Giving orders to commanders

The new Cold War turned hot wargame from On Target Simulations, now expanded with the Player's Edition! Choose the NATO or Soviet forces in one of many scenarios or two linked campaigns. No effort was spared to model modern warfare realistically, including armor, infantry, helicopters, air support, artillery, electronic warfare, chemical and nuclear weapons. An innovative new asynchronous turn order means that OODA loops and various effects on C3 are accurately modeled as never before.

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mikeCK
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Giving orders to commanders

Post by mikeCK »

Since I play with limited staff orders, it really hurts my effort when I have to give a "withdraw" or other movement order to each platoon in a company. Is there no way to select the company commander and order his company to resupply, screen, hold, etc? In other words,
One command to the company commander that he then passes to his platoons?
I just used up all my orders pulling one mech platoon back to resupply
Seems odd that as battalion commander I would be ordering a tank platoon to do anything.

Am I missing something? If not, can this be implemented or is it a restriction based on the engine?
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Mad Russian
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RE: Giving orders to commanders

Post by Mad Russian »

Limited Commands will be tweaked heavily in the next game.

Good Hunting.

MR
The most expensive thing in the world is free time.

Founder of HSG scenario design group for Combat Mission.
Panzer Command Ostfront Development Team.
Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm Development Team.
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CapnDarwin
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RE: Giving orders to commanders

Post by CapnDarwin »

The whole limited orders option needs some discussion and overhaul. If you can give an order to a group (for movement you would still need to adjust each units waypoints) then the best thing would be to cut the orders by a third and allow group selections and establish a min number of orders based on number of functioning HQs. That would speed up non movement orders in many cases.

Now my personal opinion would be to ditch the option an instead work with the orders loop timing and have orders flowing from the top take more time to reach units (IE more delay per order). In that case if you can order a number of companies to do one thing the delay to launch is less than issuing independent orders, but you are not as flexible in what those outfits can do. To me a more realistic tradeoff. Kind of a battle drill versus op-orders and frago's. we could also then assign more realistic delays depending on the state of intermediate HQs along the order path.

Just my thoughts on the matter.
OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC
mikeCK
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RE: Giving orders to commanders

Post by mikeCK »

ORIGINAL: Mad Russian

Limited Commands will be tweaked heavily in the next game.

Good Hunting.

MR

Sounds good. Nothing to be done for the current game though (like increasing number of commands
Based on functioning hq's ?
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CapnDarwin
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RE: Giving orders to commanders

Post by CapnDarwin »

We have had some discussion on the numbers, but nothing solid enough to warrant changes. We will be able to discuss it in our next dev call after the holidays.
OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC
pzgndr
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RE: Giving orders to commanders

Post by pzgndr »

ORIGINAL: Capn Darwin
Now my personal opinion would be to ditch the option an instead work with the orders loop timing and have orders flowing from the top take more time to reach units (IE more delay per order). In that case if you can order a number of companies to do one thing the delay to launch is less than issuing independent orders, but you are not as flexible in what those outfits can do. To me a more realistic tradeoff. Kind of a battle drill versus op-orders and frago's. we could also then assign more realistic delays depending on the state of intermediate HQs along the order path.

I wouldn't ditch the whole thing? There are at least three key areas to reconsider. One is the ability to give one order to a unit and its subunits within command range, even if they're not in the same hex. That would help the Soviet/Pact side with their battle drill doctrine and compensate for their C2 limitations, and occassionally help the NATO side also. Two is the ability of TOCs to save unused orders. This would represent staff planning, for later execution. Three is some better ability to modify currently issued orders (ie, issue FRAGOs) without counting against the orders limit. Some things should count, but some things should not.

Certainly consider the orders delay effects, in addition to the above.
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Mad Russian
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RE: Giving orders to commanders

Post by Mad Russian »

ORIGINAL: pzgndr

I wouldn't ditch the whole thing?

I wouldn't worry too much about that if I were you. Too many gamers have this as their preferred way to play. Including some on the Dev Team...[8|]


Good Hunting.

MR
The most expensive thing in the world is free time.

Founder of HSG scenario design group for Combat Mission.
Panzer Command Ostfront Development Team.
Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm Development Team.
IronMikeGolf
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RE: Giving orders to commanders

Post by IronMikeGolf »

I am in the camp of not using limited orders, as they work now. The model deviates way too far from reality on the ground.
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CapnDarwin
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RE: Giving orders to commanders

Post by CapnDarwin »

Somewhere in the middle of the ideas and current application is the sweet spot for simulating a tighter chain of command. We may figure a way to layer a few options into the next game so people can tailor the Command elements to their play style.
OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC
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