Multiple Arty Spotters - Game Mechanics

[TreadHead]

I’m trying to better understand how the game handles Artillery Spotters, and in particular, when you have multiple spotters on one side in a scenario. As an example, in scenario 013 “Counterattack at Schmidt 11/44”, the German force has three ArtVB units and multiple arty units.

I understand the idea that you enter the bombardment screen by selecting an eligible spotting unit, and then plot the arty missions. So let’s say one of the ArtVB units plots all of the fire missions, but between the time when the missions were requested and the couple of turns later when they are executed, that ArtVB unit is routed and runs behind cover and is now out of LOS.

If there are other eligible spotters that have LOS to the incoming rounds are they able to spot those rounds instead? Thus in game terms, allow those fire missions to be considered as being in LOS instead of getting the possible dispersion associated with being out of LOS? Or, is the situation that the spotter that calls for the fire mission is the only one that can spot for it and there is no mechanism in the game to transfer the spotting duties?

Thanks, Ross

[PanzerBob]

Good Question, Threadhead, I’ve always utilized my BEOB units, with the assumption that, whoever orders the fire mission is the one in charge, as a result I also try to share the duties evenly if I have more than one in order to increase their experience levels, as I campaign along.

Eternal War(gaming) PanzerBob

[pdoktar]

I think that wohoever calls the fire is the one responsible for spotting, in LOS or not, destroyed or routed.

[TreadHead]

From what I'm seeing in gameplay and not from understanding the code behind it, I would agree that it appears the spotter that calls it controls it. It also seems that another spotter can "take over" the fire mission by being the one that adjusts fire the next turn. I do these sort of hand-offs when controlling creeping barrages or adjusting fires to concentrate for a massive TOT (time-on-target) strike. I have no clue if this is really making any difference in real game terms; i.e., making it observed fire.

Two different messages can show before the strike if there is no LOS to the target area. Either “__ spotter has no LOS" or “__ has no spotter”. These can show just prior to the standard message “__ firing indirect fire”. Can anyone explain the difference?
[img]/threads/images/Graemlins/PointRight.gif[/img] The message “__ spotter has no LOS" seems to occur when the intended target hex is in LOS but where the strike landed is not.
[img]/threads/images/Graemlins/PointRight.gif[/img] The message “__ has no spotter” seems to occur when both the intended target hex and where the strike landed is not in LOS.

If you continue fire with that same battery for subsequent turns, no message pops up at all regarding the LOS regardless of whether the spotter (or new spotter given my habit noted above) has LOS or not. You just see the message “__ firing indirect fire”. This is what has been leading me to think the new spotter was effectively controlling the fire mission.

Also, unless I'm missing something, there does not appear to anything that overtly indicates or restricts which spotter is communicating with a particular battery.

Ross