"COVER" and PBEM LOS

[coltom]

I have enjoyed playing the CD version of your game for several years....as a new member of this forum I apologise if these questions have been answered in a previous thread. COVER..if I understand correctly moving into cover gives no benefit on the turn you move, some benefit on the next turn, and full benefit on the following turn. PBEM LOS...since you only see your opponent's units if you fire on him during his movement how do you overwatch (without firing) an area of the map with a FO for instance to observe him moving from a hex out of your LOS to another hex out of your LOS...in other words at some point during his movement you would have seen him but since he moved from a hex not in your LOS to another hex not in your LOS he has moved (closer) without you observing him (in game terms). Thanks for your reply in advance.

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by coltom

I have enjoyed playing the CD version of your game for several years....as a new member of this forum I apologise if these questions have been answered in a previous thread. COVER..if I understand correctly moving into cover gives no benefit on the turn you move, some benefit on the next turn, and full benefit on the following turn. PBEM LOS...since you only see your opponent's units if you fire on him during his movement how do you overwatch (without firing) an area of the map with a FO for instance to observe him moving from a hex out of your LOS to another hex out of your LOS...in other words at some point during his movement you would have seen him but since he moved from a hex not in your LOS to another hex not in your LOS he has moved (closer) without you observing him (in game terms). Thanks for your reply in advance.

Cover for a hex (rough say) applies as soon as you enter the hex.

However, dug-in status (occupying foxholes or vehicle sandbag revetments) requires some time. Usually one turn stationary. (Troops moving in a fire trench are considered dug-in though).

Moving infantry is more vulnerable - the more hexes they have moved, the more vulnerable (Includes any hexes moved in an APC too). So for infantry to get full benefit of say rough terrain cover - they need to "go firm" next turn, ie not move. If you have to move grunts under fire (or expect to receive some in the enemy phase), try to keep movement to 1 or at the outside 2 hexes total.

Moving vehicles are generally more difficult to hit with direct A/T fire. But as stated above - the APC movement is counted towards the infantry vulnerability. So it is best to debus your pax at the start of a move (APC has no or only 1-2 hexes moved) if there is a possibility of return fire. Charging many hexes into the middle of an enemy position and then jumping out leaves you horribly exposed and bunched up.

PBEM playback only shows firing events. If every movement event was logged, then the PBEM replay file would be simply massive, and take forever. So there is no way to observe say a bunch of tanks that exit from behind village A and end up behind village B unless someone takes a pot-shot at those moving tanks. (But the system is miles better than the original SP-1 game - there was no replay at all, so you had no clue why your tigers were suddenly burning).


Cheers
Andy

[coltom]

Andy...thanks for your reply...in regards to those moving tanks...if you specify overwatch fire with a unit that has no chance to penetrate the tank's armor at any point during it's move, will it fire (thereby giving you a sighting) ? Say you have good vis (40-50 hexes) how would you set up a unit to cover an open flank ? Also for defensive purposes is it 'better' for a tank to be on the top (flat) of a hill or on the lower slope ? Which gives a better chance for 'hull down' ?

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by coltom

Andy...thanks for your reply...in regards to those moving tanks...if you specify overwatch fire with a unit that has no chance to penetrate the tank's armor at any point during it's move, will it fire (thereby giving you a sighting) ? Say you have good vis (40-50 hexes) how would you set up a unit to cover an open flank ? Also for defensive purposes is it 'better' for a tank to be on the top (flat) of a hill or on the lower slope ? Which gives a better chance for 'hull down' ?

The tank might fire, if it had an HE round it thinks has a chance to de-track the target (e.g an ISU-122 or stug with short 75 maybe?). Or if the enemy were accompanied by trucks or thin skin APC etc.

Or - just scatter some scouts/inf-at about your flanks of the defence, with range set to 1 as spotters and perhaps ambushers. Also advance them in the first few turns maybe, if there is a decent observation point a few hexes in front of the deployment zone out in "no-mans land". (Undetected scouts in his rear is a wonderful thing to have in any game in any case - esp. if they have a radio and can call arty observed ).

Hull down (more turret hits than hull, target is adjudged a bit smaller) is obtained if the target is higher than the firer, or dug-in. If the firer is higher than the target, then you start getting top armour shots. The slope of the hex is ignored (AFAIR), so a flat hilltop is fine to defend on.

Andy

[RightDeve]

Well that's a very good explanation Andy, it sheds some light to things that otherwise could only be known by guessing or experience.
Maybe some of the developers could kindly document these "under the hood" things like the way Tiller's PzC/MC documentation describes its game mechanics.
For now, the only way to get those thing is by reading posts from Don or Andy (yes, the GG has some good coverage on the mechanic but not comprehensive I think).
Some things have startled me like the way tanks are more vulnerable from direct AT fire when traversing downhill (as the top armor is quite visible), etc.

[coltom]

Andy...great info...I'm sure I'll have more questions... talk to you soon. By the way, I have discovered a file called WW2_APCalc in the game folder which shows (by country) armour penetration values / ranges. A great tool for planning optimum attack/defense range.