Engineers

[Juno]

Can engineers blow bridges?

[ivanov]

They certainly can't but it would be cooool \m/ \m/

[Juno]

In PG and PG2 weren't the engineers capable of blowing bridges? If so it should have been carried forward to this game. Any any other features people would like to see added?

[bebro]

IIRC this was not possible in PG/PG2. That being said, adding some functionality to engineers wouldn't be bad, and I think there's some comment from the devs around regarding that...

However, something like blowing bridges should be considered carefully, could make defensive scns maybe too easy, or even lock out the attacker in case impassable rivers are used.

[El_Condoro]

It was possible to blow bridges in PG2 in the stock scenarios but it didn't work properly in custom ones for some reason. The procedure was, from memory: the engineer occupied the hex adjacent to the bridge, right-click, choose the option and then watch the animation. The bridge was then replaced with a blown bridge and was made impassable. I don't think I ever used it but I did check it once to verify it could be done. The trick is keeping the engineers alive long enough to blow the bridge.

They should probably be made to occupy the adjacent hex for at least a turn to represent the time taken to set explosives etc. I have The Bridge at Remagen in my head now - the opening scene with the Chaffees racing along the river in the face of the 88s.

[bebro]

That was in PG2? I stand corrected then, I played it quite seriously, but totally missed that feature...

[marsellus]

Yes, it wassurely possible in PG2 and it was quite nice idea. As I remember I have had use it few times. Talking about bridges i would say it would be nice that brigde infantry changes its icon into a bridge while it is on river hex, and looks like nearly typical infantry outside rivers - the idea also comes from PG2. What do you think about it?

[robman]

I like the blowing bridges idea quite a lot. To keep things interesting, though (and realistic), the odds of success in any given turn should be significantly less than 100%. Fifty-fifty sounds about right to me. For scenarios with major rivers, the scenario could include auxiliary "pontoon" bridge units. The guy who designed "Spanish General" provided some of these in the Ebro scenario. (That's a great game, by the way.)