Most Units Should Walk Faster on Roads

[fredrikhcs]

Most units, except for instance water units, should walk faster on roads.

[Trau]

Doesn't it frighten you that if I just said "No," it would present an equal, if not better argument than you have made?

[fredrikhcs]

Ok, then. Reasons: many existing tiles increases or decreases speed. Swamps decrease speed, for instance, and for water units, deep water tiles increase units' speed. Boosting speed on roads would not only be a logical thing to add to the game without closer consideration, but it would also boost the tactical possibilities of the game, paving new ways for players and map creators alike to add to the game.

But you're right; This idea brings about tons of counter arguments, such as... some units - especially dwarves - may sprain their ankles on those hard-to-walk-on stone roads, or drop things between the cavities of the stones, and lose a hex or two trying desperately to get their beloved belongings out of there. So roads would be really imbalanced towards the dwarf race, and therefore the dwarves should get 15% increased income. But it's too much work, so let's skip this idea in the first place.

Honestly, can you find any counter arguments? You know, I didn't write any for or against because I just couldn't think of any. So unless you say "no", try to add something constructive to the thread instead of dismissing it. I guess it's too much to expect that people would understand the meaning of roads.

[Chris NS]

It would take a humongous amount of work to rebalance the game that way.

Is that enough?

[thespaceinvader]

Most land-based units already have their maximum movement on roads and flat terrain. I think you misunderstand the point of MP - they show the fastest that unit can move in the time a turn takes on their best terrain. Adding extra MP on roads makes absolutely no sense, when it would essentially mean that those units would be going faster than their fastest possible movement over those terrains.

A dwarf's 4 or 5 MP, for instance would represent him going at a flat run on his little stubby legs through either hills/mountains, which he can navigate, being a dwarf, easily; or across flat terrain such as roads, plains, where there's nothing to get in his way. When it takes more MP to go a single hex, for instance, in forest, water or swamp; that's representative of the difficulty that dwarf has in passing those terrains, which takes up more of his time and energy, and therefore limits him to lower speeds than a flat run.

[Noy]

Its been rejected.

#1 Balancing.
#2 Change to movement dynamics. It would require fractional movement rates which have been rejected because it overly complicates the game.
#3 Realism: First if a person went to a grassland to a road hex to a grassland hex under a new movement system they would gain a benefit, when in reality, no such benefit should be possible.
#4 Realism argument 2. Just because roads exist it does not mean they use it. In combat, units expecting combat don't walk single file on a road, because it invites an ambush. They often walk in lines abreast to ensure cover front, so most people wouldn't take advantage of a road, they would have to trudge through the surrounding territory. Now wesnoth isn't precisely realistic, and whether units represent individuals or multiple units is a matter for debate, this offers a realism counter argument to the need for roads.

Since we've discussed this and its been rejected at the developer level, I'm going to lock it