Questions
 

Hi, I have recently bought the CD version and I have some question for the community:

- is it possible to speed up the inter-turn phase? Some big scenarios take 10 minute only to show the arty barrages

- how Manpads work? I got some SA-16 and I want to fire at some choppers...but I can't..they use only their AK o.O, why? MANPADS was enabled and I have tried also to force it

- I can't understand how aircrafts work, a lot of time I wasted my grachs strikes against empty hexes, they rarely engage opportunity targets near the choosen hexes...sometimes they even make friendly fire...it's something related to the spotter LOS?

- How much points are needed, in a generated scenario, to recreate a battalion size clash? Circa

Re: Questions
 

I will take a shot at this

1- No unless you want to get a faster PC, the AI isconducting its turn, more units means more time. Just because you saw nothing does not mean it did nothing.

2- My guess is helos are closer than minimum range for the MANPAD's, they like some other types of weapon have a minimum & maximum range look at the unit info.
Could be many other things, no LOS no ammo.

3- Spotter LOS helps but planes attack what they see as a likely target near their target hex or as a good oportunity on the run in a reasonable distance from target area.
Plane picks target from what IT sees so more likely to spot large & or fast moving targets including mistaking freindly at times, low experience side is less likely to spot a suitable target so will just attack the hex targeted.
See threads about planes but generally dont attack near friendlys or fly over friendlys near target area. Depending on the weapon the plane can sometimes prefer to target hard or soft units.

4- Set points to max 65000 or something like that, set AI pointsto XX & buy what you want, AI gets correc points base on your purchase.
I would strongly suggest starting way smaller & learning the game mechanics before playing larger battles.

Re: Questions
 

adjust your graphics delay found in the MISC tab of game options down or change your preferences to fast arty ON

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Thanks, I set fast arty and it's better.

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Just remember if you PBEM you need to turn Fast arty OFF or you won't see replays of arty

Re: Questions
 

If you have not tried to play, that is study the tutorial scenario, I strongly urge you to do so.

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Re: Questions
 

I done the tutorial, now I'm playing some scenarios, I have played "soviet glory" and another with soviet advance versus england defenders in late 80s; both draw...but I almost totally destroyed the enemy forces.

I can't understand if AI is a worthy opponent, against the english I choose the soviet but I think that the scenario was made with human as english, because the soviet forces are totally overwhelming.

One thing that I'm not so able to manage is the mech infantry, sometimes I deploy the grunt too far away from the clash and sometimes too inside it....

I want to try some PBEM but at the moment I haven't an opponent

Re: Questions
 

From the scenario description

You played the correct side and if you had 800 points more than the AI won the game. I'm a bit puzzled though you said... "that the scenario was made with human as English"..... there are no British troops in that scenario

Re: Questions
 

There is no "English" OOB in our games since one is unable to set the date back to 1706 in any of them.

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One scenario was Soviet Glory, the other was one which I don't remember the name, with soviets against english, in this scenario I used the soviets,thay have and overwhelming force and was pretty easy to win, because the scenario was designed for using english.

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Btw, I like the cold war NATO vs WARPACT battles, I tried some generated battles, but seem really difficoult to win with the Pact when the points are equal...

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If your willing to just do a couple of turns a week I can show you the ropes if you want to PBEM.
Private message me your email address and I will take you through setting one up.
Your choice of sides l would suggest a meeting engagement & would be happy to use a smaller force than you, say 70% the size of yours.
Experienced player but happy to give feedback on the game if you ask to help you learn faster.

Re: Questions
 

There is no "English" OOB in our games since one is unable to set the date back to 1706 in any of them. ROTFL:clap:

Re: Questions
 

I have another question, I'm playing the campaign "Thunder in the sinai", I win the first mission forcing the channel crossing so I went for the second mission, where you face the first Israeli counterattack.

Well:

- I deployed the Dvinas in the backyard...but they dont shoot when Israeli CAS plane appeared, SAM need line of sight to shoot?

- I have 4 zsu-57-2 and 2 Buk, like the divnas they don't cover my ground forces...at least not ever, seem that they need Line of sight and to be halted in order to open fire, right?

- finished the first mission the campaign allowed to fix units , but I can't neither replace completely my core forces...after the first mission...is it normal?

- the campaigns included ib tge game aren't so much, is it possible to find more?

Re: Questions
 

1) long range SAM have a very long minimum range usually. Thus they cannot usually target on-map fliers (helos and planes that made it on map without a shot at them while approaching). So they will generally only fir at planes making a stand-off missile attack, or on their approach run. And if you moved them they wont be ready to fire in any case.

2) Buk wont cover anything on map. Also they need to be stationary in order to fire. They wont fire if moved, and the same will probably apply to the Zsu-57 - they will likely decide the chance to hit is too low, even if they have shots left after moving. Zsu-23-4 would generally fire (even if moved) since they have so much better FC and they have radar so are not bothered by battlefield smoke which does bother the radarless units like the 57-2.

3) In a User campaign, the designer decides how much repair points you get. he obviously expected you to not need much, or its designed as a campaign where losing stuff means they dont get replaced. Check the briefing, or post a message to the scenario designer on the "scenarios and campaigns" sub-forum, the designer may be still around and reply.

