Re: Screwy UI Resupply Code

[Peter Garrone <pgarrone at acay dot com dot au>]

On Mon, Feb 02, 2004 at 11:36:00AM -0800, Skeezics Boondoggle wrote:
> On Mon, 2 Feb 2004, Jim Kingdon wrote:
> 
> > > With the fueling development I am working on it is virtually never
> > > necessary to push a resupply task, as the units do it automatically,
> > > and the end of turn resupply code can handle the rest.
> > 
> > How does it know whether I want my bomber to take fuel from a base, or
> > give fuel to the base?  I do both things, depending on what I'm trying
> > to do.
> 
> Actually, automatic resupply can get in the way at times.  Sometimes, for 
> instance, I'll send a bomber out on a long-range mission, while a fighter 
> is returning to land and refuel.  If the fighter ends up in the same hex 
> as the bomber, it'll resupply itself - and I have to turn the bomber 
> around and refuel, or try to steal the fuel back from the fighter to 
> continue.  It's kinda silly. :-)
> 
> I could see that having in-flight refueling from a "bomber" could arguably
> be a simplified case of not requiring separate tanker units; the standard
> game has a reasonable balance between selection and simplicity (it might
> be nice to have patrol boats, or a cruiser type in between destroyer and
> battleship, but then you're moving into the advanced game territory).  
> 
> However, sometimes if a fighter goes too far out and there's a bomber
> nearby that can refuel it, that's a great way to keep from losing units if
> they're unexpectedly out of range.  But since fighters can even refuel
> from destroyers, why build carriers?  That could be considered a bug...
> 
> > Trying to make resupply more automatic is probably a good thing, but
> > getting rid of manual transfers entirely doesn't strike me as a step
> > forward.
> 
> I agree.
> 
> -- Chris

Thanks for the argument, if not the conclusion. This is obviously a
difficult issue. I want to be Napolean, not a supply clerk. If I choose
not to do manual transfers, my opponent will do them, and thereby have
an advantage.

The "do_one_take" is not properly integrated into the plan/task/action
code, and the AI cannot take advantage. Also it is curious that aircraft
would be disadvantaged by having to move to a resupply point for
fuel, then be able to do manual takes from troopships, so thats why I
think its a blight on the game.