Hull Down

[kb6583]

I tried looking this up in the manual but it's not very specific. I've noticed that the AI seems to be very good at placing it's tanks in hull down positions. When there, I have no amount of frustration with them as they almost seem to turn invisible. Even with my attacking tanks all on 'open up', they get knocked out by these invisible AI tanks that become visible for a bit and then disappear.  But I digress. How does hull down work? I've tried getting the 'camera' down to ground level but it's still hard to tell from the terrain graphics where a hull down position might be. I've tried using the the targeting command in setup to see where a hull down position might be but I still can't tell. So to finally cut to the chase, if I click on a tank and then click on hull down, will that tank automatically move to a hull down position?

[Erwin]

My sense is that experienced players rarely, if ever, use the "Hull Down" command as it is uncertain in what direction your AFV will be hull-down to.  I find the best method is to use several waypoints around the location you want the tank to stop and examine the TARGET line from each waypoint to the target (direction) you want the tank to be facing.  The end of the target line will tell you either no hulldown at all, or "PARTIAL HULLDOWN" or "HULLDOWN".  It becomes 2nd nature with practice... 

Note that for some reason it is often impossible to get hulldown as you can move the AFV a meter and the target iine will go from "No Target" to "Partial Hulldown" with no "Hulldown" at all.

Obviously, vehicles are higher than the surrounding ground.  Your tank may have no target to the ground at a distant location.  But, if another vehicle is that that same location, it would be seen by your tank as it is higher than the ground.  In order to see if your tank will see an enemy tank at a location, you should place your tank's waypoint at the potential enemy target location and then click on that waypoint and see if one can "see"/get a target on your own tank.  "If another unit can see your unit, your unit should be able to see that distant unit." 

Hope that helps. 

Edited December 28, 2023 by Erwin

[StieliAlpha]

To second Erwin: Yes, „Hull Down“ command is pretty vague. IIRC, when given a hull down command, the AI moves the vehicle along the ordered path and settles at the first hull down position. Regardless in which direction. I.e., you may want to search for a position straight ahead, but if the first available hull down condition is perpendicular on the right hand side, your vehicle stops in that position and turns right.

I personally, indeed, do rather check the line of sight in the direction I want to move, move the tank to a point just before the line of sight „breaking point“ and then inch a little forward with a hunt command.

[Brille]

I usually use the "eyeball"-technique: Set a waypoint you want your tank in position. Get the camera on the height of the vehicle there (gunner/commanders view) so that you can barely see over the edge, while seeing the target area. That works pretty good for me.

 

I used the hull down command for a time and this one works fine too for finding positions...mostly. But what I dislike about it is that it sometimes don´t work properly and that you cannot combine it with a shoot&scoot action. So if the vehicle found a proper hull down position it will negate the move order, just like with "hunt" when the tank found a target and just stops.

You cannot move it there, wait for several seconds and move it back again in the same turn.

 

Just for the info: The hull down command can work in two ways, the 1st one is the more recommended:

1. method)

Plot the command in a rough direction on where you want to have your tank. Then set a "Target" order from this waypoint to a point you want to be hull down to.

The vehicle then moves along the line until it finds a hull down position to this specific target. If it doesn´t find a suitable position it will drive till the end of the waypoint.

 

2. method)

Set the "hull down" waypoint directly on a position you want to be hull down to(without the target order). The tank will follow the path and checks if it finds a hull down position to this waypoint. The catch here is though  that if it can´t see the end of the waypoint or don´t find a suitable position it will drive all the way through - most likely into enemy territory.

That can lead to devastating consequences as one can expect.

[chuckdyke]

Eyeballing is best, in real life the driver's task is to find the 'Hull Down' position. If you can view from View-1 plus notch up with the mouse wheel but not before you used the mouse wheel you are in 'Hull Down".

[StieliAlpha]

3 hours ago, chuckdyke said:

Eyeballing is best, in real life the driver's task is to find the 'Hull Down' position. If you can view from View-1 plus notch up with the mouse wheel but not before you used the mouse wheel you are in 'Hull Down".

Whow, you are really micro-managing.