Can't Switch from Target to Target Light

[Blackcat]

Quite often I use a tank to put down HE on an infantry position, then after a turn or two of HE, I want to switch to just MG fire so as to keep any survivors' heads down whilst my own infantry moves in. In basic terms what I want the tank to do is stop firing with its main gun but, without changing the aim point, continue firing with the bow MG and use the coaxial MG.

However, the UI insists I order a new, "Target Light", order but because of the dust and smoke kicked up by the explosions from the HE rounds my tank no longer has a line of sight. So I have to cease fire giving the surviving enemy troops at least a turn to recover.

Given that in real life terms all want my gunner to do is use a different trigger for his existing point of aim, I am not at all sure the present behaviour is realistic or defensible. Furthermore I find this an very common problem - I have hit it in just about every battle I have played where I have armour. Could someone point me to a solution to this problem?

[rocketman]

I have not tested this, but what if you keep the existing "Target", mark the line and click for "Target Light" instead. This works for movement orders.

[Blackcat]

I have not tested this, but what if you keep the existing "Target", mark the line and click for "Target Light" instead. This works for movement orders.

Nah, you can't select the target line as you can with movement orders.

[YankeeDog]

Yes; I have noticed this problem, though it's only come up a couple of times for me.

I don't know of a workaround... if BFC were able to add the ability to maintain a current target order, but switch it between TARGET and TARGET LIGHT, this would fix the issue.

[womble]

Yes, it's a niggle. I can't see how it's addressable, mechanically, without coding target lines to be clickable like movement lines are. Which would be quite a nice feature.

I often find, when you're talking area fire, that some jiggering around with where I'm clicking will snap the TLight command to the same AP centre that the Target command was snapped to, or one either side. One either side isn't too much of a problem, usually, given the width of Area Fire patterns. And one in front might even be better, for some cases of grazing fires with MG compared to your HE aimpoint. I'm gradually becoming a bit more relaxed about where my area fire targetting lines are snagged. It is area fire, after all

[YankeeDog]

One either side isn't too much of a problem, usually, given the width of Area Fire patterns. And one in front might even be better, for some cases of grazing fires with MG compared to your HE aimpoint. I'm gradually becoming a bit more relaxed about where my area fire targetting lines are snagged. It is area fire, after all

Ya; this is the best workaround I've found for this situation thus far. One, or even two action spots away from your intended aimpoint is really not a big deal with MG area fire.

[MeatEtr]

If BFC were able to add the ability to maintain a current target order, but switch it between TARGET and TARGET LIGHT, this would fix the issue.

+1 to this!

[etagimbo]

Yes; I have noticed this problem, though it's only come up a couple of times for me.

I don't know of a workaround... if BFC were able to add the ability to maintain a current target order, but switch it between TARGET and TARGET LIGHT, this would fix the issue.

IMO, if you lose LOS to your target, it would be much more logical if the fire switched from unit target to area target automatically at this point (or does it already do so?). Instead of keeping an unit targeted which is out of sight.

[YankeeDog]

IMO, if you lose LOS to your target, it would be much more logical if the fire switched from unit target to area target automatically at this point (or does it already do so?). Instead of keeping an unit targeted which is out of sight.

CMx2 does a couple of things like this:

1) If you give a unit a TARGET order, and it loses LOS to the unit or location (for area fire), the unit retains the TARGET order for a little while, and will re-engage if it regains LOS.

2) If a unit loses sight of an enemy it is firing upon, but still has LOS to the last known location of this enemy, the unit will often continue to fire at that spot for a little while. This is particularly useful against infantry in good cover, which often "go to ground" and become more difficult to keep in sight when fired upon.

It's (1) above that is applicable to the OP's issue -- his tank lost LOS to the target of an area TARGET order, due to smoke and dust kicked up by the tanks's own HE shells. In this case, the tank stops firing until the dust clears and it regains LOS to the spot on the ground at which it was told to shoot. However, since the tank can't currently "see" this spot, there's no way to switch the order from a TARGET to a TARGET LIGHT order - you can't plot the new order until after the dust has cleared, and the tank has LOS again.

[womble]

IMO, if you lose LOS to your target, it would be much more logical if the fire switched from unit target to area target automatically at this point (or does it already do so?). Instead of keeping an unit targeted which is out of sight.

IME it's rare that a unit will keep firing at the last known location of a unit it had spotted for very long at all. If it does, it's nowhere near as effective/intense as if you'd given a Target Area on the location.

[Blackcat]

My thanks to those who have responded to my question. I am not convinced that firing one or two action spots away will produce sufficient supression to keep a unit pinned, but I will give it ago.