Hide in Corn

**Wambat** · February 16, 2010, 10:29 PM

One thing that has always bugged the hell out of me in evry version of RTW I have played is the corn in battle maps. It would seem the most natural thing in the world that any unit capable of hiding in "long grass" ought to be able to hide in corn fields, a.k.a. long grass.

Given that any infantry unit is up to their ears when positioned in the stuff, it would even be reasonable to hide any unmounted unit in corn that might otherwise be hidden in woods.

Is there anything that can be done about this?

**Caesar Augustus** · February 17, 2010, 10:07 AM

I agree Wambat, but I'm not sure how to go about doing this.

**Sorceri** · February 17, 2010, 06:52 PM

I just figure they have bad hayfever and all the snorting gives their position away.

**Carados** · February 17, 2010, 07:13 PM

On the flip-side hiding in a corn field is not a good way of staging an ambush. Why? The enemy can't see you, and you can't see the enemy. They are also liable to get lost. At least in long grass and forests there is some measure of visibility.

**Quinn Inuit** · February 17, 2010, 08:33 PM

True. Crops are usually pretty thick. With Indiana corn (maize), you really can't see anything if it's at full height.

**Caesar Augustus** · February 18, 2010, 07:43 AM

Ah right. So should it be made into impassable terrain or something then? My guess is you wouldn't send your troops into an area where they can't see anything?

**Carados** · February 18, 2010, 08:38 AM

They hardly ever play any role in my battles so really they should just be left.

**GraaEminense** · February 18, 2010, 09:32 AM

Of course it doesn't play much of a role, because it's counted as open ground...

It looks good though, and I agree with Wambat: if it could be modified to count as tall grass, it would be nice. It does block line of sight after all, so it should be possible to hide in it -and regarding the "no lookee out"-issue, that would conceivably be solved by having a couple of advance scouts. Most of a unit can't see what's going on most of the time anyway.

Ambushing is not very important in the game mechanics though, so it's not really a big deal.

Certainly not impassable, that would be just silly.

**Irenaeus** · February 18, 2010, 09:36 AM

What advantage does Ambushing give in the RTW engine? I've never really used it, as it didn't seem to make much difference to me.

**Quinn Inuit** · February 18, 2010, 09:14 PM

Yeah, I've never really gotten much out of it, either. The game doesn't implement it very well.

**Caesar Augustus** · February 19, 2010, 07:41 AM

I guess it would just be easier to leave it. I was just thinking that it wouldn't make sense to send a group of soldiers to stand in some crops. I'm in favour of either not being able to move over crops or them not appearing on the battle map, but that would just be ridiculously effort intensive and may be hard coded.

I've never really achieved a proper ambush effect either. About the closest I've had is moving troops through thick forest to attack the enemy from the rear or hiding some spearman in there as a counter to any cavalry going for my "exposed" skirmishers.

**Juan_de_Marco** · February 19, 2010, 08:19 AM

*ahem*.

(now I get what was meant 'stay for the historical discussions' on this forum: I study at an agricultural university) Wheat is not corn. And it grows to a height of about a meter. It can grow quite thick yes, but not so high.

So it is tall grass indeed, but not as tall as in the battlefield map. For the game effect, GraaEminense has nailed it I think, if possible, mod to tall grass. For the visual effect, the wheat needs to be cut down drastically.

**Quinn Inuit** · February 19, 2010, 09:17 PM

So the wheat in-game is too high? I'd never really given it much thought, TBH. I've spent very little time in farmland, and all of it was corn (maize) country.

I don't have the slightest idea how to do any battlefield editing, but I think I might be able to convince the game to treat crops as tall grass. I'll give it a shot.