Trouble with Load/Unload Area

Trouble with Load/Unload Area

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CaptainMaim
Posts: 265
Joined: 04 Sep 2005, 01:25

Trouble with Load/Unload Area

Post by CaptainMaim »

My problem is, that when I build say, 20 Atlas's or 20 Valkiries and tell them to load an area with units and then unload to an area, it only works correctly the first few times. Tried repeatedly the system brakes down and units cease to get loaded even if they are in the area. Eventually no transports will come to load or unload.

Can anyone verify and or explain what to do about this?
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Aun
Posts: 788
Joined: 31 Aug 2005, 13:00

Post by Aun »

Try putting a move order into your repeat near the loading zone.
CaptainMaim
Posts: 265
Joined: 04 Sep 2005, 01:25

Post by CaptainMaim »

I do that. I usually use a repeat and tell them to move to another location after... So it's like this: Repeat: Load Area, Unload Area, Move here.

Do you suppose it's the "move here" that's messing things up? Cause they just pile ontop of eachother in a big stack that eventually doesn't send any transports.
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Aun
Posts: 788
Joined: 31 Aug 2005, 13:00

Post by Aun »

CaptainMaim wrote:I do that. I usually use a repeat and tell them to move to another location after... So it's like this: Repeat: Load Area, Unload Area, Move here.

Do you suppose it's the "move here" that's messing things up? Cause they just pile ontop of eachother in a big stack that eventually doesn't send any transports.

Hmmm... Dunno, try it. =P

I've never used mass transports in AA/XTA/an OTA mod on repeat.
dogthinker
Posts: 33
Joined: 10 Jul 2006, 09:28

Post by dogthinker »

I think you need to get a move order in that queue of yours immediately after the 'load' order (instead of (or as well as) immediately after the 'unload' order.)
CaptainMaim
Posts: 265
Joined: 04 Sep 2005, 01:25

Post by CaptainMaim »

Two move orders?

I tried that on your advice, no change.

It just seems to be the load order, If I manually click load on each unit, (the whole air fleet wastefully moves from one to the next) but I can get them all loaded, and unload to area seems to work just fine. It's just the load area that seems to brake down.

Repeat: Move Here, Load Area, Move there, Unload Area.

I can't even get 20 units moved before it ceases to funciton.

I'm also using the default mod, XTA
dogthinker
Posts: 33
Joined: 10 Jul 2006, 09:28

Post by dogthinker »

Hmm. Maybe it's something to do with the fact you are issuing the order to so many transports at once. If you issue the repeat orders individually to each transport, is it ok? I haven't tried issuing orders to such a large transport fleet before.

(Hi CaptM, yes I do recognise you from sah :wink: )
CaptainMaim
Posts: 265
Joined: 04 Sep 2005, 01:25

Post by CaptainMaim »

Okay, I've done some testing, it's DEFINATATELY the move order. If I use "Repeat: Load Area, Unload Area" It works perfectly, with one undesired effect, all my air transports idle at the drop off point. Which is where all the fighting would be.

A lesser brake down occured when adding a move to point after the load order, a greater brake down occured when adding a move to point after the unload. The lesser could be fixed with another issuing of the load area order.. redoing the orders. The greater brake down was only fixable by a complete restart of the game.

And yes loading individually works fine, but it's inefficent for moving a large group. The unload area seems to work fine and does not appear to brake down.

I also tried adding a patrol order instead of a move order. Strange things happened as they took the unload area as a patrol point. They also were derelict in their duties of loading from an area when patrol was used, "Repeat: Load area, Unload Area, Patrol point A, Patrol point B. "
dogthinker
Posts: 33
Joined: 10 Jul 2006, 09:28

Post by dogthinker »

I think the former of the two methods you've listed here is the method described in one of the articles on this site. I'll have to test to see if I get the same results as you. Regarding the latter method - was the problem so bad you couldn't issue new orders to the transports, or would they just not pick up units any more? I'm surprised you couldn't clear the orders just by turning off repeat and stopping the transports. Perhaps the units to be lifted get some sort of 'I'm getting picked up' tag that isn't getting cleared...?

Sequences of patrol orders can never be completed, so that part looks fine. They would've used the unload area as the 'starting point' for the patrol orders.

In terms of a short term workaround... I can't think of anything short of just making sure the transports are in a group so it's easy to grab them and manually order them to fly to safety once they've completed their work of shifting the existing large army.

For cases where you are planning to move a lot of not-yet-built units with not-yet-built transports, then you might like to issue the orders (including the extra 'move' order) to the aircraft construction plant (you said it works fine with orders issued individually, so I'm guessing this would be fine.) The obvious drawback being you can't start the initial invasion with one big rush...

Long term, I guess the ideal solution (from a development POV) would be to modify the way the orders are understood by the transports - I'd have area pickup orders on empty areas result in the transports circling the empty 'pickup' area waiting for cargo rather than have them just wait at their current location or move on to the next order.
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Soulless1
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Joined: 07 Mar 2006, 03:29

Post by Soulless1 »

you say the units form a stack? Its probably cos they can't all get to the waypoint then - try using an alt+move order in the queue instead of a normal one - it'll spread the waypoints out so they don't get stuck as much :-)
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Dragon45
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Joined: 16 Aug 2004, 04:36

Post by Dragon45 »

Only way to solve area command conflicts is to use an AI.
CaptainMaim
Posts: 265
Joined: 04 Sep 2005, 01:25

Post by CaptainMaim »

Using Alt+Move worked better... Some of the units, a small percentage, simply would not get loaded. Consistantly. But mostly the problem appears to be gone.

I've now got a parkinglot instead of a stack.
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