Commanding a tank

[Scipio 0]

I currently play the mission "Battle at Houdan". Im commanding an M-60 tank. Unfortunately I have serious problems commanding the driver. I want to use my arrow keys to command the driver but he never really drives where I want. I want to drive STRAIGHT ahead for example ... im clicking the forward arrow key but the tank doesnt drive straight. It drive a bit forward then a bit left then turns then.....

This is VERY annoying ... what the hell am I doing wrong?

I even tried to command the driver to leave the tank in order to shoot him but even that didnt work

Thanks for any help

Scipio

[Blake 0]

Using arrow keys to command AI driver is a nightmare, especially when you ask him to turn left or right. It seems the driver can steer only in 15-45 degree increments. Turning the tank the 180 degrees takes ages and generally it works very bad. Only arrow keys for forward and reverse seem to work somewhat.

Why the hell can't drivers turn smoothy left or right when you command them to do so? They should keep turning the tank and only stop steering when you say "stop". It can't be that hard to implement especially when drivers obey waypoints and roads very well.

The best way to control a tank is to forget left and right keys and just use the mouse to point on 1st/3rd person to tell driver where to go. He obeys quite well that way. Also, up and down keys are still quite useful for quick retreat/charge.

But I really hope BIS will fix AI driver by the time Resistance comes out!

[eskimo jackson 0]

i think everyone is experiencing those command problems when they play the tank missions for the first time

my advise is , use the mouse to tell the driver where to go if you are not in combat. you can even bring up the map and left click on it and the driver will go there.

the arrow keys come in handy though when you are in combat. use them to change your position and avoid being hit. the suck when it comes to navigation but in combat they are essential for your survival.

hope that helps a bit

[zxc 0]

When you're in the tank as a commander, stop the tank and switch position with the driver (so that the driver becomes the commander). Then u can easily drive the tank and still order your gunner to shoot by selecting targets with your mouse, as usual.

Strange thing: when u enter the tank directly as a driver, u won't be able to order your gunner to fire. U need to be a commander FIRST and THEN u switch position with your driver.

I personnally find it much easier and more fun to drive a tank that way, and by staying on the 3rd person view.

[Tales_From_Topographic_Oceans 0]

Tanks?/

Oh the pain.

This is how I control the tank as commander. Go to map and left click on spot as Eskimo Jackson says. However, it seems that the tank will not go to its assigned waypoint if you click outside a 180 degree radius field of view. In other words, if you are facing straight ahead, and you click on a location on the map for the driver to go to and that location is behind the tank, the driver will move around but never get there.

I usually just sit perched on top of the tank so I can see--it's not "get out" it's "turn out."

[Scipio 0]

Thanks to everyone for your help!

Im doing better now. Commanding the tank with clicking isnt that bad and I managed to pass the tank missions (for now). Using the arrow key to avoid enemy fire is working more or less...... I just have to avoid using the left and right arrow ;-)

But I really hope that you can drive more direct with a future patch.

Cheers

Scipio

[WKK Gimbal 0]

When using the left-right arrow keys, you need to keep pressing it, till *after* he has turned past the angle you want him in, as he will do a small turn back in the opposite direction after you let go. It takes some getting used to, and is not very userfriendly to say the least.

Worse is the 'ol radio priority glitch, where you essentially is left without no way of telling your crew what to do, as they occupy the radio with constant target calling. VERY annoying and lethal too... not being able to tell your driver to stop, when he's rolling right towards a minefield and (ofcourse) haven't noticed himself! Nothing to do but eject at 60 mph...

[Tactician 0]

Whenever I did the tank commander missions of the 1985 campaign, I just used radio 1-9 to tell them to go to the next waypoint. Easy as it can get.

[zxc 0]

But why do u all bother commanding ur driver???

I can understand it when u want to go to a particular point and can't be arsed driving, avoiding houses,... so u sit in ur tank as a commander and just tell ur driver where to go either in 3rd person view or directly on the map (using mouse pointer).

But when u're in a critical situation (fight for ex.) and u need to move and change direction/dodge bullets, u want to do it quickly and accurately! So try what I said in my previous posting:

1) Stop the tank

2) Take driver seat by switching position with ur driver

3) Put the 3rd person view

4) Turn "free look" on

And that's u driving the tank yourself with the arrows and still commanding the gunner with the mouse!

As Scipio wishes:

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">But I really hope that you can drive more direct with a future patch.<span id='postcolor'>

Well, the methods I described above actually allows u to be a commander that can also drive the tank himself! Even though it's a little bit buggy sometimes (as I said on my previous posting). I know many people using this method and I think it's the best way so far to drive tanks!

[Blake 0]

Thanks WKK Gimball! Keeping the arrow key pressed indeed changes tank facing with AI driver much more smoothly

Funny I didn't notice that before, I just kept tapping the arrow keys and movement was very sluggish.

Now it's really worth leaving AI driver in mp maps.

Thx again, man.