Some idea for friendly fire
Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2019 10:39 pm
This is the idea suggestion for far future, it doesn't necessarily need to be introduced right now. But if this feature is introduced, it will be fun.
Currently, in AB, all units miraculously distinguish friend and foe in any conditions, against any newly made contact. However, we all know that such distinguishment would be unrealistic. There has been so many friendly fire incidents throughout the history of war
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_f ... _incidents
It is true that friendly fire is rare. When we compare the number of all engagements with number of friendly fire incident, it is obvious. However, that never means such thing would not happen at all. I also have a experience of squad wiped out by friendly mortar during field exercise. Observing / evaluating officer told us we were struck by 81mm and 90% of us should be out of AO, and later he told us that it was friendly mortar, which made us so mad that day... It was rainy day, late afternoon, and we were just fast walking below the ridge line, and I didn't even imagined such situation would happen to us.
Anyway, this kind of shit happens on the battlefield, it is a clear fact. This even happens in modern battlefield, I can say for sure that we would see many blue on blue during any hypothetical hot cold war. And I think AB would be able to depict such shitty situation on the battlefield, showing players that commanding an army is not a easy work. Such events are rare so it doesn't necessary to see blue on blue for every single game, so induce a small chance for such incident.
1) Without player or AI's intervention, duration of friendly fire & friendly engagement in AB might be decided based on HQ's position, or let code decide it random. I guess short distance from HQ will not initiate such friendly fire, or finish blue on blue fire within very short time frame. This will increase the importance of HQ positioning and unit cohesion.
2) For units under normal condition, let's give very very small chance of targeting friendly, or 0 percent. But if units are under stress and received mental stress, then chance of targeting friendly should increase accordingly. Not huge, but slightly.
3) For vehicle or any units with poor visual, chance of targeting friendly should be increased. Not huge, but slightly.
4) For units outside of HQ control zone, they should have slightly more chance of engage against friendly.
5) If a unit detect the any unit outside of the unit's visual radius, that unit should have a slight chance to engage the new contact even if the player (or AI) can recognize them as friendly units. In AB, night/day and weather and thermal sight / light amplifying night goggle decide the unit's visual range. Chance of friendly incident should be increased if weather goes to poor side. In night, friendly fire chance should be higher than day. Night + poor weather might be a perfect condition for any blue on blue incident. This will increase the importance of proper spacing and unit cohesion.
6) Induce some chance to being targeted and being shot from friendly unit, if one unit is in the "fire signature" circle made by enemy (yellow dashed circle with explosion icon in the center).
7) All airstrikes should have a circle of specific radius for friendly fire chance. There is a minimum distance of ground units to be safe from friendly airstrike. Such "friendly fire circle" doesn't necessarily need to be shown to players, as this should be a lesson to any players who does not command in proper and safe way.
8) Helicopters should have a chance to target friendly if friendly is too close to its TRP.
9) Even without "fire signature" circle, in the middle of night with poor weather, any units should have a chance to mistakenly recognize friendly as enemy and start fight.
10) CM has strength of communication degree and realistic info sharing feature, which is nicely modeled in CMBS IMO. AB don't have such system, but maybe in the future? But I guess above options would be able to depict blue on blue without CM's such features.
Again, friendly fire incidents are rare, so all those RNG numbers for such chances should be very carefully decided to be minimum.
But once nicely introduced, this will make this game more interesting... and will make player angry time to time [:D]. But again, this is the real face of the war. If this game wish to be in the side of historical accuracy and realistic description of battlefield, friendly fire feature might be helpful to earn such reputation with all those other realism contents.
PS) In the history, there were blue on blue AA fire on friendly aircrafts occasionally. I'm not sure if it is possible, but maybe it would be interesting to depict very low chance of AA fire on friendly aircraft.
Currently, in AB, all units miraculously distinguish friend and foe in any conditions, against any newly made contact. However, we all know that such distinguishment would be unrealistic. There has been so many friendly fire incidents throughout the history of war
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_f ... _incidents
It is true that friendly fire is rare. When we compare the number of all engagements with number of friendly fire incident, it is obvious. However, that never means such thing would not happen at all. I also have a experience of squad wiped out by friendly mortar during field exercise. Observing / evaluating officer told us we were struck by 81mm and 90% of us should be out of AO, and later he told us that it was friendly mortar, which made us so mad that day... It was rainy day, late afternoon, and we were just fast walking below the ridge line, and I didn't even imagined such situation would happen to us.
Anyway, this kind of shit happens on the battlefield, it is a clear fact. This even happens in modern battlefield, I can say for sure that we would see many blue on blue during any hypothetical hot cold war. And I think AB would be able to depict such shitty situation on the battlefield, showing players that commanding an army is not a easy work. Such events are rare so it doesn't necessary to see blue on blue for every single game, so induce a small chance for such incident.
1) Without player or AI's intervention, duration of friendly fire & friendly engagement in AB might be decided based on HQ's position, or let code decide it random. I guess short distance from HQ will not initiate such friendly fire, or finish blue on blue fire within very short time frame. This will increase the importance of HQ positioning and unit cohesion.
2) For units under normal condition, let's give very very small chance of targeting friendly, or 0 percent. But if units are under stress and received mental stress, then chance of targeting friendly should increase accordingly. Not huge, but slightly.
3) For vehicle or any units with poor visual, chance of targeting friendly should be increased. Not huge, but slightly.
4) For units outside of HQ control zone, they should have slightly more chance of engage against friendly.
5) If a unit detect the any unit outside of the unit's visual radius, that unit should have a slight chance to engage the new contact even if the player (or AI) can recognize them as friendly units. In AB, night/day and weather and thermal sight / light amplifying night goggle decide the unit's visual range. Chance of friendly incident should be increased if weather goes to poor side. In night, friendly fire chance should be higher than day. Night + poor weather might be a perfect condition for any blue on blue incident. This will increase the importance of proper spacing and unit cohesion.
6) Induce some chance to being targeted and being shot from friendly unit, if one unit is in the "fire signature" circle made by enemy (yellow dashed circle with explosion icon in the center).
7) All airstrikes should have a circle of specific radius for friendly fire chance. There is a minimum distance of ground units to be safe from friendly airstrike. Such "friendly fire circle" doesn't necessarily need to be shown to players, as this should be a lesson to any players who does not command in proper and safe way.
8) Helicopters should have a chance to target friendly if friendly is too close to its TRP.
9) Even without "fire signature" circle, in the middle of night with poor weather, any units should have a chance to mistakenly recognize friendly as enemy and start fight.
10) CM has strength of communication degree and realistic info sharing feature, which is nicely modeled in CMBS IMO. AB don't have such system, but maybe in the future? But I guess above options would be able to depict blue on blue without CM's such features.
Again, friendly fire incidents are rare, so all those RNG numbers for such chances should be very carefully decided to be minimum.
But once nicely introduced, this will make this game more interesting... and will make player angry time to time [:D]. But again, this is the real face of the war. If this game wish to be in the side of historical accuracy and realistic description of battlefield, friendly fire feature might be helpful to earn such reputation with all those other realism contents.
PS) In the history, there were blue on blue AA fire on friendly aircrafts occasionally. I'm not sure if it is possible, but maybe it would be interesting to depict very low chance of AA fire on friendly aircraft.