My Strike aircraft targeting MY ammo trucks?!?!

MikeD · #1 March 13th, 2006, 07:32 PM

I realize there are an awful lot of variables here.

Quickly off the top of my head,I'll try some more details tonight.

In the last 2 games: Japan VS China, Japanese F15J's with clusterbombs attacking ammo trucks with type 87's in a ring around them, US vs North Korea: A-10's loaded with Mavericks and clusterbombs attacking Patriot sites ringing an ammo truck.
I can't be sure, but it seems they are gunning for the ammo trucks, then getting the SAM sites with the CBU's

There have been times however when an A10 will Maverick a SAM battery alone (usually, but not always after having killed our routed the ammo truck.)
I've been playing in the 2005-2010 range, vs the AI

It happens on "best guess" attacks planned in the deployment phase, after all of my units have been positioned.
I usually place all my units, then go back and call for airstrikes on where I think the AI will have onboard arty and troop concentrations.
At this point I have no 'red dots' for enemy locations, just a good guess.

Later in the game with attack helos spotting enemy units (so I know where the troop concentrations are even if the FO cannot directly view it) and FO's or FO vehicles actually calling for the strikes, it happens as well.

It does not seem to matter which direction the aircraft enter or exit the board from, but out of force of habit I call for the inbound leg of the strike, by using the 'display' button there on the arty strike page to call up the inbound/outbound arrows, then pick the target hex, then click on the appropriate aircraft to attack that hex, then I click on the exit route.

Pdoktar: I'll try it in your order later this evening and see if that helps. Inbound leg, outbound leg, THEN the target hex and aircraft.

Thanks,
Mike

maybe it IS just me...

narwan · #2 March 13th, 2006, 08:16 PM

No it isn't!

All the human vs human player tests I ran failed to get me friendly fire incident, but as soon as I switched to human vs AI I had 1 aircraft dropping it's load on my own troops. It did NOT specifically target them, just dropped it's ordnance on their location (which was way off the allocated area). Game was 2003, US vs North Korea, A10's (with mixed load including Mavericks) and Pariots with ammo carriers next to them.

Mike, did you have any aircraft actually target your own units or did it just drop it's ordnance on their location (ie was it attacking the hex they were in or the unit itself)?

narwan · #3 March 13th, 2006, 08:48 PM

Been running the same test a number of times now; US (human) vs NK(computer), 10/2003, map 110 by 120, 5000 points each, US forces 8 a-10's with mixed load (incl mavericks), 4 patriots with an ammocarrier each. All A-10's targeted for pre-game strikes in or close to the NK deployment area using different approach routes.

Out of 7 test runs I got 0 friendly fires only once, 3 times 1 out of 8 A-10's did a blue-on-blue, 2 times 2 A-10's did so and once 3 of them did.
Most were 'hex attacks' but on one occassion a patriot was specificaly attacked by an A-10.

Narwan

MikeD · #4 March 14th, 2006, 02:03 AM

Ok, good. So it is not just me then...

I've only had one Tornado clusterbomb an ammo truck tonight playing Germany vs France, I do not think that it was an attack directed at the truck, but it sure did not go where is was supposed to , a Roland missile system at the other end of the board.

This is not designed into the game is it? The blue-blue rates are an awful lot lower than that in real life...

PlasmaKrab · #5 March 14th, 2006, 04:27 AM

Mike,

I know that this isn't a point worth making about pre-planned strikes, but for in-game ones, you may want to have a spotter with a direct LOS on the targetted enemy units, or at least having spotted just once fixed enemy targets (arty, SAMs, etc.).

Aircraft will behave much more rationally if they can find the target you have assignated them. Most of the aircrafts (particularly the Hogs) have poor vision to start with, and have difficulties spotting small targets all by themselves.

Depending on the opponent pairing, you human player may well be the one with the easiest units to spot on the field (like Patriot launchers when the opponent has no radar-guided AA).