Minor mysteries of CMBN

[Childress]

There are some elements in the game that are under explained in the manual and remain opaque for yours truly, at any rate. Here are a few, off the top of my head:

1- A single tank can only be manned and driven by its original crew. But any unit can jump in halftrack and take off- and operate the MG. But not trucks. Why?

2- Tanks, like infantry, show visual C2 status. If they're flying solo and depending on their radios is there a meaningful penalty?

3- Do ground troops suffer increased fatigue when marching uphill or traversing a ford?

4- Does fatigue accrue as the battle continues o,r when groundies recover to Rested, is the clock set back to zero?

5- Are vehicle crew susceptible to fatigue if they remain in the vehicle?

[akd]

There are some elements in the game that are under explained in the manual and remain opaque for yours truly, at any rate. Here are a few, off the top of my head:

1- A single tank can only be manned and driven by its original crew. But any unit can jump in halftrack and take off- and operate the MG. But not trucks. Why?

2- Tanks, like infantry, show visual C2 status. If they're flying solo and depending on their radios is there a meaningful penalty?

3- Do ground troops suffer increased fatigue when marching uphill or traversing a ford?

4- Does fatigue accrue as the battle continues o,r when groundies recover to Rested, is the clock set back to zero?

5- Are vehicle crew susceptible to fatigue if they remain in the vehicle?

1. Transports, including trucks and HTs, and some recce vehicles can be operated by anyone. Most fighting vehicles have dedicated crews.

2. The only "penalty" is that radio comms can suffer temporary random failures.

Not 100% sure on the fatigue questions.

[Ranger33]

I do know that crossing fords will tire your guys out really fast. Not sure about running uphill or the others. Why would a crew get fatigued sitting in a vehicle?

[Childress]

Why would a crew get fatigued sitting in a vehicle?

Dunno. Because they're hotly engaged for a significant time period?

Also, akd, I believe you're mistaken about the fungibility of truck crews. HTs, yes.

[akd]

Dunno. Because they're hotly engaged for a significant time period?

Also, akd, I believe you're mistaken about the fungibility of truck crews. HTs, yes.

Anyone can drive a truck, but if it is not the driver you are mounting up, you may have to wait a moment while one of the new occupants moves from a passenger seat to the empty driver's seat.

[Childress]

I don't think so.

[akd]

Please provide a save because it must be a bug.

[Vanir Ausf B]

I'm fairly certain units do not accrue fatigue unless their legs are moving.

[Childress]

Please provide a save because it must be a bug.

If it weren't for the metastisizing hypoglycemia I would. And it's Sunday.

[Childress]

I'm fairly certain units do not accrue fatigue unless their legs are moving.

You're no doubt correct. But when you think about it an intense firefight lasting many minutes must have been a sweaty, draining and stressful experience for a tank crew. Particularly for the loader.

[John1966]

You're no doubt correct. But when you think about it an intense firefight lasting many minutes must have been a sweaty, draining and stressful experience for a tank crew. Particularly for the loader.

True but aren't all these terms a bit relative in the CM world? I mean I'd suspect that most people on a WWII battlefield would be pretty "nervous" most of the time and indeed "cautious" or whatever. But we say they are "OK" until the game flags up that its a got to a problematic stage (even though "nervous" doesn't actually effect their behaviour).

The same must apply with states of fatigue. We take it as read that everyone is "rested" at the start of a game. Actually some of them may have been up all night or just generally weary but it only shows different if it is something that will effect performance.

I'm quite sure tank crews got fatuiged but I'm not sure it is the same kind of short-term ability effecting fatigue that a squad that just ran 500m in full kit might suffer from. (Which I tend to think of as "winded" as its a bit more specifically descriptive than "tired")

[slysniper]

1- A single tank can only be manned and driven by its original crew. But any unit can jump in halftrack and take off- and operate the MG. But not trucks. Why?

Are you sure about this one.

I could swear I was playing a game, had two crews abandon their tanks.

The one crew was gunned down moments later, the other hid in the woods. Their tank was destroyed. So I ran them to the emty tank after they had recovered. They were units from the same platoon.

