AT guns

[ParaBellum]

One thing I've got some problems with is the behaviour of AT guns. Normally I hide them until an enemy tank comes within a certain range. Then unhide them, target the tank, ok.

But sometimes I want to react them faster. Let's say there is a ridge 300m away from the gun's position and I want them to open fire once a tank crests that hill. If I do not hide them, the guns often start shelling infantry and thus give away their position, asking for mortar/arty fire.

I cannot cover the whole ridge with ambush markers because the area is too big.

What I'd like is kind of a "engage only tanks" order. Thus my AT guns would stay hidden until they see a tank.

I a recent TCP game I just had that problem. I had a tank in a hull down position overlooking the ridge and wanted to catch any enemy tank in a crossfire between this tank and the AT gun.

An enemy tank crested the hill, my tank engages him, third shot both tanks are dead. The gun stayed hidden, if it had engaged the enemy tank I'm sure my own tank would've survived this. At least chances would've been much better.

[coralsaw]

Yeap, I can sympathise!

TacOps-style SOPs please, cm'on people, lobby!!! (not before CMII though, methinks...)

coralsaw

[Abbott]

I just finished a PBEM game where a JadgTiger appeared cresting a ridge. Thankfully a US fighter choose to arrive and mobility kill it with its facing in a favorable position for myself.

I also had a US 76mm ATG on a hill, hidden with LOS to the crippled beast. Kill chance read “None”, no tungsten ammo was issued. There were several Axis heavy armored cars flanking my position to the left. I gave the ATG crew a rotate to the left order to cover their approach. I was very disappointed when two turns in a row (before I gave up with rotate orders) the gun began to rotate left, halted, rotated back right and bounced round after round off the frontal armor of the JadgTiger.

I then needed to move a Sherman across the frontal arc covered by the disable JadgTiger and ordered the ATG to fire its two smoke rounds in front of it to mask the Shermans movement. The turn was plotted, the gun opened fire, not smoke as ordered but bouncing round after round off the JadgTiger for the entire turn, again.

Although the gun position covered half of the battlefield, it proved almost useless for half the battle. AP rounds bounced off the Beast until they were gone.

[ 05-11-2001: Message edited by: Abbott ]

[Guest Babra]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ParaBellum:

The gun stayed hidden, if it had engaged the enemy tank I'm sure my own tank would've survived this. At least chances would've been much better.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Use the "ambush" command to set an ambush marker from the antitank gun out as far as you want it to engage enemy armour. At least if an enemy crosses the line, it will be fired upon.

[ParaBellum]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Babra:

Use the "ambush" command to set an ambush ...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thx Babra...

As I described in my post it's simply not possible to "ambush" a ridge that's about 300ms long.

I can ambush a certain area but not an area that wide.

My problem (ok, I love CM, so afterall it's not THAT big, but still annoying) is that, if I hide guns, SOMETIMES the delay between sighting of a tank and the end of the action phase when I finally order a certain gun to unhide/TARGET that tank causes trouble.

[ 05-11-2001: Message edited by: ParaBellum ]

[Guest Babra]

I recall one instance where I had a dream flank shot against an enemy AFV. Unfortunately, it wasn't on the ambush line, and after sniffing the air for a while, the offender rolled away out of sight without being engaged.

So, I feel your pain. It's not a perfect solution, but it's the best solution unless you want to leave your AT assets unhidden, which is not good.

[Cull]

The problem I have with an "ambush" command is the fact that my enemy seems to actually see that red crosshair on the ground in front of him. You can put them directly in the path of a vehicle that is on a clear route (say, through a gap in some woods), and he'll stop, turn around, and drive about six miles out of the way to avoid it. Until you remove the ambush marker, at which point he'll suddenly seem less cautious.

I find the ambush command not only nearly useless, but counter-productive. Better to just face a target area and hope your man doesn't get distracted while he's watching it.

Am I imagining this, or does the AI "detect" ambushes unrealistically?

[Dirtweasle]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jack Arilliac:

The problem I have with an "ambush" command is the fact that my enemy seems to actually see that red crosshair on the ground in front of him. You can put them directly in the path of a vehicle that is on a clear route (say, through a gap in some woods), and he'll stop, turn around, and drive about six miles out of the way to avoid it. Until you remove the ambush marker, at which point he'll suddenly seem less cautious.

I find the ambush command not only nearly useless, but counter-productive. Better to just face a target area and hope your man doesn't get distracted while he's watching it.

Am I imagining this, or does the AI "detect" ambushes unrealistically?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

What version are you running? I remember reports of that inone of the older versions, but have'nt heard of it lately. Did this happen with a game against the computer AI, or human?

[Cull]

Latest version, vs AI (thus the <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Am I imagining this, or does the AI "detect" ambushes unrealistically?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Honestly, it doesn't happen EVERY time, but enough that it seems very odd. Especially with vehicle/AT unit confrontations.