Jump to content

More Miscellaneous Questions


Recommended Posts

Thanks to all the people who have responded to my previous questions.  Your efforts are much appreciated.  Let me try just a few more questions.

1)  While the headquarters is still intact, does the Assistant Leader/SIC (second in command) unit perform any real function?  Example - assume there is both a company HQ Leader who is uninjured and an SIC unit.  If I decide I need to separate the two platoons of the company by a pretty great distance, will sending the SIC with one of the platoons serve as a substitute for having the company HQ nearby?  Does having the SIC nearby when separated from the company Leader help with "maintain internal discipline, direct fire to be more effective and keep contact with other Leaders" - the functions that the Manual (page 63) says that Leaders perform?  This also begs another question.  I know with respect to the squads the platoon leaders helps "maintain internal discipline, direct fire to be more effective and keep contact with other Leaders", does a nearby Company Leader perform the same assistance to units at the squad level?

2)  The Manual notes that "Units do not always follow the exact Command Line drawn on the map but [the AI] will choose their movement path independently based upon terrain....." etc.  (p42).  Have you found that units will deviate from the selected path if it appears "crowded" or if it somehow too narrow (but not at all impassable)??  I had a couple of incidents in an urban area where I was trying to send a ten man squad down a relatively narrow alley (buildings close on each side) as opposed to their becoming targets going down the parallel wide street. The alley already had a few of my folks in it.  I used pretty short movement commands to send the squad into the alley and then to go up the alley.  To my horror, about half the squad went up the alley as directed but the other half decided to go up the parallel wide street.  Any thoughts on where I went wrong?

3)  I have found the AI to be pretty good when playing meeting engagements and as the attacker in probes and assault.  Going back even as far as strategy games of the early 90's it has always seemed to me that with pretty rare exceptions computer AI is usually better on the defense and somewhat weak on the attack.  Just curious - how have you guys found the AI to be if you are defending against an AI assault or probe?

Thanks for any thoughts and comments. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, John S said:

Thanks to all the people who have responded to my previous questions.  Your efforts are much appreciated.  Let me try just a few more questions.

1)  While the headquarters is still intact, does the Assistant Leader/SIC (second in command) unit perform any real function?  Example - assume there is both a company HQ Leader who is uninjured and an SIC unit.  If I decide I need to separate the two platoons of the company by a pretty great distance, will sending the SIC with one of the platoons serve as a substitute for having the company HQ nearby?  Does having the SIC nearby when separated from the company Leader help with "maintain internal discipline, direct fire to be more effective and keep contact with other Leaders" - the functions that the Manual (page 63) says that Leaders perform?  This also begs another question.  I know with respect to the squads the platoon leaders helps "maintain internal discipline, direct fire to be more effective and keep contact with other Leaders", does a nearby Company Leader perform the same assistance to units at the squad level?

The 2IC unit will not be a substitute in a C2 sense. I, personally, still do that especially if I feel that is what would happen in RL. Check out some of the links below and one final point after that.

@MOS:96B2P is the expert on C2 & information sharing. Read his definitive guide:

Higher level commanders helping out lower level troops:

Also note that the 2IC / XO units often have radios which you can use to help keep mortars in coms or help with information sharing even if they are not part of the C2 chain themselves.

 

5 minutes ago, John S said:

2)  The Manual notes that "Units do not always follow the exact Command Line drawn on the map but [the AI] will choose their movement path independently based upon terrain....." etc.  (p42).  Have you found that units will deviate from the selected path if it appears "crowded" or if it somehow too narrow (but not at all impassable)??  I had a couple of incidents in an urban area where I was trying to send a ten man squad down a relatively narrow alley (buildings close on each side) as opposed to their becoming targets going down the parallel wide street. The alley already had a few of my folks in it.  I used pretty short movement commands to send the squad into the alley and then to go up the alley.  To my horror, about half the squad went up the alley as directed but the other half decided to go up the parallel wide street.  Any thoughts on where I went wrong?

Yes, crowded areas do effect pathing. Having said that soldiers will still crowd up way more than real ones would so don't use "the Tac AI will spread them out on its own" as a plan.

Two suggestions: Keep with the short move orders, that is the right thing to do. 1) add in pauses to lower the crowding (i.e. have teas waiting before entering the alley). 2) split squads, if you have a two team squad and you give them movement orders down a narrow alley one team might decide to head out to the main street just cause the whole squad is enough crowding for the alley. I don't know if doing the above would be enough to ensure that you never have anyone take the easy way but it should help.

 

5 minutes ago, John S said:

3)  I have found the AI to be pretty good when playing meeting engagements and as the attacker in probes and assault.  Going back even as far as strategy games of the early 90's it has always seemed to me that with pretty rare exceptions computer AI is usually better on the defense and somewhat weak on the attack.  Just curious - how have you guys found the AI to be if you are defending against an AI assault or probe?

Thanks for any thoughts and comments.

Honestly I find the AI is best on defence. Some of the new features available to designers makes attacking better to be sure but I still think the AI is better on defence. Having said that the scripting AI that CM2x uses is way way better than the build the plan on the fly way that CM1 did it. That is not a popular statement with some around here but I still feel that way. After playing CM2x games I never went back to CM1x and part of it was the better modelling, part of it was individual soldiers being represented, and part of it was the way better AI.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, John S said:

2)  The Manual notes that "Units do not always follow the exact Command Line drawn on the map but [the AI] will choose their movement path independently based upon terrain....." etc.  (p42).  Have you found that units will deviate from the selected path if it appears "crowded" or if it somehow too narrow (but not at all impassable)??  I had a couple of incidents in an urban area where I was trying to send a ten man squad down a relatively narrow alley (buildings close on each side) as opposed to their becoming targets going down the parallel wide street. The alley already had a few of my folks in it.  I used pretty short movement commands to send the squad into the alley and then to go up the alley.  To my horror, about half the squad went up the alley as directed but the other half decided to go up the parallel wide street.  Any thoughts on where I went wrong?

I can't say, that experienced adjustments to avoid "crowded" areas, but the AI certainly adjusts to avoid obstacles. E.g., in a current scenario, I ordered a Jagdpanther to cross a bridge, which apparently was not suitable. The JP took a detour to cross the stream at a ford nearby.

Strangley, the AI does not always try to avoid obstacles. I had it a few times, that the plotted path crossed the edge of a building. Result: The vehicles try to go through the building and get stuck in the building.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, John S said:

3)  I have found the AI to be pretty good when playing meeting engagements and as the attacker in probes and assault.  Going back even as far as strategy games of the early 90's it has always seemed to me that with pretty rare exceptions computer AI is usually better on the defense and somewhat weak on the attack.  Just curious - how have you guys found the AI to be if you are defending against an AI assault or probe?

I think that as you gain more experience with the game, you will come to the opposite conclusion. Since there is no AI in this game, the enemy only does what the scenario designer has told them to do. The game can be very challenging when attacking against a fixed defence, but that's because the scenario designer has made a challenging map and enemy force deployment.

To truly see what this game is about, you need to find a human opponent. Then you will have a true challenge :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...