Air Assualt pathfinding: what is the logic?

[NikolaiEzhov]

Helicopters should have been able to transport air assault troops to any hexes within range.
However, in scenarios, I always find hexes that are within range, and not occupied by the enemy, yet are not landable. (marked on the image with lt.blue X)
That always happens when the only possible infiltration route is zig-zagged, and it seems that the pathfinding logic of the game can not handle it properly.

[Hellen_slith]

>>>>>hexes that are within range, and not occupied by the enemy, yet are not landable.

Correct if wrong, but those types of hexes may be still w/in enemy Zone of Control, or are otherwise not "accesible" to landing operations (e.g., river or other bad terrain)

I hope this helps!

[NikolaiEzhov]

I made a test scenario and found something more puzzling.
It seems that the pathfinding logic of heliborne units is, at least, with some problems.

[Lobster]

Looks like it could have much to do with zones of control. Try testing with holes in the line of one, two and three hexes with no units backing the holes.

Also, what are the anti aircraft capabilities of the units you are attempting to pass over? Perhaps it has something to do with an inability of the helo units to penetrate the air defense. Perhaps some suppression.

[Hellen_slith]

Suggestion: fire up either VCO (Vietnam Combat Operations) or The Next War, both scenes highly depending on helo ops.

In Next War, just cruise through some moves and test out the NATO Helo Recon units and and the Helo Air Assaults units. See how they work.

Same idea for VCO, fire up a scene or two and just cruise through it, not need go through every unit / combat,
just see how it plays for you.

Good luck!

[NikolaiEzhov]

These units are only composed of rifle squads and have no AA strength.
And basing on my experience, enemy AA capability alongside the infiltration path does not affect heliborne operations at all.

[MonkeysBrain2]

ORIGINAL: NikolaiEzhov

These units are only composed of rifle squads and have no AA strength.
And basing on my experience, enemy AA capability alongside the infiltration path does not affect heliborne operations at all.

There is some problems I am sure because I've noticed this also in Piero Falotti 1992 scenario. That scenario is full of airmobile units and transport helos. I've noticed that I couldn't encircle some units because strange path logic - those landings sites were perfectly logical to me.

Another problem in Europa 1947 scenario, when enemy air units bombard hex with a port, my naval units defends and of course all others units present defends, it is shown in report but they are not shown in list of destroyed, disabled equipment report, like that they are not there....
OK, I am fine with that [:)] But, obviously Port Attack will show ships in that report but why they are not shown in bombarding mission when they defend but cannot be destroyed or damaged? If Port Attack uses different code then they should not defend in bombarding mission (like that they are not there, so in port and you need Port Attack to attack only them...)

Port Attack was introduced obviously because in TOAW COW for example ships in port with some units present were extremely hard to destroy, you could damage some ships but very hard to destroy them. I remember Braunschweig scenario that require at some point that you attack some Caspian Soviet ships and I employed hundreds of Ju87 etc just to damage 1 or 2 ships...

Don't want hijack your thread, back to the topic, there is some problem with airmobile units because in most instances they could be transported to mountains etc without problems. Something is there in old Norm's code [&:]

[MOS96B2P]

I just completed Ia Drang 65 and Bong Son 66. Both scenarios featured a lot of helicopter movement of units. I had no problems. So, I wonder if the air mobility problem could be scenario specific.