Q&A about gameplay and mechanics

[SoaN]

If you want to ask some questions about gameplay and game mechanics please post it here. I will try to answer.

[ChrisND]

Yeah what's the cheat code for God Mode?

... up down up down left right left right A B A B Start!

[SoaN]

Originally posted by Normal Dude:

Yeah what's the cheat code for God Mode?

... up down up down left right left right A B A B Start!

ROFL

[seppDieter]

ok, what factors affect the soldiers morale?

is it possible to use suppression as a tactic? because the soldiers morale doesn't seem to be affected by suppresion fire.(they dont hide, or get scared it seems)

[PFMM]

Thanks for taking the time.

Is there some way of minimizing the amount of shuffling your troops do without using the hold order?

Why do they do it? And how could we best use it?

[Spartan]

Can you confirm that there is no protection for certain types of terrain? If so terrain is only useful for breaking LOS?

[SoaN]

Originally posted by seppDieter:

ok, what factors affect the soldiers morale?

is it possible to use suppression as a tactic? because the soldiers morale doesn't seem to be affected by suppresion fire.(they dont hide, or get scared it seems)

Factors effecting on morale:

1. Danger level of unit.

2. Friendly visible panicking units.

3. Damage caused to unit.

4. Visible friendly units. Quantity, battle value, battle power takes effect.

5. Being inside of other unit (tank, DOT, car and etc).

6. Unit’s own “Leadership” characteristics

7. Presence of visible unit with high “Leadership” (“Leadership” is higher that unit’s own). Only one with higher parameter takes in account if there is more that one unit visible.

8. Presence of visible commander (inside the tank for crew), his “leadership” parameter takes in account. Only one with higher parameter takes in account if there is more that one commander visible.

9. Hit or flinch. Only first hit\flinch\death takes in account if there were more than one hit\flinch\death in small time amount. Hit takes more effect than flinch. Death one of crew members takes effect only on crew members.

10. Death of friendly unit.

11. Death of enemy unit.

Danger level counts from 0 to 100, where 0 is absence of danger and 100 is deadly danger.

Factors effecting on danger level:

1. New enemy became visible.

2. Enemy approached closer to unit.

3. There occurred an explosion near unit or bullet hit ground near unit.

4. Unit was hit.

[SoaN]

Originally posted by PFMM:

Thanks for taking the time.

Is there some way of minimizing the amount of shuffling your troops do without using the hold order?

Why do they do it? And how could we best use it?

No you can’t minimize unit’s initiative. If unit is having the defense command he will attack enemy units in his clear LOS. After destroying enemy unit or loosing it from LOS he will come back at his “starting position”.

[SoaN]

Originally posted by Spartan:

Can you confirm that there is no protection for certain types of terrain? If so terrain is only useful for breaking LOS?

As in real life type of terrain doesn’t inflict on units protection only hills, mountains and etc. If your unit is lying behind small hill he won’t be hurt – terrain will stop the bullets. But if your unit lies down in field he will be certainly hurt – grass doesn’t stop bullets. I hope that I understand your question correctly.

[Rak]

Originally posted by SoaN:

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

ok, what factors affect the soldiers morale?

is it possible to use suppression as a tactic? because the soldiers morale doesn't seem to be affected by suppresion fire.(they dont hide, or get scared it seems)

Factors effecting on morale:

1. Danger level of unit.

2. Friendly visible panicking units.

3. Damage caused to unit.

4. Visible friendly units. Quantity, battle value, battle power takes effect.

5. Being inside of other unit (tank, DOT, car and etc).

6. Unit’s own “Leadership” characteristics

7. Presence of visible unit with high “Leadership” (“Leadership” is higher that unit’s own). Only one with higher parameter takes in account if there is more that one unit visible.

8. Presence of visible commander (inside the tank for crew), his “leadership” parameter takes in account. Only one with higher parameter takes in account if there is more that one commander visible.

9. Hit or flinch. Only first hit\flinch\death takes in account if there were more than one hit\flinch\death in small time amount. Hit takes more effect than flinch. Death one of crew members takes effect only on crew members.

10. Death of friendly unit.

11. Death of enemy unit.

Danger level counts from 0 to 100, where 0 is absence of danger and 100 is deadly danger.

Factors effecting on danger level:

1. New enemy became visible.

2. Enemy approached closer to unit.

3. There occurred an explosion near unit or bullet hit ground near unit.

4. Unit was hit. </font>

[stic.man]

if i have a squad of infantry in a trench line, does giving them the movement order - "prone" - have any benefit for them while moving or non-moving while still in trenches?

[SirReal]

How do I use the Defend order?

Clicking on the defend icon seems to expect me to click on something on the map. But if I do so, the Defend icon doesn't stay lit.

[SoaN]

Originally posted by stic.man:

if i have a squad of infantry in a trench line, does giving them the movement order - "prone" - have any benefit for them while moving or non-moving while still in trenches?

If you mean "Dash" then yes

[ May 03, 2007, 10:31 PM: Message edited by: SoaN ]

[PFMM]

Another one from me. How do light and environmental conditions affect spotting and shooting? Do they make units harder to spot and shoot? Do they limit the range at which they may be spotted and shot at?

Thanks in advance.

[SoaN]

Originally posted by PFMM:

Another one from me. How do light and environmental conditions affect spotting and shooting? Do they make units harder to spot and shoot? Do they limit the range at which they may be spotted and shot at?

