Formation Movement

[Mikev]

The fly in that oinment is that many use those two units not as levels of command but as numbers of troops in HQ/support units. See the SBCT or NK units OOB's that I've put together as an example of what I'm talking about. Best idea I think is to have a formation keyed to a selected unit as per some the ideas mentioned in this thread. Something that just occured to me is either to have an option in the scenerio editor to have "special value" units ie HQ units and other units such as artillery spotting radar Prophet EW etc. Those units "point value" could aslo be bumped up in a future release if popular opinion/the Major decided it was worth it to give them more value and thus increase the need to protect them.

I understand what you say and I have used your TO&E for the Styker Bde but I substituted Canadian Ops teams for the misc HQ units and also included single civilians to be the officers/NCOs in charge of these.
I like your idea about the Arty radar and the special value units though as that would not take away from the freedom to use the HQ units as the player so wishes.

Cheers,

Mikev

 

[dhuffjr]

Hope the SBCT OOB fit your needs. I've done a bit of reworking on some of the items to reflect new information/sources. I'll get around to posting the update eventually. I plan to do more of the NK stuff and some PLA oob's as well from the PLA handbook I found, dated 1984 but it is better than guessing.

The SBCT and USMC units are the origin of my desire for a formation movement, or at the least the ability to join unlike units. USMC CAAT teams and infantry platoons and SBCT squads and the two Inf carrier types being what I would like to easily move together.

 

[Mikev]

Hope the SBCT OOB fit your needs. I've done a bit of reworking on some of the items to reflect new information/sources. I'll get around to posting the update eventually. I plan to do more of the NK stuff and some PLA oob's as well from the PLA handbook I found, dated 1984 but it is better than guessing.

The SBCT and USMC units are the origin of my desire for a formation movement, or at the least the ability to join unlike units. USMC CAAT teams and infantry platoons and SBCT squads and the two Inf carrier types being what I would like to easily move together.

Yes it would be nice to be able to group same type vehicles with differing armament, ( Stryker with MTR /HMG/AGL-----HUMMV AGL/LMG/TOW etc.)
Yes thank you the OOB was great.

Cheers,
Mikev

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

Major H,

I haven't seen anything new on this topic lately.
Is this something you are considering implimenting with v5?
Maybe a test version for 406AK ? :laugh:

 

[Starlight]

Here is the item I wrote up last year.

1. The player either "magic moves" or maneuver his units into the desired formation normally.

2. The player determines which unit will be the base unit for the formation and give it its orders first.

3. The player opens the orders window of the next unit in the same formation and clicks on the "Form on Unit"[?] button [still haven't found a name I like].

TacOps will display the unit selection mouse cursor [cross hairs].
The player clicks on the base unit, which already has orders.
TacOps will compute the current horizontal and vertical position difference between the first and second units and temporarily store this data as an offset.
TacOps will copy the orders of the first unit [normal Get Orders].
TacOps will apply the offset to each waypoint in the copied orders.
TacOps will paste the offset orders to the second unit.
TacOps will clear the stored offset value.

This method allows the creation of arbitrarily large formations in any geometry the player desires. The resulting formation may look a little funny if it makes a 90 degree turn and will probably fall apart if the player tries to use it to cross a long distance or rough terrain.

Since the player is doing each unit in-turn, this is also good time to copy and paste the unit names in as well.

In principle this is great, but could this not be simplified to an option when pasting orders:

What we need in the option to past oders either as "Follow", ie same exact waypoints (cordinate wise as is currently used in game) as the base unit, or "Match" ie. use the same path but offset to the new units start location.

You could have a Tick box for your unit getting orders which is normally empty representing standard Tacops orders, and ticked it "Matches" the route from the offset position.

This may be easier than creatign a formation selection, although that would still be great, especially if linked to HQ's, etc.... oh dear going down that route again :laugh:

 

[Starlight]

1) Aslo MajorH, while I am in the flow, the "Watch" order (15 second time delay?) does not generate a order action indication, is this an error, have I missed something, when giving a nuit orders and wanting it to wait for 30 seconds prior to moving, I click the "watch" twice yet no actions appear, then give the unit movement orders forward and the actions count up from 1.

