Combat Awareness

[Darkreaper 0]

Hey!

While I really enjoy the atmosphere of the game (ignoring the regular crashes), I always come to the point where I get totally lost. Im not talking about the map, but about my squad.

I can take a look at the map and at the compass to find out where to go etc.

Where my probs start is when the firefight begins.

My main problems:

-I never know where my squad leader is. Sometimes I see a little icon with range count on the HUD, pointing to something, sometimes I dont.

-I hear a dozen enemy soldier reports but I dont know who reported it, so the "clock" info is useless, isnt it? (since the clock angle is take from the spotter)

-The squad leader gives orders to the soldiers, calling them by their numbers but I have yet to find out what my number is, so I know if its me, who the order was meant for.

-How do I follow move orders? It sais "Move to <enter number here>" and I have no clue where I am supposed to move to.

-And finally, how do I recognize my squad, or better, my forces at all, to avoid friendly fire (which is happening a damn lot to me, im really sorry ... )

Thanx!

[WhoCares 0]

Hey!

While I really enjoy the atmosphere of the game (ignoring the regular crashes), I always come to the point where I get totally lost. Im not talking about the map, but about my squad.

I can take a look at the map and at the compass to find out where to go etc.

Where my probs start is when the firefight begins.

My main problems:

...Thanx!

Quote[/b] ]-I never know where my squad leader is. Sometimes I see a little icon with range count on the HUD, pointing to something, sometimes I dont.

Open the command menu by pressing any number and you will see that green arrow with distance to the squad leader.

To mimic peripheral vision they also have taken over a feature from the XBox, some misty green points on the left and/or right side of the monitor if there are friendly soldiers nearby.

Quote[/b] ]-I hear a dozen enemy soldier reports but I dont know who reported it, so the "clock" info is useless, isnt it? (since the clock angle is take from the spotter)

In the dificulty settings you can enable a clock indicator for these kinds of reports.

Quote[/b] ]-The squad leader gives orders to the soldiers, calling them by their numbers but I have yet to find out what my number is, so I know if its me, who the order was meant for

Commands issued to you are highlighted with a bold green frame as opposed to the green letters only you get with reports or commands to other soldiers.

Apart from that you can find out your position in the squad in the notepad of the mission briefing/map.

Or you just send a message (e.g. 5-5 '<your number here> Where are you?' )

Quote[/b] ]-How do I follow move orders? It sais "Move to <enter number here>" and I have no clue where I am supposed to move to.

You can enable a yellow marker in the difficulty settings that highlights your destination.

<enter number here> usually is something like "08 10" - this gives direction and distance, in this example 80° (~ENE) 100m.

Quote[/b] ]-And finally, how do I recognize my squad, or better, my forces at all, to avoid friendly fire

Well, depends whom you are fighting for. So far I mostly played western forces. I usually identify North Sahrani soldiers by the eggshell on their head  

Otherwise (exploiting the game a little bit) you can right-click on the soldier. If it generates a report it should be an enemy (not absolutly sure about civilians and resistance right now). If you get no report it is either a friendly or an already reported enemy.

[Jigsaw 0]

So far I mostly played western forces. I usually identify North Sahrani soldiers by the eggshell on their head

Hehe. That's what I was thinking:

[desertfox 2]

Kalimero !! Heh.

[Darkreaper 0]

Thanx for the heads up.

Unfortunately I was talking about multiplayer mode

I guess its a bit different (no client difficulty setting, no clue whats taken as the reference "12 o clock".

[beta 0]

Quote[/b] ]no clue whats taken as the reference "12 o clock".

I'm pretty sure its the last 'updated' direction of the formation, NOT the squad leader (as I previously thought).

Either way, once a firefight starts and troops start moving around, the clock indicator tends to get quite useless. I find it best to GET DOWN and hide in some sort of bush. Once the gunfire and snaps go away, THEN you can move out

Best way I've found for keeping you and your team mates alive is to stay in formation (as best as you can), that way the clock directions are useful and you don't have to worry (as much ...) about wasting a friendly that decided to flank and suddenly pops up in front of you mixed in with the enemies.

Basically, 'Combat Awareness' is something that is VERY hard to achieve, just like in real life ... heh.

[Correction 0]

If it hasn't changed from Operation: Flashpoint, the clock indication is always in referance to the entire team's orientation; specifically, that's determined based on your leader's heading and movement.

As for the movement orders, the first two numbers are a bearing and the second two are a distance. Unlike the clock indicator, these are referaced from north, I think. Both of these numbers are tens of units, so for example...

2: move to 18 35

Means "turn 180 degrees from north (south) and move 350 meters."

As I said, the bearing is always in referance to north and it goes clockwise, so 00 is north, 09 is east, 18 is sourth, 27 is west, and everything in between.

If you get a movement command to something like Fox Gulf 5 2 (Fg52), open up the map and have at it. It should be pretty self explanitory from there.

[Darkreaper 0]

Thats some good info. Thanx alot. I was thinking something likely, but wasnt really sure.