Soviet infantry moving across rivers?

[eddieballgame]

This happens when infantry unit stands next to a river and activates "forced march". So, it's not only AI which can do it, you can do it too. This can be fixed, but perhaps the players will prefer the current behavior?

Let's vote..
I vote to let forced marchers cross minor rivers because-
1- Units historically forded rivers.
2- The game will become more fluid and mobile.

I am not opposed to this mechanic.

[Horseman]

I vote let it stay in - like poor old Spike said units did Ford rivers I real life!

Game wise it gives another tool for light infantry to make them desirable V Pioneers.!

[nexusno2000]

This happens when infantry unit stands next to a river and activates "forced march". So, it's not only AI which can do it, you can do it too. This can be fixed, but perhaps the players will prefer the current behavior?

As long as we know this is a feature, I can live with it, although it's another nail in the coffin for rivers as obstacles. On the positive side, it makes Forced March a more powerful trait.

[Horseman]

This happens when infantry unit stands next to a river and activates "forced march". So, it's not only AI which can do it, you can do it too. This can be fixed, but perhaps the players will prefer the current behavior?

As long as we know this is a feature, I can live with it, although it's another nail in the coffin for rivers as obstacles. On the positive side, it makes Forced March a more powerful trait.

It would also need to be included on the tool tip in-game so that players that don't read the forums understand what's going on!

I don't think it stops minor rivers being reasonable places to make a defensive line.

If left unguarded they become little more than a speed bump - which is all they really do now anyway. (Well used to do)

And we still have major rivers for real blockers.

[Schlack]

It would also need to be included on the tool tip in-game so that players that don't read the forums understand what's going on!

I don't think it stops minor rivers being reasonable places to make a defensive line.

If left unguarded they become little more than a speed bump - which is all they really do now anyway. (Well used to do)

And we still have major rivers for real blockers.

A defence line on a river shreds the cheating infantry as they do not seem to recongise they are fighting on a river hex. This happened to me in Stalingrad where I waltzed through the remainder of the map after most of the infantry had immolated themselves crossing the river when they had no chance of survival.

[nexusno2000]

It would also need to be included on the tool tip in-game so that players that don't read the forums understand what's going on!

I don't think it stops minor rivers being reasonable places to make a defensive line.

If left unguarded they become little more than a speed bump - which is all they really do now anyway. (Well used to do)

And we still have major rivers for real blockers.

A defence line on a river shreds the cheating infantry as they do not seem to recongise they are fighting on a river hex. This happened to me in Stalingrad where I waltzed through the remainder of the map after most of the infantry had immolated themselves crossing the river when they had no chance of survival.

That's not the same. This is inf moving fully across a river in 1 move, without stopping on it.

[Schlack]

That's not the same. This is inf moving fully across a river in 1 move, without stopping on it.

it is the same, the river defence line was my reaction to the river hopping, the Ai infantry still tried it en masse. I put in a blocking force with arty and they just kept on coming instead of me having to root them out of their entrenched positions. This "cheat" was interacting with the more aggressive AI which makes the infantry leroy jenkins with similar results.

[nexusno2000]

That's not the same. This is inf moving fully across a river in 1 move, without stopping on it.

it is the same, the river defence line was my reaction to the river hopping, the Ai infantry still tried it en masse. I put in a blocking force with arty and they just kept on coming instead of me having to root them out of their entrenched positions. This "cheat" was interacting with the more aggressive AI which makes the infantry leroy jenkins with similar results.

Infantry leaving cover to suiciden ON river hexes is not new. They've been doing that since the beta.

It's only after AI got patches to use Forced March we see new river-CROSSING behavior.

[Retributarr]

Tanks moving across rivers with the 'Greatest of Ease':
This discussion about infantry crossing rivers... brought to mind an "old-movie" that I saw many decades ago!. I don't recall much of it anymore unfortunately... and I was too inexperienced in these matters to give it any kind of justifiable critical assessment.

Anyway!!!... after the initial opening stages of the movie... laid out on the 'Eastern Front' depicting fierce Tank combat exchanges... from the Soviet vantage point of view. Soviet engineers in 'Scuba' gear then entered the river with construction materials and equipment... they started to build an underwater rampart/crossway bridge... just about 50cm(20 in) below the top of the water-level of the river.

Then, just before dawn... a horrendous number of 'Russian-Tanks' began crossing on this underwater bridge over to the other side of the river. At that time, I was in delirious wonderment!, this was just so awesome!... but now I'd say... that's not realistically possible at all!.

This is a 'Can of Worms' for someone to play with!.

Previously missed informational:
Because this causeway/underwater bridge was deep enough under the water line... then... from the surface it would not be "readily/easily visible" to those others who were not aware of its presence!.

[elven]

Zhukov used the tactic of underwater bridges several times - starting in 1939 against the Japanese and the undeclared war/skirmishes in the summer of that year.

[Retributarr]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underwater_bridge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Underwater bridge
A Soviet tank crosses the Khalkhyn Gol river, August 1939.

An underwater bridge is a military structure that was employed during World War II and the Korean War.

Underwater bridges, typically constructed of logs, sand and dirt just beneath the surface of the water in a river or similar narrow body of water, allow heavier vehicles to cross the river driving through only shallow water. Air reconnaissance finds such "bridges" difficult to spot; even if spotted, air strikes have difficulty in destroying them, as the water protects the structure from blasts.

Soviet troops, notably Georgy Zhukov, used the concept during the Khalkhin Gol campaign (1939) and in World War II (1941-1945). North Korean troops also used such structures during the Korean War (1950-1953), particularly to cross the Naktong River during the Battle of Pusan Perimeter of August-September 1950.[1] In the Vietnam War the Ho Chi Minh trail used such bridges.[2]

Afterthought???:
Why-not in the Game... have the opportunity to construct such bridges???. Limit the number to say up to 2 or 3 of these bridges, as I would assume that they are incredibly difficult to construct in-place such as a flowing river.

These bridges then... can only be visible/seen by the 'controlling player', where even reconnaissance devices would not be able to detect them!. Perhaps... these underwater bridges could then only be revealed when a unit of the opposing camp... actually enters that specific 'River-Hex'.

Bombing the bridges would prove to be largely ineffectual... as the water itself would cushion or absorb most of the explosive energy... and neutralize the percussion blast effects. So!!!... perhaps... then only an 'Engineer team'... who can take out bunkers and minefields.. could also destroy these underwater bridges.