Fire missions?

[Lethaface]

I guess in modern warfare this makes more noticeable difference. It surely does help to have a dedicated FO team of some sorts, dedicated observer vehicles can even help more. Not only is their call in time in general faster, their ability helps to get the spotting rounds on target quicker. 

[Bulletpoint]

1 hour ago, Lethaface said:

I guess in modern warfare this makes more noticeable difference. It surely does help to have a dedicated FO team of some sorts, dedicated observer vehicles can even help more. Not only is their call in time in general faster, their ability helps to get the spotting rounds on target quicker. 

Yes, but FO's are quicker because they have a "special ability" that makes wait times shorter. The actual matchup level does nothing.

 

[Bulletpoint]

1 hour ago, MikeyD said:

It also varies depending on [...] whether your artillery assets are integral elements in a TO&E structure or separate purchases, and even whether you've got the battalion commander on the map or you left him out.

I don't think any of these things matter. Whether your 81mm mortars are organic to the formation or if you purchase them in the artillery tab, they cost exactly the same and the delivery time is the same. Leaving the battalion commander off the map makes no difference either as far as I can see. And why should it? He's on the radio net anyway.

Edited September 30, 2020 by Bulletpoint

[MOS:96B2P]

8 hours ago, Bulletpoint said:

The same assets have the same rating and take the same time to arrive, no matter whom I click on before I bring up the support panel.

And there seems to be no tangible relation between rating and call times/accuracy in the game. 

how well the Spotter and Support Asset are matched for each other.  The better the match the more efficient and effective the results will be.  

 

Okay, I think I understand what you are asking.  I don't have a definitive answer. 

My guess is that matchups with a certain call time are assigned a color (in CMBS also a different symbol).  Where the manual says more "efficient" and "effective" I suspect this has to do with only the call time and not accuracy.  I don't think accuracy is a factor in CMFB since both an Elite platoon HQ and a conscript platoon HQ have a yellow circle for a US 155mm Howitzer.  However the call time for the elite match up is 12 minutes & the conscript matchup is 17 minutes.  So possibly the color code is a generic estimation of the time?  Example:

A matchup with 1 - 9 minutes FFE is a light green circle.

A matchup with 10 - 12 minutes FFE is a dark green circle.

A matchup with 13 - 17 minutes FFE a yellow circle.    Etc. 

Also, FFE times, in the support panel, are rounded to the nearest minute. This can sometimes make elite, crack & vet. appear to fire at the same time which may also result in some overlap in the matchup color code.  So due to this rounding a 10 minute FFE will sometimes be light green and other times be dark green.  The game play skill level may further change the individual minute's color (Basic vs Iron etc.).  To add to the confusion Air support vs artillery support appear to scale differently with the color code of an individual minute.              

I'm not sure about the above.  It's a guess after giving it some thought. 

Thanks for bringing this up and compelling us to give the topic some thought.  Sorry I don't have a better contribution to the answer.     

 

15 hours ago, Bufo said:

I still cannot tell a difference between the green and yellow triangle.

Good point.  I should read my own notes. 

In CMFB & CMBN the shape is always a circle.  Light green, dark green, yellow, orange & red.  CMBS used the shape and triangles as described in the manual. 

The shape of the symbol must not have anything to do with assisting color blind people.  Maybe that only works in CMBS?    

[Freyberg]

The most important variable for a good fire mission is nice clear, wide LOS.

[markshot]

2 hours ago, Freyberg said:

The most important variable for a good fire mission is nice clear, wide LOS.

I hate it when 1/3 of my remaining rounds get used for spotting, and they they still don't manage to get a single round of 10 on action square requested.

[markshot]

In terms of arty, for your short life on the CM battlefield, you must just accept that it arrive as a act of G*d.

Why do 12 men dash across a field, but one takes a round and die?

Combat cannot be calculate only estimated in a statistical sense.

Arty follows the Heisenberg Principle of Uncertainty:

* If you know absolutely where, then you cannot know when.

* If you know absolutely when, the you cannot know where.

[Bulletpoint]

10 hours ago, MOS:96B2P said:

On 9/30/2020 at 9:34 AM, Bufo said:

I still cannot tell a difference between the green and yellow triangle.

Good point.  I should read my own notes. 

In CMFB & CMBN the shape is always a circle.  Light green, dark green, yellow, orange & red.  CMBS used the shape and triangles as described in the manual. 

I think it's time to update your notes - CMBN and CMFB have the triangles and other shapes too.

Not that it really matters, because the absolutely only thing regarding matchup you need to take into account is the call-in time that is conveniently shown in minutes.

It seems the system of little colourful triangles and circles is some feature that they wanted to include in the game but which actually never made it in.

I assume the stated call-in time would be modified by a factor depending on the exact matchup level of the guy calling in the fire mission. But as it is, all observers on the field are treated as having the same matchup, apart from the FO's.

Another thing to notice is that when you add artillery to your forces, the batteries are not integrated into your OOB like if you add a couple of tanks or specialist teams. The arty always seems independent. So you can't have one FO with a direct line to a battery of 155, and then another FO with 105s on call. They will both share the same assets and have the same matchup level (and call times) to them.

 

10 hours ago, MOS:96B2P said:

Thanks for bringing this up and compelling us to give the topic some thought.  Sorry I don't have a better contribution to the answer. 

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and notes. Often helpful.

Edited October 1, 2020 by Bulletpoint

[Lethaface]

17 hours ago, Bulletpoint said:

Yes, but FO's are quicker because they have a "special ability" that makes wait times shorter. The actual matchup level does nothing.

 

I don't know about the matchup level, tbh I also always look at the call in time. However, I *think* I have noticed a difference when for example using an FO with a laser designator compared to an FO without it. So I'm not sure that the call in time is all that is going on.