Loading Missles 101 (renaming too)
Posted: Nov 26 2008
Well first off lets start off with the different missle types. You have Land launced, Air launched, Surface ship launched, and Sub launched. type missles. sub groups of the above would be ground unit targeted, Ship targeted, and building targeted. With even more specific sub stats then that, like how good it is at precise targeting. or an area attack, or a nuclear strength, If the unit is stealth, how fast it can go, and how far it can go. But lets look at some more details:
Below is a picture of a missle that can be fired from a land unit. See by the leter A it shows the ground icon highlighted. That means this missle can be shot from a ground unit. B shows this missle is of a cruise missle design, which means it is more precise then others and can track its target. C shows this missle is an area of effect damage. which would also count against indirect damage of other units in the hex.
Below is a picuture of a missle that can be fired from a plane. See by the leter F the plane is highlighted. That means this missle can be fired from a plane. E is the same as B above. and D shows the missle is a building missle which means it will target structures.
Below is a picture of a missle that can be fired from a surface ship. See by the leter I that the surface ship is highlighted that means this missle can be fired from a plane. H shows that the missle is a smart bomb. (I think this means that it is better at following a target then a dumb bomb, but not as good as a cruise missle). G shows this missle is a missle that will attack ships.
Below is a picture of a missle that can be fired from submariens. See by the leter L that the sub icon is highlighted. K also shows that this missle is of the indirect kind so will also damage other units in the hex. J shows this is a nuclear missle. Also on this picture we put in the leter M. It shows the missle size Even in the above picutures you see what size the missle is. and for every missle there is it has a specific size.
Now below is a picture of a unit that can carry missles. If you look by the leter N you see the maximum size missle it can carry, and by the leter 0 the maximum missle volume. This specific unit has a missle size of 6 and a missle volume of 108. Which means it can carry 18 size 6 missles. However the missle size is a maximum, So it can carry smaller missles. For instance you could carry a missle that was size 2. Now since it is only a size 2, the unit could carry 54 of these size missles.
Ok now we know about missles and missle units, Lets talk about the rules of engagment for you units. Below is a picture of this. Under the Unit Command window (P) Rules of Engagment Section (Q). You see:
R: this shows if a unit should attack ground units or not. The Icon is not highlighted meaning it will not attack ground units.
S: This shows if a unit should attack air units or not. The Icon is high lighted meaning it will attack air units.
T: This shows if a unit should attack surface ships or not. The Icon is not highlited meaning it will not attack surface ships.
U:This shows if a unit should attack submarines or not. The Icon shows this option greyed out. Meaning it does not even have the ability to attack a submarine
V: This shows if a unit should attack structures or not. The Icon is not highlighted meaning it will not attack structures
W: This shows if a unit is allowed to launch a nuclear missle or not. As you see this option is greyed out. Which means the unit does not have the ability to launch a nuke, Or you dont have the use nuke option in the defense condition tab under the defcon status.
X: This shows that when a missle is autoloaded if it should match its roles or not. Basicaly if you want the unit to attack buildings. It will load missles that attack buildings instead of loading missles that attack ships. The icon shows that option is disabled.
Y: This shows if a unit is allowed to load auto deployed missles (in the next part we will discus auto deployed missles
Z: If you see a missle Icon here, that means a missle is loaded onto the unit
A2: This is a units Initiative. I like to have this at high and the minister locked from it. The unit will prety much do everthing except reserve, unreserve, move, (although it will retreat if low on health), and repair.
Below we have the missle deployment tab. This is the (B2) below button under the Unit command window (P) You see how C2 is greyed out. That means this missle is avialible for the AI to autodeploy (Y). D2 shows that it is still yellow. That means this missle is not allowed tobe auto deployed. The Same with E2. Also you see the Green Icon by C2. This means the AI has the authority to fire this missle when it sees fit. If it does not have this green icon the AI will not fire this missle unless you tell it to. If you click F2 it will load ONE missle that you have highlighted onto a unit that has load autodeployed missles on. If you click G2 it will autoload the whole stack of missles. However in order for G2 and F2 to work you must select a missle type in C2-E2. When you press G2 with say D2 it will grey out D2 making it availible tobe deployed. (ops I forgot a beter picture. If you have C2-E2 selected. Right below G2 will be a button that looks like the green icon next to C2. It will give the AI the allowance to fire or not fire that missle.)
