Coupla questions from a TacOps newbie...

[lewallen]

Hey all, I'm still in TacOps demo-playing mode, and curious about a few things. I've been playing "Task Force Gallagher 6" mostly. Questions:

1. Is there a way to keep tanks from using their main gun against infantry? HEAT rounds aren't the best against infantry, and I'd much rather that they be saved for use against vehicles. Would this be done through the "Target Type" command? Is there a type for "armored/hard targets"? Also, does the game make any distinction between the different types of tank gun rounds, or is that below the level of abstraction in the game?

2. Is counter-battery fire modeled for off-map artillery (or on-map artillery) through the use of, e.g. "Fire Finder" radar systems?

3. Is command-control modeled? In other words, do I gain any benefit from keeping my companies in the general vicinity of the company commander or battalion HQ, or are the individual platoons autonomous?

4. I've noticed OpFor units scattering under my artillery barrages; is this due to their morale situation, or because they are so ordered by the AI? This happens in the middle of turns, so I'm assuming that it's because of morale/suppression, and not by the AI, as I'm assuming it cannot issue orders in the middle of turns, but my units don't scatter no matter how intense or effective the barrage is that they're under, so I'm not sure.

5.

You can get an approximate idea of how long it will take for a unit to move along its path of waypoints by clicking on and holding down the "?" button in the upper right part of the unit orders window. The time to each waypoint will be drawn next to the waypoint.

-Taken from the "TacOps 3&4 infantry modelling" thread: I can't seem to find that button. It is not present in the demo version?

6. Finally, I'm eagerly awaiting more information on TacOps 4. The one screenshot available on BF.C seems to suggest (from the number of contour lines visible) that there are additional terrain levels; is this something that has been added to TacOps 4? Will there also be a function to zoom the map? I've been having a hard time properly positioning my forces in the demo because the map detail gets pretty small at 1280x960, even on my 19" monitor. A zoom feature would help a lot for this.

I think that's everything that comes to mind. Thanks in advance! This has been a really interesting game so far.

~Sam

[MajorH TacOps Developer]

Sorry that my answers have to be so kurt today. Maybe one of the regulars can add more.

> TacOps demo

> Is there a way to keep tanks from using their main gun

> against infantry?

No.

> does the game make any distinction between the different

> types of tank gun rounds

No.

> or is that below the level of abstraction in the game?

Yes.

> Is counter-battery fire modeled for off-map artillery (or

> on-map artillery) through the use of, e.g. "Fire Finder"

> radar systems?

No. Counter-battery is abstracted by not giving you as much arty as you might expect to have in the real world.

> Do I gain any benefit from keeping my companies in the

> general vicinity of the company commander or battalion HQ

No.

> I've noticed OpFor units scattering under my artillery

> barrages; is this due to their morale situation, or because

> they are so ordered by the AI?

When AI units disperse from large markers into small markers and attempt to spread out, they are doing so in response to orders given to them by the AI during the previous orders phase. The AI works under the same constraints as the human player.

> This happens in the middle of turns

The orders are being executed during a combat/movement, but they were given during the previous orders phase.

> "?" button in the upper right part of the unit orders

> window. The time to each waypoint will be drawn next to the

> waypoint.

> I can't seem to find that button. It is not present in the

> demo version?

I think the button is a small, unlabeled black circle in the demo version. It should be somewhere inside the box that shows how many orders are in the que. Click around till you find it.

> I'm eagerly awaiting more information on TacOps 4.

The best information will be the v4 demo that will be posted when v4 goes on sale. Which I hope will happen soon. v4 has been "one week" away from being finished for about a month now.

> The one screenshot available on BF.C seems to suggest (from

> the number of contour lines visible) that there are

> additional terrain levels

There are no more elevations in v4 than in v3. That map just happens to be one that I or one of the fans created by using the map editing utility on a scan of a real world map.

> Will there also be a function to zoom the map?

No.

> I've been having a hard time properly positioning my forces

> in the demo because the map detail gets pretty small at

> 1280x960, even on my 19" monitor.

Reduce your screen resolution .

[Redwolf]

I'd like to add:

Counterbattery can be done when you have on-map artillery. I guess

you come from a Combat Mission playing background, so you might not be

used to on-map artillery firing indirect, but TacOps does it.

This doesn't solve the problem of locating and then targetting the

enemy artillery. The radars do nothing, so you have to find them "by

accident". Even then, to bring down your own artillery with accuracy,

you will have to sneak up a spotter, bring in a helo or UAV or fire your

artillery without precision. That is probably worth doing only when

you know the enemy artillery in unarmored/towed and you have lots of HE

ammunition and a battery you have no better use for. In practice, a

flanking move with ground forces may be the better idea. And especially

with mortars and in scenarios with exit goal, where artillery must be

moved, it also works to wait for the opponent to do something stupid

with his artillery, like driving up a road where a pair of your ATGMs

were bypassed unnoticed twenty turns ago

As for tank main gun, tanks rarely run out of main gun ammunition in

my TacOps games (no, not only because they always die early ). You

also have resupply and tank main gun ammo is reasonably cheap.