But I will admit my memory plays tricks on me now days, so not sure, but without testing I would disagree with this at the moment.

[Boche]

Are you sure about this one.

I could swear I was playing a game, had two crews abandon their tanks.

The one crew was gunned down moments later, the other hid in the woods. Their tank was destroyed. So I ran them to the emty tank after they had recovered. They were units from the same platoon.

But I will admit my memory plays tricks on me now days, so not sure, but without testing I would disagree with this at the moment.

Im sure its scripted that crews can only reman their own tanks, to avoid gamey behaviour.

must have chosen the right crew!

[slysniper]

Im sure its scripted that crews can only reman their own tanks, to avoid gamey behaviour.

must have chosen the right crew!

You might be right, but a test is in order to prove it.

I did not grap the same crew, that I know for sure. The tanks were 100 meters apart. The dead crew lay next to the tank that was theirs and still operational. The other crew I had to move that 100 meters.

[Michael Emrys]

Sort of related: I had the commander of an HT get nailed by small arms fire without damaging the track. It was a .50 caliber armed track and I didn't want to lose that firepower, so I drove an idle jeep over to it, had the jeep's driver dismount, and then climb aboard the track. He successfully manned the MG.

Michael

[LJFHutch]

You sure? I just tested with some shermans (5 identical) and the crews were only able to mount their original vehicles. You just need to switch them around while they're not looking

[slysniper]

You sure? I just tested with some shermans (5 identical) and the crews were only able to mount their original vehicles. You just need to switch them around while they're not looking

it has me stumped, maybe this all happened in one of my CMBN dreams

[John1966]

Just a guess, but in all these examples the original crew had been eliminated. So could it be that an alternative crew cannot take-over a vehicle if the vehicle's original crew are still around? Easy enough to code and would prevent gaminess to a point.

(Unless, of course, you want to get REALLY gamey and deliberately get the original crew killed...)

[Erwin]

IIRC I read something definitive from BF that tank crews can NEVER occupy tanks other than their own under any circumstances as that was to stop gaminess like putting elite crews in Green crewed tanks etc.

[slysniper]

IIRC I read something definitive from BF that tank crews can NEVER occupy tanks other than their own under any circumstances as that was to stop gaminess like putting elite crews in Green crewed tanks etc.

The more I try to remember, the less sure I am. But if that is the logic for not doing it, they went a little too far on that decision.

I would not want to see a elite Pz III crew enter a tiger and begin running it like they had been in one for months. But crews from the same type of tank should be allowed to switch. It was common practice if the platoon commander tank was shot from under him, he would go switch out a crew from another tank with his able crew. likely was hard to code, so they just kept it simple. Just like AT guns not being able to be unmanned and then manned again.

The gaminess aspect is a good way of not having to say , did not want to have to program it, they have to keep somethings in the game simple or the game would never get done..

[IanL]

IIRC I read something definitive from BF that tank crews can NEVER occupy tanks other than their own under any circumstances as that was to stop gaminess like putting elite crews in Green crewed tanks etc.

That is what I remember too. I thought I read Steve explaining it but I cannot find that. The closes I can find is this http://www.battlefront.com/community/showpost.php?p=1308888&postcount=18

[RockinHarry]

Underexplained..."Face" command slight a bit.

I also found it to be a "seek cover vs 3D terrain spot or enemy unit" pointer.

Initially I used it similarly as in CMX1. Look north, west and so on, but it does not quite work that way in CMBN. Since it´s 3D, you can also point to the 8th floor of a building 300m away, not just on a ground terrain spot at any distance. Also you can "Face" click on enemy floating unit icons, which results in individual soldiers seeking positions (within action spots) both, to use available cover vs. that enemy and have a LOF to it, if possible.

So if from a certain action spot soldiers can´t trace a LOF to a particular enemy or action spot in the distance, use "Face" on EXACTLY that action spot or enemy unit floating icon and see how things improve.

I´ve not yet learned all the fine points of "Face", but it definitely is a command to be used with finesse.

[Michael Emrys]

Interesting, RH. Thanks for passing that along.

Michael