Renaud

Warning, this post is rather windbaggy & grognardish in scope so be warned. My thoughts on spotting of hidden units scenario brought up by CoolColJ: I too have noticed that light woods are not effective at concealing moving units and once you are spotted you will stay that way unless you can get away completely. I consider this effect about right considering what I know about light woodlands in Western Europe. Even in WWII Europe, most lightly wooded land was carefully tended and devoid of masses of undergrowth...there are large spaces between the trees and the ground is flat. I think this is what the developers consider to be 'Scattered trees/woods whatever'. I keep some things in mind when judging the realism of CM's spotting as i've experienced it in 'Last Defense' played once each on both sides: 1) The low white brick walls on the map can't be more than a meter or so high since infantry are able to trace LOS over them at ground level. Therefore, anyone even a bit higher will be able to see what's just beyond the wall. 2) All 'hidden' units are still assumed to be exposed enough to observe everything in their LOS. In other words, they can't be completely behind the wall/behind a tree/or at the bottom of a foxhole all the time. Some men in the unit MUST be peeking out continuously whether it be over the wall, out a window, around the tree trunk or whatever. 3) In real combat your life depends on spotting them before they spot you. You may think you are invisible but how often do you think hastily prepared positions are really checked from every possible vantage point by the defenders to insure they are effective? Also, you can't rule out the random screw-up present in any group of men supposedly hiding (like the guy who has to take a piss NOW or accidentally discharges a weapon). 4) There are lots of eyes in an attacking force scanning everything that might hide hostile guys. Since this is a game, even if joe private is the only guy in a force of 60 men to see your bazookaman trip over a rock or light a cigarette or whatever, everyone knows about it. This isn't perfect realism I'll grant you but it doesn't bother me much. If I were advancing into enemy territory I would be sure to carefully study obvious locations (like a long brick wall & windows & stands of trees) for signs that people were peeking out of them or had been in the area (discarded ratio tins, tracks from scores of men, foxholes, ammo boxes, camo nets, truck/jeep tracks in an area, etc). If I am looking at a barren area like a long brick wall on a flat field or some narrow widely spaced tree trunks or a long line of foxholes I am highly likely to observe the presence of men trying to hide there while continuously observing me at the same time. My best luck has been hiding bazookamen in buildings on the side away from the bulk of the enemies...so when a tank goes past I hit it in the side or rear before very many of the enemy can get LOS to that unit. The more enemy have LOS to a unit the more likely it is to be spotted now matter how well hidden (i'm assuming each unit gets a independent chance to spot all hidden units within LOS...I suspect this is the implementation but don't know for sure). Actually my above points are me just trying to rationalize how great I think this game is! })