Suggestion regarding artillery

[scorpio_rocks]

Originally Posted by Wdll

Or to make it very simple (I assume easier to implement), have next to each artillery (in the artillery list/bombardment list) a couple of pixels of two colors. One for if the artillery currently has orders by the currently selected observer, one for if it has orders from a different observer, and perhaps a third color if it has no orders or out of contact.

I like this idea! A simple "traffic light" system: green assigned by current selected FO, Orange assigned by another, Red unassigned/off net. Either a small coloured block or have the Name or ID of the artillery change colour in the bombardment screen.

[Warwick]

To Imp, I only play scenarios from the game, I don't roll my own so I guess the answer to your question is option 1.
The traffic light system sounds like a really good idea, although a fourth colour would be ideal to differentiate between unassigned and out of contact.

[Wdll]

I finished recording another session of my let's play and I managed to do slightly better with the whole artillery assignment bit. From next time I will have a piece of paper and notice down unit and artillery assigned to it. Not the best way but it will do till (if) this gets implemented in the game.

Another two things I just thought, two lines appearing between the targeted hex, the unit calling the strike and the strike unit (in case of artillery) itself. Now this is not as necessary (for me) as the original idea, but could be useful under certain circumstances.

The other is having next/on top, to the image of the ordered strike on the map (explosion/smoke) the code(s) of the observer and strike unit. This could also be enabled disabled through game options in case someone (I can't think of a reason) wouldn't want to have that extremely useful information there to see.

[shahadi]

Originally Posted by Imp

Are you saying you want to keep track of which FOO called in the unit last and you swap them round
or
You want to assign FOOs to specific units for the battle, thats not hard buy the artillery in the order of the FOOs your going to assign them to. As there offboard units you could even buy the FOO & his tubes, next FOO & his tubes etc. & still cycle through your FOOs easily.
If its a scenerio so using editor you could even rename them if you wanted though I only do this for planes which have the same names but diffrent weapon loadouts

Interesting.

Building a formation with the FOO in the first slot with the artillery units in subsequent slots, accomplish the same effect?

[Imp]

Not if they are on map units.

Certain units I like to buy in groups, forget setting them up correctly.
Do this with FOOs, anti aircraft and sometimes ATGMs.
You can still cross attach them to a suitable Company.
Buy buying adjacent you can easily scroll through the units using N & P, helpful for FOOs.
Very helpfull for AA can find who can target the helo quickly.
Also AA and ATGM often have limited ammo so can cycle quickly to check.

[Mobhack]

I only ever use the one FOO, and but it as the first unit so it always appears just after A0 on page 1 of the 2 roster screens, so its easy to find rather than scrolling all over the map.

The same would still apply if you want several FOOS - buy them all first then they are at the start of the list so easily found via the HQ menu screen listing. You could then say keep a mental list in your head - #1 is at the top of the map, #2 is somewhere in the middle of the map and #3 is the one deployed down south say.

[Wdll]

Originally Posted by Mobhack

I only ever use the one FOO, and but it as the first unit so it always appears just after A0 on page 1 of the 2 roster screens, so its easy to find rather than scrolling all over the map.

The same would still apply if you want several FOOS - buy them all first then they are at the start of the list so easily found via the HQ menu screen listing. You could then say keep a mental list in your head - #1 is at the top of the map, #2 is somewhere in the middle of the map and #3 is the one deployed down south say.

That is fine but not really the issue, at least for me.
If you have more than a couple of artillery/planes and more than a couple of obs, as I usually have as I play in maxed out maps, it is hard to impossible to remember which obs spots for which artillery and vice-versa. It doesn't matter if in the lists the obs are near the top or not. Unless you take notes (pen and paper) which obs guides which artillery, you can easily not only pick the wrong artillery, but more importantly you can easily "give orders" to the wrong artillery by just clicking on it and then have to exit the bombardment screen, pick the right obs and then re assign it to the right artillery.
I thin I explained it better in my original posts.
Unless of course you are talking about something else so, my fault.

[Mobhack]

The game doesn't care which observer adjusts the fire, other than the initial one (for time of arrival) and LOS when the shells fall. The mission isn't "owned" by whatever observer called the shoot, just whichever one you decided to do the last adjust with is allocated as the last one to spot it, and hence any LOS issue is from him.

So - its perfectly OK to find your most skilled observer and call with him, then adjust with whoever has the best LOS.

The only advantage of multitudes of observers is that it can give you a couple more "gold spots" in some cases, and you have them in areas where they might have LOS to the impact hex if trees and smoke do not obscure LOS. But observers can be expensive items.

Me, I just buy one just after A) and call from him and aujust using him even if the adjustment is blind most of the time. About the only time I use someone else may be for some danger close fires, and I will use a command element that has LOS and accept the extra +1 or whatever per adjustment just to make sure.

But your worrying about "who owns the shoot" is not an issue. The last observer you used is the one who now owns the mission so simply find the one of several you have on the map that has the required LOS (if any) and use that, and consider using a company or platoon commander with LOS perhaps, if they have requisite LOS, accepting that they may be slower shifters.

[Wdll]

Originally Posted by Mobhack

The game doesn't care which observer adjusts the fire, other than the initial one (for time of arrival) and LOS when the shells fall. The mission isn't "owned" by whatever observer called the shoot, just whichever one you decided to do the last adjust with is allocated as the last one to spot it, and hence any LOS issue is from him.

So - its perfectly OK to find your most skilled observer and call with him, then adjust with whoever has the best LOS.

The only advantage of multitudes of observers is that it can give you a couple more "gold spots" in some cases, and you have them in areas where they might have LOS to the impact hex if trees and smoke do not obscure LOS. But observers can be expensive items.

Me, I just buy one just after A) and call from him and aujust using him even if the adjustment is blind most of the time. About the only time I use someone else may be for some danger close fires, and I will use a command element that has LOS and accept the extra +1 or whatever per adjustment just to make sure.

But your worrying about "who owns the shoot" is not an issue. The last observer you used is the one who now owns the mission so simply find the one of several you have on the map that has the required LOS (if any) and use that, and consider using a company or platoon commander with LOS perhaps, if they have requisite LOS, accepting that they may be slower shifters.

But that is my "issue".
Since it is so easy to have the wrong observer "call the shot" simply because you can't always remember who has the best LOS to the target hex AND which artillery aims where.
You have to exit and enter the bombardment screen all the time because when you have plenty of artillery and observers you have to keep doing this, especially if you accidentaly giver orders from the wrong observer to the wrong artillery.
That's of course if one does it like I do and wants to have as accurate/speedy barrage as possible.
Years earlier I too would just use just one observer, if that. Many times I would just use my HQ unit.
But, as I see accuracy (and speed as a secondary thing) changes if the observer sees the target hex or not, I prefer whenever I can to do that.
It's not about experience of the crew or something.
Don't get me wrong, this is clearly not a bug or anything bad on its own. It's more a quality of life type of thing. At least as I see it.

[Mobhack]

It's simple. Whichever observer you have selected becomes the one in control of the mission.

Therefore, just select an observer and see if it has LOS, if that is what you are worried about. If he cannot see the impact, try another if you have several. You don't even have to go to the bombardment screen the normal LOS display for units will work fine to check if LOS exists.

There is no such thing as a "wrong" observer, since any one will do. Barring the first call for a new fire mission perhaps, if one is skilled and so faster than another one.