Alpha feedback and quesions

[wodin]

I'm playing the Alpha and can't work it out the blue line looks like the time or something.

You mention new supply in operation phase..I haven't noticed anything can you explain?

Also can you explain all the new info icons..I understand eye for them spotting something.
I get the hearing one but not sure why there is white or blue colours?
Whats a yellow down arrow mean?
What do three white dots mean?

Lots more user info coming through now..I like it but I'm sure those who want no icons will hate it..

You mention new system for less micro management, can you explain that aswell?

I presume because the wire thing isn't working in the alpha patch for German mortars and arty they can't fire unless they have visuals now?

Everytime I get a 5cm or 3cm mortar unit for a German squad they never have any ammo.

We also need to know which units are with in visual command range and don't need the wire or at least the distance they need to be within the HQ unit. At the moment I have no idea really if the wire thing is realistic or not..it just seems really odd having to lay wires down to all the squads..Also having no control over the wire men they love to run out into enemy forces.. The only wire in my mind should be back maybe to the main HQ from any arty spotters or to say your coy mortars from the spotter. The wire spotting has added a whole new level of complexity well maybe not complexity but another new thing that will confuse new players. I just find it another thing to have to monitor without really knowing the benefit of it and it's also not even in my control. Being static on the defense would be easier but in attack it becomes something I have no time to think about. Esp now we have so much user info coming through with the new icons. Now runners I'd understand between HQ and squads at a distance, but these would only really need to be in game if we had command delay from when you issue the order to the time the runner gets from the HQ to the squad to tell them what to do, again though only worth it if your going for hyper realism with command delays etc etc.

[lavish]

Blue bar indicates available magic points command points for issuing orders to your units. Everytime you give an order you lose some command points and the blue bar or command bar (or whatever we should call it) reduces.

If you select an unit and look closely to the command bar you will see a black or red vertical line on top of it. The position of the vertical line on the command bar is determined by the command value of your unit. If the unit has high command value the line is located on the right hand side of the command bar - and vice versa. The line tells you how much command points you need to have to issue an order for the unit. If the command bar is on the right side of that line you have enough command points and you can issue an order to your unit. If the command bar is on the left side of the line, the line is colored in red and you cannot give orders to your unit. The command points increase (command bar recharges) slowly over time. This speed can be adjusted from difficulty options.

The number of command points lost per order is determined by the colored dots over icons that you click when issuing order:

- Light blue dot: lot's of command points consumed
- Dark blue dot: some command points consumed
- No dot: very few command points consumed

Note that command value of your unit increases if it is part of communication chain or within a communication range to a higher level commander (platoon commander / company commander / battalion commander). The communication efficiency is indicated by the colored lines or arrows that are moving away from commander to all units. Green means good communication line, yellow is average. The communication efficiency (sharing of information and command value) is dependent on wired connection, visual contact (including flares?) and maybe also voice contact.

I'm not so sure about the new icon's appearing over units so I won't comment on them in detail. However, they may be related to information sharing (voice icons) and/or to state of communication chain (white icons).


p.s. If you don't want the wire men to do their job, disable automatic A.I. control from them (no more wire laying)

[wodin]

WOW..things are getting complicated indeed.

[Lemonade]

Guys, are you talking about March patch Alpha version? Where to get it?

[lavish]

Andrey (or someone who has found out), could you please clarify or verify the meaning of the following icons:

- White icon. Receiving/processing of information (icon shows type of communication)
- Question mark. Unidentified enemy contact(?)
- Yellow dot. An enemy contact that is being lost(?)
- Voice icon. This is most probably transmitting, shouting or passing on information, but what is exactly the difference between yellow and light blue voice icons?

[andrey12345]

- White icon. Receiving/processing of information (icon shows type of communication)

All white icons are recieve info during different communications.

- Question mark. Unidentified enemy contact(?)

Unrecognized lost contact

- Yellow dot. An enemy contact that is being lost(?)

In the process of recognition

- Voice icon. This is most probably transmitting, shouting or passing on information, but what is exactly the difference between yellow and light blue voice icons?

