Question

[wodin]

Ok Ive started to give oreders to a higher level then let the game commence.

Infact I much prefer it this way. It seems far more realistic, relying on your commanders to do the right thing.

HOWEVER.......

Say I want to send a brigade to go and secure a bridge. What happens if they come across the enemy on the way? Does the commander then automatically formulate an attack plan? The carry on to secrue the bridge? OR do you have to intervine?

You see in a scenario I was playing I sent the brigade to go and secure a bridge. However when they were moving through Arnhem they came into a heavly defended area. The waypoint for the order didnt change so I didnt know whether they were just trying to fullfill the order no matter what or they would stop, back off maybe then formulate an attack. The Brigade was moving with the engineers up front aswell as mortars and even when contact was made the HQ went forward.

After that Im guesing you have to issue new orders yes? Which when delay is set to realistic can be tricky. I guess I cant just go and issue a secure bridge order and then expect the commander to change the order when a new situation arises. It just didnt seem right that the Brigade seemed to stop and not do that much excpet take casualties nor did it move vunerable untis back and bring the infantry companies forward at least.

The scenario ended with a terrible defeat at Arnhem. It was the Air LAnding Assault scenario. DO I have to get to the bridge before all those Germans come scurrying into Arnhem, or are they all ready there!

Thanks.

[iaidoka2]

I am not an expert but the settings you choose when giving orders such as aggression, movement (eg fastest, covered, avoidance etc) etc etc will all impact on what happens in the event you describe. If I am correct, if you set movement to, say, fastest crank up aggression and ROF and sety losses to high, your forces will stop and engage. By playing with those settings, they will react slightly differently. Also, you can use the probe command rather than the move or attack command and the settings will automatically default to low losses, min aggression etc. You will probably get a more sensible/understandable response from some of the better players on the forum. What I also do is directly control enough artillery to allow me to bombard an area just prior to my forces entering - that tends to soften up the enemy a bit and flushes them out so your forces can start to gather intelligence on what is there.

[MadScot]

Yep, while the unit will make an attempt to fulfill it's original orders by advancing along the line of march, they won't really do a set piece attack to clear the enemy from the route; you need to tell them.

And yes, orders delay makes that a swine. Which is why you need to send some recce units along a proposed line of march, so that you can adjust the route of the main body(*) or order them to attack or abort with enough time to avoid ambushes (which is basically what you just had happen**).

*: useful trick - adjusting waypoints does NOT incur orders delay. So you can adjust a route to avoid reported enemy pretty much immediately.

**: what you described would sound very much like the experience of 1st Parachute Brigade at Arnhem historically!

[Arjuna]

Wodin,

ORIGINAL: wodin

Ok Ive started to give oreders to a higher level then let the game commence.

Infact I much prefer it this way. It seems far more realistic, relying on your commanders to do the right thing.

Absolutely delighted to hear that.[:)]

HOWEVER.......

Say I want to send a brigade to go and secure a bridge. What happens if they come across the enemy on the way? Does the commander then automatically formulate an attack plan? The carry on to secrue the bridge? OR do you have to intervine?

Yep, you have to intervene if you want them to launch an attack. Originally we designed the Game such that the subordinates would launch their own attacks. However, while there was nothing to stop the Player from interveneing at any point in time, most felt that there was not enough for them to get involved with. So we dropped this option from human controlled forces.

In future releases we plan to add in some user defineable Standard Operating Procedures ( SOPs ) which would amongst other options allow the Player to say I want my forces in general to launch their own attacks or not. We would then allow the Player to overide these general SOPs for any specific order he makes. that way you could say in general I don't want my subordinates launching their own attacks but for this particular order I do ( or vice versa ).

Anyway Wodin I am so pleased you bit the bullet and are enjoying the experience. All the best, [:)]

[pamak1970]

In future releases we plan to add in some user defineable Standard Operating Procedures ( SOPs ) which would amongst other options allow the Player to say I want my forces in general to launch their own attacks or not. We would then allow the Player to overide these general SOPs for any specific order he makes. that way you could say in general I don't want my subordinates launching their own attacks but for this particular order I do ( or vice versa ).

That would be really very nice
I assume that the time delay for the AI subordinate to launch his own attack will be less compared to the time delay when the human superior commander chooses to take things in hand personally.

So there will be an additional dimension of command decision for the player ,to choose between a more rapid but "poorly coordinated" attack by AI subordinates ,or go for a better plan at the expense of tempo.

[Arjuna]

ORIGINAL: pamak1970
That would be really very nice
I assume that the time delay for the AI subordinate to launch his own attack will be less compared to the time delay when the human superior commander chooses to take things in hand personally.

Yep.

So there will be an additional dimension of command decision for the player ,to choose between a more rapid but "poorly coordinated" attack by AI subordinates ,or go for a better plan at the expense of tempo.

Yes but I see the main attraction being that you can allow a force to launch attacks on its own initiative in those sectors where you don't need to focus. eg if you have a Division and you're advancing to contact on two objectives, one with just one of your Bdes ( #1 ) and the other with the rest of the Div ( #2 ). Then you may have this option turned off for #2 but on for #1. But hey there would be nothing stopping you ffrom employing this feature anyway you choose.

[JJKettunen]

I tend to use movement orders with max aggro, when moving to an area with possible, but not heavy, enemy resistance. That way I ensure that my units will at least engage the enemy as soon as possible, instead of just moving along under enemy fire and taking needles casualties etc. With painful delay on it works as a quick probe attack you see.

[Arjuna]

Keke,

Yes that's a tactic I use also.

Great minds...[;)]

[JJKettunen]

ORIGINAL: Arjuna

Great minds...[;)]

Indeed. [;)][:D]

[wodin]

When will the SOP feature appear?

I really like the sound of this.

[Arjuna]

ORIGINAL: wodin

When will the SOP feature appear?

I really like the sound of this.

wodin,

Not for a bit yet and certainly not for COTA.

[Agema]

I found the max aggro feature a real bonus when I worked it out. I'd tear my hair out when my columns of moving infantry would meet even a relatively modest force, and then dither. They'd deploy, maybe retreat, then reform to move column, be forced to deploy when they came under fire again, and so on ad infinitum. A relatively innocuous company would thus shred a whole battalion.