Artillery Plotting Without Actually Firing Guns
 

I've tried to see if this is a subject that has been covered before here in the forums for both MBT and WW2 but couldn't find anything so here goes.

Does anyone use the tactic of plotting artillery support while at the same time turning off the actual guns themselves in the unit view so as to not actually fire them but create a ready mission to use later if the need arises? I do this from time to time during play and I've found it to be useful but the only drawback is that when you play another human it can tip them off as to where and with what you are planning to fire at a later time (at the end of their turn when the rounds would normally hit the screen scrolls to the area, plays the sound effect of the firing, says what units are "firing", but since the weapons were "turned off" no rounds actually hit the ground). This gives your human opponent a warning and I was wondering if this is just a limitation of the game engine or something that might be able to be altered in the future.

Re: Artillery Plotting Without Actually Firing Guns
 

If I want a silent barrage, I simply adjust the prosective impact point a couple of steps so the time to fall exceeds one.

The rounds dont fall so no need to play around with switching weapons on or off.

Re: Artillery Plotting Without Actually Firing Guns
 

I do the same as Mobhack just walk it back & forth till go time, occasionally I turn off a couple of tubes on rocket artillery.

Re: Artillery Plotting Without Actually Firing Guns
 

Another "walk it" here - tbh I dont think I ever even tried turning off all the tubes so didnt know what it does...

Re: Artillery Plotting Without Actually Firing Guns
 

I have seen the AI do this a couple of times, the last two times was a longer game and I think they had run out of ammo, so I went with that idea for the first time and then got hit next round. The second time, oh no, I didn't move into that area at all.

Re: Artillery Plotting Without Actually Firing Guns
 

Never thought about doing this. It borderlines on cheating, if not for the "warning". Still, not sure I see the point unless you are playing with a small map and/or many artillery units.

Re: Artillery Plotting Without Actually Firing Guns
 

It is not "cheating" - It is a technique used by artillery in real life, called the "silent barrage". In real life the battery lays onto various predicted points ready to fire on them, but they wait for the forward observer to actually call for the fires to start (in WW2 by radio, in WW1 a rocket or flare).

Useful for a quiet attack onto a position where you think the enemy may well be, but not calling for the artillery fire to start until an actual enemy is found near one of the preplotted targets. Thus the fact of the assault happening is kept quiet for a few minutess or more until the troops actually bump the defenders.

Re: Artillery Plotting Without Actually Firing Guns
 

I also use the same method as Mobhack.

Re: Artillery Plotting Without Actually Firing Guns
 

The intent was not to cheat but as more of a time saving device I would use from time to time so I wouldn't have to shift any artillery units every turn, I just have to remember not to use the technique during a PBEM game.

Re: Artillery Plotting Without Actually Firing Guns
 

I didn't say it was cheating. I said it was borderline. Not because it was unrealistic, but because the game doesn't let you plot artillery and have them ready at 0.0 time to fire, without firing. The game makes you move (plot) the artillery even a little if you want to delay them firing. In that sense for me is a bit iffy because the game doesn't let you do it normally.
But, as with any "shortcuts", If the opponent is aware of it, I see nothing wrong with it.
Obviously it is up to you what you do/say or not.