Making dessert maps (dust trails)

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Wed Dec 26, 2001 8:49 am

What tells the program to use dust trails on a dessert map?

Do the dust trails affect LOS?

Sand dunes are level 1. Does that mean they block LOS for same level firer to target?

Should sand dunes be avoided when moving through with vehicles?

I would really appreiciate it if someone could help me out on the above questions. Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas to all. BTW I am expecting some turns from you guys that I am playing against.

Warrior · Post by **Warrior** » Wed Dec 26, 2001 10:34 am

1) When you pick a desert map, you get dust trails.
2) Dust trails can block LOS.
3) Level 1 won't block LOS to another Level 1.
4) Sand dunes can slow vehicle and troop movement, but won't cause more than normal immobilization. Sand depressions should be avoided.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Wed Dec 26, 2001 10:42 am

Thanks Warrior
Now what about two units on level 0 but there is a level 1 sand dune in between them. Does that level 1 sand dune block LOS?
When I put the mouse over the sand depression hex, it simply states that current level of that terrain. Sort of misleading I expected it to say -1 depression.
Thanks again.

Warrior · Post by **Warrior** » Wed Dec 26, 2001 5:56 pm

Originally posted by Jack:
Thanks Warrior
Now what about two units on level 0 but there is a level 1 sand dune in between them. Does that level 1 sand dune block LOS?
When I put the mouse over the sand depression hex, it simply states that current level of that terrain. Sort of misleading I expected it to say -1 depression.
Thanks again.

Usually sand dunes won't block the LOS. Sand depressions are usually -1 and identify the depression and elevation. Perhaps there was another terrain there first that was deleted and the sand depression added. I've had many hassles with desert maps. I'll build a nice map of a flat desert floor, add terrain like dunes and depressions, rocks, etc., and suddenly find weird elevations (of up to 25) all over the place. Much work to find and remove all of them.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Wed Dec 26, 2001 8:15 pm

Thanks again Warrior,
You da man.

mogami · Post by **mogami** » Thu Dec 27, 2001 5:13 am

Greetings. You can get rid of dust trails by using these steps to make map
select desert (this generates map with just desert hexs)
then switch from desert to summer.
the map still has all desert but now there will be no dust trails. (use this for winter periods in desert (when it rains) or for areas where the desert floor was really hard. (the loose dust in these areas blew away long ago and it is like driving on a hard surfaced road.

If you add all your terrian features and just switch to summer right before you save you also avoid those give away dust clouds.

Redleg · Post by **Redleg** » Thu Dec 27, 2001 11:52 am

After watching film clips on Easter front in Summer today, unless it has been raining, dust trails should be used in all summer East Front scenarios!

You can do this by loading the map and clicking on Desert and then saving the scenario.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Thu Dec 27, 2001 8:25 pm

Redleg,
Dust trails are a nice feature but from a PBEM standpoint really take away from not knowing were the enemy is until you see him. I just finished a hotseat game and you can see your opponents dust trails.
I like the idea of dust trails but it does take away from the game when you can see were he has been and you are on the other side of the playing area. I won't play a game anymore where dust trails are involved against another humane.

Redleg · Post by **Redleg** » Thu Dec 27, 2001 11:29 pm

Dust trails can be a super deception in pbem.

Try running a gang of vehicles single-file to a point and then retrace several hexes back. Is it a vehicle? Is it a company? Is it a truck? Tank?

Where is it?

Soon there are dust trails everywhere and they no longer provide clues about enemy activity.

Scorpion_sk · Post by **Scorpion_sk** » Fri Dec 28, 2001 2:04 am

*Gah*
*Arrrgh*

Phew, managed not to crack some silly dessert-jokes <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

Have a nice new year, folks!

Capt. Pixel · Post by **Capt. Pixel** » Mon Dec 31, 2001 4:58 am

I have purchased jeeps, kubelwagens, ACs, etc. for the purpose of 'zig-zagging' a confusing smoke pattern to broadcast to my opponent. I'll also avoid moving serious combat units a turn or two, so as not to give away their position prematurely. This seems to work reasonably well, most of the time

. But it is a tedious process who's only reward is the occasional 8" barrage that comes in on a lone Kubelwagen in the middle of nowhere. <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">

I see this feature as a simple representation of some of the disinformation tricks that Rommel used in North Africa. By the way, will we be able to 'disguise' kubelwagens as PzIIIs in CL?