Slitherine

Hello, some thoughts on transports. This game certainly has th potential to feel a lot more tactical and get away from the PG mindset. Transports in PG were fine as represented due to the scale of the game (and the fact that WW2 transport were not combat vehicles) Modern IFV are a different matter and that should be reflected in this game.

Idea
mech infantry (ie infantry you purchase a transport for) should have 3 states:
* mounted: a mounted infantry has the same current limitations on entering hexes impassable to vehicles and fires to the full effect of the transports weapons, the infantry don't shoot, basically no change
*dismounted: the units infantry fires at full effect, but since the transports are still "present" but providing a support role, they fire their weapons anywhere from 33-50% effectiveness (more of a balance thing really) Both the infantry and transport of course can take casualties, that are prorated) Such units are still not allowed to enter hexes that vehicles cant enter
*detached: if said unit attempts to enter a hex that vehicles are not allowed to enter, the player will get a pop up asking if he wants to detach the transports, if yes, the unit is now leg infantry unit, the transports are now considered to be out of the players control ie they are now doing other things, whether it be medicacs, rear security details, redball expresses, whatever. The ? is, does the player get these back?
perhaps no but that will just be a frustration to players, instead the idea I have comes form a very grognardy game from HPS Sims panzer battle game, which is company level (which you could argue this game is) So a leg unit that has detached its transports, if it starts its turn next to a command unit, gets the transports back. Simple although a little abstract, but if grognards can accept it for a dedicated wargame, why not for a "lighter game"?

If I could add one more state to this...Immobilised. The transport has taken sufficient damage that it can no longer move, the squad must disembark, the transport remains able to fire until it is destroyed, but it can't move.

With the way units work right now you'd probably have to create a new type (dismounted) for each infantry unit.
Not sure how feasible that is but I like the idea.

I don't think there would be any need to have the player lose transports whenever infantry detaches or make them walk over to the next command unit.
Just grey out the transport option until the unit enters a regular hex again. Infantry sure could use a little boost without additional drawbacks.

Transports are one aspect of the game that baffles me I have to admit. I've only ever bought chimeras for my steel legion and I don't really know what the mechanics are if an infantry unit in a transport is attacked. Do the infantry die, when the tranport loses strength or are they safe until the transports are destroyed? The Gorgon seems quite pricey and though its got a nice load of mortars and stubbers on it, I take it - those guns are for its return fire if its attacked?

Make Valkyries air transports; that's their role in 40k - moving infantry and supporting them.

nexusno2000 wrote:Make Valkyries air transports; that's their role in 40k - moving infantry and supporting them.

You can make any unit a transport by changing a single value.
That doesn't change the fact that only the transport or the transported unit can fight currently, no supporting each other whatsoever.

On the table-top each vehicle is given a number of firing ports...be it zero in the case of a completely enclosed vehicle, two for things like Rhinos and Chimeras (the hatch on the roof), and no limit on anything open topped (everyone just shoots over the side).