More newbie ??s

[hveldenz]

I have seen on multiple threads how the AI can now target smoke gatherings, and other evidence of activity, like a human would. What else have people noticed are target magnets? My 88s in my current 1941 LongWar are spending more time in their transports than firing. My 81 mortars seem to be invisible despite turns of fire. I know that is Artillery behavior. Is it a set algorthm (for example)of 88s>Heavy fixed art>mortars>collected infantry ... or is it a point value cost type of decision tree?

On a similar note, It seems that tanks with infantry riders, side by side with bare tanks, draw more fire (including lmg's at 10-12 hexes) than garbage draws flies. Comments? I am now dismounting my infantry much sooner than before .

[SGTGunn]

Well I'm not sure if it's part of the AI routine, but I know that I could not resist such a juicy target as a tank with infantry riding on top. Infantry riding exposed on the outside of an armored vehicle are HORRIBLY exposed to small arms and HE fires. Infantry's only protection against fires (when not dug in or behind hard cover) is dispersion and concealment. Piling a squad onto the top of tank pretty much eliminates both. It's almost too easy to machine gun a rifle squad that is all huddled together on top of a big, obvious steel target. Plus all of the MG rounds (and/or artillery or mortar fragments) ricocheting off the tank itself just provide additional opportunities to lodge themselves in the hapless riders. Historically tank riders in WW2 took horrendous casualties if they were caught mounted by the enemy. Veteran infantry quickly learn the double edged sword of working with armor - it can be nice to have a big fat tank to hide behind, and to have available to blast bunkers, pillboxes or other hard targets, but on the other hand AFVs are the ultimate bullet magnets, and the environment around them can turn unsurvivable to a grunt very, very fast. Plus when they button up, AFVs can very easily end up running over the troops they are working with (though luckily that's not simulated in the game!!)

Adrian

[Mobhack]

The Ai was informed that infantry carried externally on an unprotected AFV were potential people pate and worth hosing down. (In the original SSI code it ignored passengers whether in a protected carrier or not.)

Cheers
Andy

[chuckfourth]

Hi Andy
Yes it certainly is good that the AI targets passengers. However I dont think the casualties from such shooting are high enough.
I did a test
12 cromwells have 12 10 man infantry squads mounted as pasengers. There is a single MG42 150m behind each tank so there is no cover provided by the turret. Nobody is moving.

in all 12 cases cases only 1 casualty resulted before dismount.

I agree with adrian that at least half if not all the squad should have got hit.
Best regards Chuck

[chuckfourth]

Hi
Just bringing this one to the surface again as Im not sure the content was noticed,
Any comment on the lack of casualties demonstated by my test? or is the "people pate" perhaps to remain potential?
Best Chuck

[evan]

Have you tried the test with something other than well trained British infantry; home guard or one of those nations known to be economical and/or inefficient with their training?

Evan

[chuckfourth]

Good point Even
I ran the same test but with italian fantera mounted I think they have pretty low morale and experience.
Same result, couple of squads took no casualties.
seems the potential may remain unrealised.
Best Chuck.