I've fully changed my mind on these. The reason is that I've found that so many variations of cars and locomotives were employed during the war. Trains played a huge role, transporting units across wide distances swiftly over just about any terrain, the sturdy metal rails carrying the steam-driven titans and their cargo from home to the front lines.
I didn't like the idea of including a whole new system just for locomotives and boxcars. However, as I said, the engineers at that time were creative...
General abilities for all trains: Reverse, Push, Couple, and Decouple. Reverse: Locomotive can move in two directions. The direction it chooses to travel in depends on the waypoint it is told to move to (ie. if it is told to move to a point roughly ahead of it, it'll move ahead). Push: Any cars in the way of the locomotive will be pushed by the locomotive. Cars that are pushed this way do not need to be coupled. Couple (select unit and press key): Couple connects the car behind the selected car or the locomotive so that it is pulled along by the locomotive along with the already connected cars. Cars that are in front of the train (relative to the trains direction) will be pushed and thus do not need to be connected unless the train changes direction. Decouple (select unit and press key): Decouple disconnects the car behind the selected car or locomotive. These are the thingies that make trains run. Blow 'em up and your cars won't get anywhere. However, they can take a bit of damage and they can run down infantry on the rails like a bike running over a snail. Just to make a short note on the locomotives' special ability: I know that people will react to the locomotive's bulldoze attack. No, in my opinion it should not be a free ability. Why not, when a speeding train can make short work of anything made of flesh? Because of balance. The tanks in the game should, realistically, all be able to run down infantry, shouldn't they? But there's the balance issue. The locomotive is unarmed, not a military juggernaut to run through your base if the enemy tries to hit you with infantry. Boxcars Flatbed cars with an 88mm flak cannon on them. Railway cannon The railway cannon was used by the nazis during the second world war. It is what the name implies: A huge artillery mounted on a long flatbed train car. Shells from the cannon could hit targets miles away. This one would be a nice German unique unit, and it'd fit nicely with the existing brutal strenght of the German civilisation. Notes on "Y-intersection": I imagine these intersections and the switches involved would make for at least one interesting puzzle in an official or custom scenario. You have a locomotive, rails, boxcars, and intersection, pick up these cars and then find a way out If a railroad is dragged onto another paralell railroad, this intersection will be placed by the game automatically. If a railroad is dragged a perpendicular railroad, this intersection will be placed by the game automatically. Different nations would have different types of trains with different stats and Railyards and rails that vary in price and Hit Point strengh. My main issue with trains is the fact that rails are, realistically, very easily destroyed, and it takes only one destroyed rail segment to keep a train from moving from point A to point B. I simply do not know how to deal with this in a way that feels good and realistic, except to have the player patrol the rail lines and discouraging building of railroads too far away from your base. As to trains being undefended against land units, well, I like to compare them with British APCs. Lightly armed, but with a gang of Tommies inside ready to jump out when needed. I don't expect trains to be released in a patch (I'm not that dumb), but as an expansion pack add-on, they'd add a lot to the game. Middie [This message has been edited by Midgard Eagle (edited 03-01-2004 @ 11:04 PM).]
Type of unit: Train engine
Good versus: See special
Counter with: Tanks, anti-tank, artillery, naval units, air units.
Special: - Can only travel on railroads.
- Can pull up to six other cars, including other locomotives.
- Bulldoze ability: Can spend Power to severely damage infantry near it.
Type of unit: Train transport car
Good versus: Does not attack
Counter with: Tanks, anti-tank, artillery, naval units, air units.
Counter with: Tanks, anti-tank, artillery, naval units, air units.
Special: - Can only travel on railroads.
- Can transport 14 ground units.
Good versus: Air units
Counter with: Tanks, anti-tank, artillery, naval units, air units.
Special: - Can only travel on railroads.
Unit type: Train artillery gun
Good versus: All ground units, buildings
Counter with: Tanks, anti-tank, artillery, naval units, air units.
Special: Can only travel on railroads.
Builds and repairs trains. A few segments of rails are placed automatically by it when it's built.
The essentials of the trains. Placed in lines like walls or American mine fields by citizens. Railroads are pretty easy to sabotage, though, sporting only few Hit Points.
Essentially, this is a rail "building" that can be built to connect two rails moving in the same direction. Select the intersection and press the Switch key (like you would the close gate key with a gate) to choose which of the rails the oncoming train will swing onto.
Allows perpendicular rails, or rails meeting in a "plus sign", to overlap each others. This intersection also allows for allied railways to intersect.