mobile arty use

[Rick_the_new_guy]

I just finished a solo practice session with the arty

Method: I used Kilrogg's idea and went commander so that i could zoom in and see were my rounds were hitting. This also allowed me to hear how far off i was, allowing me to "walk" the rounds in closer.
With some practice, u begin to develop and intuiative sence of lining up your shots, and within about 8 shots u should be 10 meters from your target.
I am very encouraged with this weapon after the practice.

The biggest thing about this weapon is that it is like a tank, but with the abililty to fire at longer ranges, with bigger damage, and better acuracy.
The spotter only give u a overhead view to give u an idea were your shots are going.

Some ideas about use

1. it should be removed from the UCB when in use. This allows spec ops, AT, and other lethal vehicles to hunt it down.

2. Not a good idea for the Commander to use it. If they are sick awsome, maybe. It takes some focus to line your shots up right and to "walk" your shots in. However, the CO does have the zoom function, so they are independent of the spotter. As a commander i will not use it. However, if no one else wants it, I'll try to get the job done and use it. I just will not go out of my way and head for it.

3. The mobile arty squad make up.
option one: one person manages the arty. They rely on spotting from the grunts and the commander with radio feedback.
option two: three man squad, that has one operater and two spotters. This allows better communication between the three persons. Also, the operator will always be getting a signal in order to walk his/her rounds in closer.


Some physics

The UK arty has a degree range from 0-45. (eye ball)

The German one has a degree range from 0-50 (eye ball)

Due to the fact that the game allows players to see the distance in meters from a flag point or CO attack/demolish cordinates, this gives the operator a great advantage.

There are only two planes to worry about. the x and y planes.

the x is plane is easy. just line your turrent with the away point and that step is over!!

the y is the tricky part.
sadly the game does not give u degress on the screen when looking through the screen. no worries.

Here are some ranges i have discorved: note, i estimated that i was level with the target in the x plane, however, this is not true.

In UK arty: the away points were flag positions.
228 meters. 10 degress elevation is good. U are also close enough to see the impact of your rounds.

456 meters. 19 Degrees elevation is sound. Notice that twice the distance requires twice the elevation.

German arty:
616 meters= 17 degress
686= 23 degress
943 meters= 50 degress. max height of the german arty elevation.
The german unit has a max range of 920-943 metes. However, again, i do not know for sure if the land elevation was even with the flag and the tank.

tips:

get on a noll when needing more range. This will allow u to increase the height of the turrent in relation to the ground were the away point is. this should get u passed the 1 Klick distance. I have not done so.


if need be get out and look at the turrent to get a feel for the range u are in. This may make the arty show up on the HuD so maybe not a good idea.


watch the HuD when firing. u may be so focused on your Target, that u do not see friends moving to the flag or kill zone.

when firing at close range targets, start at 0 degrees and work your way up. When firing at long range targets, start at the max and work your way down.

help in defense by having the arty set up to hit a flag when fired. This will allow a smaller squad to repulse bigger forces and more deadly forces. Radio coordination is key.

If u do not have a good spotting picure up, put down random fire. were the enemy is being spotted. COs be sure to put down an away point for the arty squad, so that they can line up their x coordinates and then estimate their y variable.

In conclusion, this weapoin is quit managable. I have not practices with a spotter. I know the picture u see is fat bigger than the CO zoom function so that is encouraging.

Feel free to post ideas and what not.


Communication is key.

On a side note, As a CO, I still do not know how to pick a squad and talk to them alone.
I have been told to press b and click on the squad. However, this is my commander/SL talk button.
What's to be done?

[BHack]

Whatever button you use to talk to your squad mates is the one you press as commander to talk to one specific (selected) squad. The button you press as a SL to talk to your commander is the "talk to all SL's" button.

ARTY:

After messing with it for a while. This asset is best used by a squad of 2 or 3. One gunner and one or two spotters.

1. Direct communication with the arty piece is essential. And

2. Leaving it up to random spotters means the arty piece goes for long periods of time un-used. You really need to have someone near high value targets providing constant spots --> they only last 60 seconds.

[Shafik]

Originally Posted by Rick_the_new_guy

On a side note, As a CO, I still do not know how to pick a squad and talk to them alone.
I have been told to press b and click on the squad. However, this is my commander/SL talk button.
What's to be done?

