Proposals: Multi Point Patroling + Patrol Option in Factory

[T_X]

Lol, I just figured out by chance that you can set some default options like firing range, retreat options and circling directly for units in a right click menue of factories which is indeed quite helpful stuff.

So that triggered some thoughts for new features and improvements and I wanted to know what others think, whether they think such small features could improve gameplay, whether their effect would be marginal, whether there are bad balance implications or whether they'd be "unintuitive" as described here somehow.

Proposal 1: Multi Point Patroling

When selecting the patroling option for a unit, then holding down shift and assigning waypoints, this would result in units moving to these waypoints one by one, just like setting normal waypoints without a previous clicking on the patroling option. However with a previous selection of the patroling option, they'd start over again with the first, clicked waypoint after having reached the last one.

Advantages: Easier to spot and prevent hiding units. Would allow setting patroling paths without having to wait for units ariving on the desired patroling starting point first. Allows larger, custom circling ranges.


Proposal 2: Patrol Option in Factories

Any newly produced unit reaching its delivery point would start patroling in the previously, factory set paths. This should be combinable with proposal 1.

PS: I think there are some commercial strategy games wich have things like multi point patroling, but can't remember their names. Any one remembering games which have features like that?

[aubergine]

The Stronghold series of games by Firefly Studios had multipoint patrolling IIRC. You'd basically set them to patrol mode then click waypoints, they'd travel to each waypoint in turn and then back to the location they were at when you put them in to patrol mode, then continue that cycle until told to do something else.

[Goth Zagog-Thou]

We can already do this. Hold down ctrl and click various points of the terrain, then press number pad 0 and click 'patrol'. It seems broken in 3.1 though.