Artillery synchronization using delay

[PEB14]

Did I miss a point? Isn't the delay factor for indirect artillery the amount of time you want the battery to wait before opening fire (in addition to the usual waiting/requesting/preparing process time)?

Because it seems that the batteries have not the same clock than myself: I set several batteries with the same delay time (5 min) and all seemed fire at their own time… some with the requested delay,  some with no delay at all, some with a smaller delay than requested…

By the way, is the spotting supposed to start after expiration of the aforementioned delay?

[Centurian52]

19 minutes ago, PEB14 said:

Did I miss a point? Isn't the delay factor for indirect artillery the amount of time you want the battery to wait before opening fire (in addition to the usual waiting/requesting/preparing process time)?

Because it seems that the batteries have not the same clock than myself: I set several batteries with the same delay time (5 min) and all seemed fire at their own time… some with the requested delay,  some with no delay at all, some with a smaller delay than requested…

By the way, is the spotting supposed to start after expiration of the aforementioned delay?

They begin spotting at the end of the delay. And since spotting takes a variable amount of time, each battery will fire for effect at different times. The difference in when they open fire will be less though, since differences in call-in times are no longer a factor (provided that the call-in time was less than the delay). But when each battery opens fire could still be a turn or two apart. I would prefer if they fired spotting rounds ASAP, and then fired for effect at the end of the delay. That would make truly synchronized artillery fire possible. But that might give more warning to opponents in H2H battles that a barrage was incoming, so I suppose I can understand the reasoning for why it isn't done that way.

The fire will be synchronized if you call in the artillery during the setup phase. But there will still be some variation in when the first rounds actually land, which could be tens of seconds in some cases, since there is still some variation from one battery to the next in how long the rounds are in flight.

[Andrew Kulin]

21 hours ago, Centurian52 said:

They begin spotting at the end of the delay. And since spotting takes a variable amount of time, each battery will fire for effect at different times. The difference in when they open fire will be less though, since differences in call-in times are no longer a factor (provided that the call-in time was less than the delay). But when each battery opens fire could still be a turn or two apart. I would prefer if they fired spotting rounds ASAP, and then fired for effect at the end of the delay. That would make truly synchronized artillery fire possible. But that might give more warning to opponents in H2H battles that a barrage was incoming, so I suppose I can understand the reasoning for why it isn't done that way.

The fire will be synchronized if you call in the artillery during the setup phase. But there will still be some variation in when the first rounds actually land, which could be tens of seconds in some cases, since there is still some variation from one battery to the next in how long the rounds are in flight.

It would be nice however to be able to specify the delay on pre-planned artillery to whatever time interval you want (e.g., game opens up a text box, and you enter 33 minutes), instead of 0, 5, 10, 15 minute delay.

Also would be nice if you pre-plan on map artillery unit to go at a time, that other on-map units can begin their pre-planned missions at a different time.  Currently they get fixed to whatever time you set your first on-map barrage delay to. 

And on my next point -->, and I am not sure I am remembering this correctly, but it may also be that if you pre-plan an on-map unit barrage, then off-map units also have to fire with the same delay.  But as I said, I am not certain I am remembering that correctly.

[Centurian52]

12 minutes ago, Andrew Kulin said:

It would be nice however to be able to specify the delay on pre-planned artillery to whatever time interval you want (e.g., game opens up a text box, and you enter 33 minutes), instead of 0, 5, 10, 15 minute delay.

Also would be nice if you pre-plan on map artillery unit to go at a time, that other on-map units can begin their pre-planned missions at a different time.  Currently they get fixed to whatever time you set your first on-map barrage delay to. 

And on my next point -->, and I am not sure I am remembering this correctly, but it may also be that if you pre-plan an on-map unit barrage, then off-map units also have to fire with the same delay.  But as I said, I am not certain I am remembering that correctly.

More detailed fire-planning options have been on my wishlist for a long time. At a minimum I would think it should be possible to enter a more specific delay that isn't limited to a 15 minute max like you suggested. I'd also like the ability to designate subsequent targets (fire on this target, then move on to that target), specify the exact duration and number of rounds to be used in a barrage (with the constraint that you could not order a higher rate of fire than the guns are capable of, nor order that more rounds be used than the battery has available to it), and use mixed ammunition types ("give me 10 rounds HE and 5 WP"). Basically I'd like to be able to make a fire plan that is every bit as detailed as my maneuver plan.

[Ultradave]

In real life a time delay like that would be done with FFE only, and not an adjust fire mission, for some of the reasons you outline. The time to adjust is variable, and the scenario for use would be something like - there's an infantry company moving and we want to hit them right when they get to that bridge over there, and have estimated their movement rate. Something like that. So you would not adjust fire - you'd want to just hit them with the FFE. If it's a larger or more lucrative unit, it could be a time on target battalion mission (all 3 batteries of a battalion fire maybe 2 or 3 volleys coordinated to hit simultaneously at time X minutes from now. Works best with a feature that can be easily ID'ed on a map and accurate grid coords passed to the FDC. Bridge, road intersection, hilltop, etc.

You can't really do this in CM, even though it's pretty much a standard mission to perform. The only way is a preplanned mission on turn one, but not later in the game at a target of opportunity. The procedures from WW2 through the Cold War would not vary very much at all. The CW period in game predates most GPS and computerized fire control. It was just coming into service then. Black Sea would be different as by then there were many changes.

I would love to see finer control of artillery, but I wouldn't like to see it become an artillery centric game - perhaps some toggle on/off realism features. Some people (like me) would love the artillery aspect. Others may not care so much and prefer the abstraction.

Dave