Matrix Games Forums

Nothing burned me up more in CM than when I would give targets for my units to fire at and then after firing at them once they would start to pick and choose their own targets. Like I had an assault setup on this strongpoint the AI had setup and I wanted my tanks to support my infantry advance on it. Well they fired once and then proceeded to fire at some low priority vehicle in my mind like one of those Sdkf2's across the map and my assault gets wiped out for lack of suppressing HE fire from my tanks. The infantry does no less and only obeys my initial order once most of the time as well. How does the obeying of orders work in Kharkov? At least in Steel Panthers when I give an order to fire on a target they fire on that target and that is why my assaults work so often in that game.

My suggestions might be and I'll add them to my wishlist is there are commands added for firing orders. One would or could be "FIRM" and the other could be "FIRE AT WILL". This way if I want assured support fire I can use the FIRM command and if I want to give the unit more options of fire then I could use FIRE AT WILL...whatcha think?

Although I agree with you ravinhood I've been observing this in PCOWS :

1. If you ENGAGE - TARGET they will shoot until it dies. However, if it kills it within 10 seconds of the phase it won't "find a new target" and kinda sits there enjoying the tank they just blew up.

2. If you DEFEND, it will autotarget. I've been using DEFEND - MOVE when I want them to shoot at something during the phase.

I'm still new at PCOWS and my observations may be too quick to judge.

Rob

ORIGINAL: Mraah
Although I agree with you ravinhood I've been observing this in PCOWS :
1. If you ENGAGE - TARGET they will shoot until it dies. However, if it kills it within 10 seconds of the phase it won't "find a new target" and kinda sits there enjoying the tank they just blew up.

2. If you DEFEND, it will autotarget. I've been using DEFEND - MOVE when I want them to shoot at something during the phase.

I'm still new at PCOWS and my observations may be too quick to judge.
Rob

That’s pretty close to the way it works in Kharkov with the exception of the Engage. In Kharkov it will switch to a new target once the one you told to fire at is killed. The next target is selected like a Defend order.

Now here’s the rub. With Engage if the target moves behind cover or through foliage that your gunner can’t see through a gray target line will still be drawn to the target but the gun can’t fire. Thus your gunner may be wasting his time and other targets may present themselves. In infantry fights where your guys spot moving infantry then you engage one squad fire stops them and drives them to the ground where your guys no longer can see them. Other unengaged enemy infantry then move forward while your guy is trying to shoot those laying down.

Defend in the above case of marginal sighting is the best bet because if something is lost sight of a new target will be auto-selected.

This is comes down to a tactical command choice.

ORIGINAL: ravinhood
My suggestions might be and I'll add them to my wishlist is there are commands added for firing orders. One would or could be "FIRM" and the other could be "FIRE AT WILL". This way if I want assured support fire I can use the FIRM command and if I want to give the unit more options of fire then I could use FIRE AT WILL...whatcha think

This is already in the game with the existing commands.

ORIGINAL: Mraah
1. If you ENGAGE - TARGET they will shoot until it dies. However, if it kills it within 10 seconds of the phase it won't "find a new target" and kinda sits there enjoying the tank they just blew up.

2. If you DEFEND, it will autotarget. I've been using DEFEND - MOVE when I want them to shoot at something during the phase.

Winterstorm did not have auto-retargeting, but Kharkov does. Auto-retargeting does not override a targeting order (unless the targeted unit can no longer be targeted) but there's no longer that period you noticed where it won't retarget until the next phase.

ORIGINAL: Mobius

ORIGINAL: Mraah
Although I agree with you ravinhood I've been observing this in PCOWS :
1. If you ENGAGE - TARGET they will shoot until it dies. However, if it kills it within 10 seconds of the phase it won't "find a new target" and kinda sits there enjoying the tank they just blew up.

2. If you DEFEND, it will autotarget. I've been using DEFEND - MOVE when I want them to shoot at something during the phase.

I'm still new at PCOWS and my observations may be too quick to judge.
Rob

That’s pretty close to the way it works in Kharkov with the exception of the Engage. In Kharkov it will switch to a new target once the one you told to fire at is killed. The next target is selected like a Defend order.

Now here’s the rub. With Engage if the target moves behind cover or through foliage that your gunner can’t see through a gray target line will still be drawn to the target but the gun can’t fire. Thus your gunner may be wasting his time and other targets may present themselves. In infantry fights where your guys spot moving infantry then you engage one squad fire stops them and drives them to the ground where your guys no longer can see them. Other unengaged enemy infantry then move forward while your guy is trying to shoot those laying down.

Defend in the above case of marginal sighting is the best bet because if something is lost sight of a new target will be auto-selected.

This is comes down to a tactical command choice.

THen why not add an IF command to the script that IF target is no longer in LOS/visible then another target can be aquired from the ENGAGE command? That's as rediculous as them not firing at my selected targets in the first place if they just sit there because they lost LOS of the MAIN target.

Then another script line should say or do: IF origional target becomes exposed again then fire goes back to origional target. Origional target is always first and foremost main target as long as it is exposed and visible for firing at.

ORIGINAL: ravinhood
THen why not add an IF command to the script that IF target is no longer in LOS/visible then another target can be aquired from the ENGAGE command? That's as rediculous as them not firing at my selected targets in the first place if they just sit there because they lost LOS of the MAIN target.

This does happen.

Then another script line should say or do: IF origional target becomes exposed again then fire goes back to origional target. Origional target is always first and foremost main target as long as it is exposed and visible for firing at.

This does not happen.

I know the waiting is hard, but please, perhaps you should play the game before re-designing it? [;)]

Regards,

- Erik

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins




I know the waiting is hard, but please, perhaps you should play the game before re-designing it? [;)]

Regards,

- Erik

Hehe! Nice one!

Regards,

Grell

[blockquote]quote:

Then another script line should say or do: IF origional target becomes exposed again then fire goes back to origional target. Origional target is always first and foremost main target as long as it is exposed and visible for firing at. [/blockquote]


This does not happen.

I know the waiting is hard, but please, perhaps you should play the game before re-designing it? [;)]

Regards,

- Erik

 
Well if you would RELEASE the dang thing perhaps I would be PLAYING it instead of REDESIGNING it AS IT SHOULD BE. Hell I've got probably two more weeks wait after you do release it, what do you think I'm going to be doing THOSE TWO WEEKS AS WELL? Especially when others start posting what's ACTUALLY happening in the game....
 
And why NOT have the unit go back to the ORIGIONAL fire orders if the main target becomes visible again. This is only logical and realistic....it's back to that fire at once and forget feature like CM again then....<cry> Didn't you ever see "Men of Honor"?? I'm that General up there in that loft. I want my ORDERS obeyed...and may only be deviated from if the target of my orders disappears, but, by god (as that general would have said in that movie) I want them to do what I say when I say it.