Simple Call-In Flare Improvements

I've never liked the way call-in flares were implemented in the game for two reasons:

1. They provide very little information on exactly what is being used both for enemies and allies.

2. They provide too much warning in the case of several call-ins like railway and time-on target. Making them especially hard to get any use out of vs higher level players.

So here are some easy improvements to make the system better.

More Smoke Colors

Additional smoke colors would go a long way to let players what exactly is going on and how they should be reacting, especially in hectic engagements. Something a bit like this:

Enemy Artillery Allied Artillery
Enemy airstrike Allied Airstrike
Enemy Non-Lethal Allied Non-Lethal


Add a Larger Drop Radius and Scatter
Despite their damage potential flares make it far too obvious exactly where precision strikes will land. Essentially making them very expensive "please move your troops" abilities. The result is that they are generally inferior munition expenditures when compared with more consistent weapon upgrades and airstrike abilities, as well as poor replacements for on map indirect units.

Making the flares drop further away and with a certain amount of random scatter would add some uncertainty to exactly where the ability would drop. Making hits more consistent and allowing players to lead targets without completely showing their intention, while good players will still most likely know to move obvious targets.

Red = Dangerous anyway, Green = Non-Dangerous. No?

Red = Dangerous anyway, Green = Non-Dangerous. No?

Yea, but red can be a lot of things. There's been plenty of times I've retreated my infantry only to realize that the flares were from an allied airstrike. Something that would have been absolutely harmless and in fact beneficial to my troops.

There's way too many abilities in this game to have them all represented by red smoke.

How about USF major's fake arty - what colour it should be then?

And there is a notification on the side of monitor like "Ally barrage incoming"

I would be fine with just blue allied flares but i don't think it's an issue atm.

i'm not sure how feasible having the flares be coloured based on player perspective is (it might be doable, have to ask relic) but any friend/foe issues are easily overcome with communication. even pinging and putting MY ARTILLERY in chat works.

i would support having a little more granularity for the flares though, things like air supremacy operation having 5 flares instead of 3.

there's also the issue of flares sometimes being difficult to see on the ground, particularly on snow.

lol, what about the no flares abilities? i know the british one does just a huge red thing on the mini map and some axis ones just a siren... and another one that just highlights a sector. the sector can be highlighted because it's about to get nuked by OKW or it can be from lockdown of USF major and what not... i'd rather all strikes get a smoke instead of conspicuous noises and visuals.

lol, what about the no flares abilities? i know the british one does just a huge red thing on the mini map and some axis ones just a siren... and another one that just highlights a sector. the sector can be highlighted because it's about to get nuked by OKW or it can be from lockdown of USF major and what not... i'd rather all strikes get a smoke instead of conspicuous noises and visuals.

air supremacy operation and sector artillery both drop flares. air supremacy is where the ability is targeted (and then the circle shows up) and sector is only able to target capture points and thus the flares drop on the cap point (and then the sector turns yellow). the only ability i know of that doesn't drop any flares is the stuka dive bomb (the one with the siren) and that one is its own little can of worms.

air supremacy operation and sector artillery both drop flares. air supremacy is where the ability is targeted (and then the circle shows up) and sector is only able to target capture points and thus the flares drop on the cap point (and then the sector turns yellow). the only ability i know of that doesn't drop any flares is the stuka dive bomb (the one with the siren) and that one is its own little can of worms.

alright, another one i was thinking of was the Assault Artillery under OKW Breakthrough Doctrine. Is there a flare? I never notice it.

alright, another one i was thinking of was the Assault Artillery under OKW Breakthrough Doctrine. Is there a flare? I never notice it.

i'm actually not sure on that one but i think there is. it would work the same way as sector artillery though in that it would fall on top of the point itself which could easily make it more/less visible, depending on the map and point.

Allied arty should be a different color, but otherwise all is good.