How to calculate engine for trucks (motorized transport)?

[mahaniok]

I know that I want to use motorized battalions, carrying around my heavy artillery and so on on motorized transport.
But it's very unclear if I can get by with initial model with "Light Diesel Engine" or do I need to create new models.

Any tips?

[FMBluecher]

I've never replaced the default truck model in any of my games. They're usually perfectly fine for everything you'd want them to do. Maybe in the super late game you get some techs that might make new models worth it, but for the most part you don't need to worry about your trucks.

[redrum68]

My understanding is that truck engines would only change the movement cost modifier. Trucks have a "carry" capacity of 5 weight which means they can carry any 1 inf/art unit no matter what those units are equipped with since they are always 5 weight. You can see the carry=5 and move mod 10% in this example truck screenshot:

[jimwinsor]

Boosting your mid-game Fuel Efficiency linear tech might make a new truck design worthwhile, especially if you are hard up for Fuel on a planet.

[DTurtle]

They can also got a slight hitpoint boost. Its one of those models you can update (with the smallest engine!) when you have nothing to upgrade for a turn.

[redrum68]

Do their hitpoints really matter? I thought they sat in the back and don't tend to get targeted until the rest of your units are retreating/killed.

[mahaniok]

thank you. it seems it's not worth it to update currently.

however it seems to be a game design flaw. light diesel engine truck shouldn't be easily able to carry huge howitzer artillery.

[Hazard151]

ORIGINAL: redrum68

Do their hitpoints really matter? I thought they sat in the back and don't tend to get targeted until the rest of your units are retreating/killed.

Sometimes there's a breakthrough and they get unlucky, but yes, for the trucks other forces in the unit are effectively ablative armour.

ORIGINAL: mahaniok

thank you. it seems it's not worth it to update currently.

however it seems to be a game design flaw. light diesel engine truck shouldn't be easily able to carry huge howitzer artillery.

That's why the artillery is dragged behind the truck.

I can believe a military truck can haul around huge artillery so long as the terrain's cooperative enough, we aren't talking civilian personal vehicles here but something the military is definitely thinking of using across most of the nation's bad terrain, up to and including heavily forrested areas, marshes and mountainous terrain. None of which exactly known for being forgiving or easily traversed.

[mahaniok]

well if the physics was in play then dragging artillery would be slower with smaller engine. in game terms there should be AP penalty. but there is none.

[newageofpower]

ORIGINAL: mahaniok

well if the physics was in play then dragging artillery would be slower with smaller engine. in game terms there should be AP penalty. but there is none.

Yah there's a glitch (dunno if it's patched out yet) where you can motorize automated turrets with huge weapons and 400mm of armor using the Battlegroup function and some Trucks.

Those turrets have >50x the weight of the truck, there's no way that should ever work.

[KarisFraMauro]

Pshaw, what do you think trucks have a nuclear engine for?

[jimwinsor]

ORIGINAL: KarisFraMauro

Pshaw, what do you think trucks have a nuclear engine for?

[:D]