Pete Wenman

As at Engine 4 this is now in game
Page 103-104 of the engine manual details

Each AI Order can designate a Fire Zone for area fire. This is done by painting on the 2D map just like a Movement Zone, but by CTRL-left-clicking instead. The tiles designated as targets will be colored red instead of yellow. While that AI Order is being carried out, the AI Group will attack the Fire Zone with suppressive area fire if it doesn't have any spotted enemy units to engage or other important tasks to do.
It is important to note that the Fire Zone is the lowest priority task for the AI Group. Other tasks, such as moving, unloading, attacking a spotted enemy unit, etc will take priority over shooting randomly at the Fire Zone.

Each AI Order can be given a location for it to Face towards. After painting the Movement Zone, Alt-left-click on a single tile that you wish the AI to face towards. When the AI Group reaches its destination, it will pivot or rotate towards the designated point.

By shift-left-clicking on the map, AI Groups can be ordered to Withdraw while moving towards their movement destination. Vehicles will move in Reverse to the destination, while infantry will leapfrog back while turning around to face behind them. Like the Facing Zone, Withdraw Zones are a single tile that the AI Group will face towards. For example, a vehicle given a Withdraw Zone will reverse towards the Movement Zone, while keeping its front pointed towards the Withdraw Zone.
P

As at Engine 4 this is now in game
Page 103-104 of the engine manual details

Each AI Order can designate a Fire Zone for area fire. This is done by painting on the 2D map just like a Movement Zone, but by CTRL-left-clicking instead. The tiles designated as targets will be colored red instead of yellow. While that AI Order is being carried out, the AI Group will attack the Fire Zone with suppressive area fire if it doesn't have any spotted enemy units to engage or other important tasks to do.
It is important to note that the Fire Zone is the lowest priority task for the AI Group. Other tasks, such as moving, unloading, attacking a spotted enemy unit, etc will take priority over shooting randomly at the Fire Zone.

Each AI Order can be given a location for it to Face towards. After painting the Movement Zone, Alt-left-click on a single tile that you wish the AI to face towards. When the AI Group reaches its destination, it will pivot or rotate towards the designated point.

By shift-left-clicking on the map, AI Groups can be ordered to Withdraw while moving towards their movement destination. Vehicles will move in Reverse to the destination, while infantry will leapfrog back while turning around to face behind them. Like the Facing Zone, Withdraw Zones are a single tile that the AI Group will face towards. For example, a vehicle given a Withdraw Zone will reverse towards the Movement Zone, while keeping its front pointed towards the Withdraw Zone.
P

You might be misunderstanding the trigger mechanism just a little.
The two times set the period for which the trigger is live (on the game clock). So a trigger will not work if activated before the first time, and the trigger will automatically activate by the end time if not previously triggered. 
However once live the trigger orders will activate as soon as the trigger is activated (the following turn).
Keep in mind that triggers are not conditional and so will always trigger based on either being tripped while active, or at the end of the active period. (Although this can be set for after the game end, but doing so means the unit can be given no subsequent orders)
HTH, but to be honest the best way to get your head around the concepts is to set up simple movements in the editor and replay them in scenario author mode until you can see the connection between the orders you have issued and AI movement you want to see.
P

The engine manual and JonS's excellent scenario design AAR are probably the best place to start.
Pdf files of both come with the game and are well worth reading
P

Thanks, George!  I mostly just read your briefing with some omissions and word edits to get it to make more sense when I read it out loud in this context haha!
Yup! 
Learned some more effects in Lightworks.  And found a better location to record - less echos and more consistent.  Still probably need a better microphone.  My fiancee heard me reviewing the video and told me "that doesn't sound anything like you!"

While waiting for the New Year hubbub to die down and for my buddy to get me his turn, I tried making a video!  (Spoilers to Ambush if you haven't played it already)
I've got the introduction and the first 5 minutes.  I can say making videos is a lot more work than the text AARs - so let me know if you think it's worth my time! 
Oh, and happy new year to everyone!