Yellow is a prior info in platoon and to commander, cyan is an locally info (for example "discussion" within the crew or squad)

[andrey12345]

Next version
http://www.graviteam.com/AP-STAR/k43t_apos_patch_march13_a4_eng.gt2extension

[wodin]

downloading now, thanks.

[lavish]

- White icon. Receiving/processing of information (icon shows type of communication)

All white icons are recieve info during different communications.

- Question mark. Unidentified enemy contact(?)

Unrecognized lost contact

- Yellow dot. An enemy contact that is being lost(?)

In the process of recognition

- Voice icon. This is most probably transmitting, shouting or passing on information, but what is exactly the difference between yellow and light blue voice icons?

Yellow is a prior info in platoon and to commander, cyan is an locally info (for example "discussion" within the crew or squad)

Thank you

Next version
http://www.graviteam.com/AP-STAR/k43t_apos_patch_march13_a4_eng.gt2extension

Let's try

[wodin]

Well trying a smaller battle I did feel the automated firing by my IG was excellent..I could see how communication was happening as the info was passed around etc...excellent.

[GBS]

Well trying a smaller battle I did feel the automated firing by my IG was excellent..I could see how communication was happening as the info was passed around etc...excellent.

Wodin would you please explain what you are talking about? What automated firing? Does it have something to do with the new AI button? I feel like I'm missing a lot out of the game because I don't understand what in hell is going on.

[Lemonade]

I agree. A little bit of additional information on how the indirect fire AI works now and what the hell is this button for toggling AI control would be great.
I can't force any of my field guns to fire indirectly (be it sIGs or Soviet regimental guns). Mortar platoons on the other hand are doing very well.

[Flashburn]

Some feed back on alpha 4......

Odd issues with spotting in trees/shadows.  Not a clue how its done but when tanks meet under certain trees they go largly blind.  Even looking at each other.  Unless one fires.....

PZ4 G is blind. 
Stukas always miss as bombs hit 50 to 100 meters over shooting targets.
KV1 seems to have ultra fast turret turning. 
German sdfk 250 uses wrong trench when dug in.....uses infantry trench. 

I think having infantry fire more rounds would be a good thing.  Even maxed out they fire lazy.  Ditto with half tracks.  They should fire ALOT of rounds.  More like SABOW infantry would be nice on rate of fire.     Well no more than 1 shot every 2 second for bolt action rifles.  Right now the only small arm that gets used ALOT is the pistols.     Which is great!  But the guy with the SMG should be going crazy in a close in fight.   Infantry may run out of ammo fast, but they do that in life as well. 

The new command stuff........  Overall.  I like it.  BUT playing on command delay on high er set to low is totally unfun.  Also low experience forces are a mess to order around with it.  But average and above skill level........ya I like it. 

Field phones.......  and commanders actually doing something important.  I like it.  Got use to it fast and adds another layer to game.   
 


Oh the tiger tank......  even when it has low skill and moral it still is way more effective at spotting and shooting stuff than even high skill/moral pz3, pz4, or stugs.  Seems wierd to me. 

[wodin]

Flashburn the issue firing more rounds though would make the operations even harder..as it is not long in you can end up with one or two platoons with little ammo out of say four you have in the battle..

[Schuck]

Well guys,
As Andrey seems to have made such a good job with the communications (thumbs up!  ), maybe he could do the same for re-supply.
Choosing the units you want to supply in the Operational turn (as you do now). But infantry/vehicles  delivering ammo/fuel it in the Tactical phase.
Its just a thought, runners with ammo boxes, especially for MG42's and Mortar's which seem to expend the rounds quickly.
Not sure how you'd implement it in the game though.

And a bit of feed back: 
The AT guns seem to track through buildings, sometimes firing and killing their own crew?
Had a Regimental field gun manage to knock out a Tiger, two Pz111 N's (setting one alight) and a Pz111 L. Before being run over by the second Tiger. None of the tanks fired a round! It was dusk though.
Pak35  sometimes also tries to deploy in Infantry trenches, and is then abandoned (but is available in the next turn)

[Flashburn]

Flashburn the issue firing more rounds though would make the operations even harder..as it is not long in you can end up with one or two platoons with little ammo out of say four you have in the battle..

Indeed.........the poor bloody infantry.