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"Request permission to retreat!"


MDF

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Is there a way to give the requesting unit permission to retreat other than by switching to that unit and performing the necessary actions oneself? And, if so, to where will it retreat?

Sincerely,

Overtaxed TC

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It's usually a sign that your original planning was incomplete. For every single battle position you need to ask yourself

- where should it be

- how (from where) should my platoon enter it

- when should my platoon be there

- what needs to be done

- when to leave the position, and

- how to leave the position (egress route)

The message "Request permission to retreat" is the indicator of a dire situation because no egress route was specified, or because the embark conditions on it prevent the unit from abandoning their position. That may be intentional ... but in the vast majority of cases for the vast majority of all players it probably is the indicator for an oversight in preparation.

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To add to that:

IIRC it is used in cases where (for example) you have a Defend or Guard tactic but no non-conditioned or conditioned route from it. The unit then takes fire (Guard) or suffers heavy losses (Defend) and then the retreat condition for unconditioned route is otherwise now true, but one does not exist. Or, in the case of a conditional route, a unit has taken losses but the condition is still not true. Sort of like, "hey, are you sure you want me to stay here?" request.

Of course I could be remembering it wrong.

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That's how I remember it too (at least that's how it was intended to be). Of course, by the time that you have located the unit and made a decision what to do and plotted the egress route, chances are that there is nothing left that could retreat.

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Thank you both for the prompt replies. This gave me additional insight, so that when I went back and re-RTFM'd the "Conditioned Routes" section of the manual, it finally came together for me.

Just two follow-up questions:

(1) the retreat route should be a normal, unconditioned route, which the unit (with Defend/Guard orders) will automatically embark upon if under fire/taking losses? And, the route should probably have a "Retreat" movement speed?

(2) Assume I create (A) a route into an overwatch position, (B) a non-conditioned retreat route out the position (the implicit embark conditions mentioned on p.28 of the manual), and © a route out of the position for the unit's next bound forward. How will the unit decide between routes (B) and © when the implicit embark condition is satisfied? Obviously, one usually wouldn't want the unit to embark on ©, at least when under direct fire.

Thanks again.

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Thank you both for the prompt replies. This gave me additional insight, so that when I went back and re-RTFM'd the "Conditioned Routes" section of the manual, it finally came together for me.

Just two follow-up questions:

(1) the retreat route should be a normal, unconditioned route, which the unit (with Defend/Guard orders) will automatically embark upon if under fire/taking losses? And, the route should probably have a "Retreat" movement speed?

Well I'd make it conditional on the unit "taking direct fire" or if you want more control, to specificy how many vehicles to remain in the units before it embarks on the route.

So if "taking direct fire" is too early and its say a 4 vehicle unit, you can specify if unit X has three vehicles.

That way it wont bug out straight away, but will wait until its taking "effective" direct fire (i.e. taking losses) before it goes.

(2) Assume I create (A) a route into an overwatch position, (B) a non-conditioned retreat route out the position (the implicit embark conditions mentioned on p.28 of the manual), and © a route out of the position for the unit's next bound forward. How will the unit decide between routes (B) and © when the implicit embark condition is satisfied? Obviously, one usually wouldn't want the unit to embark on ©, at least when under direct fire.

Thanks again.

Similar to above - you can have the unit embark on the fwd bound if its "not" taking effective fire and again can control the granularity by saying once the condition is satisfied wait X time before you embark - so it doesn't just plunge fwd without "checking" to see that its not taking fire.

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Gibsonm,

Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense. I am guilty of the rookie error of largely overlooking the conditional route logic, thinking it was intended for use in scripting AI opponents, rather than for use by players "on the fly" during the course of a mission.

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