How do I operate/call in artillery in single player mode? I can’t seem to use the binocs with any character?
Finally, a question I can handle.
Only two roles have an artillery option: a squad leader and a commander. While squad members have a “Request Artillery” option, all it does is annoy your squad leader with a request. So you’ll need to be either a squad leader (to request artillery) or the commander (to place the artillery).
To become either of these roles, you simply hit the CAPS LOCK key and create your own squad (to become a squad leader) or apply for the commander position. Since you’re asking about singleplayer, you’re guaranteed to get the position of commander. Online, the applicant with the highest global score would receive the position.
On the 3D Map – that is the main screen in which you run around to shoot things – you can either call or place artillery by holding down the T-key (by default) and selecting the appropriate option by moving your mouse and clicking once the option is highlighted.
Another way that allows a squad leader to request artillery in locations where he or she lacks a line of sight is to use the squad leader screen. To do this, you push the CAPS LOCK screen to bring up the squad leader screen. Afterwards, you right-click on the map portion of the squad leader at the location you’d like to request artillery. It’d look like this (jpeg 75K). I’ve zoomed in the map by using my mouse scroll wheel, so the zoom level may differ initially.
As for the commander, they’d follow the same procedure only they’d use the commander screen. The commander screen looks a little different and offers a greater level of zoom, but the function is essentially the same. The only difference that needs to be mentioned is that the commander may only use artillery once it’s fully charged. You can see the timer for artillery in the upper left of the commander screen.
Cheers.
I keep getting an error: Commander application timed out.
I guess I’m not good enough to boss a bunch of bots around 
lol. When exactly do you get this message? When you try to launch a UAV or direct troops to do something?
I think this comes from not having accepted the post.
You apply. It waits for other applications. The highest Global Scored applicant is offered the job. The server notifies you that you’ve been offered the job. You press Pg Up to accept, or Pg Down to reject. If you press neither, I think you get that error.
Not really sure, as I play only online.
When you apply to be commander in single player, you have to wait a 15 seconds or so (sometimes less, sometimes more) and there will be a message near the bottom of the screen that says “You have been accepted as commander of the <your team here> Press Page Up to accept or Page Down to reject”
You then have to hit page up to actually become commander. Otherwise, the message disappears after a few seconds with the “commander application timed out”.
If you can get online, you can practice by joining a game with very few players so as to avoid annoying people by dropping artillery in the wrong place. That’s also how I get my flight training in–join a game with only a couple other people in it, and everybody gets to fly around and shoot the tanks. Don’t know if you’d be able to do commander stuff in a game that hasn’t started due to lack of players, though.
I managed to get accepted. I just noticed by chance that I was a commander suddenly. I assume I hit accept without noticing.
Anyway, the “application timed out” error I was getting, came INSTANTLY after submitting the application.
Just a flat rejection.
But I think I’ve got it now. I love calling in artillery after scanning for enemy troop concentrations.
I love FPS games, but RTS is my first love.
I’ll piggyback a question onto this. I recently upgraded my computer and picked up Battlefield 2, given my almost unhealthy love of Battlefield 1942 and Desert Combat. I tend to play as Special Ops, using C4 to take out the UAV, radar, and artillery installations on the enemy side of the map. (Hey, it’s basically free points!)
However, these seem to repair themselves with alarming frequency. When I’ve played as a commander on occasion, it seems like I need to repair (or order a teammate to repair) damaged installations manually. My question is, is the other team just that quick to repair things that I’ve blown up?
(And do they all take two packs of C4 to destroy? About a quarter of the time, the UAV structure is still intact after I toss two packs onto it.)
Are you playing online against others or in single player mode? Either way attacking the UAV, Artillery, and radar structures is a pretty common tactic. I have played as a commander it is has driven me nuts to have a few guys running back and forth between stuctures just blowing them up over and over. The commander can drop a supplies crate on or near the structure and it will get repaired. Make sure you blow it up (after restocking of course!). Also remember we have satellites now so the opposing commander can see you all the time and identify you to his team. There may be a repairman running around after you fixing things just to get the points!
