APC - Fighting Vehicle or Personal Carrier?

[NyteMyre]

Originally Posted by [R-DEV]fuzzhead

Players still have misconception about APC's carried over from vbf2 that they are essentially "light tanks", which is NOT what we want to see them used as.

Yeah...that

[Urbinator]

Personally, I am a huge fan of running a squad like the one you put together. I've had great matches where the squad (usually in a Bradley) works together as a mechanized unit. Usually I think it's good to have one guy with a HAT kit. Move in the vehicle, disembark and go on foot with the vehicle supporting or running perimeter defense.

[NyteMyre]

I remember playing Operation Flashpoint CTI where i was usually doing patrols with a M2A2 and 6 soldiers

[PFunk]

I don't think there's a problem using an APC as a suppression unit or any other kind of weapons platform if the situation dictates it as a sensible use. There are intended uses and then there's practical life/gameplay. If you have an enemy entrenched and its advantageous to eliminate him with the APC, by all means. If you have squads struggling to get around the map, then obviously use it that way.

Obviously I think the best way is if you have a good Commander directing an APC squad around the map. Then its a matter of someone with the bigger picture prioritizing it.

[Teddix]

i saw a program on discovery about a real life scenario that happend in Irak i think where a american teeam was in heavy fighting in an city and thhere the APC or IFV where used as shield for the trops when they where moving and also mainly to transport wounded out of combat

[PFunk]

Actually I was checking out vids of canadians in afghanistan and I saw this.

Watch at around 00:40 in and you'll see a LAV APC firing its gun in support of the Canadians who've been ambushed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFjs5...eature=related

[NyteMyre]

And another example of APC use.... 05:25

@PFunk

I don't say it's a bad thing to use the APC as a "light tank" if the situation demands it. But often it's not. Players rather die fighting and respawn on a firebase/rally/carrier and get a chopper/jeep to get to another location, then request APC support to help/evac them.

Usually when there's an APC nearby and I know the location of some troops, I try to get their attention, but APC crews are usually to self-focused to notice the requests.

[Scandicci]

Originally Posted by NyteMyre

Yesterday I had a very nice fight on Muttrah V2.
I was leading a Mechanized Infantry Squad and we did very good.
Our squad had the following set up

1. Squadleader - Officer
2. Medic
3. Engineer
4. Light AT
5. APC Driver
6. APC Gunner.

During the battle, we mainly drove around with the APC to a target area, where we would disembark and cover the APC. Or visa versa where the APC would cover us while we rushed a building. With the support of the engineer and Light AT we could handle a encounter with a MEC BRT and when we spotted a MEC LAT/HAT, we would go on foot and take it out.

Anyway, we did so well that the question rose up in my mind: "Why doesn't this happen more often?"

APC quote from Wikipedia:



In PR itself, APC's are mainly used as a fighting vehicle alone. If you request transport of one, the driver or gunner will usually bluntly ignore your request. Isn't there a way to promote infantry transport by the APC's?



-ps-
Sorry for those who were with me in the squad...i'm bad at remembering nicknames

Nytemyre's layout is a sure way to have a squad with the highest number of points on a team and usually have twice the number of points of other squads. Knowing this, many SLs run this sort of layout and are very successful with it. Whether this usage of the vehicle is reflected in reality or not, I cannot say. In PR it is highly, highly effective. Of course, its success depends on a number of factors that have been addressed in other threads.

For PR to reflect the proper usage of these vehicles the point system has to be tweaked, otherwise they will continue to be the 'light tanks' that Fuzzhead refers to. Personally, I love Nytemyre's layout and I use it all the time. It gives a squad a huge advantage on maps. The key is to keep the APC alive and use it very conservatively, which then makes it approach its use as an APC.

[PFunk]

Originally Posted by NyteMyre

And another example of APC use.... 05:25
Usually when there's an APC nearby and I know the location of some troops, I try to get their attention, but APC crews are usually to self-focused to notice the requests.

Hence the need for a strong commander who will compel these loner fools to actually pitch in. The way I see it the gun on top of an APC is just like the door guns on a Black Hawk. Support while doing your other job, but don't hesitate to use them if you're there anyway. Though thats just a rough example... imagine a Black Hawk just sitting there firing its guns like a stationary base of fire... that'd be ridiculous. Even so, the use of uber-aggressive tactics with APCs is like a much milder but basically similar transgression.

[NyteMyre]

Originally Posted by PFunk

imagine a Black Hawk just sitting there firing its guns like a stationary base of fire... that'd be ridiculous.

This would be a bad time to mention that i've been a BH pilot with 2 gunner on a 16player Kashan once, giving hell to the MEC in the bunkers.

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Anyway, tweaking the point system won't really help I think. I personally don't go for the highest rank/points in a round. It's not that I think: "oeh, if i do that I get more points".