Rule Question about Ground Unit Movement on Pavement with Level Changes

[BiggRigg42]

According to page 61 of TW, "...roads may allow passage through prohibited or difficult terrain." Let us say we have a very steep, paved road. This paved road goes from a level-0 hex to an adjacent level-3 hex. Can a ground unit travel along this road from the level-0 hex to the level-3 hex? Without the road, such a level change would be prohibited terrain. However, on page 61, TW further says, "Ground units may move through prohibited terrain while traveling on a road, but they must begin and end their movement through such terrain on the road and remain on it while traversing the terrain."

Can, say, a hover tank move from a level-0 hex to an adjacent level-3 hex if said hover tank travels over a road?

[Xotl]

Rules as written, it's seems to be legal: the issue comes down to whether or not a level change counts as "terrain" in this case, which I can't recall off-hand.  I'd be fine with it.

[BiggRigg42]

Rules as written, it's seems to be legal: the issue comes down to whether or not a level change counts as "terrain" in this case, which I can't recall off-hand.  I'd be fine with it.

Ah, I will look into the definition for "terrain." Thank you.

[BiggRigg42]

I think page 31 of TW does define "level" as a type of terrain.

[Weirdo]

Do the roads allow you to pass through the terrain for free, or do you still have to pay the extra mp? If it's the latter, I'd assume the road in question is a switchback, with the extra mp representing the time spent going back and forth.

[RifleMech]

At least for vehicles wouldn't they have to still pay for level changes and wouldn't that cost be mitigated some by the fact that it's a road and vehicles get a bonus MP on roads?

[Simon Landmine]

I believe that, even when travelling on a road, vehicles have to pay for elevation changes (although, as noted, the extra MP for driving on the road would to an extent ameliorate that).
It's noted as an unusual and special rule for one of the Tukayyid maps where there's a road where that does not apply.

D'oh. Just re-read the OP, having had coffee this time. I get what you're asking now. [facepalm]

[Xotl]

Oh absolutely: you'd definitely still have to pay for the elevation change.  The only question that I see is whether or not it's a legal move at all.

I suppose I should just dig out the books and see if it's covered.  If not, I'll make a formal errata note.

[RifleMech]

I thought vehicles were restricted to how many elevations they could go up per hex but I suppose a road would change that.

[SCC]

Oh absolutely: you'd definitely still have to pay for the elevation change.  The only question that I see is whether or not it's a legal move at all.

I suppose I should just dig out the books and see if it's covered.  If not, I'll make a formal errata note.

I'm not so sure. I mean logically it makes sense, but remember up thread this:

I think page 31 of TW does define "level" as a type of terrain.

Which would mean that the elevation changes also count as terrain that the road overrides.

[Weirdo]

No. If that were true, scenarios and maps wouldn't need special rules explicitly saying that their roads or ramps give you level changes for free.

[BiggRigg42]

No. If that were true, scenarios and maps wouldn't need special rules explicitly saying that their roads or ramps give you level changes for free.

I believe page 31 does define "level" as a type of terrain.

"The forests, rivers, hills,...represent a typical mixture of terrain.... The following symbols represent each type of terrain..."

The very next symbol is "Level."

[Paul]

Can, say, a hover tank move from a level-0 hex to an adjacent level-3 hex if said hover tank travels over a road?

No. The terrain being prohibited or not isn't relevant. You can't change that many elevations per hex, regardless of whether the destination terrain is permissible or not.

[BiggRigg42]

No. The terrain being prohibited or not isn't relevant. You can't change that many elevations per hex, regardless of whether the destination terrain is permissible or not.

Thank you.

[Iceweb]

No. The terrain being prohibited or not isn't relevant. You can't change that many elevations per hex, regardless of whether the destination terrain is permissible or not.

While this may be the flat rule by a strict reading of the rule, this is also a tactical map, showing that units with a weight less than the CF of the "road" can get from Hex A to Hex B easier rather than a flat piece of ferrocrete going from A to B. 

That road is designed to get from A to B and if the terrain goes from 0 to 3 it was taken care of when building the "road".  It might be switchbacks, it might be a set of tunnels, it might be a huge vehicular ski lift that can handle vehicles up to the road's CF (which are normally very high).  Either way I can drive from A to B going along the road. 

Think for example of the Panama canal.  The height of the two different oceans is great but they use a series of locks to change the water level to get from one end to the other.  Sure we are talking about a different scale but it is basically an ocean road in the sense of drawing a Btech map. 

So depending on how harsh you want to read the rules you could say they can't travel it, or you could house rule it that as long as you pay the elevation costs to change hexes you can travel a road from end to end.  It just makes logical sense, in a game tries to be relatively hard on the scale, as it gives a lot of yeah that's a tactical abstraction.   

[Paul]

You can houserule whatever you want, but you shouldnt see any canon maps that permit that steep 60 degree grade. And most vehicles would not realistically be able to traverse it with or without a road.

[Simon Landmine]

Yep. After all, a hex is only 30m across. If you're going to have switchbacks and hairpin bends, it would be more likely that you would be covering a number of hexes to climb those levels.