More time between calling for arty and impact

[Atomskytten]

Is it possible to introduce a more realistic approach for using artillery, especially response time, when calling for an artillery strike? At the moment one barely has used the radio when the first rounds start impacting and that is not how artillery works in real life.
Firstly, after recieving target coordinates, it takes the gun/mortar battery time to calculate the setting for the guns'/mortars' elevation, deflection, charge size, preparing the correct fuzes for the shells.
Secondly it takes time for the shells to arrive at their target area and that can be up to a minute or so from the shell is launched till it actually impacts on target depending on range and firing angle.

The way artillery works now can be frustrating from time to time as it just acts as instant nadespamming just very much more powerfull.

Of course pre-planned fireplans can explain the short "use radio to launch time" but travel time is still way to short.

Also it would demand more skill of the Squad Leader/Artillery Observer if calling for artillery strikes would require typing in the coordinates of the target zone, shell type, burst pattern and number of shells/volleys fired and perhaps make calling for artillery into a class of its own - the Artillery Officer/Artillery Observer(FO) and let the Squad Leader deal with tactical decisions and command only.

 

[Madeyes]

The arty would already be set up on the battlefield before the attack, with certain points (trenches, Crossroads, bottlenecks) already zero'd in & co-ordinates set. Moving for a infantry fire request wouldn't take much moving or setting up as the guns would already be virtually set. Plus there's always Mortar arty which is quick to move & easy to set up. I think the arty is fine the way it is. Remember it's still a game & things need to be done in a game timeline. These battles aren't 5 hour affairs and things like arty need to reflect that.

 

[Basil]

I agree, something like 30 second delay would be good. Even that would be unrealistic but the game is pretty fast paced so longer delays might ruing gameplay except maybe in the largest maps. Accurate artilliery modelling would be interesting but I guess it would be too complicated for majority of people and still not as interesting as tanks and small arms. There could be maybe a couple of different fire solutions where one could choose that would define the pattern, spread and length of the barrage. You could for example call a short narrow strike on a point target like AT-gun or tank, or long barrage that spreads wide and lasts long to prevent enemy reinforcing their positions.

 

[ImNotRyan]

....It does have like a 30 second delay for me. I'm LONG done using the radio before any artillery comes down. Different maps maybe?

 

[Trendkill]

It may not be entirely realistic, but surely if you're firing arty at an enemy position you don't want to give your teammates time to get there first and then the arty starts dropping on friendly heads...

 

[I. Kant]

Also, it's map dependable. At least that was my impression when I stumbled into various arty settings in the SDK. It's up to a mapper to set longer arty arrival times and the number of volleys, as well as the number of artillery batteries firing.

 

[Nagels]

Prearranged co-ordinates would be normal enough, combined assaults preceded by arty barrage was standard during WW2.

Waiting a minute for the arty to strike would possibly lead to losing objectives much faster ingame.

 

[18Bravo]

Sounds like your idea of artillery would be that on the map RO-Enemyatthegates. Or however its spelled.

 

[[TW]Wilsonam]

This has always been a big matter of debate on the team: reality would dictate much more complex and time-consuming artillery call procedures... we decided to simplify them down, otherwise they would be way too boring!

 

[D3terioNation]

And ineffective!!

 

[Atomskytten]

Not necessarily ineffective, on smaller maps with relative short playtime yes but on big slowplaying maps like Berezina more elaborate and advanced fireplans could add a greater depth and realism to the gameplay; the abilty to call for a walking barrage for example will be a great help to the attacking team while harrrassing and interdiction fire on suspected enemy attack routes and assembly points will aid the defenders. Used soundly and with correct timing artillery can be the deciding factor that wins the battle - The Russian unceasing torrent of artillery falling on the german spawnzone creating an impassable wall of steel on Basovka is a battlewinner and is at the same time what I don't like the current artillery system; there is too much and with too little time between fire missions while at the same time the Germans as the attackers have no artillery available untill they cap the AT-gun position which in my opinion makes it more of a russian Squad Leader vs All of the Germans than a team effort.

 

[Madeyes]

It would be nice if the arty guns on some of the maps had some sort of animation. A gun crew & firing animation. These would be un-killable but just make it look good.

 

[Zenith]

A nice idea. Though personally I'd like to have the ability to destroy them; if the team doesn't defend their arty they lose it, this would certainly bring a new aspect to the game and possibly reduce the insane arty spamming that occurs on some maps.

 

[Madeyes]

A nice idea. Though personally I'd like to have the ability to destroy them; if the team doesn't defend their arty they lose it, this would certainly bring a new aspect to the game and possibly reduce the insane arty spamming that occurs on some maps.