P

Just a little something I found under the Christmas Tree
 
P
 

P

Just a little something I found under the Christmas Tree
 
P
 

" And as he passed by the bunker and out of our zone
I chewed on the annual Christmas bone. "
SEE? I told you guys! I knew Santa Steve was real!
ON MAP MORTARS!
I see the new stream terrain. And the light/heavy? forest tile looks a bit like ferns (last pic). And the AAVs (and LAV) crossing the river are badass!
Thanks very much.
Mord.

P

P

Twas the night before CM-mas and all through the bunker
not a 'truppen was stirring they were all down and hunkered
The frags were all hung by the rifles with care
In hopes that Santa Steve soon would be there
The 'truppen a snoring and dreaming away
of the hookers they'd met, on leave last May
When out in the minefield there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bunk, my skivvies all tattered.
Away to the gun sites I flew like a plane,
pulled back the bolt and steadied my aim.
When from mod weary eyes I spied from afar,
Some northern Maine dude with a brain in a jar,
Santa Steve! I shouted with excitement and glee
but in response, just some bitching about TO&E
On Stragglers, on Sicherungs, Luftwaffe and Herr
on Jagers and Gebirs, and others more rare
He droned on and on as the brain kept a coding
and I knew deep inside this was no normal foreboding
For once in a while a reference to Syria
and with that little gem I was sent to hysteria
For amidst all that heavy WWII talking
Toward Shock Force 2 I knew he was walking
Patiently on the desert I'd waited
and soon it'd be real and my lust would be sated
Back to the sand! Nato, Uncons and pals
but with 4.0 flare and friggin' hit decals!
My head filled with war and the toys that it brings
I was hoping I'd see it before G**D*** spring!
Then brain in arm, he turned toward the west
to continue ever onward the Combat Mission quest
Teeth clenched and jaw set against the snowy wind
he trudge into the night, a phantom again
And as he passed by the bunker and out of our zone
I chewed on the annual Christmas bone.
 
Merry Christmas, fellas!

Mord.
 
 

Very big topic with many sub-topics and circumstantial situations.  Probably why you found so many related posts.  I will try to give some general answers to encourage discussion in this topic because I do think this is interesting.  My answers are far from conclusive but here they are:
Command & Control: 
To fire indirect on map mortars must be within close visual C2 (12A/S) of their COC or within voice C2 (6A/S) of any authorized HQ, XO, FO team or within 2A/S of a radio equipped vehicle. (Off map mortars always have their COC & C2) 
A requesting HQ, FO, & some XO teams do not need a radio, COC or C2 to make a request for arty (field telephone abstraction).
Rank determines ability (authority) to access arty (that doesn’t require an FO).          
As long as the CO is alive a HQ can always request and adjust artillery even without a radio or C2. 
Some XOs can call in artillery and mortars.  This includes tank platoon XOs.  The tank platoon XO is normally in Tank #1.   
If I have on map mortars that I am going to use in the indirect fire role I typically try to deploy them in the Setup phase and check that the HQs can access them before I start the game. 
How to decrease delay:
Only off map artillery/mortars have delay option & have it the entire mission.  On map never has it (including during pre-planned setup). 
When an arty/mortar mission is delayed the UI continues to display the delay time even after fire is adjusted making it seem the adjusted fire will take longer than it actually will. 
There are some threads that discuss adjusting a fire mission constantly to keep it in a delayed state until you want it to fall.  I have never gotten this tactic to work properly.  I just mention it in case you come across it.  Maybe somebody else is able to make this work and will comment. 
Also related to Time: 
FFE times, in the support panel, are rounded to the nearest minute. This can make elite, crack & vet. appear to fire at the same time.   
In WWII titles there is no difference in the artillery call times between a backpack radio, a command vehicle radio, a Bn. and a Plt. HQ.  
Command vehicles only improve arty support response time in CMBS.  (Maybe in CMSF2?)  
Experience is the only soft factor of arty & mortar assets (on & off map) that effect FFE times.
How to improve accuracy? 
To paraphrase something @womble said that helped me: The accuracy is determined during the "Spotting" phase.  Your observer needs to be able to see the fall of shot. He can be hiding during the "receiving" and "preparing" phases of the mission but should be heads-up and eyes-on during the "spotting" phase. If your observer has a bad line of sight to the target area (and the splashes of the ranging shots), you'll get a less accurate mission. Trying to hit an area or line where you can only see the two opposite points you clicked to define the line risks shells falling where they can't be seen.
The Spotter also needs to be spotting (head up eyes on) when adjusting fire. 
 
