BFC...Can you answer some basic questions

[thewood]

I am worried that some important questions are getting lost in the forum churn:

Are reactions to suppression the same as in CM? i.e., eventually running away.

Do units surrender?

Is full FOW implemented in veteran?

Do vehicles recognize threats and seek cover?

Does the AI do any kind of threat assessment when a unit is ID?

How do you load APCs?

How do you know an APCs capacity and what happens if you try to overload them?

Is there a way to put foxholes in or any kind of hidden improved position?

I know there are probably more, but these are some of mine and some I have seen floating around with no answers. I am hoping consolidating them allows you to more easily answer them.

If the answer is RTM, I'll take that, but I have benn through the manual a few times looking for the amswers.

[Lt Bull]

Originally posted by thewood:

I am worried that some important questions are getting lost in the forum churn:

Good questions, and some that I have considered myself. Will provide you my own player impressions so far of some of them (of course using CMx1 as a reference), though I appreciate you want BFC to answer them for you.

Are reactions to suppression the same as in CM? i.e., eventually running away.

If it is, it certainly IS NOT majorly noticable or even a factor I have notice at all. Units just sit where they are until they are commpletely eliminated. Come to think of it, the whole concept of unit "state"/morale/leadership doesn't seem to figure too much at all in CMSF. I certainy have seen no unit "rout" or "retreat" like they did in CMx1. Fatigue levels seem to be more significant and evident. Morale effects/managment via leaders seem to have been watered down.

Do units surrender?

Asked myself the exact same question but have concluded that it either insn't in the game or not a significant factor.

Do vehicles recognize threats and seek cover?

I have concluded that the smarts we saw and loved/hated in the TacAI of past CM titles (which for my mind was one of the true achievments of those games) seems to be obviously missing in CMSF. I can say that not even once have I seen any evasive action by any of my vehicular units. No auto popping of smoke, no reverses out of LOS etc. Even the auto target selection/aquisition seems a bit lacking.

I struggle even to find CMx1-esque examples of it in any of the TacAI behaviour of the infantry (previous two questions is one example).

Does the AI do any kind of threat assessment when a unit is ID?

If it does, I have not seen any significant evidence of that, just like how my own units don't seem to take evasive action.

How do you load APCs?

Give the infantry unit a move command and mouse over the APC. The cursor will change to a downward pointing arrow. Left click.

How do you know an APCs capacity and what happens if you try to overload them?

I think the downward arrow will be coloured yellow. However, I think I have run into a bug in some cases where I can't unload or even give any orders that work to an APC and it's passangers.

[ July 29, 2007, 08:48 AM: Message edited by: Lt Bull ]

[Darryl]

QUOTE:

"I have concluded that the smarts we saw and loved/hated in the TacAI of past CM titles (which for my mind was one of the true achievments of those games) seems to be obviously missing in CMSF. I can say that not even once have I seen any evasive action by any of my vehicular units. No auto popping of smoke, no reverses out of LOS etc. Even the auto target selection/aquisition seems a bit lacking."

I have to concur. Though Tanks do SEEM to automatically switch to engage threat tanks whenever they're identified. Short of that, Tac AI seems to be lacking in the self preservation mode.

I've yet to see an enemy unit break, or surrender.

[Let me Live]

Originally posted by thewood:

How do you know an APCs capacity and what happens if you try to overload them?[/QB]

See the manual on page 43 about the APC capacity.

[PSY]

Originally posted by thewood:

How do you know an APCs capacity and what happens if you try to overload them?

Copying over my answer from the "Help on loading APCs" thread:

If you look at the vehicle silhouette in the unit info panel, you'll see two sets of dots, one on the left, one on the right. The set of dots on the left should be blue and indicate crew members -- if the dots on the left aren't all blue, someone is either KIA or WIA. The set of dots on the right indicate passenger positions. If the dot is green, the passenger position is filled, if its grey, you can put another passenger into the vehicle. (p.43 of Battlefront version of the manual).

As far as overloading them goes, if you move the mouse on top of an already loaded APC instead of getting the standard Green Down-Arrow Triangle icon, you get a Yellow Down-Arrow Triangle Icon with a black triangle on the bottom. It will take the command, but I'm assuming they won't load (I get the same Yellow caution icon if I try to laod a squad into a Stryker MGS).

[ July 29, 2007, 09:14 AM: Message edited by: PSY ]

[PSY]

Here's a question I'd like answered:

When trying to direct artillery am I better off using the FSV Stryker vehicle or the FO passenger in the FSV. What if the FSV seems to have better visibility on the target than the FO passenger (even when unbuttoned/opened up). Is the FO more effective when inside the FSV?

[Vergeltungswaffe]

Use the FSV whenever possible.

