How to set up and use artillery (OA+ACE)

[helling3r]

Hello,
Since some time now i try to specialize on providing artillery support to our (OPFOR) troops in warfare with ACE, until now with only Arma-II@ACE (no OA/CO so far).
As with ACE and warfare-BE the D30 does not work with AI gunners (rounds get shot but are horribly off target), i currently can only provide one howitzer (manually targeted by me).

However yesterday i spent the evening figuring out how to deal with OAs artillery enhancements in the hope that in the future i can provide a whole battery instead of just one cannon like now.

For me as gunner, the new artillery computer makes it fairly easy to control and adjust fire, that part is fine.
Also the new "fire at position" command works well and nicely, the AI opens fire and actually hit where i pointed them to with the GRAD.

But if i set up a D30 battery with 3 guns, the problems started:
1. For me as battery commander there was no way to get feedback on the fire mission, i could only tell that my battery started firing. It would be cool if i could serve our troops information when the artillery barrage will arrive ("splash" 5 secs before impact). Also getting the min/max range is trial-and-error without the computer (e.g. from the "outside"; and even with it, because of height differences its not 100% correct)
Did i overlook something?
The only solution currently would be, to crew one of my guns by myself to get access to the artillery computer; however, that cuts my ability to adjust or stop the fire of the other howitzers.

2. Resupply with ammunition was not so easy. Using a repair truck, i was able to rearm each individual cannon, but that takes horrible time and is not as realistic as i would like. I experimented with an ammunition truck and was able to rearm one of my howitzers (truck stand nearby and i ordered "6-rearm at..."). However this was not reproducible - a second rearm with another gun later also worked but then no gun was able to rearm anymore.
How did dad come?


Besides the concrete questions i would also be happy, if you would share how you do setup your batterys in warfare missions regarding defense, resupply and commanding.

With best regards,
H.

[helling3r]

Thinking again of it, the solution where i crew one of the guns by myself is not that bad at all.
While i can deliver special fire missions (like "requesting two shots to guglovo, 20 meters north of depot"), the battery can provide more firepower.
As i have access to the artillery computer, i have the needed information available for planning the fire mission and give feedback to the requesting player.

Only the reloading thing is not that nice, when the mun trucks could not reliably used by the D30.


What do you think?

[NouberNou]

I think artillery is a bit of a wasted cause in Vanilla OA... It is either broken or essentially a maphack cheat...

Then again I am a bit of an artillery super-freak.

Watch out, I am bringing a whole new meaning to crew served artillery in ACE.

[helling3r]

Hi and thank you for your answer!
As described above, i already talk about ACE.

Watch out, I am bringing a whole new meaning to crew served artillery in ACE

What exactly are you planning?

Do you have any hints for the reloading of artillery guns, as they are currently implemented?
(e.g. is the reptruck currently the only real playable possibility or do i do something wrong?)

[Sickboy]

There should be no difference between Vanilla and ACE regarding that.

[helling3r]

Yes, but how exactly can i effectively ream my howitzers, besides reptruck?

[NouberNou]

While I plan implementing trucks with ammunition in them... A version of Warfare that uses them correctly is unlikely. Who knows though, maybe someone will. If they did I imagine it'd be a separate asset to park at your fire base.

[Sirex1]

Looking for something like this?
http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=94280

[Evil_Echo]

If you are looking at AI-only solutions I already have that in the ECHO package. It allows for custom notification of artillery events and manages ammo internally ( well, BIS does reloads for ya when using just AI ).

Packages like ACE and R3F are oriented for player use, but great stuff as well.