Question: Terrain details

[Imp]

Hey John,

There is a long tradition in tabletop and hex board wargaming of publishing defensive tables with actual numeric values. I don't think that's needed in SP.

But at the other end of the scale is not having any idea if certain terrain types offer cover.

I'm the middle camp, where I don't want numeric values, but I would like more information than we have, so I'm not guessing.

Hi Simon

Yes I used to play hex war game a lot & definitive defence factors etc were clearly defined as was in general the terrain.
Hex games tend to be simple with LOS you can either see through it or you cant & detection rates don't vary. Also all the hexes are identical, I have no idea nor do I really need to if a density 35 woods hex offers marginally better properties than a density 26 one. I would guess yes at least on detection.
You are talking percentages though not scaled jumps.

Same with the different terrains the diffrences are often faily subtle not a leap from zero to +1
Rough or an entrenchment are obviously a big change from open ground but a field is not.

Given the nature of the game I rarely find myself wondering about the fine nuances in the different terrain. The tactical situation move points & LOS more drive things & you try to take advantage of the best you can.

Roads & rail could I suppose be clarified they probably are based on underlying terrain & its just the extra speed on roads that makes them seem worse.

I also & just me think orchards are worse than woods at least for detection & would say sand dunes are not on par with woods either.

The rest seem fairly obvious & I understand where your coming from especially if your just starting the game so have no gut feeling on how it works.
You have to be careful though its easy for a new person to try & ring the last 0.1% out of a unit by studying all the little things rather than getting on with playing the game & developing tactics.
I should know I am a bean cruncher at heart yet for some reason have never found the need to take this game apart.

Defining things is hard though take elevation AFVs for some vehicles I would rate it as poor for others excellent. All depends how much better or worse your turret armour is than your hull armour. No good being a bit harder to hit if the shot now kills if it hits.
Of course that's not strictly true either theres still some benefit to it in the right situation.