[David Chapuis]

Originally posted by Darryl:

I've yet to see an enemy unit break, or surrender. [/QB]

I've seen my syrian inf run away in a panic

[Roter Stern]

Originally posted by Darryl:

I've yet to see an enemy unit break, or surrender.

Thats because 9 times out of 10 they get killed long before they even get to "we had enough" stage.

[Capt. Toleran]

I've had my FO be much more effective than the FSB, I think it depends on the ratings. I'm talking like 4 minute differences here.

[SgtMuhammed]

Originally posted by David Chapuis:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Darryl:

I've yet to see an enemy unit break, or surrender.

I've seen my syrian inf run away in a panic [/QB]</font>

[SgtMuhammed]

Is it just me or are the BMP's awfully quiet? They seem to make less noise than the Stryker.

[Darryl]

Originally posted by The Louch:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Darryl:

I've yet to see an enemy unit break, or surrender.

Thats because 9 times out of 10 they get killed long before they even get to "we had enough" stage. </font>

[Stew]

I too would like some advice on which unit should give the arty/air support fire order when you have an FO inside an FSV. The tutorial campaign suggests using the FSV, but the manual seems to imply the FOs should give the order. Can somebody explain the variables in play here?

[jomni]

FO inside the FSV may not have the line of sight.

Mayby the FO should dismount first.

[Stew]

I have noticed that FOs inside FSVs sometimes spot poorly. The line of sight is the same (both can see the targets), but while the FSV identifies the targets accurately, the FO inside just sees "?" (this was at Elite setting).

Dismounting is one option, but wouldn't you then lose the benefits of all the FSV's sensors and the vehicle-mounted FBCB2 system, thus kind of obviating the whole point of having an FSV?

Is this a bug, or do we just need some better guidance on how to handle the FSV v. FO trade off?

[GriffinCheng+]

About rout/surrender:

As posted elsewhere, the suppression factor predominates most of the time and the unit under fire rarely moves before the morale breaks down...

I have seen the whole side surrenders (me or the other) but not by individual unit

[__Yossarian0815[jby]]

Do units surrender?

Asked myself the exact same question but have concluded that it either insn't in the game or not a significant factor.

No surrender!

I had a uncon play possum in the first scenario

I surprised 4 enemy inf in a courtyard, my whole squad emptied their clips into the courtyard...theortetically every enemy was hit 20 times or so. After clearing the town, boarding the strykers and leavin I heard this plink plink sound. One of the enemy had got up again and was firing at my departing strykers

[Splinty]

Originally posted by Stew:

I have noticed that FOs inside FSVs sometimes spot poorly. The line of sight is the same (both can see the targets), but while the FSV identifies the targets accurately, the FO inside just sees "?" (this was at Elite setting).

Dismounting is one option, but wouldn't you then lose the benefits of all the FSV's sensors and the vehicle-mounted FBCB2 system, thus kind of obviating the whole point of having an FSV?

Is this a bug, or do we just need some better guidance on how to handle the FSV v. FO trade off?

If your FO is mounted in a FSVand they both have LOS, use the vehicle to call the fire, that's what it's made for. If your FO is with a dismounted squad use the FO, that's his job. If your FO is dismounted and there's an FSV nearby use the FSV because the FSV has satcom computer links to the arty battery and the FO only has a PDA and a radio. It should cut down your arty response time by a few minutes.

[dischord]

Originally posted by Splinty:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Stew:

I have noticed that FOs inside FSVs sometimes spot poorly. The line of sight is the same (both can see the targets), but while the FSV identifies the targets accurately, the FO inside just sees "?" (this was at Elite setting).

Dismounting is one option, but wouldn't you then lose the benefits of all the FSV's sensors and the vehicle-mounted FBCB2 system, thus kind of obviating the whole point of having an FSV?

Is this a bug, or do we just need some better guidance on how to handle the FSV v. FO trade off?

If your FO is mounted in a FSVand they both have LOS, use the vehicle to call the fire, that's what it's made for. If your FO is with a dismounted squad use the FO, that's his job. If your FO is dismounted and there's an FSV nearby use the FSV because the FSV has satcom computer links to the arty battery and the FO only has a PDA and a radio. It should cut down your arty response time by a few minutes. </font>

[Pandur]

Do vehicles recognize threats and seek cover?

if everything, but please not this, or at least less drastic than i CMx1.

i can allready see T72´s in good ambushposition or right about to be in los to an M1 tank in a favourable moment and then in the right moment, they start to planless reverse, most probably into los of more other tanks with this open tearrain, instad of shooting the one they see.

[thewood]

Would you rather your Stryker trade fire for 5 minutes with a T72.