Limitations and considerations of the "Cancel' and "Adjust" order.
Most of what I can think of was said above about "Adjusting"
Cancel just ends a fire mission.  This can stop rounds from being wasted and allows friendly troops to advance into the area.  I found this most useful to keep from losing control of off map artillery when a spotter comes under fire.   I have had several incidents where a spotter directing fire was KIA.  After that happened I was never able to adjust or have a different spotter take over that off map arty.  Essentially losing the arty for the rest of the mission.  So my SOP is if I'm foolish enough to get my spotter in a jam I try to be quick enough to cancel the mission he is calling for so I don't lose both spotter and tubes.  
I like to use a off map arty fire mission shooting at a low tube count and a low rate of fire and adjust it around the map as needed. 
Other helpful hints.
Off map arty/mortar ammo count shows total available rounds & of that total x amount may be fired as smoke or precision.  
Pre-planned fires can be plotted anywhere on the map and do not require TRPs.   
In WWII titles personnel airburst rounds must be requested during preplanned bombardment or in range of a TRP to work.
In CMFB a (VT) equipped asset can fire personnel airburst rounds anytime without a TRP.  
Personnel airburst will destroy transports & light armor.  Personnel airburst will damage tracks on armor but not other subsystems. 
Artillery/Mortar status: Receiving, Preparing, Spotting, Firing, Adjusting, Firing.  
Additional artillery/mortar status: Not positioned=Not Deployed, Denied=No authority, Out of Contact=Tubes Need C2, Empty=Empty
If an on map mortar’s indirect LOF is blocked the target cursor will read “No Line of Fire”. A direct fire block will read “No Line of Sight” 
Light mortars (US 60mm) can be very useful in the direct fire role using Target Light. 
A Point Target will follow a moving target as long as the spotter has LOS.  A Point Target will not cease fire if the target is destroyed.
Artillery smoke is NOT IR blocking. 
The below was a bug that I think is still out there but I did not test it again before posting this (It may also be in CMFI since 4.0): 
Arty/Mortar adjust bug in CMBN, CMRT, CMBS & CMFB: If one observer has two or more fire missions all firing at separate targets
and adjusts any one of those missions to a new target ALL the fire missions adjust to the new target not just the one fire mission.   
If anybody notices anything I screwed up please mention it so I can update my information.  
 
 

That's all very well but how accessible is that feature going to be to any player who has no military experience? This thread and its antecedent is the result of some pretty extensive research on the part of @MOS:96B2Pand it has provoked a lot of questions. That says to me that it seems quite clear that the way in which what could be termed by military professionals as 'dumbed down'' C2 in game is not readily understood by people with and without service under their belts. So to add the complexity you are advocating risks confusion and would possibly alienate a lot of potential players.
Additionally, the information presented is based on a battalion group, how would having multiple nets work with platoon or company-sized scenarios and how would you convey the mechanics in the manual? Your earlier recce conundrum has two pretty simple solutions:
Pick single vehicles as attachments to bigger units. Pick the higher HQs. WRT gunner nets, the current abstracted indirect fire system continues to trigger forum threads like 'why can't I call in fire?' To make this more difficult by introducing an artillery net would not be helpful. Given that in the Commonwealth Armies of WW2 guns and recce were divisional assets, how far do we go here ... does it become a must have to include the Divisional HQ in game to historically replicate proper gunner and recce nets?
This smacks of the numerous 'mega iron' or enhanced reality type threads that have done the rounds over the years. It is fine if you want it but for the game to sell it is in all likelihood not something that is going to be a feature that has people queuing round the block for. The separate gunner nets thing is sort of replicated in the WW2 titles by the increased delays or inabilities of certain FOOs to call in fire which to my Acorn rather than a Shelldrake/Ironside view is a pretty workable compromise of reflecting reality without making it inaccessible.
Like most things in life ....
How much do you really want it?
When things aren't perfect, compromise is always good.