4) The campaigns provided are what is commonly available. There may be some in the campaigns sub-forum that have not made it into the releases, but its unlikely (other than say WIP campaigns).

Re: Questions
 

Question about abandoning vehicle.

When crew gets out of vehicle that abandoned vehicle becomes visible for opponent despite it is covered with terrain or relief. Why does this rule apply?

Re: Questions
 

I don't think that is true. Often a vehicle is abandoned and if not visible to your forces remains hidden until revealed after the game.

Re: Questions
 

The enemy vehicle, if not already spotted will be spotted by the usual rules, normally. But sometimes it will remain a "ghost" unspotted and you only notice it if someone stays parked in its hex, when it is destroyed.

The game is a bit strange about whether or not abandoned vehicles do or do not become visible to the opponent.

Re: Questions
 

It may be tied to the crew like entrenchments so if you can see the crew you can see the vehicle

Re: Questions
 

I mean the case when I force a crew to get out of vehicle with keyboard @ key.

First I noticed this when AI began to pound abandoned vehicles with all tubes of artillery. AI could not spot and see them normally because that vehicles were behind hills and trees and AI had not got LOS to them.
After that I made a PBEM battle test. There is no LOS but all vehicles become visible to enemy after turn transition if unload crew.

Re: Questions
 

Just confirmed this

Set up a scenario in WW2, and exited crews. Did not see anything, so went back for the next player's turn - duh! - remeber to walk crews away from the vehicles or they remount.... Slaps self with big trout..

After that, ended that player turn (both human) and on starting that player turn, the exited vehicles were all displayed on the map.

Something to look into. The code may be rolling in abandoned vehicles with destroyed (and so marking as spotted)- but as I have played many games against the AI where vehicles behind a hill to me were abandoned, and this did not happen, then it may be something wrong with the code segment that is run by the @ key sequence.

Re: Questions
 

added to the list........

Re: Questions
 

For what it's worth, Andy I agree with you concerning your last post, last para, I always play against the AI and have never seen that situation as described.

"- but as I have played many games against the AI where vehicles behind a hill to me were abandoned, and this did not happen,"

For the newer players, kill the enemy crews if possible! First the AI will have no problem killing yours. I've seen routed crews in the earlier phases of the games "get their act together" AND reoccupy their tanks. Needless to say, you could be in for unpleasant surprise!

Regards,
Pat
:capt:

Re: Questions
 

There is one another oddity with @ key vehicle exiting.

Some of crew units have size 1 after they exit. And some of crew units have size of their vehicle!
I have seen jeep crew with size 2, APC crew with size 3, and tank crew with size 4 or 5.

Re: Questions
 

Another thing to go on the list!

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A save game that shows this would be helpful

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Looks like the crews take their size from the vehicle they bail out of - and that looks like it has been so since SSI days. Good catch - nobody has spotted that bug in 15+ years!.

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The same relationship goes for an unspecified number of women and their sofas.

You probably did not notice it, because you are all married? :lol

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Here are saves. In the second you can find crews with size 6 which survived in tanks destroyed by enemy not abandoned with @ key.

It's also interesting, why vehicle crews of 2-5 men have default size 1? It seems they should be zero size.

Re: Questions
 

making them size 0 would result in the end user utilising them as scouts - and in SP1 days that was a complaint IIRC. So later versions used size 1.

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How does the game calculate what part of tank a shell hits: hull or turret, front or side?

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The game knows which way the target Icon is facing in relation to the centre of the hex you are firing from and if the front/rear or side (or both depending on the angle....)is exposed.

If the tank is hull down the game knows it only has a turret to hit. If all things are equal and the hull and turret are exposed I believe it's a random chance which is hit if a hit is scored but *I think* it's weighted towards the hull in cases like that as the hull is assumed to have the greater area and therefore is the bigger target

Don

Re: Questions
 

In the case when there is no "hull down":
Does the decision where to fire depend on where the protection of exposed armour is less, on turret or on hull?
Does this take into account the experience of firing tank crew?

Re: Questions
 

AFAIK it is random BUT the higher the experience of the crew the more likely of hitting the more advantageous part of the target. The better the crew the more likely of getting a good solid hit where it counts most but there are many random factors in the game code to ensure nothing is absolutely for certain

Re: Questions
 

If you are asking "how do I ensure I am hull-down" then that's another random bit of information the game code keeps to itself, it is not really under player control.

However:
- If you are dug in then its pretty certain your vehicle will be hull down!
- If on higher terrain, then the target vehicle is more likely to be considered a hull down target

If the game thinks a target is hull-down then a very signifigant percentage of hits will be considered turret hits, the target will be slightly harder to hit, or spot if undetected etc.

But it's not like 1/300 tabletop wargaming whee you drove your vehicles to a contour line and were guaranteed to be hull-down to fire from that direction from fire from the same terrain level or lower.

Re: Questions
 

I did not mean hull down actually. I red about it in Mobhack help. But have a question just appeared.
In real the hull of vehicle may be covered with bushes or crops (such as corn or sunflower) so only the turret is seen from watch position.
This is not modeled in the game as hull down, is it?

Re: Questions
 

It has to be hard cover to be hull down and protected by the cover. Each terrain has a density rating and an obstacle height. If you are shown to be " dug in" you are hull down if in a vehicle