Also, I have noticed generally most structures require two C4s to blow up. Never had a problem with needing additional ones. Maybe there is a supply crate in the general vicinity? Experienced commanders know where to drop the crates so they are hidden but still repair the structure.
Aaah, sneaky. I’ve seen crates dropped on top of structures before, and used them to my advantage by dumping loads of C4 all over, then re-equipping, repeating, and watching everything blow up all nice and pretty-like. I never knew they healed installations by their mere presence, though.
I’m aware of the sat scan and UAV, but there were a few times where I’d blow some artillery, head over the hill to take out a commander (who almost always is lying prone behind a wall focused on his commander map - silly rabbit…) and on my way out, the artillery is fixed and upright again. Guess there’s just an engineer on the ball or supplies drifting from the sky.
My biggest complaint about the game is that in BF42, an anti-tank kit could pop out of an alley and put a panzershrek into the rear armor of a tank and kill it in one hit. I’d happily trade away the guidance systems in B2 for the one-hit kill in the tender areas of BF42.
Ah yes, one of my frustrations also. They attempted to balance the game out a little much, taking away some of the realism. One of the biggest examples of this is the sniper rifle. Killing somebody with one shot is pretty rare. I guess I can’t be happy. I don’t like getting sniped, and I don’t like that I can’t snipe. O well.
Agreed. I can’t stand 3-hits-to-kill on the MBTs.
Its bad enough that it takes 2 or so on the APCs.
And if the tank has full “health”, I’ve found it takes 2 C4 charges to kill it. Which is fun. But you should be able to knock off treads or something similar.
And shoot out tires of wheeled vehicles!
And…
ok. I’ll stop.
My son’s clever commander tactic, when playing non-US, is to take a jet and fly it out to the US carrier, jump out, and hide on it while he does his commander stuff. Most US commanders never both to scan the carrier…
I just started playing this game online and I love it…I’m just a Sargent now and I’ve unlocked the better(?) sniper rifle and the engineer’s upgraded shotgun. I just love hopping up on a tank and and be the gunner. Sometimes you find a good tanker and you rack up some big points, with the exception of that 2 man assault helicopter that the US has. Sometimes though, I can never catch a good ride and get mowed down by either having the wrong weapon/soldier and/or being at the wrong place…I’m usually muttering to myself…“Dammit, I should have been ‘x’ instead of ‘y’!”
Do we have a list of Dopers on any thread with their Battlefield 2 names and the servers they normally jump on? It would be really cool to Squad Up and see how we fare.
My Doper name, Yeticus Rex is my BF2 name and I have been on TV 2 (Norway) on several occasions, because it’s always near the capacity of 64 players and the ping is usually lower than most…the guys are pretty good players too.
My BF2 name is Zavtra. I’ve just started playing online today. As I type this, as a matter of fact. 
Maybe we can get some Doper games together, blowing each other to bits.
It’ll be just like the BBQ Pit.
I play. Usually never on the same servers though. I go for the lowest ping vs largest map (I don’t go for less than 30 players).
I’m generally a medic with the name of AvroCanuck… I think I’m a Lance Corporal right now.
I love the L85, but obviously if a tank comes up, I’m fodder. So my other ‘usual’ class is anti-tank… Though I hate all the main weapons (MP5, Bison and whatever the Chinese use.)
If I’m in a vehicle, it’s generally an aircraft… Usually a helicopter, though I love to dogfight in the levels that have high walls (dam is my favourite for that)
How does the ranking system work? I’ve played in a couple of online games now, but my rank and other statuses (stati?) have yet to change.
It goes by your global score (all your scores added up from each game).
Here is a site that explains the rankings: http://ubar.bf2s.com/ranks.php
I have heard that in the new update (3) they lowered the points required for each rank. Please forgive me if the link is outdated.
Also, the rankings may update periodically depending the server load. When we first started playing rankings were only updated every 12 hours or so. I think it is more frequently now that they got their server woes figured out.
And one final note: are you playing on ranked servers?
With some practice, it’ll never take more than 2 AT shots to bring down a MBT. The trick is to shoot the tank in the belt of the thread. This is easiest when facing the front or back of a MBT, but it’s still quite doable on the sides. Once you’ve got it down, tanks are easy.
Palooka. A Doper game is a must.