Unload options
 

A suggestion for how units are unloaded. Don't think it has been asked before, searched previous posts and I hope this is a new suggestion. It may not be possible but :-

Could we have an option to select which unit to unload from a transport? Eg, press L once brings up a selection screen, similar to the W option for weapon selection. Press L again unloads every passenger. Or select 1,2,3 etc to unload a specific unit only.

Why do I ask? Most APCs have capacity for an infantry squad and a 2 man team, e.g Inf AT or SAM. Unloading troops tends to trigger Op-fire from unseen enemy, or units I couldn't suppress enough. I can take the risk of 1 or 2 casualties to the squad but it is a real pain to lose the other team, which happens sometimes. So it would be a good idea to keep them safely in the transport until the infantry squad have found out the hard way just how much enemy resistance is out there.

If this is a non-starter coding wise, fair enough. The other tactic is to offload the 2 man teams somewhere safe and go collect them later, but this is restrictive so the option I propose would be a nice luxury to have.

cheers,

Tim

Re: Unload options
 

A non-starter from the POV of code.

We always debused in one bunch from vehicles anyway - no "Bill and Fred out, rest sit tight".

Simple answer - do not debus in LOS of an enemy who is able to reply.

Standard UK APC tactics were to debus in a covered location (or behind smoke dischargers) and then close the last bit deployed on foot as a normal leg rifle section in the assault. (Unloaded APCs would follow on behind, or retire to a "zulu muster" as the dismounts did the foot assault together with any attached tanks).

Andy

Re: Unload options
 

If you're unloading a vehicle in range of any opposition weapons you're just begging to be taught a lesson you won't soon forget.

Re: Unload options
 

Is it really possible to unload out of range or out of sight of every enemy unit?

In my current game (in 1952 so no fancy vision kit on either side), enemy infantry squads are mostly being spotted at either 50 or 100 meters, so any unload operation is going to be risky. This battle has no front line, my advance units have driven past enemy formations that suddenly pop up, and then die quickly cos they're surrounded. :D

The scouts and scout helos don't do much better, in fact several of the scout helos are now burning piles of wreckage on account of not scouting well enough :doh:

Mitigating the risk of unload is a good idea and when it suits me I'll unload in a nice safe place. This can depend on how long the game is, the faster but riskier tactics may be worth trying. So sometimes I'll get the troops stuck in, and take the losses. No pain, no gain.

cheers,

Tim

Re: Unload options
 

Generaly yes Russian steppes & dessert can be tricky.
If you are discovering troops at 50m thats very bad practice you need slow moving units to. Same goes for scout helos not as good as foot anyway & certainly not once they start going fast.
Other possibility is your experience is very low like 50.

If as you are talking fast moving mech force slow speed to 2/3rds when contact is possible some troops should get on the ground every turn as eyes. Pick them up next go after the next set of troops has unloaded. This is the fastest safeish way to move forward, sort of bounding overwatch the troops on the ground being likely to see firers if they get off more than one shot.

To unload either find cover or pull back to a range where first squad to unload should survive enough to pop smoke so the rest can use the previous guys smoke to unload in safety. Easy if you actualy have dischargers.
Now you have done this you can attack with minimal losses as your squads are undetected

Re: Unload options
 

You should try the smokescreen effect when the enemy has TI. FUN!!!

Re: Unload options
 

Yeah, the late spotting is by afvs not infantry and they are mostly low experience so no big surprise. I use one unit to advance and trigger the op fires, then all the stationary units fire without movement penalty. This works in the 50s because infantry have few effective AT weapons. This is not a tactic I use in later decades! Enemy squads are already suppressed from artillery so by the end of the turn they are either gone or routed. So far the balance of risk versus success is in my favour. Lost a few core units but not enough to be a problem, and it is only the 2 man teams that get chewed up occasionally. Cheap to replace, it just means they won't gain experience.

cheers,

Tim

Re: Unload options
 

Generaly thats vehicles though with good targeting so your APCs could well be dead anyway. If his troops have you should have been aware of it.
Hardest thing fighting TI with none TI is he has LOS not available to you as can see through some woods hexes you can't. This normaly ends in something going bang