Commander Screen Access

[DeltaFart]

Ok, I did a search on this in the suggestion forum, and the only real related one seemed to have only 2 replies one with a link that led to no where.

I think that for the commander to have access to his CO functions, he needs to be in the command trailer. That or some sort of radio to connect him to the squad leaders. It's like FH2 and I think it makes a bunch of sense. Out of the radio you can still VOIP with SLs, but you can't order JDAMs, or issue build orders except in person. The reason for this is since this is a large unit commander(what with the tanks and the aircraft and all that) He'd need a bigger-than-the-average-soldier's radio to communicate amongst all the different units portrayed. Especially in the case of the JDAM, I doubt its called in on a small radio for an instant reply.

This will make the CO actually perform his CO duties, not get himself stuck in the thick of the battle to the point that he doesn't perform any logistical tasks or help with intersquad integrity.

I realize this might make the CO job less....appealing, but when you hear or read about a high level CO (who really was into the job for more than a star) you rarely hear about how they love the menial deskwork with logisitics and procurement, and like Mag Winters case in the Bulge, how he wanted to lead Easy COmpany into Foy but couldn't because he had to take care of the rest of the 502nd.

I bet this might seem a bad idea to some, but on the whole, I bet this would greatly improve gameplay.

[3===SPECTER===3]

I like it, and i liked it when FH2 introduced it with themselves and, if needed we can have a CO truck like FH2 so the if the commander needs to move he can while still giving orders.

[gclark03]

I also like the ideas, but there are two key problems which could serve to inhibit your case for having this included in .9 or even 0.85.

1) Can the command post be made into a stationary vehicle with a 'seat' for the commander, or would something new have to be modeled just for the purpose? Also, could the Commander have some kind of situational awareness, in case the command post is fired upon during the game?

2) I see your point about Major Winters during the invasion of Foy, but that argument is indefensible, as Foy happened almost 64 years ago; times and technologies change, and I highly doubt that every single platoon commander coops himself up in a steel CP with a radio and a stack of paperwork. (The in-game commander position should represent a platoon commander, approximately at the rank of 1st Lieutenant or Captain.)

The primary point is this: would a real platoon commander have his own command station, or would he be more mobile? If you read One Bullet Away, by Marine Captain Nathaniel Fick, he, a platoon commander during the Iraq War serving with the 1st Recon Bn., hardly ever spent time at a desk, but traveled in a convoy with his squads; is this representative of every platoon commander, or only a Marine Recon one?

Having thought everything out, I recommend that you figure it all out yourself; leaving the work to the DEVs without a strong argument does not give your idea a high likelihood of reaching fruitition.

[DeltaFart]

I have pointed out the amount of players for the game is about the size of a platoon
https://www.realitymod.com/forum/f18-pr ... -name.html
This should explain it for you

[snow]

I am all about tuning up the commander, so good on ya. I feel like it's been overlooked by both players and the devs in its current state.

Anyway, I think this is a cool idea, but I really don't feel it would have any sort of impact on what the commander contributes to the team or the overall "attractiveness" of the commander role in general (ie, getting people to command more). Imo, those should be the biggest priorities for commander tinkering.

I get that it's central gameplay purpose is to keep people from run-and-gun commanding, but I just don't encounter that as that much of a problem. And as many here can attest from personal experience, sometimes the best if not only way to get your FBs and bunkers built is to drive a CO truck out in the field and deploy it yourself. Being handcuffed to command vehicle would be a serious impediment to getting stuff done in many cases.

But more than that, realistically there is only so much attention that the devs can and will give to the CO (if they give any at all), and this wouldn't really move the ball very much.

Just my two cents...

[DeltaFart]

And as many here can attest from personal experience, sometimes the best if not only way to get your FBs and bunkers built is to drive a CO truck out in the field and deploy it yourself. Being handcuffed to command vehicle would be a serious impediment to getting stuff done in many cases.

Yes I agree on that, I had to do that with one of my commanding rounds, but got taken out by an RPG on Mestia. I did include the provision for in person build orders, you couldn't not have that sort of thing.

[gclark03]

Perhaps we could spare the disadvantages for forgoing the CP altogether, while giving a real incentive to entering the command post (such as battleground UAV photos every minute or something).

[DeltaFart]

Could set it up like in FH2 where each flag has a radio in it

[Alan]

Well, it would give the old repair jeeps something to do. Simply remove the Rearm/repair function and make the second seat the commander's command position. The commander gets a fast and mobile transport, and the driver can provide the situational awareness the Commander needs.

Or maybe I just like the repair jeeps...

[Rudd]

Well, it would give the old repair jeeps something to do. Simply remove the Rearm/repair function and make the second seat the commander's command position. The commander gets a fast and mobile transport, and the driver can provide the situational awareness the Commander needs.

Or maybe I just like the repair jeeps...

That would at least be a good placeholder. I wonder if EA would allow PR to just put the CP on the back of the support truck model

[Shotgun]

or you could get something like the Bushmaster from the ADF or Dutch forces mod and take the guns off, and havea driver, gunner and commander seat. And in the commander seat, just a big computer board with radio and widgits


I think the commanders vehicle needs to be armored of some sort but not armed

[kilroy0097]

Field Officers can be mobile or stationary. Depends on what the mission is.

Military Army Structure Size and Numbers: Army Force Structure: Squad, Platoon, Company, Battalion, Brigade, Division, CORPS, Army information page

We can assume that since we are limited to 32 players on each side that if we were to look at real life numbers that each team is a Platoon. However if you look at number of squads and how DICE spins the vocabulary they are talking about Company structure. So either or it doesn't really matter.

Perhaps the most graphic example of mobile command would be portrayed in "We were Soldiers" the Mel Gibson film. In that film Lt.Col Harold Gregory "Hal" Moore, Jr is in command of the 1st battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, at the Battle of Ia Drang on November 14–16, 1965, in Vietnam.

BATTALION – 300 to 1,000 soldiers. Four to six companies make up a battalion, which is normally commanded by a lieutenant colonel with a command sergeant major as principal NCO assistant. A battalion is capable of independent operations of limited duration and scope. An armored or air cavalry unit of equivalent size is called a squadron.

As we can see it's more than possible for a commander to be out in the field and on the move with nothing but a radio operator with them. Looking at a map of operations and making calls based upon personal visual confirmation and via radio contact can be achieved. All we see is a more graphic representation of those action in the game.

So whether we need a stationary commander post or not I vote we leave it the way it is. Obviously both stationary and mobile commanding is possible looking at real life examples.

The biggest need for change is what I hope is rumored to be implemented in Battlefield 3. Which is the introduction of Subordinate Commanders. I think they are calling them Battalion Commanders in BF3 but I'm not sure. Regardless another chain of command step would be very nice in certain situations such as a Comm over 3 Squads of Armor or Comm over Air Support or Comm over 3 Infantry Squads moving in on an area. The possibility is there for some intense and awesome leadership and tactics. Now we just have to convince many of the non-military and non-tactically minded players to actually attempt to follow orders and practice good tactical awareness and movement.