There’s two purposes for roads in the game; modify movement rates and modify supply costs. Supply costs, in turn, have two impacts; modify base-to-base or base-to-unit flow rate by adjusting “path-based” consumption and modify a unit’s supply consumption during movement based on cost value. Unit supply has a double whammy because moving along “slower” roads means a unit will spend more time consuming at the higher rate. Just think about what happens to consumption when you move off-road.
What Babes is doing is exactly what you suggest; only the “how” is different because of the game engine’s limitations. The whole point of the exercise is “the farther you go, the less you get”. Look at the pic below; left is the stock map; right is what I sent John 3rd. The opportunities for cutting supply lines, establishing choke points, and generally limiting offensives to arterials are endless. There are off-road avenues, but they require more consumption and time and thus, more stockpiling, more preparation, and a good deal more thought. Japan might be feeling a bit more constricted, neh?
Effects both sides equally and don’t give a squat if transport eats gas, oats, or rice. But I think the Chinese game paradigm is well suited to those sorts of operations. What would happen to the Godzilla Death Star that trundles up the road crushing all in its path when Gen. Chi Ken Fat wanders out of the mountains and parks across its supply line?
Note to Francois: checked it and there’s no change to KMT accumulation amounts at KMT bases, neither is there reduction to units on the arterials; just a reduction to units “in the paddies” and consequent increase in consumption. Chinese gotta plan for ops, too.
This is phase 1 of lumpy gravy. Phase 2 is judicious constriction of the road network as a whole. This is an ongoing project and will be discussed in the Gnarly Roads thread. But it’s looking sweet so far.
Note to Francois: worked the magic to China/Burma interface and the new system only impacts KMT supply “minimally”, but it sure as heck intensifies operational requirements in the CBI. Woof!! Will get more explicit in the Gnarly Roads thread.
Ciao. JWE
Them little weenies?? Dude ..