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BlackVoid

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Posts posted by BlackVoid

  1. ------------------------------------------------

    I see the situation exactly the other way round with regards to modeling problems: in real life the stationary tank would have shot a whole platoon of enemy tanks coming around the same corner of the same house. At least after hitting the first, all others would fall victim to zero'ed in shots and standing versus having to stop and then aim.

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    This is true, but does not relate to the problem I am describing. The situation could have been the other way round: my tanks stationary and the enemy moving. My tanks were beside each other not after each other (maybe that would have worked better).

    This small difference caused one of my tanks to spot, the other not to spot. As most human players always play on the edge of LOS for armor, this situation happens fairly often AND DECIDES BATTLES. It can be very frustrating....

  2. Just played a game that is a good example. The enemy had a PZ4J, behind a patch of trees. I advanced 2 tanks (1 Sherman, 1 M10) on a road, where some of my infantry was fired upon the previous turn.

    As my tanks moved forward hunting, the M10 got LOS and started to engage shots. Moving paralelly, the Sherman advanced and then stopped. NO LOS to the PZ4J. I planned a 2 vs. 1 fight and ended up in 1 vs. 1. Too many dancing on the edge of LOS in my opinion.

    Moments like this decide games way too many times. Where one guy finds that spot with perfect LOS, but the other does not...

    Wont be around till next Friday.... :(

  3. What I meant by bumbiness is the many chaotic elevation changes on a map. Real life terrain tends to be a bit simpler: smoother hillsides, etc. Go to any location in your area and you will see that terrain most of the time is simpler than in CM. Positions that have good LOS coverage are quite readily apparent. In CM it is often tricky to find good positions because of the 'bumpiness'. I would like to have an option in terrain setup that would set this 'bumpiness' level.

    A cleaner terrain with more objects (ditches, railroads, etc) would be more realistic than the current one.

  4. PanzerLeader: I am happy you saw my point.

    Its exactly that perfect meter what I am talking about.

    Another idea: how about a switch: maximize view, minimze view, normal, stay hidden. In maximive view the unit would seek position so they have the largest area covered, min the opposite, normal would be normal (like now) and with hidden they would try to hide. These could be set along with a direction.

    This is something real troops would do on their own according to the situation.

    And one more: terrain generator should generate a 'cleaner' terrain, not so bumpy all over, but just plains, treelines, hills. The number of elevation changes should be reduced. Current generated maps are too 'bumpy', too random. Maybe a setting in map setup: bumpiness?

  5. Dalem: I completely agree. I realize the shortcomings of my suggestions. My conclusion was badly worded.

    The problem is: LOS is too coplicated, and often very hard to decide on it, unless you can use the LOS tool.

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    Then why not give a LOS tool, that works like this: You choose a special LOS command, click on a point on the map, and the program shows all visible areas with LOS to that point.

    ************************

    It does not eliminate micro-management, but at least it makes it easier a bit.

  6. WOW.

    Unfortunatly I was away from home last week, so could not react to the postings.

    My main point was (many did forget), that MINISCULE, SMALL, ALMOST NON-EXISTENT LOS issues decide way too many things. I doubt that many WW2 battles were fought out with units taking potshots through narrow openings, and treelines. No commander could meticulously check every inch of terrain for LOS. I beleive they chose a more direct approach.

    In a recent game I have played, the enemy had 4 guns. I killed each of them by area firing next to them with vehicles. It was mainly luck, but I managed to find positions, where I had good LOS very near to the guns, but not to the guns themselves. The guns never had a chance of firing back.

    In another battle I hid 3 of my vehicles behind a treeline. When I checked their LOS, they did not have any. Later, my enemy (by sheer luck) navigated some of his light armor to places where they had LOS on my armor and killed both.

    LOS issues really can and do get out of hand in a CM game. My intention with this thread was to brainstorm some ideas that might help the issue, instead it turned into a flame-war.

    Absolute spotting is part of the problem, but that would be very hard to get rid off.

    Someone has mentioned that more varied terrain would be good. In a way yes. But, terrain is oftenm too complicated as it is now. To many groups of trees, too many elevation changes. Look around in your area (wherever you live) and you will find that there are more terrain features, but they tend to be simpler (in most cases anyway).

    Some ideas to improve the current situation:

    1. You cannot have LOS through very narrow places.

    2. Vehicles and guns should not have LOS through any high vegetation (not including the woods they are stayin in). Yes, maybe they can spot a tank through it, but firing through should not be possible.

    3. If a spotted area is smaller then a given size: no LOS to that place.

    Still this solution would not be perfect.

  7. Too much control over troops and too much micro-management.

    This leads to a puzzle game, where you must find that spot where you can see enemy troops (infantry) , but the enemy (guns and armor) cannot see you. Whoever is better at this 'puzzle' usually wins. Many games are decided on miniscule LOS issues. Troops fire through trees, through narrow places, etc.

    Hope CMBB will be better in this respect, but this really turned me off in CMBO. (Although after about 150 games against humans.)

  8. Nice idea Wreck.

    The morale of the forces could also be taken into account. EG: If the morale of both sides is still above X% an Y number of turns are added to the game. In this case Y could be a random number in a given range.

    But I would be happy with a simple randomizer like: 30+-5 turns.

    The latter option is very easy to implement IMHO.

    Please post if you agree that this should be included!

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