Platoon Fire vs. Rank Fire.... which do you find best?

[willh90]

The later infantry units in game all use the Platoon Fire option. It is supposed to be the more advanced as it is acquired through a later tech. It's the one where fire riples down the length of your units. However i find it not effective as the Rank Fire option...

With platoon fire i often find large groups of individual men (with fully loaded rifles) doing nothing, waiting for the previous men to fire thier weapons so they can discharge thiers and reload again. This is caused because the time it takes the fire to ripple down the line is longer than the time it takes my men to reload. As a result it's harder to maximise firepower...

I find the Rank fire more effective. Its the one where the first rank fires and then kneels so the rank behind can fire and then kneel and so one. It seems to me to be the more effective method...

the problem is that you cant choose the method of fire, meaning i end up using line infantry when i want to use The Black watch, grenadiers, Guards etc...

has anyone else thought about this?
should there be a way of choosing firring methods?

[Celareon]

I've only every gotten to rank firing before switching campaign, but I've noticed my troops have a much tougher time it seems firing from behind cover when I upgrade their firing drills, anyone else experiencing this?

[netfool]

I've only every gotten to rank firing before switching campaign, but I've noticed my troops have a much tougher time it seems firing from behind cover when I upgrade their firing drills, anyone else experiencing this?

Yes, I was thinking the same thing yesterday. It seemed like it took them a bit longer to initiate their first volley, and they seemed to fire slower after that.

[SilEighty]

Firing from cover is definitely bugged.

Forget firing method technologies; it's not working right at ANY tech level.

I have abandoned putting my men behind walls using the special "put em behind the wall" mouse-over icon, because once they are there, they do not shoot!

As for Platoon Fire: I haven't had enough time to play around with it, but I suspect your dudes may be trying to platoon-fire for their whole group. If that group is too big, they have to wait - with loaded rifles! - until "their turn". Maybe try smaller groups?

[ilikeicehockey]

Firing from cover is definitely bugged.

Forget firing method technologies; it's not working right at ANY tech level.

I have abandoned putting my men behind walls using the special "put em behind the wall" mouse-over icon, because once they are there, they do not shoot!

As for Platoon Fire: I haven't had enough time to play around with it, but I suspect your dudes may be trying to platoon-fire for their whole group. If that group is too big, they have to wait - with loaded rifles! - until "their turn". Maybe try smaller groups?

You can do it with one unit. Make sure its the elite units such as guards. Not sure if grenadiers do it though.

[EruIlluvatar12]

I haven't gotten platoon fire yet... I like rank fire, but when in more than three ranks it doesn't work. (eg 5 ranks- first rank fires...kneels...second rank fires.... kneels...third fires... then the fourth row kneels w/o shooting... anyone else have this problem?

[ToothyTurtle]

I haven't gotten platoon fire yet... I like rank fire, but when in more than three ranks it doesn't work. (eg 5 ranks- first rank fires...kneels...second rank fires.... kneels...third fires... then the fourth row kneels w/o shooting... anyone else have this problem?

I have it when the second rank is not in range.

The first rank will reload and not get up unless I use cancel orders button.

It is to do with the range of the different ranks.

[Korvus77]

the one thing that could be good about platoon fire is if the troops remembered if they had a loaded gun or not. A couple of times i had to wheel the line around to get the right end to fire the platoon fire reset from the left and had to wait for the troops to reload. grrrrrrr

Maybe this was just a coincidence and normally this doesnt happen

Otherwise as long as you are flush on the platoon fire doesnt seem that bad. it doesn't have that immediate satisfaction effect of rank fire is the issue. The other guy goes down in bits and pieces instead of chunks.

[CtrlAltDe1337]

I haven't gotten platoon fire yet... I like rank fire, but when in more than three ranks it doesn't work. (eg 5 ranks- first rank fires...kneels...second rank fires.... kneels...third fires... then the fourth row kneels w/o shooting... anyone else have this problem?

Only 3 ranks max are supposed to fire. It would be silly to have a 10-deep unit all shooting over eachother's heads.

[Xugaa]

Rank, if only because it looks cooler

[Yojimbo]

Rank, if only because it looks cooler

Agreed. I havent had either much tho as I keep changing campagins and stuff.

[Valantine]

For cover just line them up behind the wall rather than take cover - you shoot as you do in the open field but still get a fair bit of protection frmo the wall, admittedly not quite as much from actualyl clicking on the tack cover symbol but the added fire power MORE than makes up for it!

