Tank Riders

[hoplitis]

Just wondering,
when a tank carries a rifle section (tank riders) aren’t there any limitations on turret rotation, speed or maybe even certain types of maneuver. I can’t imagine a tank commander merrily swinging his turret (I mean the tank’s ), at full speed, while 10 infantrymen, in full gear, try to cling on the “beast”.

Gamewise now,
it would be nice to know if a newly spotted tank carries riders (although, I’ll admit, that an approaching tank that unloads infantry, may introduce an element of surprise).

Game tactics,
when a tank carrying riders comes under fire, this may cause them to dismount. Logical. In the absence of proper ATs, would you use HE weapons (say MGs) to engage a tank solely for the purpose of “stripping” it off its (suspected) riders? Would you use an artillery barrier on the tanks axis of advance for the same reason?
(I tried a little test. I used a static M47 Patton carrying tank riders as a target of two 3” mortars. The mortars used all their ammo but the riders were still on the tank. Probably more and/or heavier arty is needed, but the idea was to see if light arty could do the job).

Comments?

[Double_Deuce]

In combat, I doubt the tank commander cares little for the infantryman clinging to the outside of his vehicle.

You can see passenger information by right clicking on any spotted vehicle or do you mean another way to show this information without having to right-click?

I generally use MG fire to strip them off although engaging the vehicle with any type of fire should work (some probably more than others). Direct fire probably works better than indirect fire though.

[hoplitis]

Double_Deuce said:
...
You can see passenger information by right clicking on any spotted vehicle or do you mean another way to show this information without having to right-click?
...

I actually had the information bar on top of the map in mind (as the riders are externally carried) but you're right, right clicking provides the info needed. It seems I can't take advantage of all the game's tools yet

Thanks for the other info too.

[PlasmaKrab]

I generally use MG fire to strip them off although engaging the vehicle with any type of fire should work (some probably more than others). Direct fire probably works better than indirect fire though.

That's right, I've often had riders dismounting in a hurry the first time their tank was hit by any kind of direct fire, including MGs or such, which have no chance of damaging the tank.

[FNG]

experience teaches soldiers that whilst an armoured vehicle in battle is useful they do seem to focus the enemies attention in ways which encourage you keep your distance from them

FNG

[hoplitis]

It would be nice if MGs could OP fire at tanks carrying riders. But the tank+riders "complex" is a heavy armor target so not eligible for MG OP fire (If I'm correct).
I wonder what would Artur say about this!

[Mustang]

I like the system the way it is now. Generally, you don't want to fire your MGs at tanks lest you give their position away. MGs are vulnerable to tanks, so it's best that they stay hidden for that moment. So it should be up to the player to fire machine guns at tanks.

[Zipuli]

There is one problem with the tank riders: When firing arty barrage at a tank that has inf onboard the inf suffers no casualties unless the tank receives a direct hit and the inf is forced dismount... I tend to think that if all that shrapnel is flying around, it's not good to be 1 metre+ above the ground level bunched up.

Zip

[hoplitis]

Zip,
well I'm not a military pro but I, too, would expect arty to be more effective in stripping off the tank riders (without the need for the tank to take a arty hit, as you say). The question is if the game code "allows" for such an effect.

Mustang,
If you're defending against a "tank+riders" advance and don't have the AT capability to destroy the tanks at a distance, what would you prefer: to keep your MGs hidden and engage the tanks and the dismounted riders at a short range or to try to "force dismount" the riders at a greater range and then take on the tanks at a closer range (assuming they continue to advance)without their infantry support?