Just to reiterate the excellent info provided here by @MOS:96B2P and to again illustrate how sophisticated the game radio net is I've attached a simple scenario for FB based on the  Stoumont master map. This is a massive, resource heavy map, so some systems may struggle with it, but it shows again how critical it is to maintain good C2, both horizontal and vertical and the impact it can have on a very large map.
If you fancy giving it a whirl, play as US against the AI, on elite. This will clearly show the flow of info through the radio net. Add a short target arc to the M8 to prevent it firing and push the BRB. As each unit gains a  ? contact marker, click on the next unit and await it too gaining the ? contact, and so on.
The situation is that a M8 scout car, from 1st section 3 Plt A Troop, is observing in the direction of Cheneux. It is some 3k forward  from the 1st Infantry Bttn HQ which has a radio mounted jeep also from  1st section 3 Plt A Troop  adjacent to it.
Timings for the playthrough I noted as follows. 
Game start at 30.00
29.52 (so after eight seconds) the M8 gets  a ? contact on an enemy unit 1.6k away across the valley.
29.03 The radio mounted jeep from 1st section 3 Plt A Troop receives a report and gains a ? contact marker for the enemy unit, despite being out of LOS and over 3k away from it
28.56 The M8 gets a solid ID on a 251/1 halftrack and passengers.
28.53 1st Inf Bttn HQ gains a ? contact marker, as the report from the M8 is passed horizontally to it from the adjacent cavalry jeep.
26.49 A Co HQ (1st Inf Bttn) gains a ? contact marker for the halftrack as the infantry battalion HQ now passes the info down the battalion radio net. (A Co is approx 1k forward from Bttn HQ)
26.24 1st Plt A Co receives the contact report via A Co HQ (1st Plt HQ being some 200m from Co HQ, but out of LOS from it.)
25.42 1st platoon shouts details of the contact to 1st squad in a nearby house.
So in just under 5 minutes the contact report has gone up the cavalry net, been shared with the Inf Bttn HQ and been passed back down the infantry net to all units in C2 for that net. From a real world perspective this is perhaps a little fast but not unrealistically so for trained and competent troops.
If nothing else it shows the clear advantage that a working radio net provides. If the radios are not present the passage of info will rely on runners, liaison units and self spotting. If this was the initial part of an actual game the M8 could report on all it sees and enable the infantry bttn to share all it's sighting info, denying the German player a degree of surprise he may otherwise assume he has.
Just my ramblings 
 
P
 
 
 
 
Stoumont Master Map recon.btt

Just to reiterate the excellent info provided here by @MOS:96B2P and to again illustrate how sophisticated the game radio net is I've attached a simple scenario for FB based on the  Stoumont master map. This is a massive, resource heavy map, so some systems may struggle with it, but it shows again how critical it is to maintain good C2, both horizontal and vertical and the impact it can have on a very large map.
If you fancy giving it a whirl, play as US against the AI, on elite. This will clearly show the flow of info through the radio net. Add a short target arc to the M8 to prevent it firing and push the BRB. As each unit gains a  ? contact marker, click on the next unit and await it too gaining the ? contact, and so on.
The situation is that a M8 scout car, from 1st section 3 Plt A Troop, is observing in the direction of Cheneux. It is some 3k forward  from the 1st Infantry Bttn HQ which has a radio mounted jeep also from  1st section 3 Plt A Troop  adjacent to it.
Timings for the playthrough I noted as follows. 
Game start at 30.00
29.52 (so after eight seconds) the M8 gets  a ? contact on an enemy unit 1.6k away across the valley.
29.03 The radio mounted jeep from 1st section 3 Plt A Troop receives a report and gains a ? contact marker for the enemy unit, despite being out of LOS and over 3k away from it
28.56 The M8 gets a solid ID on a 251/1 halftrack and passengers.
28.53 1st Inf Bttn HQ gains a ? contact marker, as the report from the M8 is passed horizontally to it from the adjacent cavalry jeep.
26.49 A Co HQ (1st Inf Bttn) gains a ? contact marker for the halftrack as the infantry battalion HQ now passes the info down the battalion radio net. (A Co is approx 1k forward from Bttn HQ)
26.24 1st Plt A Co receives the contact report via A Co HQ (1st Plt HQ being some 200m from Co HQ, but out of LOS from it.)
25.42 1st platoon shouts details of the contact to 1st squad in a nearby house.
So in just under 5 minutes the contact report has gone up the cavalry net, been shared with the Inf Bttn HQ and been passed back down the infantry net to all units in C2 for that net. From a real world perspective this is perhaps a little fast but not unrealistically so for trained and competent troops.
If nothing else it shows the clear advantage that a working radio net provides. If the radios are not present the passage of info will rely on runners, liaison units and self spotting. If this was the initial part of an actual game the M8 could report on all it sees and enable the infantry bttn to share all it's sighting info, denying the German player a degree of surprise he may otherwise assume he has.
Just my ramblings 
 
