Originally Posted by Blackdog1-22 Reg.SAS

On the comms issue:

Firstly, we have what we have, namely VON, it's not ideal but for the most part it works. Secondly as a result of the limited comms channels those who are not in the same group only have side channel to communicate.

Example - Recon Element guiding fire support before squad advance. It is not just radio chatter per se, but a spotter using the only means possible to guide in MK19 rounds where the gunner is blind of the target. More importantly infantry squad leaders need to understand "priority of comms" and a fire support mission which is clearing enemy from the future advance positions, take priority over that Squad Leaders ability to talk to his troops on the ground.

Being a former combat sig, I can advise that if a SL came over the broadcast channel [RW] and told the fire mission spotter to break comms as he could not talk to his team, the CO would probably walk over, kick said SL in the arse and advise him that if the fire mission was not accurate and successful, said SL would be walking his entire squad into an MG nest ambush with significantly higher troop casualties.

A spotters role is also to advise if the sections are about to flanked and therefore again the SL needs to take heed of his recon element before deciding where to move. But there again, very little proper use of recon is made yet in many of our games and over time people will learn that key intelligence not only helps with planning but also reduces casualties.

All of the above is highlighted in part 5 video from above, whereby spotter had to advise the Styker gunner to hold fire as a section was blindly running into the danger zone where MK19 rounds were falling, so the fire was cancelled not because the objective was clear, but because a squad decided to move into that area before being cleared to do so. End result, one MG nest was still active and started putting fire down o the inbound Blufor forces.

So whilst use of more comms channels and possible use with TS is probably a good idea for larger missions, true understanding of priority of comms is equally important, along with movement based in intelligence rather than guess work and panic.

BD1

Not to be argumentive here .. but I disagree.

Yes, if it was only the net that had comms going over it, fire missions should have a higher priority. ArmA VON is NOT a radio net, you can't treat it as one.


While you were walking the rounds in, my section was standing in the OPEN with the MG looking AT them. I tried yelling in direct, tried it over group, no one could hear a thing.

It wasn't a matter of "if we move in we might die" it was a matter of "if we do nothing and let the comms go we die". Like I said, no one was doing anything wrong at all. The game just can't support 20+ people trying to coordinate. That's what ArmA VON + TS is for, and I think we should start using it.