Moon Posted July 11, 1999 Share Posted July 11, 1999 Will the command radius of a HQ unit depend on the terrain the platoon is in? IOW, will a platoon have to stay closer together in a heavy forest than in an open field to maintain C&C? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike D Posted July 11, 1999 Share Posted July 11, 1999 Also, how will we as players be able to "see" the command radius? If I'm in a top down view of the map and select an HQ unit will I be able to hit a key and see the radius drawn on the screen so I can compare it to where the rest of the HQ's subordinate units are located? It would also be really cool to have it somehow highlight the units subordinate to that platoon, company, or other HQ at the same time so it would be very clear which units are, and are not, in CC. Thanks, Mike D aka Mikester Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big Time Software Posted July 11, 1999 Share Posted July 11, 1999 At the moment the C&C radius is fixed. Not sure if this can be done as I would expect it to suck up lots of CPU cycles). Higher C&C wouldn't be affected (much) by terrain due to raido contact, but obviously since the lowest level wasn't using radios it should be variable due to terrain. No, we don't show the C&C radius. This is by design. We don't want to arm the player with too much knowledge. You will quickly get a sense of distance and will be able to keep guys in C&C. However, sometimes you will try and spread yourself too thin, and that is when you can find that you stretched a little too much. If we gave absolute information this totally realistic outcome would largely be unrealistically curtailed. The battlefield should be a place of uncertainty, and that is the way we wish to keep it Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest John Maragoudakis Posted July 12, 1999 Share Posted July 12, 1999 'The Battlefield is a place of uncertainty' heh, you can be sure no one is going into multiplayer before testing all thier units command radius. Guess it's better this way, you reward the player with a better memory.( or pad, pencil, chart, overlay ) [This message has been edited by John Maragoudakis (edited 07-12-99).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big Time Software Posted July 12, 1999 Share Posted July 12, 1999 More like a better "sense". I have NO idea what the radius is in terms of meters, yet I generally keep my guys in touch with one another. Sometimes I have to hold up and wait, but this is realistic to be sure. BTW, Charles is going to investigate having the radius shrink/expand depending on terrain. Not sure if it is going to be doable (CPU cycles), but he is hopeful. We'll just have to see Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest John Maragoudakis Posted July 12, 1999 Share Posted July 12, 1999 What if your HQ is 5m off the edge of the woods, (in the clear), but half the squad is in the woods and half is in the clear? Are we looking at a radius of command that is smaller in the woods and larger in the clear at the same time? Makes sense to do this because if a couple of squads are traveling along a road that has trees on both sides, they might risk all staying on the road to keep in command rather than forming a line with some squads in the woods where they might fall out of the command radius. I'm suggesting that not only have the command zone variable but also not necessarialy circular. [This message has been edited by John Maragoudakis (edited 07-12-99).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big Time Software Posted July 12, 1999 Share Posted July 12, 1999 If Charles finds that he can make the C&C dependent on terrain, then yes, what you describe will happen because each individual unit will draw C&C back to its HQ. If one is in the woods it will be shorter than one in the open. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest John Maragoudakis Posted July 12, 1999 Share Posted July 12, 1999 Now that's getting nasty. Now, deciding when to hit the other group will depend also on when the enemy will have a hard time keeping his troops together. Players will have to take terrain into consideration even more for everything between point A and B in a movement order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRourke Posted July 12, 1999 Share Posted July 12, 1999 I was away this weekend, or I woulda hopped into this one earlier: Why don't you just make command radius smaller if the hq doesn't have LOS to its subordinate? This shouldn't take up too many cpu cycles since I gather you do alot of LOS checks anyway.. Plus, I think its the most realistic solution. Standing in trees doesn't make the lt's job harder necessarily, its standing in trees and not being able to see the men he's supposed to be commanding. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big Time Software Posted July 12, 1999 Share Posted July 12, 1999 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Why don't you just make command radius smaller if the hq doesn't have LOS to its subordinate?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> We do this already. I'm trying to decide whether certain terrain types would have any additional deleterious effects on command radius above and beyond the blocked-LOS penalty. Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRourke Posted July 12, 1999 Share Posted July 12, 1999 Drat, BTS is always one step ahead of me. Well, I guess terrain could still effect C&C outside of the LOS issue, but rather see other effects coded in, such as a reduction in command range due being under fire or taking casualties. Alternatively, there should probably be an increase in command range for units that have been static for awhile (since the start?) to simulate the advantage of being able to spend some time organizing an effective platoon defense and work out communications. I wouldn't be surprised if BTS has already done all that too. Thats why its nicer to suggest improvements in other company's games. Sure, they won't listen to you, but at least they haven't thought of everything already. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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