Firing ranges for testing/learning coming soon

[ChrisND]

I've been cooking up a few firing range scenarios for CMSF. Each range comes in a blue and red variety, with all hardware represented. The player can then customize the scenario to fit their testing needs. It is meant to be played as a hotseat where you set the firing arcs on the "range targets" (the other side) so that they don't return fire.

They include:

A vehicle firing range with two separate firing lanes and five firing stations at each, that reach out to 1,950 meters.

An infantry firing range built like the other, with buildings, trenches, and walls, the lanes reach out to 1,000 meters.

An artillery and CAS firing range, complete with a suite of FO's, fire support platforms, and target types.

A fire and maneuver range where the targets shoot back!

An urban combat training battlespace.

In keeping with a training-range environment, there are range towers, supply shacks, and barrels for brass collection. Half of the briefing is reminders to police up the range and clean up the brass. I'm also cooking up some custom textures: road signs will become range signs, and buildings will became those god-awful ugly cinderblock training buildings.

I will have it ready and on the Repository in a day or two.

[Field Marshal Blücher]

Excellent! Can't wait.

[cmfan]

This sounds great! I was actually thinking of cooking up something like this for myself. Much less ambitious of course - but I keep putting off.

One thing.

I believe if you assign your "range target" units to an AI group and either give them an ambush command at very short range or no AI instructions at all, they'll just sit there and not shoot back at all. No need to set firing arcs.

Not sure on that, but it might be worth trying it out.

[ChrisND]

I believe if you assign your "range target" units to an AI group and either give them an ambush command at very short range or no AI instructions at all, they'll just sit there and not shoot back at all. No need to set firing arcs.

This is what they are set to in the scenario by default. The trouble is, after 2-10 minutes the AI seems to wake up and starts returning fire.

[theFightingSeabee]

Sounds cool! Be sure to add some jeeps out there to blow up.

[Piecekeeper]

Tremendous idea!

[cabal23]

Couldn't you just use spies for the troop targets? also using vehicles that are knocked out or destroyed(The one just before the smoking ruin of a vehicle) would prevent the whole enemy firing back problem.

[stoex]

first off, excellent idea Normal Dude!!

the only thing I can come up with to prevent return fire from the range targets while leaving all their other capabilities intact is a little clumsy, I admit, but it'll work for sure (assuming blue side as side to be trained/tested and red as range targets in this description):

first, set up all red units with minimum ammo to start with. then build the range so that the red and blue units have no immediate LOS to one another, but blue can be moved to their firing positions later. now just let the reds fire at area targets somewhere on the range until they run out of ammo, shouldn't take more than a few minutes in any case. when they're all out of ammo, bring the blues into play and presto, shooting fish in a barrel ...

the added bonus is that while you would have to spend a few minutes emptying the range targets' ammo before you can start your actual tests, once they are empty you won't have to worry about them any more at all. whereas with the target arcs you might have to reset these often when the red units panic and then return to their senses before the blues turn them into sieves

seems to me that setting firing arcs for the range targets won't be really good anyway because the AI will eventually decide that the commander is just trying to get them all killed and fire outside the target arcs in self-defense.

[SlapHappy]

The problem with spies is they have different spotting rules and don't they tend to rout from the map very quickly if fired upon?

[ChrisND]

Couldn't you just use spies for the troop targets? also using vehicles that are knocked out or destroyed(The one just before the smoking ruin of a vehicle) would prevent the whole enemy firing back problem.

Spies are very different from regular troops, which defeats the purpose of using them for tests.

Destroyed vehicles also defeat the purpose of the map, which is to test weapon systems against armor.

[ChrisND]

seems to me that setting firing arcs for the range targets won't be really good anyway because the AI will eventually decide that the commander is just trying to get them all killed and fire outside the target arcs in self-defense.

My testing indicates that they will hold fire.

Another advantage to hotseat is that you can exactly control the facing and movement of the targets.

[Delta228]

doing the hotseat is not that big of a deal anyway

[ChrisND]

doing the hotseat is not that big of a deal anyway

No, and it has yet another advantage of allowing the player to see the damage caused to the target hit-by-hit in perfect detail.

You CAN play it as one side if you just want some quick and cheap explosions , but for testing, the hotseat gives you complete control.

[stoex]

hotseat is certainly a must for proper testing...

Personally I'd settle for some good firing range maps...I'm a really crummy map designer . I could probably manage some basic firing lanes, but I'd probably miss some terrain details and not even notice, never mind an urban environment. I'd do my own units anyway, so for me the return fire thing isn't going to be such an issue anyway, I'll just try around and see what works best for me.

Definitely would enjoy some good maps that give me lots of terrain testing options though, thanks for the effort, Normal Dude!

[ChrisND]

...but I'd probably miss some terrain details and not even notice, never mind an urban environment...

Well the MOUT map for me is not much of an issue, because I will be using a real MOUT site to build it. It will be a recreation of the McKenna MOUT site in Fort Benning.

[panzermartin]

Good idea. Would be nice if we could start collecting our tests results in a single thread and help people understand better the capabilities of each weapon. Despite playing a lot of games lately

I have a very rough idea of what and in what range can penetrate the lower hull of an Abrams for instance.

[ChrisND]

I will be releasing the ranges later today, but the fire/maneuver and McKenna MOUT range will take a bit longer.

Graphics almost complete. Here are the new MOUT training buildings. They come in various colors, except for one building variant which is made of plywood.

[stoex]

Normal Dude - looking great there...can't wait for the shooting gallery to open

Ali Baba - excellent idea, I think a lot of people will want to have this kind of info, and it'll sure beat looking up extensive documentation on the net. I hope BFC will give us a few sticky threads in the Strat'n'Tac section for this.

[CogNative]

ND... Thanks for the concept and indoor holiday range later today.

Maybe a desired BFC inclusion for the next demo of the game?

"collecting our tests results in a single thread and help people understand better the capabilities of each weapon." Great idea AB.

[panzermartin]

Waiting for your input guys..I made a small start here:

http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?p=1108696#post1108696

[ChrisND]

Uploaded.

Enjoy.

The graphics pack for it is also up.

[panzermartin]

Most useful, thanks! Like being in the army again. Glad I dont have to collect all those shell casings though

[Delta228]

I am really looking forward to putting Challenger IIs and M1s firing at each other when brit module comes out. This map should be a good place to do it. Good work.

[stoex]

Many thanks Normal Dude..starting my tests tonight

[ChrisND]

I wish I had known that the map could have been extended to 4 km wide by clicking BOTH of the + buttons... so I am afraid we are stuck with a 2 km range.