Bearing in mind that in real life the arty could be a few miles behind the frontline this would be a little unrealistic. I agree that seeing the guns then in the 1st place would also then be unrealistic but if the guns are at your 1st spawnpoint this would just be some nice eyecandy. Plus i'd love to hear the guns firing when you spawned as arty was firing.

 

[Harry S. Truman]

Is it possible to introduce a more realistic approach for using artillery, especially response time, when calling for an artillery strike? At the moment one barely has used the radio when the first rounds start impacting and that is not how artillery works in real life.
Firstly, after recieving target coordinates, it takes the gun/mortar battery time to calculate the setting for the guns'/mortars' elevation, deflection, charge size, preparing the correct fuzes for the shells.
Secondly it takes time for the shells to arrive at their target area and that can be up to a minute or so from the shell is launched till it actually impacts on target depending on range and firing angle.

The way artillery works now can be frustrating from time to time as it just acts as instant nadespamming just very much more powerfull.

Of course pre-planned fireplans can explain the short "use radio to launch time" but travel time is still way to short.

Also it would demand more skill of the Squad Leader/Artillery Observer if calling for artillery strikes would require typing in the coordinates of the target zone, shell type, burst pattern and number of shells/volleys fired and perhaps make calling for artillery into a class of its own - the Artillery Officer/Artillery Observer(FO) and let the Squad Leader deal with tactical decisions and command only.

Ah, but it very much depends on the level of Artillery support you are calling. If it's an 80mm Mortar Platoon attached to your company it can come pretty damn fast. If it's 150mm at the Battalion level it could take a bit longer. There's a lot of factors that determine how fast fire support arrives and the times in the game are not that outrageous. If the area is preregistered, which seeing how small out maps are is not out of the question, it can be as far away as a "Fire For Effect" call and travel time of the shells.

 

[[VFD]HH]

Russian artillery by late war would be quite something...

Massive barrages with well coordinates lanes of no-fire for the infantry to move through.

It was a sound and devastating tactic..it did have the problem that once the Russians learned how to do it, they overused it, and they were very rigid in their approach. Once a barrage started the Germans were often able to tell exactly when and where the infantry would come from, and also where they would be safe from the artillery.

Having on larger maps some of the Russian artillery strikes randomly (at least in late war) be Katyusha strikes would be interesting. Instead of relatively concentrated sustained fire, it would be much more spread out, much more initial impact, but a lot less sustainability. In theory, much more morale damaging, but thats not a factor in this game.

On larger tank maps, in theory CAS could also be called in to break up tank formations (but they really aren't used) or take out a particularly well placed heavy tank.

 

[Cnnbs]

This has always been a big matter of debate on the team: reality would dictate much more complex and time-consuming artillery call procedures... we decided to simplify them down, otherwise they would be way too boring!

Maybe you should try this,
when a squad leader marks an artillery spot he has to survive until he makes it the radio and press z

Right now it is very stupid, when you mark a spot behind enemy lines ppl try to get themselves killed ASAP to start artillery barrage.

And at least artillery strikes would be a challenge for squad leaders,instead of click and kill 30 guys without trouble.

 

[Oldih]

This has always been a big matter of debate on the team: reality would dictate much more complex and time-consuming artillery call procedures... we decided to simplify them down, otherwise they would be way too boring!

Aye.

Maybe you should try this,
when a squad leader marks an artillery spot he has to survive until he makes it the radio and press z

Ever heard of a something called artillery spotter?

But talking about realism, fact is that if you don't have any preset co-ordinates and our 'lil spotter needs to suddenly call artillery fire, it may take like 4 - 14 minutes, depending on type of arty, experience of the crew and spotter, communication abilities and such. If in luck, it may be less than two minutes. If there's **** load of problems, it might be over 20 minutes.

And even if there's ****load of problems and they might be able to fire, you still would need spotter in the front to actually make sure arty falls atleast nearby where it was supposed to rather than missing the target or falling above your own people.

Is it possible to introduce a more realistic approach for using artillery, especially response time, when calling for an artillery strike? At the moment one barely has used the radio when the first rounds start impacting and that is not how artillery works in real life.

Bear in mind this is a video game. Sorry to break someone's wet dream, but imagine the crap and organisation we need just for single artillery call; spotter, spotter giving co-ordinates, artillery getting ready, then when it's finally ready (sooner or later) it fires. If it goes entirely off target it needs to be redirected. If the enemy units are rapidly moving away from the target you need to re-enter co-ordinations. And if the spotter is killed and no-one who knows how to give and mark co-ordinates is nearby, well **** happens. There's our arty and it cannot do anything.

Not to mention possible issues with communications itself, the fact is the spotter or the artillery crew green, veteran or such and such and such.

Simply: I don't really know what's wrong with the current system (if we don't count some deathtraps like Basovka).

Edit: Sure if someone likes over-organized artillery calling system, well not my problem. I can just imagine how much it may cause problems to have everything that realistic.