Make units retreat to closest factory instead of command center when no repair f

[EvilGuru]

I'll be frank: that has to be the worst idea I have heard all week. Which is quite impressive, considering that I spent most of last/this week listening to a friends idea for an "Underwater silent rave." I kid you not.

Regards, Freddie.

[Chojun]

That has got to be the worst response to an idea I've heard all week, too.  >:(

[Rman Virgil]

......

Which is quite impressive, considering that I spent most of last/this week listening to a friends idea for an "Underwater silent rave." I kid you not.

Regards, Freddie.

* Whatever he's drinking - I want some !

* Come-on fellas, we're creating a tempest in a teapot.

* Build Borg Repair Mechanics & assign 'em to your Combat Groups... they are deployed right alongside 'em wherever, and begin repairs on your combat units immediately as needed. Assign your factory delivery points to your various Theaters of Operation.

* What I see as a useful addition to the Combat Units Command A.I. screen is "Retreat outta range of enemy fire" (not factory or HQ or Repair Facility).... same for your Borg Repair Mechanics.... obviously. When up to full health,  re-engage...

* Hope that's not the second worst idea you've heard all week. If it is then I don't need whatever your bud drinks...

- Regards, RV

* EDIT: Same for when your at "Auto Repair"....

* The "Retreat Outta Enemy Fire Range" would obviously be tied to your units "Health Decay Preset"...

[EvilGuru]

What I see as a useful addition to the Combat Units Command A.I. screen is "Retreat outta range of enemy fire" (not factory or HQ or Repair Facility).... same for your Borg Repair Mechanics.... obviously. When up to full health,  re-engage...

I like it, could serve to make auto-repair a lot more useful. NEXUS used such a technique to great effect. The most complex bit would be a way to work out where a safe area is. How to do that I am unsure, but am convinced it is possible. Since the best solution is normally the simplest one I am tempted to say: while we are still taking damage head towards base, when we have not been hit for n-frames stop.

At this location one could have a load of mobile repair geezers to fix up your army. That way they stay out of the heat and your army gets a re-fit.

Whatever he's drinking - I want some!

I'll find out and see if I can get a crate of it shipped to you.

Regards, Freddie.

[Rman Virgil]

I like it, could serve to make auto-repair a lot more useful. NEXUS used such a technique to great effect. The most complex bit would be a way to work out where a safe area is. How to do that I am unsure, but am convinced it is possible.

Since the best solution is normally the simplest one I am tempted to say: while we are still taking damage head towards base, when we have not been hit for n-frames stop.

At this location one could have a load of mobile repair geezers to fix up your army. That way they stay out of the heat and your army gets a re-fit.

* An elegant solution indeed.

* And.... in one fell swoop you've eliminated quite a bit of "baby-sitting" necessitated by your troops dumb-ass, suicidal, behaviour if left un-micro-managed.

I'll find out and see if I can get a crate of it shipped to you.

Regards, Freddie.

* Sweet !

- Regards, Rman.

[TR__]

I know I'm new here but that retreat to the HQ is actually a decent idea. I mean if you think about it setting units to retreat there if no repair facilities then just by setting mobile repair at the HQ you know the units will be auto repaired. And with sending them to the factories they will get in the way of units that are being produced if you don't send them away. Wouldn't it suck if you went to get fresh units to send into the fight and end up sending a majority of them as damaged units that have retreated already.

[TheDaze]

The Command Center would have the original Retreat Point by it at game start, but the user could pick it up and move it, as with Delivery Points, to any other "legal" square on the map they choose.

The Repair Facilities would then just count as "non-movable" Retreat Points, along with the movable one, for determining automatic retreat point and direction at retreat-time.

How's that?

That's quite clever. But it would have to be clear that the "movable" retreat point should attract units only if there is no available repair facility.

[psychopompos]

That's quite clever. But it would have to be clear that the "movable" retreat point should attract units only if there is no available repair facility.

you could set multiple points? say, through a command center orders menu?
then you could set units to retreat to nearest defensive outpost, with retreat point set within, not to leave until repaired.
trucks then get a low prio. order to put repair facility on the marker as soon as its researched.
or at least it would stop units retreating right through a group of enemy as a temporary measure.

