Unit facing after a move

[Simicro]

Hello,

After a simple move (no waypoint or stack command) I've noticed that sometimes (not all the time), the AI gives a facing to the unit. I think it is a facing, please see the blue/purple vector below. Why is that? Not critical for my gameplay but just curious.

[A Canadian Cat]

Yes, that is a facing command indicator. I am not sure when that comes up automatically. I am in the habit of making sure my last movement segment is in the direction I want my unit to face as much as possible that way a face command that I gave it does not conflict with reality once they get to their destination. I find that if you explicitly give a face command the enemy appear in a different direction there can be a delay before your men engage because first the finish your orders which includes the face command.

None of that is particularly helpful to answer your core question of why does it sometimes appear and other times not. Sorry I just don't know.

[Simicro]

Hello Ian,

Once again you've jumped into one of my thread. Much appreciated!

For the core question, if a CM veteran like you does not know, I'm inclined to think that it's not so important 

However your answer is interesting and that will be my take-away  :

28 minutes ago, IanL said:

I am in the habit of making sure my last movement segment is in the direction I want my unit to face as much as possible that way a face command that I gave it does not conflict with reality once they get to their destination. I find that if you explicitly give a face command the enemy appear in a different direction there can be a delay before your men engage because first the finish your orders which includes the face command.

[womble]

I'm pretty sure that your pTruppen will align themselves with cover/concealment/sundry terrain within the AS that their move terminates in. I suspect that the occasional Face command is added by the TacAI when such adjustment materially changes the direction the unit will end up "pointed", due to the requirements for adjustment within the 8m square (and maybe its neighbour(s) if you're operating with unsplit squads).

Alternatively, it might only appear when the facing of the entire squad (when operating unsplit) has to change to adapt to the terrain. I'm somewhat convinced that I've never seen this, and I operate almost exclusively with split squads (a platoon is 6-9 teams plus the HQ, as far as I'm concerned  ).

[A Canadian Cat]

30 minutes ago, womble said:

Alternatively, it might only appear when the facing of the entire squad (when operating unsplit) has to change to adapt to the terrain. I'm somewhat convinced that I've never seen this, and I operate almost exclusively with split squads (a platoon is 6-9 teams plus the HQ, as far as I'm concerned  ).

Reasonable hypotheses. I should start watching out for those situations.

[A Canadian Cat]

3 hours ago, Simicro said:

enemy appear in a different direction there can be a delay before your men engage because first the finish your orders which includes the face command.

To clarify this is typically scene with vehicles. If you give a vehicle a move order along a path such that the vehicle drives into its final position naturally facing north and you have a face command that tells it to face North East then it will execute the move and rotate to the desired direction. However if as the vehicle comes to the end of its movement it spots an enemy contact to the North West depending on your crew and how dangerous the threat is your crew may decide to finish your orders and then engage the enemy. Therefore I try to have the vehicle's last move order already be oriented in the direction I want them to face so they do not have an extra command to follow after they finish moving.

[Simicro]

1 hour ago, womble said:

I'm pretty sure that your pTruppen will align themselves with cover/concealment/sundry terrain within the AS that their move terminates in. I suspect that the occasional Face command is added by the TacAI when such adjustment materially changes the direction the unit will end up "pointed", due to the requirements for adjustment within the 8m square (and maybe its neighbour(s) if you're operating with unsplit squads).

Many thanks and very smart  As I recall the situations I've been in involve cover/concealment/sundry terrain...

1 hour ago, womble said:

Alternatively, it might only appear when the facing of the entire squad (when operating unsplit) has to change to adapt to the terrain. I'm somewhat convinced that I've never seen this, and I operate almost exclusively with split squads (a platoon is 6-9 teams plus the HQ, as far as I'm concerned  ).

Until recently I used entire squad indeed but tend to split more and more. Like Ian, I'll start paying more attention to this.

 

[womble]

12 minutes ago, Simicro said:

Until recently I used entire squad indeed but tend to split more and more. Like Ian, I'll start paying more attention to this.

i'm a micromanaging martinet to my troops  They go where I tell them. I also sometimes struggle to see the outline of the squad's "natural" landing AS selection against whatever background texture and colour they're heading for, so using teams solves that issue. It also clears up a lot of the crowding problems and lets you split off Assault groups with grenades and SMGs, then AT teams with any organic AT assets (and unable to hog all the grenades like they will if you split them off first), leaving the long range support weapons in the third team. I prefer an inchworm bounding scheme to a bounding overwatch maneuver plan, at least in the WW2 titles I have the most experience in.

[Simicro]

10 minutes ago, womble said:

i'm a micromanaging martinet to my troops  

As to me, normally I don't like micro-managing but in hex tactical wargames I've played earlier this year, I've learnt the benefits of 'not stacking' (units). So here it translates to: SPLIT, in order to spread the enemy fire, and also have specialized teams (AT, Assault, etc.) as you say.

Edited May 9, 2023 by Simicro

[PEB14]

8 hours ago, womble said:

i'm a micromanaging martinet to my troops  They go where I tell them.

I guess you hate playing Italians...

[Brille]

10 hours ago, IanL said:

To clarify this is typically scene with vehicles. If you give a vehicle a move order along a path such that the vehicle drives into its final position naturally facing north and you have a face command that tells it to face North East then it will execute the move and rotate to the desired direction. However if as the vehicle comes to the end of its movement it spots an enemy contact to the North West depending on your crew and how dangerous the threat is your crew may decide to finish your orders and then engage the enemy. Therefore I try to have the vehicle's last move order already be oriented in the direction I want them to face so they do not have an extra command to follow after they finish moving.

I can confirm this. 

Had it in multiple occasions until I now plan my movements like you do. 

Had it once that my Sherman firefly should rotate somewhat to a 90 degree angle after he reached his last way point. Unfortunately a Panther was in full view of the site. 

The crack sherman crew spotted the panther right away and swung it's turret in his direction but the tank kept turning and turning never firing... 

Fortunately the Panther had a similar problem: My opponent seemingly wanted to switch to another position and got stuck, leaving the panthers side and part of his back open to the front. His turret was not faster than my rotating tank so he got blown away. Lucky in an unlucky situation I guess.

 

Edited May 10, 2023 by Brille

[chuckdyke]

14 hours ago, Simicro said:

Hello Ian,

Once again you've jumped into one of my thread. Much appreciated!

For the core question, if a CM veteran like you does not know, I'm inclined to think that it's not so important 

However your answer is interesting and that will be my take-away  :

It is also connected with the C2. When in C2 with HQ once the HQ has contact the units under his command are more likely to face in a sensible direction.

[Simicro]

Thanks Chuck and Brille for the additional infos!