Gpig Posted September 21, 2001 Share Posted September 21, 2001 Had something different happen in my PBEM game last night. Got my turn back, and hit GO. My 75mm armed halftrack on the right comes under what looks like Mortar fire. I start freaking out, anticipating the top hit. Losing one of only three armored units in this small battle. Then, my gunner spots an "infantry?" marker at the opposite edge of the map. Lucky LOS through a village/trees/outhouses . . .. He starts lobbing in 75mm HE, and after the 2nd shell lands, I see the "Infantry?" soldier "Jump" to the left, about 3 m. So it's suddenly obvious to me that that was the mortar crew abandoning their mortar. Just like when a gun crew abandons it's gun. And their "crew" status materializes slightly away from their "manned" positions. I never saw the mortar. I never even got a positive I.D. on the unit. But there is no doubt about it, is there. It may not have even been the mortar that was shelling me. (But since no more rounds fell that turn . . .) Kind of funky? Kind of neat. Gpig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingfish Posted September 21, 2001 Share Posted September 21, 2001 You can zoom in and probably see the mortar tube still standing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pvt. Ryan Posted September 21, 2001 Share Posted September 21, 2001 Sometimes the abandoned mortar doesn't appear until you get closer. The hop-skip-jump after an HE round hits usually is a crew leaving a knocked out/abandoned mortar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gpig Posted September 21, 2001 Author Share Posted September 21, 2001 Yeah, that's the point. I was able to identify it as a mortar merely by seeing it "jump," even though I never saw a mortar (and still don't see one, even up close). Never heard one fire. Never even identified what kind of infantry unit it was. Not sure if it should be that way, but I don't mind it. It's kind of fun, really. Gpig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edgars Posted September 21, 2001 Share Posted September 21, 2001 I once had an interesting situation in one small "exercise" QB against AI. AI was playing Brits and attacked. At turn one or two my units had spotted a "Tank Destroyer ?" which "used" M10 textures. When i selected it and hit Tab (lock view to unit), i was facing backwards, it was imidiately clear that this, in fact, is Archer! Same thing works with US mortar carrier too, because it has rear-facing mortar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMplayer Posted September 21, 2001 Share Posted September 21, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ciks: When i selected it and hit Tab (lock view to unit), i was facing backwards, it was imidiately clear that this, in fact, is Archer! Same thing works with US mortar carrier too, because it has rear-facing mortar.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Thanks for these tips...I never even tried locking view to an enemy unit. Good show! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeWary Posted September 21, 2001 Share Posted September 21, 2001 Hmmm. Those are neat little quirks you guys found. Though perhaps unrealistic and unintended, I don't think they're problems. Are you really going to change your strategy because you see an 'infantry?' unit on the opposite corner of the map, whether you know what it is or not? I doubt it. I guess the Archer thing might change your strategy, but if I was facing an "unknown" tank, I would be as careful as I would if I knew if was an Archer. BeWary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agua Perdido Posted September 21, 2001 Share Posted September 21, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Gpig: He starts lobbing in 75mm HE, and after the 2nd shell lands, I see the "Infantry?" soldier "Jump" to the left, about 3 m.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> If you click on the "Infantry?" marker, you'll notice that it becomes unselected after the "jump." If you click on the post-"jump" unit, it's still "Infantry?" If you had better ID on the unit, you see it jump from "Mortar?" to a "Crew?" just beside the now-abandoned/KOed mortar tube. Another clue is to watch for units advancing slowly that run away more quickly after getting smacked with HE a few times. The REAL question, of course, is whether this is gamey. I lean towards no, since you can argue that a well-ordered mortar/gun crew probably looks different after getting KOed, even if you can't really identify 'em to begin with (ie, the "jump" as they leap away from their wrecked tube). Mind you, I've been known to purchase one or even two puppchens in a QB, so what do I know. Agua Perdido Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmatt Posted September 21, 2001 Share Posted September 21, 2001 The problem is that while you may not be able to identify the exact type and model of vehicle it's pretty obvious in which direction that big long metal tube sticking out from it is pointing...With regards to the Archer at least... Remember too, at the point that you get a specific texture displayed (in this case the texture for all Generic Tank Destroyers) your ID of the unit is getting better as its essentially the second level of display, the first being the blocky gray models. In CMBB with the new Extreme FOW option it's VERY hard to even get the exact Model of vehicles until you are very close to them. There are all sorts of neat things that Extreme FOW will do, but I aint saying! Madmatt [ 09-21-2001: Message edited by: Madmatt ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingfish Posted September 21, 2001 Share Posted September 21, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Madmatt: In CMBB with the new Extreme FOW option it's VERY hard to even get the exact Model of vehicles until you are very close to them. There are all sorts of neat things that Extreme FOW will do, but I aint saying! Madmatt [ 09-21-2001: Message edited by: Madmatt ]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> OK, how about a visual explanation, like when you explained how the ambush command worked in that neat little scenario with screenshots. C'mon Matt, you got nothing better to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agua Perdido Posted September 21, 2001 Share Posted September 21, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Madmatt: There are all sorts of neat things that Extreme FOW will do, but I aint saying! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Tease! Um, I have to go be alone for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tero Posted September 21, 2001 Share Posted September 21, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Madmatt: The problem is that while you may not be able to identify the exact type and model of vehicle it's pretty obvious in which direction that big long metal tube sticking out from it is pointing...With regards to the Archer at least... Remember too, at the point that you get a specific texture displayed (in this case the texture for all Generic Tank Destroyers) your ID of the unit is getting better as its essentially the second level of display, the first being the blocky gray models. [ 09-21-2001: Message edited by: Madmatt ]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Does this cause the funky Marders with guns facing backwards when AA HT's are spotted but not yet ID's properly ? [ 09-21-2001: Message edited by: tero ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmatt Posted September 21, 2001 Share Posted September 21, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by tero: Does this cause the funky Marders with guns facing backwards when AA HT's are spotted but not yet ID's properly ? [ 09-21-2001: Message edited by: tero ]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Yup... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanir Ausf B Posted September 22, 2001 Share Posted September 22, 2001 Here's another little FOW trick. If you are the second player to plot your moves in a PBEM or hotseat game, you can usually tell if the first player has given "withdraw" command orders to some of his squads because they will be in the standing up animation instead of the kneeling animation that they were in at the end of the last movie (assuming they were not moving). This does not work with units that are suppressed (pinned, ect) since they do not stand up right away when given a withdraw command. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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