Hi all,

so after years of absence from military-themed PC games I have picked up APOS and the Operation Hooper DLC (inspired by the countless hours put into SABOW). I got to say that it is quite fun having so many different units at your disposition, and devising elaborate strategies and tactics. Oh, and the graphics are top-notch of course!

But my main gripe with the game is the friendly AI. I caught myself cursing at the screen a couple of times .
E.g. 1: I sent my T-34 up a hill to engage a group of half-tracks and infantry. First of all the turret is facing the rear, tracking enemy infantry 200m away. No matter what I did, the turret wouldn’t face forward, in the direction of the enemy. And to make matters worse, the tank crew had all hatches open! Consequence: Grenade gets lobbed at the tank, hits the turret, commander KIA. Well done!

E.g 2 (see pic below): I let that T-34 sit there for a whole minute, to see what the crew would do. All attempts at prioritizing targets were met with a collective shrug of the shoulders. Not a single shot was fired at that infantry. I just ordered the T-34 to move on to the next objective (where it got shot to pieces, but that is a different story). The AI´s lack of spotting targets and engaging them, be it infantry or vehicles, is a reoccurring topic I have found, and quite an infuriating one at that.



E.g. 3: The case of the invincible half-tracks. My units spend between 3-6 tank grenades to disable a half-track. Part of it is because the gunners generally shoot too low, thereby missing the only vital part (the engine), and they also often aim for the rear crew compartment. The result is that my already "challenged" tank crews are fully committed to the destruction of a half-track, which becomes a "bullet-sponge", while ignoring the far-bigger threat in the form of a Panzer III that is slowly rolling into the picture, giving the latter the kill advantage.

What do more seasoned APOS players out there think?

ramas

OK here we GO.... WEEEE


Here is why such happens. The tank has a spotting report from some element. Probably someone with a radio or voice (shouting). So its turning its turret to where the local ai as seen the enemy. It does not have visual contact so its turned out. this happens a bunch in GTOS. Now you are effectively GOD can see the big picture. They can not. Heres what you can do to help out.

1... Set a fire arc on the tank it might decide to turn its turret that way.

2... Vehicle crew turned out when they probably should not be in? Hit the "ambush" icon. This button does way more than make infantry get low and ambush. For vehicles it makes them turn in! With an attack order it makes them do a sort of bounding over watch. And of course it makes them get low to the ground and when set with a defense command they find low ground and stay low.

3.... You want them to fire on infantry? Tell them to not target tanks and guns. The reason again they are not prioritizing the infantry running around is that they either have visual contact on a tank or gun. or anything they feel is a greater threat than infantry. It can also be a spotted vehicle or gun that they do not have any LOS too that came in a spotting report from another unit.


Now for the screen shot...I have no clue. LOL. that is odd. Did you have them ordered to only engage armor? OR maybe something is broken on the tank. Weather can also make this happen. Sometimes the human sees better than the units. Also could be out of coax ammo. Or damaged sights. Maybe just retarded.



Oh and the tank that got the KIA commander with grenade.... The crew might have been "contused" and or suppressed from having blood and guts all over them. Maybe injured as well. Use the roll over on the vehicle icon and it will tell you damages and injuries.

Hi FlashBurn, thanks for sharing your thoughts! Gotta say that I enjoyed the missions you created for SABOW a lot!

Your comment about the T-34 having a "fire only at tanks" order, made me second guess myself. Luckily I had made another screenshot of that very scene, and you were right! I must have set that order before, and forgotten about it! But I still wonder why the crew was turned out. Was it related to the "fire only at tanks" order?

I will take your advice regarding the different attack orders to heart, and see if I can get a better performance out of my tank units. To be honest I didn´t even bother with the manual, figured that SABOW had taught me enough .

ramas

Gtos has evolved even further than where SABOW left off. I am still finding stuff I did not know about. Or better ways to do things.

I think your T34 crew was having a mental brake down there. LOL. With infantry that close they should have at least turned it. And maybe ignored the attack armor and guns order.