I know I may be simple, but its offputting for me when giving these orders, it may also explain why I have extreme problems in getting Helos to perform popup manouvers for a short period of time before returning to cover

2) I am also not sure that moving a vehicle to troops in the open, and selecting "Load" as an action is working for me either. Is there a given time delay required and how do you designate which troops if multiple units there are to be picked up.

3) With WWII should there not also be a tow option similar to the Load/unload option in the orders, rather than manually having to do it within the right hand menu :whist:

I had better shut up now before I anoy the Major too much :laugh:

 

[MajorH]

>1) Aslo MajorH, while I am in the flow, the "Watch" order (15 second time
>delay?) does not generate a order action indication, is this an error,
>have I missed something, when giving a nuit orders and wanting it to wait
>for 30 seconds prior to moving, I click the "watch" twice yet no actions
>appear, then give the unit movement orders forward and the actions count
>up from 1.

There are two "watch" icons in the unit orders window. Perhaps you are clicking on the wrong one. When I click on the watch icon that is on the left side of the window, the orders count item increments instantly with each click.

The other "watch" icon on the right side of that window does not give a wait order. When held down, it draws route and time to waypoints info on the map.

>2) I am also not sure that moving a vehicle to troops in the open, and
>selecting "Load" as an action is working for me either. Is there a given
>time delay required ...

Yes, there is a short time cost for embarkation when using the delayed orders load button.

There is no delay for embarkation when using the instant load button.

> and how do you designate which troops if multiple
>units there are to be picked up.

You don't, when using the delayed orders load button.

>3) With WWII should there not also be a tow option similar to the
>Load/unload option in the orders, rather than manually having to do it
>within the right hand menu

??? ... The right click, pop up orders menu and the unit orders window work the same for all units. If a unit is able to tow then the Tow button appears in its orders window, if not then the Tow button is hidden - just like the Load button. There are some unit types that are not allowed to tow in TacOps.

The right click, pop up menu does not currently offer a Tow menu item for any unit because I wanted to keep that menu as short as possible.

 

[Starlight]

>1)
There are two "watch" icons in the unit orders window. Perhaps you are clicking on the wrong one.

:laugh: I think you found my problem, trying to use the right hand button for the left hand button job :nuts:

>1)
>2) I am also not sure that moving a vehicle to troops in the open, and
>selecting "Load" as an action is working for me either. Is there a given
>time delay required ...

Yes, there is a short time cost for embarkation when using the delayed orders load button.

There is no delay for embarkation when using the instant load button.

> and how do you designate which troops if multiple
>units there are to be picked up.

You don't, when using the delayed orders load button.

I am being a bit thick here MajorH, so what choices does the Tacops engine make when a vehicle is tasked to load troops during its movement sequence ? ie not under manual control at the orders stage.


Thanks for your information MajorH

 

[MajorH]

...so what choices does the Tacops engine make when a vehicle is tasked to load troops during its movement sequence ? ie not under manual control at the orders stage.

At the instant that the delayed load order is activated, the vehicle will attempt to pick up every friendly unit that is within 100 meters (ten pixels) of the center point of the vehicle's map marker, until the vehicle has no more room for cargo. Units are evaluated for pickup simply in the order in which they are listed in memory. A user's only clue to the order of the nearby units in memory would be to click on their stack of markers then examine the order of their plot position in the subsequent unit selection window.

 

[Starlight]

Thanks MajorH, that is exactly what I was after information wise, now I will be able to make much more informed orders when trying to load scattered troops after their vehilce has died.

Thanks

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

Bump.
Just want to see if anyone has given this any new thought.

 

[pmaidhof]

Bump.
Just want to see if anyone has given this any new thought.

Bump. Does this proposal have a chance in making it into v5?

Or is there more leg work for us to do?