Land Transport Improvements

Hepps

@redrum That is a good intermediate step.

CrazyG

@redrum
One really nice about the current land transport is the ease of use

So maybe we could leave the current way as is, and treat it as the basic transport system

Then get a new one going with more capacity, which would be more complex, like the current air transport system

Cernel

@redrum So, will all the current functionalities of land transports be kept whatever the new system? In particular I'm referring to:

The ability to pick up a (not yet moved) unit on the move, not only from the starting territory.
The ability to keep moving on and even transporting more after having already transported some.

I'm a bit worried by the "so they then function like air transports" thing.

Losing the simplicity of the current system would be a drawback, but I'm mainly concerned if this matter is going to keep all that it is currently possible? If not, I guess I would second on keeping the current land transport system too, tho I'm not a fan of the idea itself. Personally, I'm not really bothered much by the current limits, and for me it could stay as it is (of course, all good if all is purely additive, like these short term planned changes).

So, basically, what I'm asking, is the intention, whatever the changes may be, of nothing being lost of the possibilities currently already available (that you have already listed at the first post)?

Hepps

@redrum So if you are working on this... while also trying to keep the same functionality....

Are you at the same time trying to find a way to create a method of specifying which units can transport which units?

IE. Let's say you have a train (don't know why I might choose that as an example) and the train is capable of transporting; tanks, Infantry, trucks, artillery, .... But you also have a truck which can potentially only transport Infantry and artillery.

Will there be a way to specify which type of transport can carry which type of unit?

I am thinking something like this...

I'm not great at what makes for good coding.... I am just going off of some of the stuff that is already in current XML's.

redrum

@hepps Initial improvements: https://github.com/triplea-game/triplea/pull/2673

Changes

Add new parameter "isLandTransportable" that functions the same as "isInfantry" which will be considered deprecated (some time in the future it will be removed all together as it is a very confusing property with a bad history).
Fix bug that didn't allow air transports and land transports to be moved in the same move.
Have units with "isLandTransport" utilize the "transportCapacity" property to determine how many units they can transport and if not set then default to being able to transport 1 unit (keeps current functionality unchanged).
Have "isLandTransportable" units utilize "transportCost" so they then function similar to sea transports. The goal then is to have the engine make a best effort to load all selected land transports and transportable units but if it selects them incorrectly then the player may need to move 1 land transport at a time.

Example
<attachment name="unitAttachment" attachTo="LargeTruck" javaClass="games.strategy.triplea.attachments.UnitAttachment" type="unitType">
<option name="movement" value="2"/>
<option name="attack" value="0"/>
<option name="defense" value="0"/>
<option name="canBeDamaged" value="true"/>
<option name="maxDamage" value="1"/>
<option name="canDieFromReachingMaxDamage" value="true"/>
<option name="isLandTransport" value="true"/>
<option name="transportCost" value="2"/>
<option name="transportCapacity" value="5"/>
<option name="canBeGivenByTerritoryTo" value="Germany:Britain:Japan"/>
<option name="isInfrastructure" value="true"/>
<option name="isAAmovement" value="true"/>
</attachment>

Hepps

@redrum Well done! Can't wait to try this little beauty out... Trains just got that much more valuable! This is going to get fun!

beelee

Rock n Roll Overdrive ! Nice : )

redrum

The PR has been merged so feel free to try it out: https://github.com/triplea-game/triplea/releases/tag/1.9.0.0.7792

Hepps

@redrum Looking at this now. Wondering... do I have to go back and change all units that are defined as "isInfantry" immediately for thiese changes?

redrum

@hepps No, isInfantry will still work for now but sometime in the future support for it will be removed and all maps updated to use isLandTransportable instead.

Hepps

@redrum Follow up question....

Let's just say you have 2 types of land transport. One being a truck and one being a train....

Lets say we leave the truck as it was originally designed... by not defining the transport capacity for the unit it should only be capable of transporting a single unit.

Now, if I add Tanks, Hvy Tanks, Mobile Art., Hvy. Art. Mech Inf. all to being land transportable for the train.... does this not mean that the truck will be capable of transporting all of these units? Seems to me it will.

redrum

@hepps That's correct. Any unit with no transport capacity defined is able to transport any "1" unit that has isLandTransportable or isInfantry. The potential solution there is to change trucks to have say transportCapacity="2" so they can only transport units with lower transportCost.

My general recommendation is to move all land transport units to have a set transportCapacity if any of them need that functionality so its easier to balance and more clear the functionality as it will then work the same as sea transports.

Hepps

@redrum Yup. Was just clarifying.... since now attributing the trucks with a capacity will change some of their functionality. Need to re-think some of it and plan out the changes.

Also need to examine how this will alter the Mech. Inf.

redrum

@hepps Yeah, probably want to pretty much do the same for mech as you do for trucks.

Hepps

@redrum Just tested this new feature with TWW 2.8 for the first time.

Appears to work flawlessly! Initial tests are very positive. Movement enhancements really make for a new experience.

Now the long and arduous journey begins to see how it will affect balance.