Command delays & pause order. Idea.

[jKMkIII]

Hi,

I have been playing with not so experienced soviet tankers (from conscript to regular) and like everyone knows their command delays are somewhere between day and month.

When have whole platoon stopped it is OK because can synchronize them with using pauses and just have to plan 3 turns advance. But when for example some of them are moving it gets pretty impossible when you don't have any idea how long their command delay will be.

I was thinking if it would be possible to show how long it takes unit to start moving according to new orders. I can tell where old orders stop and estimate how long it takes for them to drive there but also would need to know if it takes 50 or 70 seconds for them to start moving according to new orders..

First was thinking that if unit panel could show command delay for new orders, but then tought about little more complex thing which would also include new way to give commands.

What if waypoint would show how long delay unit would have there. For changing orders command delay could be shown in last waypoint of old orders, or in unit panel. But what if also could give pause orders for waypoints? Instead of just saying drive behind that forest and then drive toward that house I could say to my tankers to drive behind that forest, wait 10s and then drive toward that house.

Idea how to give this order would be so that you select waypoint where you want to wait and then press pause. Then just show delay next to waypoint type.

[MasterGoodale]

Yeah this would be cool and very helpful. I never understood why the pause HAS to take place in the beginning only.

[Michael Emrys]

Originally posted by MasterGoodale:

Yeah this would be cool and very helpful. I never understood why the pause HAS to take place in the beginning only.

Think about it: Do you think that in real life a commander is able to give that kind of order to a subordinate with any realistic expectation that it would be carried out with the precision that it would in the game? If the program ever achieves the sophistication whereby it is possible to give an order in the form "Go behind that barn and wait until second squad gets situated in that treeline over there and starts laying down covering fire and then charge the henhouse..." that would be truly wonderful. But telling it to wait specifically ten (or whatever) seconds seems right out. Given how short the turns are, I don't feel too hung up to just wait behind the barn until second squad gets in place and I can give them their targetting order and then go (with suitable pauses as applicable).

Michael

[Tarquelne]

Good suggestions for fleshing out the current waypoint control system.

But:

Think about it:

I think coordination between units should be _more_ difficult. For example, I'd like to see a random element added to the delay times (the lower unit Exp. = more randomness), though any units "in command" could all use the delay of their HQ.

(I think this every time my out of command radioless T-34s pop up on the enemy's right flank at the same time the other out of command radioless T-34s pop up on the other flank.)

AND relative spotting. Has that been mentioned yet today?

[jKMkIII]

Of course it would be much more realistic and better if you could give pause orders that would depend on things happening in battlefield.

But lets think which is more realistic to get into game

I would think that most pause orders would be in form "when they get there you go" and not wait exactly 30s before you go. So in same sense you should be able to tell your men to go to paint A, wait 20s and continue moving.

Of course you could think that with 1 minute turns it is not that important to be able to give midway pause orders.. but try to coordinate assault with conscript T-34s against Tigers and you see that with command delays close to 1 turn you really can't just drive to point A and then on next turn give more orders.

But more important thing would be able to see how much command delay you get before new orders kick in even when you can't delete all old orders. Or some "move out when whole platoon is ready" command

[jKMkIII]

I like Tarqulene's idea. If commanding single platoon of tank in synchronized manner would be made easier it would be great. But if at same time commanding two platoons on opposite side of maps would be made harder it would be great.

Of course with Tarqulene's idea there is one thing. What if those 2 platoons were right next to each other, shouldn't it be quite easy to get both moving at same time. Propably should be able to tell HQ A to act as subordinate of HQ B.

[Vanir Ausf B]

Originally posted by MasterGoodale:

I never understood why the pause HAS to take place in the beginning only.

[rant]There is no good reason. The official line is that it gives a level of control beyond which no platoon, company or battalion commander would ever have. The problem with this line of reasoning is that in CM you are not just the commander; you are also the tank driver, the squad leader, the lone sniper. Any action which a real unit would be able to carry out in real life should be available to the player. Anything less than that results in a decrease in realism and an increase in player frustration.[/rant]