Smoke vs WP

[BluecherForward]

Is there a way to differentiate between using smoke and white phosphorus on a target area? I would like to use WP when it can also cause casualties.

[BornGinger]

I suppose the game decides what to use when it comes to smoke and WP just as the game decides when your tanks should use AP rounds and HE rounds.

[Erwin]

20 minutes ago, BluecherForward said:

Is there a way to differentiate between using smoke and white phosphorus on a target area? I would like to use WP when it can also cause casualties.

Good suggestion.  Hope we see that in future patches or CM3 at least.

[rocketman]

1 hour ago, BluecherForward said:

Is there a way to differentiate between using smoke and white phosphorus on a target area? I would like to use WP when it can also cause casualties.

I don't think I have ever seen it cause any casualties other than when the mortar round lands right on the pixeltruppen, like being killed by the shell itself rather than the WP.

[BluecherForward]

1 minute ago, rocketman said:

I don't think I have ever seen it cause any casualties other than when the mortar round lands right on the pixeltruppen, like being killed by the shell itself rather than the WP.

That's too bad - and not very realistic. WP is nasty stuff.

[MOS:96B2P]

8 minutes ago, BluecherForward said:

That's too bad - and not very realistic. WP is nasty stuff.

WP can cause high levels of suppression and the occasional casualty.    

[MikeyD]

Its been awhile since I looked at this and I only half-remember my results. It seems WP is considered 'hot' so you may see the cloud of smoke lifting off the ground somewhat before it dissipates. The other type (HC, I suppose) tends to hug the ground until it dissipates. WP is also considered 'bad stuff', if you march your infantry through a WP cloud you may get scattered injury casualties as a result. I've seen opponent forces relocate out of buildings that were hit with WP... I think. Like I said, its been a looong time since I looked at this.

[BluecherForward]

Thanks MikeyD,

So if it makes a difference, is there a way to select between smoke and WP? If not what criteria does the game use to select between the two?

[Erwin]

I remember reading here that WP definitely has a greater effect, but it seems that as with throwing grenades it's up to the AI.

[MikeyD]

As near as I can recall, the weapons systems you'd expect to use WP use WP, the ones you expect to use HC use HC, Thrown smoke grenades and medium mortars  should be HC. 120mm mortars and heavier artillery should be WP. There was a debate at the time whether Sherman 75 should be firing HC or WP. It fielded both I was advocating for HC, but I think the powers-that-be came down on the side of WP.

[DougPhresh]

It would be nice to know what is base ejecting smoke and what is WP but as a general rule of thumb, direct fire is WP.

Now if this engine had spreading and deadly fires like CM1...

[BluecherForward]

I would like to be able to select either WP or smoke, when I call in smoke/WP, but I am sensing that is not possible - at least not yet.

[A Canadian Cat]

12 hours ago, BluecherForward said:

I would like to be able to select either WP or smoke, when I call in smoke/WP, but I am sensing that is not possible - at least not yet.

Correct it is not possible. Given that only a handful of units have both I doubt we will ever get control as a player. I feel like the game is consistent in using one type of ammo first but I have not tested that.

[DougPhresh]

Even in Shock Force 2, the only Canadian units with access to both base ejecting and WP smoke are the artillery. More than that, you fire smoke missions with whatever ammo stores issued you when you left the Z Lines, usually not both.

Edited February 6, 2020 by DougPhresh

[rocketman]

23 hours ago, MikeyD said:

Its been awhile since I looked at this and I only half-remember my results. It seems WP is considered 'hot' so you may see the cloud of smoke lifting off the ground somewhat before it dissipates. The other type (HC, I suppose) tends to hug the ground until it dissipates. 

[snip]

The WP cloud is grey while smoke is white. At least in R2V and stock textures.

[lsailer]

Wild Ass Guess:

Select smoke and target open space, use smoke.

Select smoke and target an enemy unit, use WP.

[General Jack Ripper]

On 2/5/2020 at 11:31 AM, BluecherForward said:

Is there a way to differentiate between using smoke and white phosphorus on a target area? I would like to use WP when it can also cause casualties.

Generally speaking you either have one or the other available, I can't recall any unit or weapon equipped with both simultaneously aside from the little Brit knee mortar, and it always seems to use WP first, then Smoke.

In the case of tanks, using the Pop Smoke command will throw smoke grenades of some description, while using the Target Smoke command will shoot their WP rounds if they have them. The availability of WP changes depending on the date, for example in early Battle for Normandy it's quite rare, but in Final Blitzkrieg almost every vehicle has some.

 

On 2/5/2020 at 5:08 PM, DougPhresh said:

It would be nice to know what is base ejecting smoke and what is WP but as a general rule of thumb, direct fire is WP.

Not always.
In the user interface they will be listed separately as either [Gun Caliber]WP or [Gun Caliber]Smoke.

[BluecherForward]

Thanks General Jack Ripper.

[Bulletpoint]

@BluecherForward Let me know if you manage to cause casualties by WP. I've never seen it happen, but haven't used smoke that much either.

[rocketman]

5 hours ago, Bulletpoint said:

@BluecherForward Let me know if you manage to cause casualties by WP. I've never seen it happen, but haven't used smoke that much either.

It should be an easy test in the editor for someone who feels up to it. Just plop down a company of pixeltruppen and drop a huge WP mission on them and count the casualties.