Now Below we are looking at the section that you goto when you want to Manualy load a missle. You goto button H2 the Defense tab. Then J2 the reserves/Deployed tab, then I2 the missle tab. You will then see K2 and L2. Under K2 you will see your missles in reserve. If you click on a missle in K2. It will bring up deployed units in L2 that that missle will be able to load into. So by selecting a missle in K2, then selecting a unit in L2. Then if you press M2 it will load one missle from your selected K2 window and load it into your selected L2 unit. Or if you press N2 it will do the same as above but except one unit it will load the max capacity. This is a good way to load nuclear missles into units without having to give authorization to the AI todo it. (dont want them firing off a nuke becouse they can). Also below N2 are repeats of buttons X and Y.
So there you have it, everything you need to know about loading missles. But wait there is more. How do you know what missles are in what units has been a common question. You dont want to start firing those nukes off at one of canada's units that just rolled in to Seattle. What would your people think of you. So you need to setup a system so you know where you nukes are. After you deploy a nuke change the name of the unit it was loaded into. And here is how you do that.
Below is a picture in H2/J2 as above, but instead of I2 we are using O2 which is the air units (you can do the same for navl and ground). If you click on a unit at P2 and the click on Q2 a window will popup with the units name. delete the old name and insert the new name. The same is for the R2/S2 section. Its just that the P2 area is for reserved units and R2 is for deployed units.
Below shows a picture of me randomly selecting a bunch of units on the battle field. I renamed my ground based nuclear launch platforms to GLNMP's (see AAR for reason). But now when I selected that group and I want them to attack a place I dont want them to launch a nuclear missle. So I see I have a nuclear missle unit with them. so I hold down CTRL and left click the unit. this un highlights it so when I tell the other units to fire missles my nuke unit does not shot its off.
**Edit**
Forgot to add. If you hover you mouse over a selected unit, a popup (if enabled) will come up that shows the units cargo. As you see in the below picture it shows what missles are loaded into this unit.
Below is a picture of a missle that can be fired from a land unit. See by the leter A it shows the ground icon highlighted. That means this missle can be shot from a ground unit. B shows this missle is of a cruise missle design, which means it is more precise then others and can track its target. C shows this missle is an area of effect damage. which would also count against indirect damage of other units in the hex.
Below is a picuture of a missle that can be fired from a plane. See by the leter F the plane is highlighted. That means this missle can be fired from a plane. E is the same as B above. and D shows the missle is a building missle which means it will target structures.
Below is a picture of a missle that can be fired from a surface ship. See by the leter I that the surface ship is highlighted that means this missle can be fired from a plane. H shows that the missle is a smart bomb. (I think this means that it is better at following a target then a dumb bomb, but not as good as a cruise missle). G shows this missle is a missle that will attack ships.
Below is a picture of a missle that can be fired from submariens. See by the leter L that the sub icon is highlighted. K also shows that this missle is of the indirect kind so will also damage other units in the hex. J shows this is a nuclear missle. Also on this picture we put in the leter M. It shows the missle size Even in the above picutures you see what size the missle is. and for every missle there is it has a specific size.
Now below is a picture of a unit that can carry missles. If you look by the leter N you see the maximum size missle it can carry, and by the leter 0 the maximum missle volume. This specific unit has a missle size of 6 and a missle volume of 108. Which means it can carry 18 size 6 missles. However the missle size is a maximum, So it can carry smaller missles. For instance you could carry a missle that was size 2. Now since it is only a size 2, the unit could carry 54 of these size missles.
Ok now we know about missles and missle units, Lets talk about the rules of engagment for you units. Below is a picture of this. Under the Unit Command window (P) Rules of Engagment Section (Q). You see:
R: this shows if a unit should attack ground units or not. The Icon is not highlighted meaning it will not attack ground units.
