New Armor/Vehicle/Infantry Order Suggestion

[weapon2010]

I don't know what you would call the order,lets call it "snapshot" for now.You must give your snapshot order prior to contact.Set your armor arc,regular arc or no arc as usual, but upon contact of a vehicle/armor/infantry your unit would snap off 1 shot or a burst from a heavy weapon and reverse/retreat(pack-up time would have to be met) immediatley.You could set the distance of the retreat with reverse for a vehicle and fast for infantry.

Where would you use it?Mostly on the defensive when you know your outnumbered and have the disadvantage, have the weaker unit.A hull down Marder III on a crest spots an M18.You have already given the Marder the Snapshot order.It takes a shot and reverses.

Set it for a zook in a building, get off your one shot, and get out of there, you know hes going to be spotted and killed if he hangs and fights.

Currently weaker tanks hang in way to long, retreating only when the tc gets killed or they take damage.This order gives a lot of control over those situations.And yes I know you could come close by using a pause and reverse, but that's just a guess.This order goes into affect upon visual contact.

Anyway just a thought.

[Michael Emrys]

Sounds almost like the old Shoot 'n' Scoot order...but with differences. I have a hunch this might be too difficult to get to work satisfactorily without a lot of work. But I can see how this might be useful in certain situations. It does sound like an SOP which for reasons I've never been able to fathom are anathema at BFC.

Michael

[GJR144]

I think too much control takes away what makes CM special. It is the uncertainty. Especially when dealing with the metallic beasts, it is nail biting.

The difference with and without such a command would be dramatic:

Currently the player has to weigh the pros and cons of a longer pause. 5 more seconds can decide about failure or success. Successful escape or losing the unit.

The player can't be sure and that increases the tension. And he must take into consideration the troop quality. How much time will they need to ID the target? Time to aim?

With such a special command for easy success the player has nothing to decide anymore, just plot the waypoint.

BORING.

[weapon2010]

Boring?I don't think so.I think it would add a level of tactical excitement.Should I give that order or not?Just like every other order, sometimes you'll be kicking yourself for giving the order, other times you will be patting yourself on the back for being a genious.

[A Canadian Cat]

The difference with and without such a command would be dramatic:

Currently the player has to weigh the pros and cons of a longer pause. 5 more seconds can decide about failure or success. Successful escape or losing the unit.

Yeah but that is not the kind of order a real commander would give. The order would be:

Setup on that ridge and shot at whatever approaches then back off to your next position.

Not

Setup on that ridge wait 30s precisely and then back off to your next position.

I like @weapon2010's idea.

[Holman]

It's possible right now to have a unit move to a position, wait x number of seconds (shooting at any enemies spotted for that time), and then pull back. And of course we can order a unit to move until spotting an enemy, then stop (hiding or shooting as specified). It's just not possible to do "IF you sight an enemy, THEN let off a few rounds and pull back."

I'm happy with what we have, really. I always want more *simulation*, but I tend to think CM already gives us more *control* than we deserve.