On topic though, I much prefer rank fire, seems much more devastating! The platoon fire annoys me a lot as you can have an enemy charge you, so whilst charging the rnk fire woudl normally do lots of damage to the entire unit, instead with platoon fire you have guys aiming further down the line and not firing as they are waiting there turn even with the enemy snarling in their faces, can make the difference between the unit loosing 20 men and the unit loosing 100+ men!
V

I haven't gotten platoon fire yet... I like rank fire, but when in more than three ranks it doesn't work. (eg 5 ranks- first rank fires...kneels...second rank fires.... kneels...third fires... then the fourth row kneels w/o shooting... anyone else have this problem?

It only works with 3 or less ranks - otherwise they would shoot the first rank in the back. So just spread the line to 3 ranks in future. This is historically correct, most armies fought in 3 ranks, the British tended to fight in two ranks.
V

[Sogui]

Question:

When I get platoon fire do I get a CHOICE between the drills?

[SilEighty]

Question:

When I get platoon fire do I get a CHOICE between the drills?

Yea, someone who's gotten the tech please report.

I've been afraid to research it, for fear that my line infantry will be forced to Platoon Fire with no alternative.

EDIT: Thanks, above post!

[Valantine]

Nope. From what I have notived Line Infantry stay with Rank Firing whilst more advanced units such as Guards etc. all use Platoon firing. There is currently no ay to order them to do otherwise.
V

[snuggans]

for britain grenadiers, guards, black watch, coldstream guards automatically and forcefully use platoon fire.

everyone else uses rank fire.

i cannot seem to notice a difference between the two in terms of effectiveness.
while fire rank does inflict heavier bursts of morale damage, platoon fire gradually lowers it non-stop. they have their differences but i haven't noticed a clear advantage.

i really don't like being forced to use a certain firing drill though. they should change this. ._.

[ilikeicehockey]

for britain grenadiers, guards, black watch, coldstream guards automatically and forcefully use platoon fire.

Where do you recruit the black guards? I can get coldstream in Edinburgh but don't know where to get the black watch.

[snuggans]

Where do you recruit the black guards? I can get coldstream in Edinburgh but don't know where to get the black watch.

black watch is also from Edinburgh.

[Quixote07]

I've done quite a bit of testing with Platoon Fire vs. Rank fire.

Platoon fire is drastically more effective than rank fire.

Basically, platoon fire does not use all three ranks, it only uses two ranks. The third rank has a firing animation, but no smoke, fire, or bullet. If you want more definitive proof test two units of guards from the same nation against each other. The AI by default uses a three rank formation, stretch yours into a two rank. The AI will eventually charge, but I guarantee that you will win the firefight before they do.

Consequentially, it might seem like platoon fire isn't as good, but compare a two deep platoon fire versus a rank fire in three lines, you'll see who comes out on top.

The thing to consider is how long it takes for a unit to have every man in it's force fire twice. That way you account for reloading. Platoon fire gets some magical reloading bonus, it seems.

It takes about the same time for a rank fire unit and a platoon fire unit to discharge all of their weapons, but Platoon fire stars firing again immediately, whereas rank fire reloads for more than twenty seconds, some times.

I think Platoon Fire should be a toggle able ability, like Fire and Advance, available to Line Infantry and elites.

For me it's only downside is how fast it burns through ammo.

[ilikeicehockey]

I've done quite a bit of testing with Platoon Fire vs. Rank fire.

Platoon fire is drastically more effective than rank fire.

Basically, platoon fire does not use all three ranks, it only uses two ranks. The third rank has a firing animation, but no smoke, fire, or bullet. If you want more definitive proof test two units of guards from the same nation against each other. The AI by default uses a three rank formation, stretch yours into a two rank. The AI will eventually charge, but I guarantee that you will win the firefight before they do.

Consequentially, it might seem like platoon fire isn't as good, but compare a two deep platoon fire versus a rank fire in three lines, you'll see who comes out on top.

The thing to consider is how long it takes for a unit to have every man in it's force fire twice. That way you account for reloading. Platoon fire gets some magical reloading bonus, it seems.

It takes about the same time for a rank fire unit and a platoon fire unit to discharge all of their weapons, but Platoon fire stars firing again immediately, whereas rank fire reloads for more than twenty seconds, some times.

I think Platoon Fire should be a toggle able ability, like Fire and Advance, available to Line Infantry and elites.

For me it's only downside is how fast it burns through ammo.

I thought elite units had a faster reloading time. To add to that though, it said in rank fire that by the time the third fired, the first row would be able to fire. yeah right, maybe if you unit was the highest experience.