Mortars

[gclark03]

The current American mortar system has a maximum effective range of 2.17 miles, or about 3.5 kilometers.

Anyway, I already mentioned this in Mortars: Reloaded. Forgotten Hope 2 currently has the best system, with crosshairs and both azimuth and elevation adjustments, but PR could improve on this system by both making mortars a Forward Outpost add-on (like HMGs or AA missile launchers) and scripting the mortar in such a way that it cannot be fired without a designated target from a forward observer.

(Such targets would have to be authorized by the Commander, if one is present.)

[Jonny]

If we could get an artificial horizon in the HUD when in a mortar you could have player controlled fire support.

If you disregard the difference in height between target and mortar and remove drag, so forcing communication to correct the firing until it is on target, then the angle needed is quite simple for the server/clients computer to find.

θ = 0.5arcsin(xg/u^2)

x = horizontal displacement
g = acceleration due to gravity
u = muzzle velocity

maximum range = u^2/g

The calculation is more complicated with drag, but still possible. However no one will notice the lack of drag here, especially without tracers. gravity can be modified to give a correct maximum range and flight time, then muzzle velocity does not need to be disclosed if it cant be changed by the player.

[gazzthompson]

i think mortars should only be placed at mainbase with the range and i see them being abused if near frontline as direct fire postions

[Tirak]

How? You can't depress a mortar far enough to be used as a direct fire weapon without taking it off its mount. While were on the topic, I think, as stated prior, the Mortar should be a limited kit to ensure that it's forward, supporting the rest of the squad and not holding yet another squad out of the fight.

[gazzthompson]

Originally Posted by Tirak

How? You can't depress a mortar far enough to be used as a direct fire weapon without taking it off its mount. While were on the topic, I think, as stated prior, the Mortar should be a limited kit to ensure that it's forward, supporting the rest of the squad and not holding yet another squad out of the fight.

maybe not IRL, but IIRC u could do it with fh2 mortars all the time

[Tirak]

So give it a minimum arc value like on tanks.

[Ninja2dan]

In the Army I was both 11B and 13B, not 11C. But I do have some basic knowledge about mortars and with that knowledge I do know that creating a fairly realistic mortar system in PR is going to take a lot of work. It will require an FO and the mortar crew of 1-2 soldiers, and can use a simulated (scripted) FDC.

Creating an artillery simulator for the military using VBS took a lot of work, but due to the software it was very possible and worked out good enough for several countries to select it as their primary software-based artillery training system. Due to the game engine in BF2 though, creating anything even partly similar would be impossible. It's not about coming up with a good model or figuring out the math, it's about how to implement the system in a realistic manner while adhering to fair gameplay.

Although I would love to see working mortars in PR, I think it will take some time to get it working right. The mortars in AIX are bugged and are, as others have said, more like a stationary grenade launcher with a bigger bang. Aiming is through guessing, and even the mortars in FH2 have serious realism faults. They work for their intended purposes, but would have no use in PR.

Deployable heavy weapons like an M2HB would be nice though, and the developers don't have to worry about any serious problems with coding or gameplay balance.

[Big Lebowski]

Originally Posted by gazzthompson

maybe not IRL, but IIRC u could do it with fh2 mortars all the time

Erm... no.

Even though FH2s player controlled artillery system seems a bit to easy to use, its by far the best of any BF2 mod so far.

[gclark03]

If we can't get a completely realistic mortar artillery system, we should request FH2's mortar to close the gap (lack of player-operated artillery) in gameplay before going for absolute realism.

Perhaps the idea of mortars as a commander asset could be introduced as part of the 0.85 or 0.9 beta, if there is any interest at all.

[Tymathee]

Originally Posted by gclark03

If we can't get a completely realistic mortar artillery system, we should request FH2's mortar to close the gap (lack of player-operated artillery) in gameplay before going for absolute realism.

Perhaps the idea of mortars as a commander asset could be introduced as part of the 0.85 or 0.9 beta, if there is any interest at all.

Here's a couple ideas...

something like a mobile mortar that's hand held. Basically a cross between a mortar and a rifle grenade. Hmm, the m79 comes to mind.

M79 grenade launcher - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The m19 could be a deployable asset for commanders

Mk 19 grenade launcher - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

then of course the M32

Milkor MGL - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

deployable for chinese militia etc. the ags-17

AGS-17 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

this way you dont even have to worry about motar's you could limit maybe, 2 per side? if it's hand held and for an asset, they can only build one that way they can't spam it.

You could also have a commander asset of a mortar barrage. It'd be weaker than artillery but it would still be effective. Also, it wouldn't land as fast, maybe just like if 2 or 3 were firing it'd last intermittantly every 5-10 seconds.