Question About Vehicle Weapon Selection In SF2

[Shady Side]

I recently got the big bundle of SF2 it is a great game. I have noticed when using and area target command on buildings for example with both the U.S. Bradley and German Marder seem to launch their A.T. missiles instead of using their cannons. Is there a trick to getting them to use the cannon instead. If I use target light than they only use machine guns which is how the other titles work. Target briefly does not work either they will usually shoot a very short burst of cannon fire and switch to the missiles. Is this just a quirk of the game or is there another way to get them to use the cannon.

 

[Gnarly]

I must admit to also (frustratingly) seeing this in SF2. Lovely little 30mm cannon on the Syrian BMP, but instead he area fires with the ATGM.

Then, opens up to reload the bloody thing whilst under small arms fire, and gets swiss-cheesed for his efforts.

And ad you say, Light simply uses the MG.


Grrr.... @Comdr

 

[Shady Side]

I must admit to also (frustratingly) seeing this in SF2. Lovely little 30mm cannon on the Syrian BMP, but instead he area fires with the ATGM.

Then, opens up to reload the bloody thing whilst under small arms fire, and gets swiss-cheesed for his efforts.

And ad you say, Light simply uses the MG.


Grrr.... @Comdr

i have noticed two more little things with this. If they have a solid spot on an enemy they always use the cannon. Something I often do is area fire low walls instead of wasting time with an engineer breech or trying to run over them because sometimes they will not do it. The pathfinding AI decides to take the longest most exposed and least survivable way of getting to the location. But I have noticed it always uses the cannon for that. While typing it came to me that is probably because of range because when I am knocking a wall down it is usually pretty close to it.

 

[Stafford]

There does seem to be some inconsistency between titles too, I noticed in CMBN (I think?) that with target light a flamethrower vehicle will use the MG + flame, but in CMRT it won't, target light is MG only.

 

[Lethaface]

I recently got the big bundle of SF2 it is a great game. I have noticed when using and area target command on buildings for example with both the U.S. Bradley and German Marder seem to launch their A.T. missiles instead of using their cannons. Is there a trick to getting them to use the cannon instead. If I use target light than they only use machine guns which is how the other titles work. Target briefly does not work either they will usually shoot a very short burst of cannon fire and switch to the missiles. Is this just a quirk of the game or is there another way to get them to use the cannon.

There is a trick, but seemingly it doesn't work for everyone or always. But it is what I use when I want my BMP-2s target a building with autocannon:

Give a target order (not target briefly!), give a pause command (for example 20sec), give a waypoint command close by (usually I use reverse) and add a face command to the waypoint. In CMBS BMPs etc will usually save their ATGMs for enemy tanks, so it's not/less needed there.

 

[Shady Side]

There is a trick, but seemingly it doesn't work for everyone or always. But it is what I use when I want my BMP-2s target a building with autocannon:

Give a target order (not target briefly!), give a pause command (for example 20sec), give a waypoint command close by (usually I use reverse) and add a face command to the waypoint. In CMBS BMPs etc will usually save their ATGMs for enemy tanks, so it's not/less needed there.

thanks... i have not played many battles using the red side in sf2.. but I will give this a try.. in black sea i had noticed that most of the time the brads and bmps only used their guns on buildings.... something that i have been having some better luck with is starting with target light giving a pause order of 10 seconds to let them start engaging with MGs.. and then a short movement order with a target briefly order at the end of the movement for say 30 seconds or so.. they tend to use cannons only doing it that way plus leaves time at end of turn in case something else pops up that needs killing and or gives some time to see if my original target as got all the attention it needs or if it still needs attention

 

[Lethaface]

thanks... i have not played many battles using the red side in sf2.. but I will give this a try.. in black sea i had noticed that most of the time the brads and bmps only used their guns on buildings.... something that i have been having some better luck with is starting with target light giving a pause order of 10 seconds to let them start engaging with MGs.. and then a short movement order with a target briefly order at the end of the movement for say 30 seconds or so.. they tend to use cannons only doing it that way plus leaves time at end of turn in case something else pops up that needs killing and or gives some time to see if my original target as got all the attention it needs or if it still needs attention

Let me know if it works for you on the Marders / Bradleys etc. I had the same problem with the Marders when I played the CMSF2 German campaign after release few years ago. But somewhere I discovered this behavior with the BMP-2s and it didn't fail on me.

 

[Brille]

Let me know if it works for you on the Marders / Bradleys etc. I had the same problem with the Marders when I played the CMSF2 German campaign after release few years ago. But somewhere I discovered this behavior with the BMP-2s and it didn't fail on me.

The "problem" in modern combat mission games is that it deactivates tube launched atgm on vehicles, as long as there is a move order in place. It is regardless if you give the vehicle a 1:30 min pause (enough time to spot and hit a tank), it will always deny to fire its missiles and will only fire the autocanon (if available). So shoot&scoot with atgm is very complicated. They usually however will back off into cover if they fired all of their (fire ready) rockets and there is still a threat visible that can't be harmed effectively with their canon.

Barrel launched atgm on the other hand is a complete different story and shoot&scoot may work as expected.

But yes, your solution in this kind of matter will work I guess.

@Shady Side : Well I guess I will make a test on IFV shooting behavior because I'm not that experienced in the modern titles and want to know for sure too

I guess the tac ai chooses atgm over autocanon because it wants the most damage on impact. So since you ordered a target on a building it might "think" that you want to level the place, so it chooses maximum damage. Yet for simple area fire (on the ground) it chooses saturation fire with the autocanon.

 

[Lethaface]

The "problem" in modern combat mission games is that it deactivates tube launched atgm on vehicles, as long as there is a move order in place. It is regardless if you give the vehicle a 1:30 min pause (enough time to spot and hit a tank), it will always deny to fire its missiles and will only fire the autocanon (if available). So shoot&scoot with atgm is very complicated. They usually however will back off into cover if they fired all of their (fire ready) rockets and there is still a threat visible that can't be harmed effectively with their canon.

Barrel launched atgm on the other hand is a complete different story and shoot&scoot may work as expected.

But yes, your solution in this kind of matter will work I guess.

@Shady Side : Well I guess I will make a test on IFV shooting behavior because I'm not that experienced in the modern titles and want to know for sure too

I guess the tac ai chooses atgm over autocanon because it wants the most damage on impact. So since you ordered a target on a building it might "think" that you want to level the place, so it chooses maximum damage. Yet for simple area fire (on the ground) it chooses saturation fire with the autocanon.

That's my understanding as well. If you want shoot & scoot with ATGM you can give a pause first then move to the shoot place. Next turn scoot

In an ideal world we'd have more control over weapon systems but that's another story.