[EvilGuru]

The Command Center would have the original Retreat Point by it at game start, but the user could pick it up and move it, as with Delivery Points, to any other "legal" square on the map they choose.

The Repair Facilities would then just count as "non-movable" Retreat Points, along with the movable one, for determining automatic retreat point and direction at retreat-time.

How's that?

As I said before, this idea is half-baked. I did not elaborate at the time, but it would:

• Break save games (we need to store it's location somewhere).
• Require additional code to auto-pick somewhere for old games/campaign. This could be in an undesirable place.
• What happens if your HQ gets destroyed/you have none?
• Or, if you have more than one HQ (see: campaign maps)

Since the old functionality would still need to be kept around (for when there is no HQ) and the new code would be very hacky (dealing with old save games, etc). It would also add UI clutter.

It is a bit like have a contingency plan in case of you stabbing a pin into your left metatarsal.

Regards, Freddie.

[TheDaze]

I like it, could serve to make auto-repair a lot more useful. NEXUS used such a technique to great effect. The most complex bit would be a way to work out where a safe area is. How to do that I am unsure, but am convinced it is possible. Since the best solution is normally the simplest one I am tempted to say: while we are still taking damage head towards base, when we have not been hit for n-frames stop.

At this location one could have a load of mobile repair geezers to fix up your army. That way they stay out of the heat and your army gets a re-fit.
I'll find out and see if I can get a crate of it shipped to you.

Regards, Freddie.

I agree, this is way better than the "movable retreat point" idea. However, which direction should units retreat to? That problem remains. We still need a means of defining the attack vector.

Maybe, just maybe, the retreat point should be something to associated with the commander unit. Granted, this means more GUI, more savegame data etc. But, it might be worth the consideration?

[Verminus]

I guess the best solution would to have units retreat AWAY from the enemy, I cant count how many times I've lost units when attacking and flanking enemy bases and positions because my units try to "retreat" right through the middle of the enemy

[EvilGuru]

Keeping the units out of trouble when they retreat should not be too hard. This could be done by saving which side the unit was last hit on. If we know that then we can just go in the other direction.

Sadly the pathfinding code is not good enough in its current state to make anything much more advanced than what we've got practical.

Regards, Freddie.

[Verminus]

Yea, I guess your right. Getting units to retreat in a 'Smart' fashion is probably best left until they can at least navigate round the map with out getting stuck on just about every thing isn't nice smooth flat terrain. Sometimes it like they don't even know cliffs are impassable terrain. or that they need to actually drive around structures and other units.

Oh and while we're talking about repairs, could something be done about the units that do actually find their way to to a repair yard, (miraculous as it is), but end up just sitting there not getting repaired? This is especially annoying when it happens to units assigned to a commander and somewhat counteracts one of the main reasons for using commanders in the first place. (That damaged units go get repaired and then rejoin the group without you having to micro-manage.)

[TheDaze]

I guess the best solution would to have units retreat AWAY from the enemy, I cant count how many times I've lost units when attacking and flanking enemy bases and positions because my units try to "retreat" right through the middle of the enemy

Away is good, but probably not enough. A damaged unit could probably use its own sensor range to avoid contact, possibly even before they get hit. However, in a terrain anything other than flat they would still get stuck and/or cornered all too easily. Without a clear destination there can be no route calculation.

Actually, I usually build repair towers along the attack route and always keep one or two close to the front. So, that's my solution, zero coding. I would concurr with Verminus in recommendation to put effort into making repair queue at the repair centres work more reliably instead of researching hot water.

[themousemaster]

Actually, I usually build repair towers along the attack route and always keep one or two close to the front. So, that's my solution, zero coding. I would concurr with Verminus in recommendation to put effort into making repair queue at the repair centres work more reliably instead of researching hot water.

Agree with the boldface.

And LOL at the last sentence