H2H - Arty delays

[Panzer Leo]

Well folks, need some opinions here...

I've thrown a wild plea for help to Matrix to maybe make a little fix on the mech.exe and give me that repaired thingy to make it the next H2H mech.exe, but the guys are busy for good reason and I will not cry, if they simply don't have the time to...they've done enough...

But that still leaves us with a major problem, the Arty delays...

To sum it up:

Main problem is the short delay for US arty. Although it is a wanted feature to have US arty at faster response than others, the usual delay for FO called onboard arty is 0.1...

Even for the US much too fast...

Also arty crews with exp 76+ may fire at 0.2 delay (US), even offboard units...(and exp German onboard also do frequently, too)

If there will be no fix to the mech.exe, there's only one way I can offer to eliminate a part of this problem.

I can delete the "fast response artillery" status for all onboard rockets, howitzers (including selfpropelled versions).
This would slow them down by one category and they would have the same respond time like the offboard units.

Mortars will not be effected, they still will be fast response and considerable quick...

This way the US can get a 0.2 at best (only with exp 76+), other nations will have a minimum delay of 1.1 for these units.

The price you would have to pay is:

-onboard howitzer become quite inaccurate when not firing on preplanned targets
-rockets will not have their sounds anymore, but use normal arty barrage sounds

The only way to keep US arty away from 0.2 is to penalize the crews experience...

So it's your choice...higher arty delays with these costs...yes or no ?

[Jack]

I certainly don't want the sound of the artillery rockets removed. I would recommend lowering the experience level of the US crew. I read a book called The Battle of the Hurtgeon Forest and it described in detail how in August of 1944 there was roughly 20,000 deserters from the US Army hidding in Paris. ( and they where winning the war)If that is justifcation enough I am not sure. That's what I would do. I only play the H2H version too. Thank you very much for your time and effort.

[Alby]

The sound the rockets make? you mean when they are fired or when they hit?
The sound they make when they hit now is the same as large caliber arty, at least it is for me.
Any thing to reduce that .01 delay is fine with me.
Right now, Its like we've gone back to the old arty cheat days from sp3 !!
IMHO

[Jack]

I mean when they are fired. Sounds cool.

[El Vito]

Perhaps just changing the "fast response arty" classification should be enough. Messing with the American crews might cause more problems than its worth. After all, quick reponse arty was a strength for the U.S. Since there doesn't seem to be Super Shermans in Head-2-Head (thank you Leo) slowing the US Arty response should make for better battles. Thanks for the great work.

[Panzer Leo]

Originally posted by El Vito
Perhaps just changing the "fast response arty" classification should be enough. Messing with the American crews might cause more problems than its worth. After all, quick reponse arty was a strength for the U.S.

That is actually the problem...the changing of the classification does not work, except for rockets.
All other unit types (howitzers, mortars and their selfpropelled versions) are not changeable...they behave like it is hardcoded...

The faster response of the US is a wanted feature and will remain even with my changes.
If I set the delay back, it will be across the board, not only for the US...so every nations onboard Arty will become one category slower...and much more inaccurate...

The sound of the rockets to vanish is the sound when they are fired (it is actually a mix of rockets taking off with the normal sound of exploding warheads).
So the explosions are still the same, but the firing (screaming sound) will be the normal Arty barrage sound, that is heard whenever tube Arty other then mortars is fired...

This whole solution is a workaround, because the disabling of the "fast response status" does not work...otherwise it would have been a piece of cake...

[tracer]

Originally posted by Jack
I mean when they are fired. Sounds cool.

Not when you're on the receiving end, especially with the quantity you throw!

Their is one advantage to having a 0.3-0.4 delay: it lands at the end of the enemy turn so he can't make adjustments. After receiving a 0.1-0.2 bombardment you can move units to cover/replace those that remain suppressed and also reposition units whose LOS has been 'smoked'. Of course by using the 'shift fire' button the US has the luxury of both choices.

[Paul Vebber]

Any simple fix can be ignored by anyone using any of several bugs and "workarounds" to arty delays.

The 2 OOB entry was working, if its not that is unfortunate, but really fixing the problem requires a whole new arty routine and we just can't do that in the forseeable future.

Turning national characteristics off puts US onboard arty on a more even keel with 1.1 delays typically in my quick test.

Players who want to institute an aditional delay are free to agree to do so, we experimented with adding 1 or more turns and it casued the AI to never "pull the trigger" on its artillery. sorting the problem out proved to take more time than we had.

A large number of house rules can be used to impose "manual" arty delays. One good option is to always start an artillery mission from a "gold spot" and "walk it" on to the target with whatever delay that incurs being incurred. Dedicating FO's to specific Off baord batteries or battalions, and not allowing "check fires" of missions plotted to go in to keep them constantly at .1 delay iin the vicinity of enemy troops.