The easiest way to model supply lines and their effects, then, is to make the resupply process physical, in game. By this, I mean, supply trucks. Supply routes. Trucks follow the established (by player) routes. Trucks get to units; units resupply, trucks head back to base to fill up to resupply again.

Modeling that alone will place immense importance on protecting and attacking the supply lines, as there will be something physically there to attack. In the real world, an attack on a supply line doesn't consist of a guy in a jeep, in the middle of a road that's traveled by supply vehicles, going "hey, look, I'm threatening your supply line". It's conducted by attacking the supply vehicles themselves.

Force players to expend resources establishing and then protecting supply routes and the vehicles on them, and you'll have twice the realism of any RTS available right now.

- Pfhoenix

Quote: Original post by Pfhoenix
The easiest way to model supply lines and their effects, then, is to make the resupply process physical, in game. By this, I mean, supply trucks. Supply routes. Trucks follow the established (by player) routes. Trucks get to units; units resupply, trucks head back to base to fill up to resupply again.

It never works in real games. Supply units are too slow. If it take several turns to reach target from depot it usually don't fit into tactical time scale - several turn is a lot in the turn-based game, usually days. If it one or two turns they are no diffrent form supply routes. Also they have pathfinding problems, get lost, get stuck, have difficalties to catch moving targets and falling under the enemy fire. Rerouting making tremendous time lag. They may be realistic sometimes, but no fun for player - too much micromanagement.

Quote: Original post by serg3d

Quote: Original post by Pfhoenix
The easiest way to model supply lines and their effects, then, is to make the resupply process physical, in game. By this, I mean, supply trucks. Supply routes. Trucks follow the established (by player) routes. Trucks get to units; units resupply, trucks head back to base to fill up to resupply again.

It never works in real games. Supply units are too slow. If it take several turns to reach target from depot it usually don't fit into tactical time scale - several turn is a lot in the turn-based game, usually days. If it one or two turns they are no diffrent form supply routes. Also they have pathfinding problems, get lost, get stuck, have difficalties to catch moving targets and falling under the enemy fire. Rerouting making tremendous time lag. They may be realistic sometimes, but no fun for player - too much micromanagement.

Thanks Serg3D. I wasn't aware of any turn-based games that modeled supply that way. I have played some tactical RTS games that tried to do that, and I always found it ended up allowing totally cheesy tactics. I suppose I should research supplies in wartime and see how they're actually distributed to see if there are some interesting decisions that can be made from this.