[Bruce70]

> Will there also be a function to zoom the map?

No.

Damn, that is the one thing I was really hoping for. I'm not kidding either.

[lewallen]

Originally posted by redwolf:

I'd like to add:

Counterbattery can be done when you have on-map artillery. I guess

you come from a Combat Mission playing background, so you might not be

used to on-map artillery firing indirect, but TacOps does it.

I have been playing CM exclusively recently, but I played Steel Panthers when I was a young pup just getting into computer wargaming, and I'm familiar with on-map indirect fire from that series.

In SP, counter-battery fire is possible through either spotting the smoke signature from the muzzle blasts of the OpFor arty (for on-map, unless of course you spot them through some other means like a scout-sniper or helo behind the lines) and status bar messages showing the off-map counter battery fire, with chance to hit his off-map arty depending on things like whether your unit has FireFinder, etc. I recall the MLRS being really effective in counter-battery for both on- and off-map (as it is in Real Life).

I was looking forward to the possibility of using my MLRS in TacOps to knock out all those damn 152mm OpFor arty pieces, but guess that won't be happening... ah well. I did, however, get to use my MLRS to paste what must have been a least a reinforced company of tanks that was coming along the south road in that scenario, though, so that was happy.

As for tank main gun, tanks rarely run out of main gun ammunition in

my TacOps games (no, not only because they always die early ). You

also have resupply and tank main gun ammo is reasonably cheap.

I've actually had a couple of platoons run out of 120mm ammo because they were shooting it all at the infantry that's left over after they (the tanks) had decimated a bunch of BMPs and BTRs. I just wish the infantry would break and run if their morale got too low, instead of calmly sitting still under an arty barrage or being slowly picked apart by heavy cannon and machine guns.

When I discovered the units that were out of ammo, I resupplied them, but it would also be nice if they somehow could bring the fact that they're out of ammo for their primary weapon to your attention.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for the answers; I'll keep tinkering with the demo and waiting for TacOps 4.

~Sam

[Scott Udell]

I just wish the infantry would break and run if their morale got too low,

TacOps doesn't model morale (or command & control) in the engine, although I think you can simulate it in a multiplayer game with an umpire (who could tweak your orders to your units to simulate weakened morale or breakdowns in C&C).

[MajorH TacOps Developer]

>TacOps doesn't model morale (or command & control) in the engine

That isn't completely accurate. TacOps does not model "bad morale".

The current TacOps morale model for the most part assumes that the fighters are exhibiting the best case situation of morale and efficiency. They will continue to do their duty unless and until they are thoroughly suppressed by incoming and accurate fire.

[Redwolf]

Originally posted by lewallen:

I was looking forward to the possibility of using my MLRS in TacOps to knock out all those damn 152mm OpFor arty pieces, but guess that won't be happening... ah well. I did, however, get to use my MLRS to paste what must have been a least a reinforced company of tanks that was coming along the south road in that scenario, though, so that was happy.

You will be able to do that in most multiplayer games. Umpires seem to like on-map artillery a lot.

I've actually had a couple of platoons run out of 120mm ammo because they were shooting it all at the infantry that's left over after they (the tanks) had decimated a bunch of BMPs and BTRs.

I see. I usually do not use tanks to finish off infantry dropped from KOed APCs. If the opponent has vehicles left, there are better things to do for the tanks. If the opponent does not have vehicles anymore but needs them to gain the objective he will fail and the risk of the grunts directing ICM on my tanks is an unneccessary risk. A human opponent will surrender anyway.

I just wish the infantry would break and run if their morale got too low, instead of calmly sitting still under an arty barrage or being slowly picked apart by heavy cannon and machine guns.

I agree. I would like TacOps infantry to automatically move to better cover terrain (woods, rough) within -say- 200m when:

- they are dropped from a KOed APC

- they are dropped by their APC due to SOP orders and contact with enemy

- *and* they come under heavy fire (for some definition of heavy)

I would not want them to move when they are not actually under fire. The infantry dropped from APC is hard to see and I want unspotted spotters to remain in place, otherwise they'll get spotted, or they may lose LOS to interesting targets by moving into cover. A suitable definition may be to trigger the move when infantry in the same and adjacent terrain cells takes more than two casulties within 30 second.

But hint from a Combat Mission player: don't choose the nearest cover when there are enemies in it

When I discovered the units that were out of ammo, I resupplied them, but it would also be nice if they somehow could bring the fact that they're out of ammo for their primary weapon to your attention.

That is what the logistic report is for. You should check the short version of the logistics report every few turns.