Plotting Fire Missions

[DzrtFox]

Hi guys,
I've been having this problem since I started playing SPWaW and am wondering if it's a bug or if I'm doing something wrong...

Whenever I go to the Bombardment screen to plot my artillery fire missions, I click on the first hex I want to bombard, then click the little explosion icon for the unit I want to fire there. This places an icon on the map showing I've plotted the mission there. Next I click on another hex and click the icon for the next unit. The majority of the time, the original icon on the map then disappears. I wind up playing this frustrating game of "merry-go-round" trying to click a hex and get the proper unit to fire on it. The map icons continuously disappear as I add bombardment hexes. I've tried clicking on the unit name in the bombardment screen then clicking a target hex and then the bombardment icon, but the same thing happens.

Is there a proper sequence to avoid this frustration, or is it a problem with the game?

[Alby]

If you are using an artillery piece, like a mortar, to plot or call in the missions, this will happen....use an FO or HQ unit.

[DzrtFox]

Thanks for the response, Alby. How do I use the FO to call in the fire missions? Do I just bring up the bombardment screen while the FO is selected? I've noticed that sometimes I cannot bring up the menu like this. I'll have the FO selected and he'll have a good LOS to the target, but hitting B does nothing. Why is this? How do I assign who is calling in the mission?

Thanks again for your help...

[Terminus]

Ordering fire missions with the FO is completely the same as doing it with any other unit, aside from the fact that they arrive faster. When you can't call up the Bombardment screen with the FO selected, he is almost certainly out of radio contact, and so can't talk to the OB artillery/planes or whatever.

[DzrtFox]

Thanks Terminus, but I guess that's part of my question. How do you set exactly who is ordering a fire mission? Do you just select the unit on the main screen then hit B to bring up the bombardment screen, or is there something else I'm missing to actually set who is ordering the mission?

[serg3d]

ORIGINAL: DzrtFox
How do you set exactly who is ordering a fire mission? Do you just select the unit on the main screen then hit B to bring up the bombardment screen

Yes

[Terminus]

Short and sweet... yes!

[DzrtFox]

OK thanks guys, I will give this a shot and see if it fixes my problem.

Back to the battlefield!!

[robot]

When you go into the bombardment screen make sure you click on the unit you want to fire then plot that one out then the next and so forth.

[RockinHarry]

The problem you had with certain artillery sub units resetting their fire mission to the target hex of the leader (The "0") results probably from the command level in SPWAW! If you don´t have a FO unit (either a FO class unit or any onmap "0" unit in radio contact) ordering the bombardement, then the smallest command level would be either those of the battery or Btl (Abteilung)! That means you can only plot the same hex as the battery or Btl. leader. Normally there would be no single guns (or batteries from a Btl) having their own target hexes. I think to access single guns and batteries from within a formation, the spotter must be an onmap FO.

Using "official" FO (forward observer) unit also has the benefit that his observed fire is more accurate on target than those requested from a non educated infantry man (or tanker). His artillery leader skill is higher and he´s also assumed to be in "direct" communication with offboard artillery formations. On board artillery is a slightly different case. See game manual for more.

Note: Mentioned "FO" unit is not an integral part of any Artillery formation! You MUST buy it from the "artillery" purchase menu seperately!

Mike Wood could probably explain the self spotting artillery limitation much better.

Has anybody a theory why any "0" leader unit can call artillery in the game? I have my theory, but would like to hear yours first!

[KG Erwin]

I use a simplistic method. For off-board arty, my HQ unit calls it in. The US artillery is excellent, and has a short response time (1.1 to 1.2 turns). For on-board 81 & 60mm mortars, I let each gun set their targets. The reponse time is from 0.1 to 0.4 turns. Sometimes they are out of contact, but I accept the trade-off. This is playing with C&C OFF--I just find C&C to be more trouble that it's worth.