Matrix Games Forums

A couple of questions on direct fire combat.

I had a German stinger unit fire on and shoot down a couple Rus helicopters at a range of 7 hexes or 3500 meters. Checking the subunit stinger weapon, it has a range of 5000 meters, so w/i weapon range. Then checking unit sensors, the max identify range is 2500 meters while the max classify range is 5000 meters. So the helicopters were shot down 1000 meters beyond the units ability to identify the targets. However other German units closer to the target had identified the helicopters from within their identify range. So will units effectively fire and destroy targets beyond their own identify range or if a unit is identified by any unit, is the target considered identified by all units? Also, is it correct to assume a unit will not open direct fire before identifying a unit? I suspect identify and effective ranges plays a major role in determining when a unit opens fire.

Effective range vs maximum range. I am looking at a German Marder platoon with Marder, infantry and Milan infantry weapons subunits. The 2 primary weapons are the Milan w/2000 meter range and the 20mm autocannon w/3000 meter range. I check the range ring for the Marder platoon and see the effective range is 2000 meters and max range is 3000 meters. Now I go to SOPs to set Direct Fire Discipline. If I set the range to max range, I assume the Milans will be fired at 2000 meters and the 20mm autocannon at 3000 meters. The autocannon would be firing beyond the 2000 meter effective range which really is not what I want. So I could set the SOP Direct Fire Discipline to 2/3 max range. I assume then that the Milan would fire at 1300 meters while the 20mm autocannon would fire at 2000 meters. All of that seems to make sense. However I am wondering if the SOP Direct Fire Discipline applies to all direct fire weapons or only to the primary or longest range weapon system? I am also wondering which is considered the primary weapon-the autocannon or the ATGM? When I see effective range in the range rings, how do I know which weapon is being referred to-the Milan or the 20mm autocannon? I am a little confused in this area.

The reality is I don't want the 20mm autocannon firing before effective range, producing few hits and giving away a defensive position. I do want the Milan firing at max range because it is effective at max range and the sooner it is knocking out targets the better before getting knocked out themselves. It almost feels like setting a specific range for opening fire with all weapons might have been a clearly option for SOP fire discipline vs selecting a percentage max range.

Just a quick note that your questions have been seen, that they are great questions, and are not being ignored.
In order to provide helpful answers, we need to do some digging and checking. Bear with us.

No problems. I am still learning and experimenting w/how best to play the game and that info would be helpful. No particular hurry though.

More background on spotting (detection / classification / identification):
- detection suffices for engaging a threat (underlying assumption: units are sufficiently aware of friendly positions, and at war)
combat (direct fire) is more effective when spotting quality is higher (detected, classified, identified)
- indirect fire is more accurate when spotting quality is higher
- identification and classification are sticky. If the spotted unit moves out of identification or classification range while remaining under observation, the spotting unit keeps the identification/classification label, representing the intel acquired for that unit
- units are aware of hostile units which are not spotted directly, but solely by other friendly units. This is used for tactical decision making, but not for spotting

SOP ranges:
- SOP effective range is to set to each weapon separately. 2/3 max range would limit the Marder's Milan to 1300m and the Marder's autocannon to 2000m
- SOP direct fire range applies to all direct fire weapons
- range rings are being displayed for the longest range weapon

I'll bring up the SOP range issue in the team. I see how the implementation, as described above, complicates defining clear engagement zones. Three SOP fire discipline settings have this problem of potentially varying with weapon system: short, effective range and max range.

Thanks Wildcat! That helps quite a bit.