First, great write up. This is probably gonna be one of the hardest tools to master, and one of the deadliest.

And to your question, when in the CO screen, press the number key on your keyboard corresponding to the number of the squad you wish to talk to. You will notice pressing the key will select the squads. Press B to talk to that squad. ctrl+number keys allows you to select multiple squads, like 1, 3 and 5. Also, you CANNOT speak to just one squad when outside of the CO screen, even if you've selected the squad first. Hope that helps.

[RocketPunch]

Nice post.

However, what if I park the arti half way outside the UCB so firing the arti is legal, yet no one can attack it cause half of it in inside. It is a tough nut to crack.

[Tempus]

Arty firing from a UCB is fair game for any air attacks and may be engaged with ground also, if they can survive the bubble of death..

[Strag]

Originally Posted by BHack

This asset is best used by a squad of 2 or 3. One gunner and one or two spotters.

1. Direct communication with the arty piece is essential. And

2. Leaving it up to random spotters means the arty piece goes for long periods of time un-used. You really need to have someone near high value targets providing constant spots --> they only last 60 seconds.

Good plan. Make sure the arty is up full time so that it can be used most effectively -- this makes sense. The keys, then, would be to have a skilled gunner to get rounds on target quickly, and to have the FO(s) at the right place(s) at the right time(s) to get the spots for the gunner. I would imagine the CO (if there was one) could help to provide the FO(s) with intel on hotspots.

[BHack]

I'd recommend only using one FO. The financial advisor in me says the cost/benefit of having two goes to crap. You can only have one spot at a time anyway. I'd say make an arty squad, and lock it at two.

I'm usually not one for locking asset squads, but with the HUUGE influx of pubs I had to lock my helo squad yesterday. It was rediculous, there was only one helo on the map, yet people kept joining until the entire squad was full, and they wouldn't leave. I eventually had to kick at least one guy after a voip request for those not in the chopper to leave the squad. Then I locked it after that. Sucks.

[Acid]

But since the Arty is attacking targets outside the UCB and engaging them, then you can engage it back. If fired upon, you can destroy.

[Kilrogg]

Arty is fair game the instant anyone gets inside as it can fire anywhere on the map (on most maps) from the UCB.

I'll try to make a video tutorial on how to use the arty. I've been using only arty since the mod came out so I can pretty much hit anything after 2-3 shots, even moving targets aren't hard once you get used to it. There isn't really a technical way to use it, you have to keep using it until you get the feel of it and then it's mostly instinctive.

[Lekdevil.NL]

To further add to Rick's arty mechanics lessons, here are some screenshots I took in the German PzH 2000. It shows the "correct" elevation for hitting targets at 200, 300, 400, 500 and 700 meter. Note the position of the flag marker in the HUD. An attack marker would work equally well.

As Rick said, the maximum range is about 900m; even higher elevations than shown in the pictures are needed to reach that. The target flag would be just off the screen to reach 800m and further down to get to 900.

Of course, all this is only an approximation and everything goes out the window when the target is significantly higher or lower in altitude than the firing position. Still, as a rough guide, these marks should help.

Range: 100m
Use a tank, you fool!

Range: 200m


Range: 300m


Range: 400m


Range: 500m


Range: 600m


Range: 700m

[BHack]

Arty is complicated enough to be its own freakin mini-game.

[Kilrogg]

It's actually really simple, it's just not obvious because of the HUD and the way it works. I don't use the little bars on the crosshairs, I just "eyeball" the range. It's the exact same thing as the grenade launcher. At first you can't hit crap with it because you don't know how it behaves but after a few weeks of using it you can do long range and precise nade launcher shots.

[JimmyTwoHand]

So approximately using the horizon as an aiming mark you can use the reticule to estimate range. Then you only need to have to deflect for terrain differences. Ill have a play and see if we cant come up with something along the lines of this...

[perry]

Originally Posted by Rick_the_new_guy

2. Not a good idea for the Commander to use it.

If the commander intends to stay on the server, I'd say it is a very bad idea for the commander to be working the arty. A commander's job is to command, not to fire arty or fly jets or drive tanks.

[Santa]

Is bombing artillery with a jet in the UCB fair game? I know there could be collateral, but its there own damn fault for first keeping the arty there, and secondly to stand near it.