Move distance in difficult terrain.

[Fab]

Hi all,
just registered at this forum to follow the discussions about the game and its development, and also to ask questions about my doubts.

The first one is about the move distance of Foot troops in difficult terrain: for what I read it's the same as in open terrain (and the QRS confirms this).
Did I miss something ?

Cheers
Fab

[David Kuijt]

You're correct. Except for Warwagon and Artillery, who are foot but cannot move at all in difficult terrain.

The main rules effect of difficult terrain on foot is to make it cost more command points to move them there (same as with mounted, of course) because group moves across difficult terrain cost one command point per frontage, more or less.

And the main "mobility" advantage of Skirmishers and Rabble in difficult terrain is that they are exempt from that penalty, so groups of Skirmisher/Rabble can move through difficult terrain as groups.

[Fab]

Perfect.
Thank you

Fab

[Fab]

Mounted troops have a move distance of 3 MU when moving through difficult.

So on a steep hill (difficult terrain) a stand of Light Foot has a much higher speed than a stand of Javelin Cavalry (or Horse Bow).

I'm puzzled.

Fab

[David Kuijt]

Mounted troops have a move distance of 3 MU when moving through difficult.

So on a steep hill (difficult terrain) a stand of Light Foot has a much higher speed than a stand of Javelin Cavalry (or Horse Bow).

I'm puzzled.

Okay, what puzzles you? The intuitive definition of difficult terrain is that it is sucky for mounted troops. (Any terrain that is difficult for foot to move and/or fight upon is probably too extreme to appear as anything other than impassable on a battlefield. If a single individual on foot has real trouble moving around as he wants, then a formed unit of several hundred or a thousand men will be incapable of acting as a unit if they are in that terrain. For example a scree slope lying at the angle of repose in the Rocky Mountains of Western Canada -- a single athletic hiker can make his way up, down, or across it with some difficulty, but it would count as completely impassable for purposes of getting a unit of 1000 men up, down, or across during an active field battle).

[Fab]

In the game we only consider pieces of terrain (excluding coast) which are passable by definition by troops (several hundreds or a thousand men) .
A really difficult terrain that a unit of 1000 men counts as impassable during a battle is not considered in the game.

So my question is about the difference in move distance on the same terrain between Mounted troops and Ligh Foot.

If a unit of Light Foot (1000 men) on a "difficult" terrain (difficult as defined in the game) can move at a speed of 5 MU per turn, how can a unit of Javelin Cavalry on the same terrain move only at a speed of 3 MU per turn ?

Difficult for me to understand, sorry.

Thanks
Fab

[David Kuijt]

If a unit of Light Foot (1000 men) on a "difficult" terrain (difficult as defined in the game) can move at a speed of 5 MU per turn, how can a unit of Javelin Cavalry on the same terrain move only at a speed of 3 MU per turn ?

Difficult for me to understand, sorry.

Nothing to apologize about -- but I'm still not sure where the communications disconnect is. Usually when two people don't understand each other, it is a matter of imbedded assumptions that differ but are not mentioned. Perhaps that's what's going on here.

Is it that you see men on horses as always faster than men on foot, across any terrain? Or (to use a less strong term) perhaps that you see men on horses as never slower than men on foot?

Let's use marsh as an example. In marshy ground where their hooves sink deep, mounted are going to be no faster than close-order foot (3 MU in the game). Lightly armed Flemish pole-vaulting light spear, on the other hand, won't be impacted much at all. (pole-vaulting is used here to be funny, but crossing canals and waterways separating fields with a long pole by a technique that looks much like a mellow version of pole-vaulting is quite normal in the modern Netherlands)

[Fab]

...
Is it that you see men on horses as always faster than men on foot, across any terrain? Or (to use a less strong term) perhaps that you see men on horses as never slower than men on foot?
...

Yes, this is my thinking.

And it's usually (in my limited experience) accepted that a difficult terrain should slow down any kind of troops.

But I have no problem in accepting a different approach : when playing Triumph! I have to consider that a piece of difficult terrain is an obstacle for Mounted troops and a great opportunity for groups of fast Skirmishers !

Interesting.

Fab

[MarkusB]

@Fab-
Horses are usually very particular about how they 'feel' their footing on various surfaces, up to the point of refusing to move in some cases. The obvious examples would be rocky stretches, freshly plowed fields, and steep hillsides... You could even need to dismount and lead your horse if you wanted it to cross that very spot. On the other hand, athletic/fit people could jog across the same spot with ease. Not that I claim any expertise in being athletic/fit