Non-adjacent enemy units, direct (opportunity) fire and spotted hexes

[ComradeP]

In some situations, non-adjacent enemy units/spotted hexes change during a turn. In some cases, the enemy units in non-adjacent hexes have a range of 2 (or more) hexes.

The changes to spotted units in situations where your units take fire from 2 hexes away from previously unspotted units are different in the friendly and the enemy turn.

It might be helpful to verify if everything is working as intended, and I'd like to suggest a change.

Some spotted hexes are dynamic (change during the turn), others are static (don't change during the turn).

Friendly turn:

Dynamic:

There are 2, possibly 3, ways ground units can spot non-adjacent units that were not visible at the start of the turn (due to terrain or enemy units blocking LOS):

1) Recon spotting, which may result in an Unknown unit marker or the regular unit counter that reveals type and "XXX" approximation of unit size.

2) Taking opportunity fire. This reveals the entire enemy stack, if there is more than 1 unit present, and fully identifies unit type and gives the "XXX" approximation of unit size.

3) I'd have to check what happens if Broken units retreat into a previous unspotted hex after taking fire. The Broken unit is visible, but I'm not sure about other units.

Suggestion: For option 2, I'd suggest changing "stack is fully spotted" to: single Unknown unit marker.

Static:

1) Patrolling units also spot units from 2 hexes away, but that check is made at the start of the turn and hexes/units spotted in that manner don't change during the turn. When you toggle Patrolling during a turn, the effect starts in the next enemy turn, not the current friendly turn.

Enemy turn:

Things become a bit more complicated during the enemy turn that you watch in the replay.

Unless it has changed recently, spotted hexes are essentially static unless units can be seen as they move into a hex that wasn't in LOS at the start of the turn, but is in LOS at that point.

Spotting by the units themselves is dynamic, but spotted hexes on the map are mostly static.

To clarify: the enemy can block LOS in some way, but if the hex was spotted by your units at the beginning of the enemy turn, you can see what happens in that hex. At the start of the next friendly turn, if the hex is still not in LOS of a friendly unit, it will become unspotted. This also means friendly units that are destroyed during an enemy turn will continue to spot units until the end of the enemy turn.

Units using direct fire from 2 or more hexes away from hexes that were not spotted at the start of the turn because the unit/stack between the targeted friendly unit/stack and the firing enemy unit/stack moved out of the hex(es) between the firing enemy stack/unit and the targeted friendly unit/stack will remain completely invisible.

They're only spotted if they can be spotted at the start of the next friendly turn. This can be a big deal in FWWC, where your units might be mauled by invisible units turn after turn without you being able to identify where the enemy (machine)guns are.

Suggestion: make an Unknown unit marker appear at the start of the friendly turn (like how counterbattery spotting works) in the hex where the enemy unit using direct fire was located provided that it didn't move.

[Strela]

In some situations, non-adjacent enemy units/spotted hexes change during a turn. In some cases, the enemy units in non-adjacent hexes have a range of 2 (or more) hexes.

The changes to spotted units in situations where your units take fire from 2 hexes away from previously unspotted units are different in the friendly and the enemy turn.

It might be helpful to verify if everything is working as intended, and I'd like to suggest a change.

Some spotted hexes are dynamic (change during the turn), others are static (don't change during the turn).

Friendly turn:

Dynamic:

There are 2, possibly 3, ways ground units can spot non-adjacent units that were not visible at the start of the turn (due to terrain or enemy units blocking LOS):

1) Recon spotting, which may result in an Unknown unit marker or the regular unit counter that reveals type and "XXX" approximation of unit size.

2) Taking opportunity fire. This reveals the entire enemy stack, if there is more than 1 unit present, and fully identifies unit type and gives the "XXX" approximation of unit size.

3) I'd have to check what happens if Broken units retreat into a previous unspotted hex after taking fire. The Broken unit is visible, but I'm not sure about other units.

Suggestion: For option 2, I'd suggest changing "stack is fully spotted" to: single Unknown unit marker.

Static:

1) Patrolling units also spot units from 2 hexes away, but that check is made at the start of the turn and hexes/units spotted in that manner don't change during the turn. When you toggle Patrolling during a turn, the effect starts in the next enemy turn, not the current friendly turn.

Enemy turn:

Things become a bit more complicated during the enemy turn that you watch in the replay.

Unless it has changed recently, spotted hexes are essentially static unless units can be seen as they move into a hex that wasn't in LOS at the start of the turn, but is in LOS at that point.

Spotting by the units themselves is dynamic, but spotted hexes on the map are mostly static.

To clarify: the enemy can block LOS in some way, but if the hex was spotted by your units at the beginning of the enemy turn, you can see what happens in that hex. At the start of the next friendly turn, if the hex is still not in LOS of a friendly unit, it will become unspotted. This also means friendly units that are destroyed during an enemy turn will continue to spot units until the end of the enemy turn.

Units using direct fire from 2 or more hexes away from hexes that were not spotted at the start of the turn because the unit/stack between the targeted friendly unit/stack and the firing enemy unit/stack moved out of the hex(es) between the firing enemy stack/unit and the targeted friendly unit/stack will remain completely invisible.

They're only spotted if they can be spotted at the start of the next friendly turn. This can be a big deal in FWWC, where your units might be mauled by invisible units turn after turn without you being able to identify where the enemy (machine)guns are.

Suggestion: make an Unknown unit marker appear at the start of the friendly turn (like how counterbattery spotting works) in the hex where the enemy unit using direct fire was located provided that it didn't move.

Hi there,

There is a lot in your questions here.

We need some time to review whether there is an issue or not in your observations. Historically the code had been written for both phased and non-phased play and that can result in some anomalies and timing issues. Some of your points may be related to that.

We are currently resourced constrained as this was one of the series that John Tiller was the prime on, and I will let you know when we get to reviewing these items.

Thanks,

David