The Sad State of Fire Support

[mdterp1987]

PR's fire support system needs to be refurbished in order to instill much needed realism into the process and execution of it.

Fire support is the use of indirect fires (mortars, artillery, CCA, CAS, JDAMS). There are two main parts: requesting and approving fire support and the delivery of these assets.

The GLTD system is unrealistic in today's military (my perspective is from current service with a U.S. Army light infantry company). Squad leaders do not carry these and why their in-game is questionable. Most calls for support will be with a grid coordinate. How this would relate to in-game is by requesting for it by placing a map marker wherever you wanted support.
The only use for the GLTD is for lasing targets. But the GLTD isn't even carried by 99.99% of soldiers. We use, at most, an LLDR which is a 50 pound system that is usually set up in defensive positions.

SOLUTION: Make a new limited kit, the forward observer. 2 max per team with M4, GLTD, and radio. Commanders and SL's lose their GLTD (they have binos! why do riflemen even have these?!). LLDR/equivalent is made a deployable asset for forward outposts.

Delivery of Fires
The problem here is that calls for support are limited to field of view. Make it so you place a request anywhere on the map and that's where you get fires. Afraid of back flags/ bases getting mortared? IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME!! that's realism.
Second, assets are waaayyy too rare on the battlefield. Every single firefight I was in had mortars or artillery called in.

SOLUTION: SL's and forward observer kit can call for mortars/artillery/JDAM anywhere on the map by right clicking a request. Mortars are weakened to a 35meter kill zone for each round with 4 or 6 rounds fired. Available every 10 minutes. Artillery is given a 50meter kill zone with 8 rounds. Available every 20 minutes.

[AgentMongoose]

Though I Dont and can't speak for the devs, I think I can explain this.
Pr is a very careful balance between realism and teamplay. Though some things are not the most realistic they are nessicary to adapt and compinsate for the limitations of the engine.
As for adding a forward observer kit i feel it would pull soldiers out of the fight unneededly given that there are so few already.

[Shaihuluid]

Originally Posted by AgentMongoose

Though I Dont and can't speak for the devs, I think I can explain this.
Pr is a very careful balance between realism and teamplay. Though some things are not the most realistic they are nessicary to adapt and compinsate for the limitations of the engine.
As for adding a forward observer kit i feel it would pull soldiers out of the fight unneededly given that there are so few already.

...in other words, the devs hate arty fire

most likely never going to happen. I know, it bugs me too

[Hunt3r]

Yes area attacks are relatively limited, but it's for balance reasons. Remember BF2 arty?

CAS is like that because it increases teamwork and makes sure that the A-10s don't go running off on their own.

[DeltaFart]

I think this would be nice
But I doubt it lll be added, due to what others have said

[Hunt3r]

Also the A-10s and Apaches and whatnot won't get their lases, and that means they'll have to use laser guided.

[Jordanb716]

Why not just use the new system for calling out targets on the map with the squad leads "radio"? Could that be adapted for fire support as well? That would help get rid of the apparently very rare GLTDs and allow you to call fire support where you want it behind cover and all.

[Ls4SpeedPilot]

don't know what to say ...
suggestion sounds good but how would change the gameplay

[nathanator8811]

I like the idea in post 7. It would take out the unrealistically overabundant GLTDs, but still let SLs mark for CAS. It would also add a slight variation to fire support, because even with GPS guided munitions, pickle-barrel accuracy everytime is not gonna happen.

So how would it work though? Would it drop a marker essentially identical in form to the current laze marker, or something else? Another possibilty would have the SL radio drop a marker, but maybe with a random placement within, say, a 5-15m radius. The markers dropped by GLTDs would have no deviation in their placement.

As for kits, a seperate observer kit shouldn't be needed. Just remove the GLTD from the SL kit. Rename the "sniper" to "sniper/observer", and tada! The job is in the name.

[goguapsy]

I would like to see Riflemen (and everyone else) without a bino, only the SL. The guys without a bino could use a salute hand