Command and Control

[jomni]

possible penalties of an isolated squad:
1) decrease in morale (easier to rout)
2) command delay (if it is implemented in the engine)

[Capitaine]

ORIGINAL: jomni

possible penalties of an isolated squad:
1) decrease in morale (easier to rout)
2) command delay (if it is implemented in the engine)

I think the command delay would be critical due to the increased difficulty coordinating with the other squads. I would, however, prefer a partially random delay to reflect that the squad is using its own initiative which is unpredictable.

[PDiFolco]

Morale decrease, tendency to cower, delays, combat penalties (because lack of leadership) are all good possibilities.
What seems important imho is that penalties should be very dependent of unit quality and training ; crack commando troops would have near none, but conscripts or other Volksturm should be near useless if left alone.
THAT will give a real sense to platoon level command and entice players to employ command structure properly, rather than arbitrary limitations all over the board, forcing you to extreme phoney situations - like having separate Halftracks platoons for each of your platoons, and be unable to give efficient orders if 1 halftrack stumbles on a mine .
 
But delays will appear very CM-esque ! [:'(]

[Capitaine]

Soviets already have order delays in PCK.  It's just a matter of expanding the concept. [;)] (Order delays are not a weakness of CM in any event, IMO.)
 
What you say about unit quality and/or training to operate independently makes sense as well.  And there is some quirkiness in the platoon orders, espec. as applied to transports and the like, it seems.  Thing is I can't tell what is intended and what the rationale might be.  Things might not be apparent to me/us right now, but Erik could explain the intent and it might make sense.  I like the premise of the orders, and I'm reserving judgment on it all until I have more playing time under my belt.

[thewood1]

Its not CM-esque any more.  BFC has pretty much bad mouthed them for CMSF.

[Mobius]

The alternative is to give orders by company for the Soviets.   This would be a little hard on small scenarios as you might just get one company to play with.
 
What might be wierd is to give a company HQ an order (from menu) then have a tailored suborder menu for its platoon HQ units then have a submenu of that for individual unit orders.

[Agrippa]

A lot of really good ideas here.  I'm looking forward to the mixed platoons.

[thewood1]

I think the mixed platoon issue is becoming one of the key issues right for game play.  If I try to replicate an infantry company, it should get a heavy weapons platoon.  Right now that platoon has to stay together instead of being doled out and attached to an infantry platoon for support.
 
Is there someway in the XML files I can create a company with heavy weapons as an organic part of the platoon?

[Erik Rutins]

No, but you can make platoons that have one HMG in each to allow complete independence. Even with the existing platoons, the out of command penalties are not exactly harsh enough to make them ineffective if you have to spread them out, these are minor penalties.

[thewood1]

Its not the penalties so much as moving an HQ and then having to go across the map to cancel someone elses order.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: thewood1
Its not the penalties so much as moving an HQ and then having to go across the map to cancel someone elses order.

Sure - I guess I don't spread things out quite as widely then, but if I do need to jump from one platoon member to another, I do tend to just double-click on the next icon in the HUD rather than scroll around.

[thewood1]

That is a CMBB habit.  It takes a effort to remember the HUD.  But at the same time, being able to assign/detach would make life a heck of a lot easier.

[rickier65]

ORIGINAL: thewood1

That is a CMBB habit.  It takes a effort to remember the HUD.  But at the same time, being able to assign/detach would make life a heck of a lot easier.

I've gotten to where the HUD is my main mode of selecting units now ( I still sometime direct slect from map, but not nearly as much as I did to start). But, you need to be careful if you have some units on direct fire targets,and some on area targets. selecting by HUD might give you some incorrect info. (see note in Tech support section).

To be honest, I wasnt sure I like the HUD when I first started playing, but now, I use it constantly -- not only for selecting units but IDing command platoons, moving quicky back an forth from command platoon to anohter squad. Between the HUD and the "U" toggle, I feel like I get a pretty good image of the battle field.

Rick

[thewood1]

To me, the HUD is the biggest in-game advancement.  It gives great situational awareness of the battle.