Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

It seems to me that motorcycle infantry dies much quicker compared to regular infantry when fired upon. Is that correct for the unit class or am I seeing things? Is it the same case for bicycle infantry? If so why? My understanding is they would just ditch the bikes when fired upon go prone return fire? Could it be related to movement?

Also i have had motorcycle infantry squad engaged with an ATGM (Eryx) and it kills the whole squad. Is that correct that Moto-inf are engaged with ATGMs?

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

Short answer is yes they die a bit easier. It's a game trade off for their speed otherwise all the gamey players would load up with speed 9 bike infantry

Any HEAT type weapon is capable of engaging a soft target and given the wide range of possible outcomes deliberately put into the game killing all with one shot is just as possible as not killing any although killing all would be far more rare

If anyone else has time to expand on that be my guest

Don

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

[quote=DRG;679625]It's a game trade off for their speed otherwise all the gamey players would load up with speed 9 bike infantry

/QUOTE]


A gamey player is flushed as easy as moving the latrine handle.:)

I wonder what percentage of steel panthers players falls into the gamey catagory?

Personally I have only played 2 or 3 of these characters in my ten plus years of playing SP games. :up:

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

Any infantry unit is easier to kill the faster it moves try moving a BTR flat out & unloading in sight it hurts. They are normally easier to hit to as size 2 like cavalrly.

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

So are bicycles easier to kill than motorcycles or vice versa?

Also how big is the speed effect? I'm seeing these guys get fairly well killed at low/no speeds as well. If they move ~6 shouldn't it be similar to regular infantry?

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

Yes, they will operate like normal infantry when fired upon, but first they have to stop, get off the motorcycle/bike and only then they can drop to the ground. This creates a longer window of vulnerability compared to leg infantry which can simply drop to the ground. This was felt to be dangerous enough in real life that IIRC swiss bike infantry trained to jump off their bikes in a way that looked like a circus trick, precisely to counter that.

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

Exelent anybody got a video, also thinking about it once you hit the ground you then have to get your weapon ready & even fire sprayed in the general area the fire is coming from till you find them helps your survival.

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

Not a video but a couple of pictures of the manouvre can be found here. Training for this was eventually discontinued due to excessive injury rate.

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...=30601&page=44

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

Cheers Marcello I can see why

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

I must be unlucky. The few times that I faced motorcycle units I had a serious problem getting rid of them from a distance.

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

Been Motorcycle Soldier myself for the Swiss army let tell you there is no difference in getting prone from a motorbike then any other infantry - it's just the motorcycle isn't worth picking up again...:laugh:

By the way the Bicylce troops still train quick dropping. But not quit over the handle like in the picture further up posted, never was, that always was only a chow effect.

Good link for some nice Swiss army imressions :up:

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

My initial thought was, "Going prone on a motorcycle is easy! After you stop skidding though you might not be able to get up again." Then again, you've got the new Transformers movie that shows a guy sliding about thirty feet after "going prone" from a bike and using that to his advantage. Pats, did you ever get training in that?

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

No, unfortunatly the Swiss army liked their bikes intact - but most of us had a bit unofficial training in or outside the military service.
We did a few other nice tricks, like hanging sidewise on the saddle or changing postion with the passanger while riding the bike ;-)
Still, I don't see a reason why cyclists should be easier to hit then infantry...

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

No expert here though have dismounted :o a few times from motorbikes.
Firstly probably delay in reacting if don't hear shot over engines,
once you have got off readying weapons to return fire could take a while depending on how you landed.
Getting off a couple of factors apply one being speed but the bigger one is terrain. getting off in an area of your choosing which is flat & has nothing to slide into is relativly safe. Rough terrain coming over a rise is not & rocks or trees for you to slide into are what cause the real damage. Also & dont know if do but coming off with equipment being carried or attached would only increase the chance of injury.
You can react fast & get off unhurt of that there is no boudt I once did an emergency drop & had time to aim it for the space sit on it & slide resulting in nothing more than a warm bum. Bad terrain or misjudgement results in a heavy landing as I can also testify to.

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

I think Bicycle/motor should be easier io suppress and kill.
If you think about it leg units in battle usally have thier arms in hand, do bike/motorcycles?
Yes the sidecar can carry a mmg but cannot fully traverse and with the driver on board cant fire on that side.
Also, on the other side of the coin (in a arty hit), would they be able to pick-up their mangled bikes and still all units move at full speed?

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

While I have not used MC's in MBT, I have used them to good effect in WWII.

I like to use them in a vanguard/scouting role. The trick I find is to dismount before being hit. I've even gone as far as having them dismount every turn as they move forward. Their main job is to either give me forewarning of the EN LOC or to move into important objectives using their speed and hold until the Main Body can get there.

Since being able to dismount MC units their lifespan on the battlefield has increased greatly. MC's also if in the right spots make great MEDEVAC units to get badly mauled squads to the rear areas. Bumpy rides vs. being dead are a pretty good trade off I think.

Bob out:D

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

I know from experience that is true!
A fractured leg abrasions and broken clavicle (collarbone)
I doubt a soldier could shoulder a firearm in that condition:hurt:

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

I recently discovered the dismounted motorcycle troops in SPWW2 myself. I found that they were a very valuable asset. The thing I did find with them though is the motorcycle unit was probablly classified as a viechle since I lost most of them to 50mm AP fire from some ATGs. They seemed easier to kill with anti viechle weaponry. It could very well be that their ride is factored into their "aliveness" like gila's comment may alude to. If a motor unit doesn't have the "motor" anymore, can they fuction in their designed capacity? I realize that just because you lost your ride it doesn't mean you can't fight, but for the purposes of the game...

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

How do you dismount the MC infantry? Is it a key command?

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

In SPWW2 there are dismountable MC units. There are none in MBT.

Don

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

If you go back and watch very carefully you will find that the ATG's are firing HE NOT AP


Don

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

Thanks, Don. I wasn't looking. Either way those 50mm had knocked out 6 out of 10 of my rides.

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

Not having a copy of spww2 how does that work? Just like an unarmored transport? with some small crew size?

Could motorcycles be done in such a way in MBT? or is it game code thing?

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

In SPWW2, you have a "motorcycle squad" of ~6 men that is a normal infantry unit and then a "MotorcycleX3" that can carry 6 men and move 30. They are also lightly armed with a SMG and handgernades. Just load them up like any other unit.

Speaking of which, Don, am I to assume that the MotorcycleX3 is coaded as a viechle?

Harlikwin, you can download SPWW2 off of the Shrapnel Games website here - http://www.shrapnelgames.com/Camo_Wo.../WW2_page.html.
Well worth it in my opinion.

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

It's coded as a vehicle because it IS a vehicle.

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

Thanks Don I didn't realize that, mind you I have not seen many MC units anyhow.

Bob out:D

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

I haven't either in SPMBT or bicycle troops arn't those in SPWW2! so what are we going on about here?:D

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

Somebodies OOB must have them the Swiss come to mind.

Bob out:D

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

I have faced them in PBEM games of winSPMBT. A ***** to kill some times.

Re: Motorcycle/bike inf question/weirdness
 

Don, please forgive my stupidity on this. I woke up this morning and realized a couple of things - that I've asked a lot of stupid questions to which I either could have looked up the answer myself or, if I had thought about it, would have realized what the answer was. Thanks for your patience with me. Keep up the good work of maintaining one of the best games ever.