How to make Halftracks more useful?

[CrazyThumbs]

As of now the halftracks seem to be used but not for the intended/realistic way. I always see a single driver drive full speed into enemy lines and then hop out using it as an expendable taxi. Very rarely will I see it actually used to ferry troops across the battlefield, or to be used as fire support.

So that leads to my question, how do we make them more useful, or realstic?
Currently I don't have many ideas except for maybe limiting the amount of halftracks, or letting them be vulnerable to grenades. But thats all I got.

your Ideas?

 

[mikitsubizunizu]

I used to ferry people around on larger maps, until people started hijacking me and sometimes satcheling me.

 

[[=KAS=]doomed]

Clan matches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1z4LR6_de4

 

[Dheepan]

Yep. And that isn't a clan, that's IC (Iron Crescendo, www.ironcrescendo.net) a red orchestra tournament that anyone can play in.

Russians did the same thing with their meat/klaus/clown/wagon (UC) in all the maps it's available in. Although the UC's mg is a bit of a liability.

Germans also employed strategies like using 1 halftrack as a decoy/mg support HT and the other as the troop carrier etc etc. Especially in Korosten this campaign.

Truth is there are a lot of tools for us to play RO realistically or with more teamplay but it usually doesn't happen in public servers.

 

[EvilHobo]

He's right. A lot of what makes RO unrealistic isn't necessarily the game itself, but rather the people playing it.

 

[LordKhaine]

My Answer.... play on the 50 player server. You'll see all those APC's filled.

 

[Cuddles]

Yeah half tracts arent used mutch, but they are actually very usefull in CA maps. I usually use them in defensive positions to mow down infantry with the MG

 

[sanitaeter]

10-passenger half-track

10-passenger half-track

In RO there can be only 6 riders in SdKfz 251 (totally 8- plus driver and gunner). But in reality the seats for passaengers had capacity of carrying 8 people, that makes totally 10. Now this it can be useful. Or that the gunner will operate another weapons instead of MG 34. For example MG 42 or PzB 39. Or short 75 mm gun KwK 37 L/24 (same sas used on PzKpfw IV F1). THis version was called SdKfz 251/9.

 

[{Cap-Down}]

In Smolensk stalemate they're nearly always used correctly.

 

[MattyDienhoff]

So that leads to my question, how do we make them more useful, or realstic?
Currently I don't have many ideas except for maybe limiting the amount of halftracks, or letting them be vulnerable to grenades. But thats all I got.

your Ideas?

I just thought I'd point out the German halftrack is venerable to grenades. (and indeed the Russian transports are as well, even the clown car) If you can throw one into the vehicle or time an airburst directly over one, you can kill the gunner, driver and sometimes even the passengers.

Anyway, I know exactly what you mean about the misuse of halftracks, though I must say I have observed a lot of people parking them in support positions and using them as machinegun platforms with considerable success.

Still, when are people going to learn that speeding right into the objective then jumping out is a very bad method of attacking? When you 'teleport' out you're usually somewhat disoriented and that Russian you just tried to run over can usually get the drop on you. Plus, halftracks are grenade magnets and if you stop within range of any enemy's grenade to let off your cargo, changes are they'll become shrapnel-ridden corpses before they can take cover. Not good.

In Smolensk stalemate they're nearly always used correctly.

That's true in my experience as well.

 

[Tsoman]

make it so the passangers can stand up and shoot out of the halftrack

drive-bys

 

[sander]

Do something about hte teleport out of the vehicle. It should take longer to exit vehicles (also for tanks). That way the players cant rush out next to a group of enemy's.
That is a must for the clown car. At the moment it is used for satchel people, but the only map where it is used as a RECON VEHICLE is in Black day of July. There a special class (the forward artillery observer) uses this vehicle to scout to find the enemy to drop some artillery strikes on them.

And make the MG ontop of the sdkfz 251 better.

 

[Divinehammer]

In Smolensk stalemate they're nearly always used correctly.

He is right I think that it has alot to do with the map, you have to build the map to suit this particular vehicle. Like you have to make it a long distance to travel or suicide to not ride in the APC. In my new Map Dubrava the Halftrack is featured with this intent in mind we will see how it works out.

Also I dont know what the hitbox is on the gunner postition but I think that head on it should be almost impossible to hit the gunner should be sides or rear. Also cant we already throw grenades into the track seems like I have done this but I could be wrong. I also thought that I read it somewhere.

 

[Cuddles]

Right now gunners are very vunrable in the halftrack. It has hapen to me, that a grenade hasnt gone into a halftrack, but still blowing me up inside. The 3rd person view on the halftrack MGer is very awkwarded also.

 

[Divinehammer]

Yes I can usually get them with a MG burst but this should only be possible from the side. I have noticed this about the grenades I guess we need an official yes or no on that or some testing it is possible that the hit detection on the underside of the trac is not functioning correctly.

 

[Sichartshofen]

The half track gun shield seems to do absolutely nothing, mean while you can only see through this little slit.

The problem is everyone packing a grenade will immediately throw them at the sign of an APC, rarely do they ever get inside but explode outside killing you. While realistically you wouldn't be harmed by a grenade explosion outside. APC's would be alot more useful if they actually served their intended purpose in game. A vehicle that's bullet proof and grenade proof!

Make them bullet proof and grenade proof. Usefulness goes way up. Tanks and AT soldiers are still a threat, but not every idiot with a grenade or machine gun.

 

[Cuddles]

MGs can still imo pack a punch to a APC, not sure tho.

 

[CrazyThumbs]

Grenades shouldn't be able to do damage to people inside, but it should be able to blow out one of the tires or damage the engine somewhat. Put this in with the delayed getting out of the vehicle (or better yet an animation where you exit the halftrack) and I think it would severly cut down on unrealstic use.

 

[Dheepan]

MG and rifle fire should have a chance to penetrate, the HT's armour is very thin.

Well I think to implement it right you should be able to through it inside the HT, which you can't now. Also ptrd rounds should be able to inflict crew kills.

 

[Spiffinz]

I think Dheepan is right about the ptrd rounds being able to kill the crew and passengers. That would definately make people a little more cautious. And the idea to make an animation that shows people hopping out, or to at least make it take longer to exit, would also work. Though, then that would have to be applied to all of the vehicles I guess.


And how about the ability to kind of stand up and look over the machine gun in the gunners position, like in the clown car? On several occasions I have wished for such a feature, because its darn near impossible to see things when driving fast and over rough terrain while looking through that tiny slit.