Welcome back! Today we will be diving deep into an exciting new Steel Division 2 feature the Eugen team has been working on during the summer: Smart Orders.
Smart Orders will be made available to all players and launch alongside the upcoming Death on the Vistula DLC on the 17th of October.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/988171/Steel_Division_2__History_Pass/
Smart Orders is a new tactical player tool in Steel Division 2 which offloads certain aspects of unit micromanagement to the computer. It means that you can select a group of units, give them a Smart Order, and watch as the AI takes over and, while taking into account various tactical elements, execute the order. A neat new feature, no?
Of course, there is a whole lot more to it. So, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at what Smart Orders are, and how they can help you command your troops more efficiently on the battlefield.
How does it work?
Smart Orders come as a new information panel in the tactical interface, above the standard unit controls. They are essentially automated commands you can give to a group of units, such as “take this hill” or “defend this position”, which they will then try to follow on their own initiative. Smart Orders can be used (or not) in perfect harmony with the more detailed and precise unit controls already available in Steel Division 2.
It is an excellent way to have the computer take control over a part of the battlefield, such as a flank or providing counter-battery fire, while you are concentrating on more important sectors of the frontline.
You pick the units, give them a Smart Order, and let the AI do the rest. The computer will carry out the command, stringing together various tactical considerations into one overarching automated order that is continuously updated until the objective is reached. For instance, the AI will take into account the group’s composition and number of units, the surrounding terrain, the cover available, if there are roads which can be used for fast movement, visible enemy units, their relative strength, and more. You can check which orders a unit is following by selecting them and holding Shift.
The units under a Smart Order will be highlighted in a different color. If you want, at any moment, you can take back control of a unit under a Smart Order by giving it another order.
Different types of Smart Orders
We were not happy with designing just a general offensive or defensive order; we wanted to make sure to reflect the realities of Steel Division 2 combat in the best possible way. This means you can give different types of automated orders to your units, which they will try to follow on their own initiative.
Which Smart Orders can you give?
- SEIZE: Give the “Seize” order to a selected group of units and they will automatically try to capture the targeted location, engaging any enemy near their objective. Having dealt with their threats, the selected units will automatically switch to the “Hold Position” stance.
- HOLD POSITION: Give the “Hold Position” order to a selected group of units and they will defend their current position to the best of their abilities, using the surrounding environment and available cover. They will relocate depending on the tactical situation, for instance, move around to face an enemy flanking attack.
- FIRE AT WILL: The “Fire at Will” order gives a selected group of units the freedom to target and engage any spotted enemy within their range of fire.
- COUNTER BATTERY: Give the “Counter Battery” to a selected group of artillery units, and on their own initiative will fire at enemy artillery pieces - but strictly in a counter-battery role. This means that your artillery units, mortars and howitzers will only target known or detected enemy artillery positions. No more idle time for your howitzers and mortar crews!
- DEFENSIVE FIRE:The “Defensive Fire” is the second Smart Order focused on helping you manage your artillery forces better. This command gives your artillery the freedom to fire at any target spotted close to the designated position. A great way to support your offensive operations!
Why did we create Smart Orders?
When creating Smart Orders we wanted to make sure that the new mechanic would appeal to all our players, from first-timers to experienced veterans.
It might look like a simple addition on the surface, but we made sure that everyone would enjoy it in their own particular way. Smart Orders fit into our game design ethos of Steel Division 2: you can either keep a strategic bird's-eye view of the battlefield or zoom in all the way to watch your tanks and soldiers do the fighting up close.
Smart Orders work in the same way. As a veteran, you can safely ignore issuing any Smart Orders if you are comfortable in micromanaging your units against the toughest of opponents. If you feel that a tactical battle goes too fast, however, you can subordinate certain sectors of the front to the computer. For new players getting into Steel Division 2, Smart Orders is a great management tool, giving them more control over their units on a battlefield that at times might feel too chaotic.
What’s coming next?
We are always very curious to hear what you, our players, think of our plans. As we talked about in our previous post, Smart Orders are just one of the many new features that will be coming to Steel Division 2 in the near future.
We have mod tools coming, new tutorials, the first Historical DLC bringing new divisions, new units, new maps, new Historical Battles and a new Army General Campaign, and much more. Hang on, as we will be ramping up the frequency of our blog posts, revealing all the good stuff in the lead up to the launch of the Death on the Vistula DLC on the 17th of October.
Keep an eye on our Steam and Eugen forums and social channels (Facebook and Twitter).
Leave your comments, suggestions, feedback! We’d love to hear what you think.
See you on the battlefield!