S: This shows if a unit should attack air units or not. The Icon is high lighted meaning it will attack air units.
T: This shows if a unit should attack surface ships or not. The Icon is not highlited meaning it will not attack surface ships.
U:This shows if a unit should attack submarines or not. The Icon shows this option greyed out. Meaning it does not even have the ability to attack a submarine
V: This shows if a unit should attack structures or not. The Icon is not highlighted meaning it will not attack structures
W: This shows if a unit is allowed to launch a nuclear missle or not. As you see this option is greyed out. Which means the unit does not have the ability to launch a nuke, Or you dont have the use nuke option in the defense condition tab under the defcon status.
X: This shows that when a missle is autoloaded if it should match its roles or not. Basicaly if you want the unit to attack buildings. It will load missles that attack buildings instead of loading missles that attack ships. The icon shows that option is disabled.
Y: This shows if a unit is allowed to load auto deployed missles (in the next part we will discus auto deployed missles
Z: If you see a missle Icon here, that means a missle is loaded onto the unit
A2: This is a units Initiative. I like to have this at high and the minister locked from it. The unit will prety much do everthing except reserve, unreserve, move, (although it will retreat if low on health), and repair.
Below we have the missle deployment tab. This is the (B2) below button under the Unit command window (P) You see how C2 is greyed out. That means this missle is avialible for the AI to autodeploy (Y). D2 shows that it is still yellow. That means this missle is not allowed tobe auto deployed. The Same with E2. Also you see the Green Icon by C2. This means the AI has the authority to fire this missle when it sees fit. If it does not have this green icon the AI will not fire this missle unless you tell it to. If you click F2 it will load ONE missle that you have highlighted onto a unit that has load autodeployed missles on. If you click G2 it will autoload the whole stack of missles. However in order for G2 and F2 to work you must select a missle type in C2-E2. When you press G2 with say D2 it will grey out D2 making it availible tobe deployed. (ops I forgot a beter picture. If you have C2-E2 selected. Right below G2 will be a button that looks like the green icon next to C2. It will give the AI the allowance to fire or not fire that missle.)
Now Below we are looking at the section that you goto when you want to Manualy load a missle. You goto button H2 the Defense tab. Then J2 the reserves/Deployed tab, then I2 the missle tab. You will then see K2 and L2. Under K2 you will see your missles in reserve. If you click on a missle in K2. It will bring up deployed units in L2 that that missle will be able to load into. So by selecting a missle in K2, then selecting a unit in L2. Then if you press M2 it will load one missle from your selected K2 window and load it into your selected L2 unit. Or if you press N2 it will do the same as above but except one unit it will load the max capacity. This is a good way to load nuclear missles into units without having to give authorization to the AI todo it. (dont want them firing off a nuke becouse they can). Also below N2 are repeats of buttons X and Y.
So there you have it, everything you need to know about loading missles. But wait there is more. How do you know what missles are in what units has been a common question. You dont want to start firing those nukes off at one of canada's units that just rolled in to Seattle. What would your people think of you. So you need to setup a system so you know where you nukes are. After you deploy a nuke change the name of the unit it was loaded into. And here is how you do that.
Below is a picture in H2/J2 as above, but instead of I2 we are using O2 which is the air units (you can do the same for navl and ground). If you click on a unit at P2 and the click on Q2 a window will popup with the units name. delete the old name and insert the new name. The same is for the R2/S2 section. Its just that the P2 area is for reserved units and R2 is for deployed units.
Below shows a picture of me randomly selecting a bunch of units on the battle field. I renamed my ground based nuclear launch platforms to GLNMP's (see AAR for reason). But now when I selected that group and I want them to attack a place I dont want them to launch a nuclear missle. So I see I have a nuclear missle unit with them. so I hold down CTRL and left click the unit. this un highlights it so when I tell the other units to fire missles my nuke unit does not shot its off.
**Edit**
Forgot to add. If you hover you mouse over a selected unit, a popup (if enabled) will come up that shows the units cargo. As you see in the below picture it shows what missles are loaded into this unit.