P
 
 
 
 
Stoumont Master Map recon.btt

Fire at will 
P

Just to reiterate the excellent info provided here by @MOS:96B2P and to again illustrate how sophisticated the game radio net is I've attached a simple scenario for FB based on the  Stoumont master map. This is a massive, resource heavy map, so some systems may struggle with it, but it shows again how critical it is to maintain good C2, both horizontal and vertical and the impact it can have on a very large map.
If you fancy giving it a whirl, play as US against the AI, on elite. This will clearly show the flow of info through the radio net. Add a short target arc to the M8 to prevent it firing and push the BRB. As each unit gains a  ? contact marker, click on the next unit and await it too gaining the ? contact, and so on.
The situation is that a M8 scout car, from 1st section 3 Plt A Troop, is observing in the direction of Cheneux. It is some 3k forward  from the 1st Infantry Bttn HQ which has a radio mounted jeep also from  1st section 3 Plt A Troop  adjacent to it.
Timings for the playthrough I noted as follows. 
Game start at 30.00
29.52 (so after eight seconds) the M8 gets  a ? contact on an enemy unit 1.6k away across the valley.
29.03 The radio mounted jeep from 1st section 3 Plt A Troop receives a report and gains a ? contact marker for the enemy unit, despite being out of LOS and over 3k away from it
28.56 The M8 gets a solid ID on a 251/1 halftrack and passengers.
28.53 1st Inf Bttn HQ gains a ? contact marker, as the report from the M8 is passed horizontally to it from the adjacent cavalry jeep.
26.49 A Co HQ (1st Inf Bttn) gains a ? contact marker for the halftrack as the infantry battalion HQ now passes the info down the battalion radio net. (A Co is approx 1k forward from Bttn HQ)
26.24 1st Plt A Co receives the contact report via A Co HQ (1st Plt HQ being some 200m from Co HQ, but out of LOS from it.)
25.42 1st platoon shouts details of the contact to 1st squad in a nearby house.
So in just under 5 minutes the contact report has gone up the cavalry net, been shared with the Inf Bttn HQ and been passed back down the infantry net to all units in C2 for that net. From a real world perspective this is perhaps a little fast but not unrealistically so for trained and competent troops.
If nothing else it shows the clear advantage that a working radio net provides. If the radios are not present the passage of info will rely on runners, liaison units and self spotting. If this was the initial part of an actual game the M8 could report on all it sees and enable the infantry bttn to share all it's sighting info, denying the German player a degree of surprise he may otherwise assume he has.
Just my ramblings 
 
P
 
 
 
 
Stoumont Master Map recon.btt

Mord.

Shows what you know...
 

 
 
Mord.

To add to the replies above, which are both spot on, it is also important to understand the differences between the various move commands, so ensuring the appropriate order is used where possible.
All of the five move commands for infantry units not only affect speed of movement, but also the likelihood, or not, of returning fire while moving,  use of nearby cover, whether a unit will stop when under fire, or continue to move regardless etc. 

P
 

To add to the replies above, which are both spot on, it is also important to understand the differences between the various move commands, so ensuring the appropriate order is used where possible.
All of the five move commands for infantry units not only affect speed of movement, but also the likelihood, or not, of returning fire while moving,  use of nearby cover, whether a unit will stop when under fire, or continue to move regardless etc. 

P
 

Thank ye, Nidan1, for tha many fine games.  Including tha one wae didnae get tae finish.