. I am under the impression that a unit that is in cover is harder to see than a unit that is not. Therefore it seems like I would want to place all my units, that can do it, in cover at the end of my turn. Harder to see means less chance of being shot at, right? Again, It's a pain to have to cycle thru all the units and press the C key to place them in cover. Be easier if each unit had a status indicator (like dug-in) and a Cover All button that just did it magically.

This is a playability issue.

DRG · #6 May 1st, 2022, 09:30 AM

A unit that had "C" applied is as Andy said, an attempt to find cover/concealment and if the enemy stops firing then *maybe* you have broken their LOS to you..... or maybe they are out of "shots" for that turn...or maybe in RL they are taking time to regroup and know exaclty where you are

The unit " in cover" may only have a view of dirt and weeds and since the firing stopped assumed they are out of LOS..... but maybe there is an enemy observer where you never expected one to be who has eyes on you so YOU may think you out not being observed but actually are and that's why pressing C *MAY* have an effect....... or may not and why it's not the same as being "dug in"

Mobhack · #7 May 3rd, 2022, 04:53 PM

The rally and autorally:
The units do thier best to rally at the end of your last turn if auto rally is set on in preferences. The commanders may well fail to do very well at that!. Or you as the player may have used up all the rally attempts in your turn. They dont get any "free" rallies out of thin air!

Then there is an enemy turn where they may have thier status adjusted by any enemy action. That's after any auto rally.

Naturally, since it is now your turn when you have control of your toys then you are perfectly free to rally them - because its your turn.!

So dont expect your troops to be all warm and cuddly, just because auto-rally is set on in preferences. It just uses up any free rally attempts on any units that have suppression and have free rallies.

Setting auto rally off simply skips that - and I cannot see why anyone would leave auto rally off, quite frankly.

Cover:
The "C" key does not "place them in cover" - It makes infantry dive into the grass, hopefully breaking any enemy LOS (if they have LOS on you). "Taking Cover" is an action which costs you MP and might make your unit unspotted. It is not a status.

Larry2017 · #8 May 3rd, 2022, 07:44 PM

>> Naturally, since it is now your turn when you have control of your toys then you are perfectly free to rally them - because its your turn.!

Totally agree. It's a new turn and Auto-Rally was a long time ago. But before I start moving and shooting I want my troops to be in the best shape possible and mostly that means rallying them. I didn't say it should be free. My button would simply automate the process of cycling thru all the units and pressing the R key (perhaps several times). It's the same game mechanics.

With 50 or 100 or more units on the board, having to do that manually is just painful.

>> "Taking Cover" is an action which costs you MP and might make your unit unspotted. It is not a status.

I don't care if it's a "status" (some sort of program flag). That's for you guys. I just want to play the game.

And you really didn't get to my issue. If a unit has "taken cover", is it going to be harder for enemy units to see it in the upcoming opponents turn? Will it make a difference? If it doesn't, then my Cover button is useless. But if it does make a difference, if the unit really is going to be harder to spot, then at the end of my turn I'd like to make quick work of having all 50 or 100 or more units that can, take cover. But it's not free, it's using the game mechanics. Again, it's simply the process of automating cycling thru the units and pressing the C key. Current game mechanics determine whether the operation is a success.

With 50 or 100 or more units on the board, having to do that manually is just painful.