Thanks in advance.

Weather conditions do effect on spotting ability (fog, snow, rain). Yes, they limit range at which unit can be spotted. No, the do not effect on shooting range – you just have less opportunities to hit the target.

[PFMM]

Thanks for the reply.

Just to clarify, so while units are harder to spot in both inclement weather and lighting they are no harder to hit than in clear conditions?

On another front, I'm trying to put together some single missions. I have no problem with the coding or structure ,but I wonder how much of the gameplay is up to the scenario designer.

Lets say I send some light tanks to an area where the player has a heavy tank. Will the light tanks engage the heavy tank in meaningfull way (ie by using cover, avoiding the heavy tank's gun, etc.) or will they just stick to the script and attempt to shoot it out? Any poinetrs in this area would be most appreciated.

[SoaN]

Originally posted by PFMM:

Thanks for the reply.

Just to clarify, so while units are harder to spot in both inclement weather and lighting they are no harder to hit than in clear conditions?

On another front, I'm trying to put together some single missions. I have no problem with the coding or structure ,but I wonder how much of the gameplay is up to the scenario designer.

Lets say I send some light tanks to an area where the player has a heavy tank. Will the light tanks engage the heavy tank in meaningfull way (ie by using cover, avoiding the heavy tank's gun, etc.) or will they just stick to the script and attempt to shoot it out? Any poinetrs in this area would be most appreciated.

No – fog\snow\rain don’t stop the bullets if you are talking about this issue.

But yes – it makes aiming at target harder.

I would say that about 50% or more of gameplay depends from designer as in other such games.

If light tanks having rather powerful weapon to destroy heavy tank they will surely try to do so.

The game is not “heavy scripted” but balance of mission fully depends from its designer.

[dizee]

Originally posted by SoaN:

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

Can you confirm that there is no protection for certain types of terrain? If so terrain is only useful for breaking LOS?

As in real life type of terrain doesn’t inflict on units protection only hills, mountains and etc. If your unit is lying behind small hill he won’t be hurt – terrain will stop the bullets. But if your unit lies down in field he will be certainly hurt – grass doesn’t stop bullets. I hope that I understand your question correctly. </font>

[SoaN]

Originally posted by dizee:

i think hes aiming for a protection value vs enemy fire. there is no difference between the different terrain types? like when a soldier takes a prone position in a wheat field or on a street surface. its both the same?

if this is the case, then we need much much finer topographic maps, with like ravines next to roads etc. flat terrain is not realy flat in most cases, when it comes to taking cover from enemy fire.

As I have already wrote grass won’t stop the bullets.

[dizee]

thanks for the fast reply

[FinnN]

In terms of spotability - do the different terrain types have an effect. For example, does a wheat field hide a prone soldier better than a road? If so could you outline the order in which terrain types help with sneaking? I understand that none of them will stop a bullet.

Have fun

Finn

[SoaN]

Originally posted by FinnN:

In terms of spotability - do the different terrain types have an effect. For example, does a wheat field hide a prone soldier better than a road? If so could you outline the order in which terrain types help with sneaking? I understand that none of them will stop a bullet.

Have fun

Finn

About visibility.

We tried to make it different ways but following one seemed to be the best for us.

Each unit has its own basic parameters of view range and observable range. All visibility is circular.

Parameters effecting on visibility:

1. Basic view range.

2. Basic observable range

3. Radius of made sound

4. Units formation (crawl\dash\double time).

5. Speed of unit (not moving\moving\moving fast for example)

6. RPG system (scouting)

7. Shooting (when unit makes a shot he becomes more visible for medium time amount)

8. Forest, bushes and there quantity

9. Fog, rain, snow

10. Presence of commander for tanks, AT and etc.

For example basic view range of infantry is 1000 meters. In perfect weather conditions, with scout parameter = 0, with no obstacles on his LOS (hills, bushes, trees, houses and etc), if none of the units will be shooting, with made by units sounds not counted he will see:

Artillery from 500 meters.

Moving artillery from 600 meters

Car from 700 meters

Moving car from 800 meters

Armored car from 700 meters.

Moving armored car from 800 meters and etc

Soon there will be posted a topic in “Strategy and tactics” about Visibility and aiming.

[FinnN]

Thanks, that's really useful information - didn't realise that commanders were involved in that way.

When you say that visibility is circular, do you mean that a tank can spot a bazooka team behind it that has just fired? I'd not noticed this happening in game, seemed to be more connected to the firing arc/facing? Which is correct?

Just to confirm - the different grass types, eg wheat fields, green fields, ploughed fields - all offer the same amount of visibility?

Have fun

Finn

[SoaN]

Originally posted by FinnN:

Thanks, that's really useful information - didn't realise that commanders were involved in that way.

When you say that visibility is circular, do you mean that a tank can spot a bazooka team behind it that has just fired? I'd not noticed this happening in game, seemed to be more connected to the firing arc/facing? Which is correct?

Tank will spot a bazooka team behind it in case of firing.

Originally posted by FinnN:

Just to confirm - the different grass types, eg wheat fields, green fields, ploughed fields - all offer the same amount of visibility?

Have fun

Finn

Yes, all types of grass offer the same amount of visibility.

[hobo]

SoaN -

It is pretty clear to me the AI knows where you are at all times. It might not fire on you if it has not "spotted" you, but it knows where you are. Can you comment on this?