Game Engine: Physics, Ground Vehicles, and Mowing

[Grimster]

I am posting Malorn's thoughts on how the physics engine could be used to improve the behavior of vehicles and mowing. All credit goes to him as he mentioned it originally here.

Originally Posted by Malorn

Things I would like to see from the new physics engine for ground vehicles.

* Mowing - I want to see infantry get squashed by tanks without a chance. I want to see infantry get seriously injured or killed by buggies and non-tanks. I want to see serious injury from all other vehicles. Stay out of the way of heavy multi-ton vehicles, ok?
* Vehicle Momentum - In the early days when physics was a little out-of-whack I recall pushing a lot of smaller vehicles with my vanguard. They just got shoved right out of the way. That made the tank a great breacher. That little ATV or lightning blocking the courtyard should not stand in the way of a tank at full speed. Charge! Break through! Great stuff with that.
* Crushing - This is my favorite thing I miss from the early days of PS. The physics used to allow a tank to smash or crush smaller vehicles. The resulting explosion would of course do damage to the tank, but crushing lightnings, buggies, and atvs was quite fun and goes back to the whole idea of this is a tank - if you see it charging at you gtf out of the way or suffer the obvious consequences.
* Terrain Traversal - We get into buggies and tanks for travel over rugged battered battlefields and terrain...tanks especially. I want to see tanks go over craters and little small rocks without much thought because there's no way a little rock is really going to stop a tank. Even small trees should suffer the wrath of the multitude of tonnage moving toward them with a bad attitude.

I think all these are valid points and could really improve the experience.