Blue SAM Site Limits

[Righteous26]

I have been testing blue side Hawk batteries in the desert map and have noticed that the location seems to have something to do with whether the missile launchers, radar and supporting AAA guns will show up in a mission. I believe that a large, static site like a SAM battery must be located near a logistics node such as a city or some of the vehicles may not appear in a mission. Further, the computer seems to prioritize inert, static objects such as the ICC, then the radars, then the AAA guns and finally the launchers if the entire system is not present during the mission.

My Hawk batteries consist of two separate locations in the Desert_targets.ini file and consist of three launchers, one ICWAR, one HIPIR, one ICC and one supporting AAA gun of the computer's choice. The radius of each location is 200 meters, the centers are 100 meters from each other and the batteries are arranged in two half circles that complement each other.

[+Wrench]

as i stated earlier in another thread, the engine is NOT friendly to BLUE side SAMS.

also, if you use a direct call out for a type of unit -- ANY SAM unit, launcher, EWR or SAMRadar), they disappear from ALL RWRs. You must use generic terms. Which causes other problems -- even networked units (HAWKS, Patriot, SA-2/3/5/6/etc) will mix and match.

This is an issue we terraformers have been dealing with since the early 2000s. THERE IS NO FIX FOR THIS -- experts have already trod the ground you walking on. 

I know for a fact, there are already modified Desert targets and types inis that have added Blue AD units. Instead of beating your head against the wall, why not just search those out, and take advantage of the work of your forefathers <gr>

I should know, I buit, or rebuilt, most the terrains around here over the last nearly 20 years

[Righteous26]

I did not direct call the active units. I only forced it to put in the ICC as it appears to do nothing the PAR, ICWAR and HIPIR don't do already. The PARs, HIPIRs and ICWARs show up on the RWRs.

My post is not about getting a specific unit to show up. I simplified that by using only Hawk B and associated equipment. The computer has no other choice. The point is that there seems to be some radius around the operational and strategic nodes on the map that may be linked to a supply route and these ranges aren't readily apparent.

[+Wrench]

Never been a problem for me placing them anywhere on the map. Obviously, they're in logical places; new airfields, outside of cities, oil fields. Even inside a countries border, facing the likely approach routes for E/A.

So, I can't explain or understand the issue your presenting

[tiopilotos]

@ Righteous26 The blue side SAM issue has been discussed many times throught the years. They are not actually so functionable as the red side SAMs because stock game was made with red side SAM functionality only. As Wrench said there are already modified terrain_target.inis and terrain_types.inis which have added blue side SAM capability. If you add correctly this modifications you can even see vintage MIM-14 Hercules batteries targeting red side aircrafts. You can also modify them by yourself. The SAM functionality of this game is based on a central fire cotrol radar and six peripheral launchers. EW radars do not have any serious impact at least from my experience. The game engine is quite old and has numerous limitations. Pay attention on using generic terms and not calling directly a specific SAM type else the system goes into stealth mode and you will be targeted by "ghost" SAM batteries. 

[+Gepard]

There is a limit of Flak, SAM and Radar units per target area. The game engine will handle only 16 units per target area. If you have more, the engine ignore such units.

[+Wrench]

I forgot that limit!

ran into that heavily when we did the first ODS terrain in 2008.