How do you micromanage attached units?
Posted: 10 Jun 2013, 23:38
TL;DR: What key combinations and control groups do you use to control units attached to sensors and commanders effectively?
I'm a veteran Starcraft player (Starcraft 1) who just rediscovered WZ2100. In Starcraft 1, you could only select 12 units at a time so you'd need 6+ control groups for a late-game army. You'd have to hit 1a2a3a4a5a6a every time you want to move your army. I'm used to doing that multiple times to get my whole army into position and to attack, then micromanaging rectangles of units or individual control groups during the fight (e.g. to improve the shape, kite short range units, focus fire on dangerous and/or squishy units). A lot of the tactics SHOULD work great with WZ2100 units (e.g. surrounds, firing arc on a choke point, inching up artillery, damaged units in back), which are smarter than Starcraft units. But I can't get WZ2100 units to respond.
My issue is controlling attached units. Just like in Starcraft, I can 123 attack, but I can't do anything with the units afterwards! They're so slow to respond when I tell the commander to do something, and if I detach them, then I have to hunt for that commander afterwards to reattach. Here are some examples:
Maneuver I want to do:
The classic 1a2a3a. Tanks, move up. Skirmishers, flank 'em. Sensor and artillery move up. Everyone attack... now!
What happens:
Tanks do move up. Skirmishers do flank 'em. But sensor is dangerously close to the fight and artillery is waiting waaay out of range and only finally moves up when I tell the sensor unit to attack. They spend half the fight moving their slow, squishy butts.
Maneuver I want to do:
Damaged units: retreat just behind the front line. Waiting repair doods, do your thing. Oh no, there's a traffic jam? No problem, I select a rectangle of units in the way and move them back too. Or I part the line (move a rectangle on each side of the path over a bit) to let hurt guy through. I do it extra early and give them extra room because WZ2100 units are slower at turning.
What happens:
Damaged units retreat, run right past my mobile repair and get killed instead trying to reach a repair facility. Or worse, damaged units "retreat" by running forward INTO the towers I was staying just out of range of, taking a path back to repair that I didn't even know was there. And oh hello no if the commander gets into the yellow, all of his units will get confused. I am totally fine with moving damaged units individually back (so their full health friends take fire instead).
Maneuver I want to do:
Lancer hit & run. Fast lancer units move forward, fire a volley into those tanks. Retreat while you reload. Healthy lancers to the front; damaged lancers to the back. Repeat until tanks are dead.
What happens:
They turn around soooo slowly when attached to a commander.
Maneuver I want to do:
Just before the battle, split that ball formation in 2 or 3 to form a line. Attack in a stronger line formation.
What happens:
I can't select units attached to a commander without detaching them. It takes forever to find damn commander and click on him while he's moving.
Maneuver I want to do:
Stay at your maximum range so only the front row of towers can hit you. Inch up after each row of towers is dead.
What happens:
Commander stays out of range, everybody else charges in. Can't select units individually to manually make a ring at the edge of tower range.
Maneuver I want to do:
OMFG RETREAT! DON'T RUN INTO THAT FORTRESS!
What happens:
Commander slowly turns around. Units continue suicidal charge. Then the units slowly turn around. A bunch of them die.
Maneuver I want to do:
While my beefy tanks keep their tanks busy, squishy skirmishers dart around their towers and take out those mortars.
What happens:
Skirmisher commander runs around the towers. Skirmishers all run INTO the towers and die. Damaged skirmishers retreat through the towers and die.
Right now, I'm starting to think commanders and promoted units are more trouble than they're worth. What's the point in getting an armor buff if you take more damage from stupidity? What's the point in having a speed buff if you have to wait for the commander to move before you start moving? What's the point in retreating when damaged if you're just going to get yourself killed?
How do you all micro your armies attached to commanders and sensors in the campaign? (Does anyone use commanders in skirmish?) What key combinations and control groups do you use?
I'm a veteran Starcraft player (Starcraft 1) who just rediscovered WZ2100. In Starcraft 1, you could only select 12 units at a time so you'd need 6+ control groups for a late-game army. You'd have to hit 1a2a3a4a5a6a every time you want to move your army. I'm used to doing that multiple times to get my whole army into position and to attack, then micromanaging rectangles of units or individual control groups during the fight (e.g. to improve the shape, kite short range units, focus fire on dangerous and/or squishy units). A lot of the tactics SHOULD work great with WZ2100 units (e.g. surrounds, firing arc on a choke point, inching up artillery, damaged units in back), which are smarter than Starcraft units. But I can't get WZ2100 units to respond.
My issue is controlling attached units. Just like in Starcraft, I can 123 attack, but I can't do anything with the units afterwards! They're so slow to respond when I tell the commander to do something, and if I detach them, then I have to hunt for that commander afterwards to reattach. Here are some examples:
Maneuver I want to do:
The classic 1a2a3a. Tanks, move up. Skirmishers, flank 'em. Sensor and artillery move up. Everyone attack... now!
What happens:
Tanks do move up. Skirmishers do flank 'em. But sensor is dangerously close to the fight and artillery is waiting waaay out of range and only finally moves up when I tell the sensor unit to attack. They spend half the fight moving their slow, squishy butts.
Maneuver I want to do:
Damaged units: retreat just behind the front line. Waiting repair doods, do your thing. Oh no, there's a traffic jam? No problem, I select a rectangle of units in the way and move them back too. Or I part the line (move a rectangle on each side of the path over a bit) to let hurt guy through. I do it extra early and give them extra room because WZ2100 units are slower at turning.
What happens:
Damaged units retreat, run right past my mobile repair and get killed instead trying to reach a repair facility. Or worse, damaged units "retreat" by running forward INTO the towers I was staying just out of range of, taking a path back to repair that I didn't even know was there. And oh hello no if the commander gets into the yellow, all of his units will get confused. I am totally fine with moving damaged units individually back (so their full health friends take fire instead).
Maneuver I want to do:
Lancer hit & run. Fast lancer units move forward, fire a volley into those tanks. Retreat while you reload. Healthy lancers to the front; damaged lancers to the back. Repeat until tanks are dead.
What happens:
They turn around soooo slowly when attached to a commander.
Maneuver I want to do:
Just before the battle, split that ball formation in 2 or 3 to form a line. Attack in a stronger line formation.
What happens:
I can't select units attached to a commander without detaching them. It takes forever to find damn commander and click on him while he's moving.
Maneuver I want to do:
Stay at your maximum range so only the front row of towers can hit you. Inch up after each row of towers is dead.
What happens:
Commander stays out of range, everybody else charges in. Can't select units individually to manually make a ring at the edge of tower range.
Maneuver I want to do:
OMFG RETREAT! DON'T RUN INTO THAT FORTRESS!
What happens:
Commander slowly turns around. Units continue suicidal charge. Then the units slowly turn around. A bunch of them die.
Maneuver I want to do:
While my beefy tanks keep their tanks busy, squishy skirmishers dart around their towers and take out those mortars.
What happens:
Skirmisher commander runs around the towers. Skirmishers all run INTO the towers and die. Damaged skirmishers retreat through the towers and die.
Right now, I'm starting to think commanders and promoted units are more trouble than they're worth. What's the point in getting an armor buff if you take more damage from stupidity? What's the point in having a speed buff if you have to wait for the commander to move before you start moving? What's the point in retreating when damaged if you're just going to get yourself killed?
How do you all micro your armies attached to commanders and sensors in the campaign? (Does anyone use commanders in skirmish?) What key combinations and control groups do you use?