Can't shift arty fire ?

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Baneman
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Can't shift arty fire ?

Post by Baneman »

Has anyone come across the issue with artillery ( mortars in this case ) which claim they cannot shift fire because it's "Out of Range" - even if you're trying to shift the fire closer to them. Also, if you cancel their fire, you can retarget to the hex it just told you was OOR.

Is this a known bug, or is there a specific ( but too subtle for me ) reason why it exhibits this behaviour ?

Doesn't seem to happen all the time either. Is it perhaps dependant on the FO's arty rating ?

Any help appreciated, thanks.
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robot
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RE: Can't shift arty fire ?

Post by robot »

Ive had the same problem. Have not been able to figure it out either. The only thing I can think is because you use the fo to spot the small mortar. This is usually a plattoon or company weapon. Ive just put up with it and made the turn off and respot.
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Baneman
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RE: Can't shift arty fire ?

Post by Baneman »

Thanks for that - doesn't seem to be type specific though - in one of the PBEMs I'm playing, my Wurfrahmen also wouldn't move from its allocated bombardment hex although it wasn't out of contact.

I'm pretty sure I've never seen this with OB arty, maybe it's some bug with onboard only. [&:]
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Jim1954
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RE: Can't shift arty fire ?

Post by Jim1954 »

Look at the delay time for arrival of the incoming. If it is very low, say 0.1 or 0.0, then what is happening is that the rounds are already in the air and cannot be moved around.
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Voriax
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RE: Can't shift arty fire ?

Post by Voriax »

I've seen this happen with mortars. I did some tests but as it was years ago...[;)] Anyways this was bit weird bug. Even if it sounds odd I think it was related to visibility. Say, spotter distance from mortar is longer than visibility and it was impossible to shift fire. Selecting that firing mortar as 'spotter' allowed shifting if the target really is in range.

Sorry if I ramble a bit but as I counted it a 'small nuisance' style buglet and as selecting another spotter usually allows you to fire as you want I didn't really memorize it. There may be a post about it buried into the deeper abysses of SPWaW forums...

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Poopyhead
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RE: Can't shift arty fire ?

Post by Poopyhead »

I think this is the game trying to represent a round that has already left the tube and cannot be adjusted (although you can cancel the mission, which makes no sense to me). The text should probably be changed from "Out of range" to "Incoming!!".
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KNomad
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RE: Can't shift arty fire ?

Post by KNomad »

I've narrowed it down to two instances myself.

1) Not using the Platoon Leader to shift small mortar fire.
2) Rounds "already fired" and the large tube is out of contact.
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Goblin
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RE: Can't shift arty fire ?

Post by Goblin »

The observer you are using to shift the fire in is too far back. Use a closer observer, like the platoon leader. For some reason the game equates the distance from the FO as the weapon range while calling fire. If the FO is 46 hexes from the target of an 81mm mortar, then you will get the out of range message, even if the mortar itself is closer to the target.


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Voriax
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RE: Can't shift arty fire ?

Post by Voriax »

Yeah, Goblin obviously has better memory than I have [&:]

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RE: Can't shift arty fire ?

Post by Goblin »

ORIGINAL: Voriax

Yeah, Goblin obviously has better memory than I have [&:]

Voriax

Actually, I'm on Human Waves in Das Reich right now, and my damn mortars refuse to shift because of it (really long map). It reminded me of the problem when I read this thread.[;)]

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Baneman
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RE: Can't shift arty fire ?

Post by Baneman »

Ahhhhhh. Thanks for that guys. [&o]

I shall pay more attention to my FO's position in future.

Cheers
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robot
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RE: Can't shift arty fire ?

Post by robot »

Sorry I disagree with the fo position causing this. I believe the small mortar is a plattoon weapon. There fore the leader of the plattoon should call the shots. The only time I cannot shift say the 81 is when they can no longer reach the enemy target. But I also find that even when I use the plattoon leader to spot this same problem will happen with shifting the small mortar around. Doesnt happen all the time. I believe it is a delay firing thing that effects the small mortar. They have a hard code for .05 delay is my thinking. So you must respot and not just move there firing target. Im more then likely wrong on this but this is the way it appears to me.
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Goblin
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RE: Can't shift arty fire ?

Post by Goblin »

Try it with some 50mm's. The FO, even 20 hexes behind the 50's, can call their fire. Once he does, if you try and shift the fire with the FO, it will tell you that you are out of range. Then you must use the platoon leader, as you suggested. It was just doing it to me with my 81's. My FO was around 60 hexes from the enemy. The 81's were 28 hexes. I tried to shift their fire two hexes (to 30 hexes, within their range), and it gave me the message. I then switched to a Kubelwagen FO that was near the mortars, and it allowed me to shift the fire. I am sure there are other bugs that may cause problems, but this seems to be a definate one.


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RE: Can't shift arty fire ?

Post by minefield »

My observations are in line with Golin's theory.
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RE: Can't shift arty fire ?

Post by Capt. Pixel »

ORIGINAL: Goblin

The observer you are using to shift the fire in is too far back. Use a closer observer, like the platoon leader. For some reason the game equates the distance from the FO as the weapon range while calling fire. If the FO is 46 hexes from the target of an 81mm mortar, then you will get the out of range message, even if the mortar itself is closer to the target.


Goblin

I wondered about this for some time. But after this teory was presented, I tested it and found the results to bear it out. It's the best explanation I've come across so far. [8D]
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Goblin
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RE: Can't shift arty fire ?

Post by Goblin »

All that, and I'm pretty too, Pixel.[:)]


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plloyd
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RE: Can't shift arty fire ?

Post by plloyd »

The problem is that the target hex being shifted to really is out of range for the mortar.[:-] Check the data for the mortar you are using. You will see you cannot shift fire beyond the maximum range of the firing unit.

You may also notice that you often cannot shift fire in any direction when the time delay is 0.0. That usually means the gun is already firing.
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minefield
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RE: Can't shift arty fire ?

Post by minefield »

ORIGINAL: plloyd

The problem is that the target hex being shifted to really is out of range for the mortar.[:-] Check the data for the mortar you are using. You will see you cannot shift fire beyond the maximum range of the firing unit.

You may also notice that you often cannot shift fire in any direction when the time delay is 0.0. That usually means the gun is already firing.
I believe if you read above you'll see the mortar is not out of range. If you cancel and replot, the artillery is able to hit the hex just fine.
I'm not quite so sure on the second one, but I think you can't shift artillery with a delay of 0.0 when it has gone out of contact. You *may* be able to shift some 0.0 artillery; not sure.
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