Auto rally...to use or not to use

Pack Rat · Post by **Pack Rat** » Sun Dec 31, 2000 9:53 am

Maybe someone has already made up their mind one way or the other or perhaps many like me have just had it on for years, well as long as a Steel Panthers has been on a hard drive. I got to thinking a game or two ago and have been watching things since. Let's say you make a mad dash towards an unseen enemy and find yourself in the thick of it. You've used all shots, but more enemy units keep appearing, no retreat can be made because all movement points have been used. Sound familar? Yeah yeah I know, don't move so fast, but I do it, I like to do it and I'll continue to do it because I got away with it once I think

Anyway with auto rally on it is possible that the unit will rally to the point where it is buttoned. If auto rally is off you can leave the unit at the route or retreat status and it hopefuly will move out of harms way.

Just curious what you all think.

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Your mine is a terrible thing to lose.
Pack Rat

RobertMc · Post by **RobertMc** » Sun Dec 31, 2000 10:18 am

Hmmmm. Interesting. I've always used auto-rally on, but your post has gotten me thinking that having the auto-rally off may be beneficial at times.

AmmoSgt · Post by **AmmoSgt** » Sun Dec 31, 2000 2:15 pm

You mean that that panther could still MOVE?? no way NO WAY !!!!

Warrior · Post by **Warrior** » Sun Dec 31, 2000 5:12 pm

Interesting post, Pack, I've never really thought about what auto-rally does - just leave it on. Think I'll try for awhile with it off and see what happens.

Dave_R · Post by **Dave_R** » Sun Dec 31, 2000 5:37 pm

Good point Pack Rat!
Perhaps what would be usefull would be an auto rally confirm routine something like the routine now in place for Op fire, then you can decide which units are going to try and rally again, or stay broken, and hopefully get out of dodge!

I may be wrong on this next point, but I get the feeling that auto rally gives units that have already failed a their rally, a free go at getting their act together, so perhaps a better way to have the auto rally routine work would be to have it just check those units that are still able to rally, ie those units that haven't failed a rally, or have failed a rally but have had a higher command leader move into proximity

Flashfyre · Post by **Flashfyre** » Sun Dec 31, 2000 9:44 pm

I like to leave AutoRally on, because the benefit of units having "a free go at getting their act together" outweighs the detriment of units in harm's way not running. Many times I don't want them to run, since they have found and fixed the enemy.
Also, in case I forget to rally units myself, they auto function ensures that those men will do so.

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The Motor Pool
http://www.geocities.com/aurion_eq/index.html?976419304550
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Pack Rat · Post by **Pack Rat** » Mon Jan 01, 2001 3:04 am

Originally posted by AmmoSgt:
You mean that that panther could still MOVE?? no way NO WAY !!!!

No it couldn't

, but honest I've been thinking about this for a while.

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Your mine is a terrible thing to lose.
Pack Rat

Charles22 · Post by **Charles22** » Mon Jan 01, 2001 5:25 am

OTOH, if playing the AI, do you really want his units to NOT auto-rally (assuming they do) should you turn this off? Would this make the AI an easier or not?

AmmoSgt · Post by **AmmoSgt** » Mon Jan 01, 2001 8:41 am

In all seriousness .. this is a very good thought .. one of those that starts to nibble at ya after ya hear it ... i am going to have to think on this... having control has merits

Pack Rat · Post by **Pack Rat** » Mon Jan 01, 2001 9:29 am

Well nibble on this

That Panther was routed, what exactly is the difference between route and retreat? I'm guessing that retreat means they will move. Does route mean they may move or they may not?

Dave_R does bring up an interesting point however. It does seem to me that I've often taken care of my low morale only to end the turn and see many more morale checks. Is this a second effort?

Here's another one for you, if you're blood thirsty (this is a game just kidding). If you lose your lead unit (the 0 unit) and the crew still survives, charge them at the enemy. When they die a new leader is picked and you can reduce surpression again for the group at large.

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Your mine is a terrible thing to lose.
Pack Rat

john g · Post by **john g** » Thu Jan 04, 2001 3:00 am

Originally posted by Pack Rat:
Maybe someone has already made up their mind one way or the other or perhaps many like me have just had it on for years, well as long as a Steel Panthers has been on a hard drive. I got to thinking a game or two ago and have been watching things since. Let's say you make a mad dash towards an unseen enemy and find yourself in the thick of it. You've used all shots, but more enemy units keep appearing, no retreat can be made because all movement points have been used. Sound familar? Yeah yeah I know, don't move so fast, but I do it, I like to do it and I'll continue to do it because I got away with it once I think Anyway with auto rally on it is possible that the unit will rally to the point where it is buttoned. If auto rally is off you can leave the unit at the route or retreat status and it hopefuly will move out of harms way.

Just curious what you all think.

Personally I think that auto-rally off should only be used in games with timed turns. That way a player can't use up their entire turn turn moving and shooting and then autorally for free. If I am playing untimed it is merely a convienence to play with autorally on, that way I don't have to step through all the units to make sure they have rallied as far as they can each turn.
thanks, John.