Opportunity fire with AAA

[chris h]

Originally Posted by DRG

Which scenario is this and which unit in the scenario is it exactly??

It was Scen #27 but trying to get to grips with #28, just got units popping off at aircraft on first turn but know how to stop that for rest of turns.

[DRG]

Try this but remember I don't normally use opfire filters

You want to stop them firing at ground units so that means infantry and vehicles........ Yes?

The only way to do that is to reduce the range they will fire to 1 for everything on the ground you don't want them firing at and they should still fire at air units

[chris h]

Originally Posted by DRG

Try this but remember I don't normally use opfire filters

You want to stop them firing at ground units so that means infantry and vehicles........ Yes?

The only way to do that is to reduce the range they will fire to 1 for everything on the ground you don't want them firing at and they should still fire at air units

That's what I'm doing but they don't seem to fire at air units.

[Wdll]

Can't you just set min armor and/or soft vehicle and/or infantry engagement range to say 1?

[DRG]

Do you have "AA weapons hold" showing YES?

[Mobhack]

I have noticed (presumably hidden) AA guns popping off opfires at things you might not have expected, and it has been at the back of my mind to investigate some day. It's rare though.

Likely there is a wee bit of code dealing with just class 4 weapons that leads to them doing the squiffy thing and ignoring filters etc. for random ground targets. I'll have a look at it at some point, but more focussed on my recently broken shoulder ATM, so it may be some time!

In any case - they will opfire at stuff if they are currently spotted, just like other units will do, when no filters are set. If your AA were spotted and/or have shot at then they will be more "weapons free" than if they think they are hidden. Being shot at changes filtering (or the simply Y key range) to the firer's range+1 so as to allow return fire.

[chris h]

Originally Posted by Mobhack

I have noticed (presumably hidden) AA guns popping off opfires at things you might not have expected, and it has been at the back of my mind to investigate some day. It's rare though.

Likely there is a wee bit of code dealing with just class 4 weapons that leads to them doing the squiffy thing and ignoring filters etc. for random ground targets. I'll have a look at it at some point, but more focussed on my recently broken shoulder ATM, so it may be some time!

In any case - they will opfire at stuff if they are currently spotted, just like other units will do, when no filters are set. If your AA were spotted and/or have shot at then they will be more "weapons free" than if they think they are hidden. Being shot at changes filtering (or the simply Y key range) to the firer's range+1 so as to allow return fire.

Yes I noticed all that and it makes sense and generally works well.

With AAA their primary job is to protect against air threats, spotted or otherwise. Once fired and spotted they become ripe targets for enemy fire so preventing that is important. Currerntly there are two ways to prevent this, as I see it, put them somewhere the enemny cannot get LOS or reduce their range.

Reducing they range is the problem as I have not noticed any AAA unit firing at anything over the range you set using the Y key.

Assuming they can and I've not noticed it, then the other problem kicks in if in LOS. As soon as they fire their range is set to that of the air target and effectively giving them permission to fire on anything else within that range. They may not have been spotted firing once but as soon as they then fire on something else the chance of being spotted increases to almost certainty, especially vehicles.

The problem in general is you want them to do their job but remain hidden, if possible. This is why I suggest adding a filter similar to the one that prevent land units firing at air units.

[Mobhack]

there allready is a filter for infantry engagement range in the opfire filtering screen. Have you tried using that?.

[Imp]

Been a while but use the opfire filter, set range for infantry & ATG/ATGM to whatever you want, if need be set armour max to say 1.

Now use the Y key to set range against air units if you want.

Note AAA units which have SAMs & guns the Y key only effects the guns range.
The SAM still operates as normal including against off map opponents if its capable.

One of the few units I fiddle with if facing helicopters, the opfire filter (key0) is very powerful & worth using for ambush situations to. Paid version only.

[chris h]

I think I my have been misunderstanding how the filters work and still no to sure.

First the y key controls the range of the main weapon (slot 1). Should other weapons also fire if they have the range?

The op-fire filter can alter this fire range allowing it to be refined for four different classes. Because air units do not fall within these four classes then they simple use the Y key setting if it's the main weapon.