Movement speed

[Tcao]

This is an on-going testing on units movement speed.
In the first test, the movement carry out on the highway during day time with a good weather condition, I issue order to the units and then record many hex they can move in 30min. In the future more tests will be done on : secondary road, on the open field, in the forest. And later, change the visibility / illumination value.

I, Highway

1, M113 Mech Inf plt. (based on the game database, M113 max speed 60km/hr)
Move hasty : 36 hex. that is about 36km/hr
Move deliberate: 19 hex, 19km/hr
Assault: 21 hex, 21km/hr

2, M1 Plt ( max speed 66km/hr)
Move hasty: 40 hex 40km/hr
Move deliberate: 21 hex 21km/hr
Assault: 21 hex 21km/hr


3, M60 (including all the M60A1,A3 and M48 family), (max speed 48km/hr)
Move hasty: 29 hex 29km/hr
Move deliberate: 15 hex 15km/hr
Assault: 15 hex 15km/hr


4, Infantry squad (max speed 12km/hr)
Move hasty: 6 hex 6km/hr
Move deliberate: 3 hex 3km/hr
Assault: 3 hex 3km/hr

[Tcao]

first impression:

There is a correlation between equipment max speed and movement speed. On higher level command, this correlation is neglectable, just keep in mind that a large formation road marching speed is about 20-30km/hr. However in the game at tactical level this could cause some issue on combine arms. Just image you reinforced a T-55 tank company to a BMP-1 Bn, Hope they can jump out of ridge 5 km in front of you simultaneously and attack the enemy's reverse slope defense. The speed difference could ruin your plan.


from the manual and discussion in the forum, I believe the assault order trade order delay time, concealment and cover for movement speed. However it doesn't show assault order has any significant speed advantage compare to move deliberate order.

[WildCatNL]

There is a correlation between equipment max speed and movement speed.

If terrain is not the limitation, as in your test (highway), that's correct. Once terrain starts playing a role (absence of roads, low mobility terrain), terrain will be the limiting factor, with tracked vehicles and legged units being less affected than wheeled units.

However in the game at tactical level this could cause some issue on combine arms. Just image you reinforced a T-55 tank company to a BMP-1 Bn, Hope they can jump out of ridge 5 km in front of you simultaneously and attack the enemy's reverse slope defense. The speed difference could ruin your plan.

Sounds like a nice test to perform : )
When the T-55s and BMPs are issued orders individually, it will be tough to make them cross the ridge simultaneously.
However, when you use a group order (Deliberate or Attack) with several waypoints, the two units should move side-by-side, at the speed of the slowest group member, with occasional waits to let lagging units catch up.

[Jagger2002]

In Red Storm, I looked at arrival times on target or location. If multi-units need to arrive simultaneously, I would use delays to ensure arrival time same for all units. I don't have Southern Storm yet but I assume the same process would work.

[Tcao]

Here is the result

movement speed.jpg (168.86 KiB) Viewed 1123 times

[Tcao]

The unit speed on Highway is a little off, it is supposed to be slightly slower than Autobahn. That is probably because I made the test on two different maps.

the Highway one is on a clear terrain but with Orchards dot here and there.

The Autobahn and road tests are conducting on a forest map.

FYI, I noticed that units move on road in clear terrain can be slightly faster (3-4km/hr faster) than on road in the forest. But I decide to use the data collected from later environment. Most of the road on FCSS maps are in the forest area.

If terrain is not the limitation, as in your test (highway), that's correct. Once terrain starts playing a role (absence of roads, low mobility terrain), terrain will be the limiting factor, with tracked vehicles and legged units being less affected than wheeled units.

Too bad I forgot to add wheeled units into the test , from the data it looks like both equipment max speed and terrain play a role in movement speed.

Sounds like a nice test to perform : )
When the T-55s and BMPs are issued orders individually, it will be tough to make them cross the ridge simultaneously.
However, when you use a group order (Deliberate or Attack) with several waypoints, the two units should move side-by-side, at the speed of the slowest group member, with occasional waits to let lagging units catch up.

Thx for the advice, I still not trust group order too much, I do feel it will frequently cause a traffic jam for WP side. I would rather to have each Co. take their own avenue of advance.

[Tcao]

Again, I don't see the benefit of assault order, it has the same movement speed as deliberate but with a more exposed posture + order delay.


Another issue worth to discuss, is the tracked vehicle move too fast in the forest?

I did the test in a forest with 05% mobility in most of the hex, on the edge there are some hex at about 15% mobility

I noticed that it only takes two min for a M113 to move one hex (move hasty)
it is 14km/h move hasty and 9km/h move deliberate.

[Tcao]

In Red Storm, I looked at arrival times on target or location. If multi-units need to arrive simultaneously, I would use delays to ensure arrival time same for all units. I don't have Southern Storm yet but I assume the same process would work.

The problem is the ETA is a little buggy.
when you issue multiple WP orders with long travel distance, you will noticed that the ETA showing on the 1st turn will be significant different from the 2nd turn. I am not talking about unexpected delay here, because I have seen a game in the first turn it shows the ETA at 2031, and on second turn the ETA change to 2007, the problem is? right now the time is 2024.

[WildCatNL]

Appreciate the testing. Can you check the .zip file? It comes up as empty for me (22 bytes contents).

[Tcao]

Ooops
re-attached

it's just a spreadsheet

[HobbesACW]

In Red Storm, I looked at arrival times on target or location. If multi-units need to arrive simultaneously, I would use delays to ensure arrival time same for all units. I don't have Southern Storm yet but I assume the same process would work.

The problem is the ETA is a little buggy.
when you issue multiple WP orders with long travel distance, you will noticed that the ETA showing on the 1st turn will be significant different from the 2nd turn. I am not talking about unexpected delay here, because I have seen a game in the first turn it shows the ETA at 2031, and on second turn the ETA change to 2007, the problem is? right now the time is 2024.

Yes I noticed that as well.