Preferred Stand-Off Range

[rmeckman]

I'm a little mystified about how the Preferred stand-off range SOP setting is working in version 3.0.1.10236. In Crossing the Waldnaab, I originally set the SOP for 6RC/PzGrenBtl 101 as shown below. The unit started in hex 3018. During the first turn, enemy units pass on the road next to 3018 but do not actually attempt to enter that hex. Yet, 6RC immediately starts withdrawing from its start hex as soon as enemy units are 1 hex away. It ends up in hex 2919 by turn end and is continuing its withdraw to 2819.

The attached save is from the end of turn 1, with the unit moving from hex 2919 to 2819. The behavior I described above can be seen by replaying the previous turn. It is not clear why a stand-off range relocation is repeatedly triggered for this unit. Does a stand-off range setting of 1 mean enemy units have to remain 2 or more hexes away?

[MauriceB]

As per the tool tip, this is the range at which the unit will fall back.

sop.png (27.68 KiB) Viewed 242 times

[rmeckman]

Back when I was playing Southern Storm, setting the stand-off range to x in my recollection meant that the unit would stay put until the enemy entered a hex that was x-1 hexes distant; at that point, the unit would relocate to get the separation back up to x or more hexes. This also agrees with the definition in the CW manual: "The number of 500 m hexes you wish the unit(s) to maintain distance from any Detected enemy units." If an enemy unit is in a hex adjacent to your unit, how many 500 m hexes are they apart? I would say the stand-off range is 1 hex and not 0. Maybe I'm not remembering this correctly from back in SS.

Perhaps the rule has always been that setting the stand-off to x means that the unit stays put until the enemy enters a hex that is x hexes distant. Then, the unit relocates to get the separation back up to x+1 or more hexes. The tool tip appears to support this interpretation.

I'm trying to clarify whether the manual or tool-tip definition of stand-off range is the one intended.

[SgtZdog]

The manual is correct. I perhaps poorly worded the tooltip.

[rmeckman]

My OP may have been primarily about terminology, namely the difference between two related terms: standoff range (minimum safe or comfortable distance) and what might be called relocation range (the distance at which the unit decides the enemy is too close, so the unit moves to a new location). In the real world, the difference between these terms is negligible. But in a game with 500 m hexes, there can be a difference. A unit with a preferred standoff range of 500 m will not withdraw when an enemy enters an adjacent hex unless some other SOP setting is triggered. (Assuming all opposing subunits in adjacent hexes are 500 m apart.) A unit with a relocation range of 500 m will withdraw as soon as an enemy enters an adjacent hex.

[SgtZdog]

The correct behavior of standoff should be to not relocate until the enemy is closer than the standoff value. There are some SOP settings (and I think unit status can have an impact too?) that can fudge the behavior some.