wyskass

Does it though? The empirical factor is how much visibility do the vehicle optics improve over binoculars on foot. Considering the game doesn't model periscope, the other empirical factor is how much more visible is a Fennek hull down exposure vs 2 foot soldiers. The game software for sure has hard numbers and factors for that calculation. I don't like dissecting game algorithms as a way to play, but am still wondering if there's some player consensus about spotting distances of vehicle equipment vs foot binoculars. Even real world you can estimate based on optic magnification..

OK, I see what you mean about the hull down for this vehicle. There would need to be a periscope extension action to model it properly. So I guess will need to expose more of the vehicle than it should, to do spotting.

Yea that's informative video on spotting mechanics. As for contact sharing, say you have an observer team from battalion HQ in the field with an infantry company. How would contacts spotted by the observers be shared with units in the infantry? Using hierarchical comms, the observer would report to battalion, which would then send to company HQ, and company to platoons and down the line?Or you're saying if the observer is right next to an infantry unit they would share without going up the chain?

Yes, I believe that would be modeled as the hull down position. So I always seek to position the recons units as such. This would hide the vehicle better, but with units on foot you may still be able to get closer and less risk of being seen during movement. Just wondering at what point does closer distance on foot outweigh the vehicle optics advantage.

I have some questions about the factors determining accuracy. Is there any info on the accuracy of different indirect fire units? Comparing different mortar sizes and howitzers. How do on-map and off map indirect fire weapons compare? Is any advantage moving on-map mortar teams closer to their targets? Real mortars use different charges to vary mortar velocity for different target ranges. When closer to target, you can use less charge to lower flight time and lob, thereby increasing accuracy and response time. CM doesn't give control over that so am wondering if it's the same charge for all ranges, or they model less charge for shorter distances. Otherwise you'll get a high lob and long flight time for short distances without changing to less launch charge.

I'm playing the Dutch campaign, and am wondering about use of the recon units and their capabilities as combined with equipment. I'm trying to determine whether to dismount the Recce team or not. Am I better off staying in the vehicle to use the scope, or dismounting and being able to get closer to target on foot yet losing the vehicle optic advantage. The units consist of a 2 person recce team, showing 1 binocular and 2 thermal imagers. The other part is their Fennek vehicle with driver. Selecting the vehicle shows the driver having a thermal imager. Now the vehicle itself is described as having IR optics and a laser. Now the question I have, is who is "using" the vehicle optics? The driver or the passenger team? When I dismount, I lose the vehicle optics which I assume are better. What about the driver left in the vehicle? Do I gain more by being able to get closer on foot with just binoculars or staying in the vehicle further back but have better optics and sensors?

Thanks for pointing out the tanks as being the likely reason for the bugging out. That makes sense. I didn't consider that because the tanks haven't fired even once, and were only spotted by a couple observers, so I didn't consider them a threat and took them out eventually without them being a factor. Sounds like the units may have thought otherwise, and wisely so out of self preservation. The whole spotting and spreading contact information is still a bit of a black box, even after reading and re-reading about the mechanics of it. Especially lateral dissemination.

So, I realize a unit can choose not to follow orders when placed into a bad situation and retreat. It makes sense, but I've had a few situations where it was way premature and overly cautious. Here's an example from the Dutch campaign, first scenario. The Mechanized infantry has just arrived and I'm making the first moves to place them in position. They are placed within a walled space and need to exit through the one break. I've replayed this first round a couple times, and each of these units at some point started to retreat just as it exited the walled section. Besides this being the only way out of this area, an IFV should probably be ok being 1 km from the nearest enemy building, especially when not even under fire? Notice the IFV in the second shot throwing smoke screen and reversing. An armored IFV 1+ km from any enemy.. I've had to run this probably 4+ times just to get them out of this area. What's the deal with these cowardly units? And this isn't the only time, there is a random retreat, when just doing some distant advancing. It's like they sometimes realize they don't want to be in a war at all. A few attempts can get past this, but either by replay or through a wasted round of play.

akd, Thanks for the info. I'll keep it mind, but it does seem to explain some of what may seem odd.

I was looking for the same topic when I found OP write this. Seems this topic diverged into the game functionality aspects and real world theories. To address the game aspect of spotting: My original issue was the Javelin team being above and beyond the rest of the units in spotting ability and no communication of contact to anyone else. I put a Jav team up front and they immediately noticed a bunch of units at the back of the map. Ok, seems too quick but let's assume it's great optics. The game as designed is supposed to share contacts horizontally with as OP noted someone right next to you, say a FAC or HMG unit. That never happened to me just as OP noted. The system is also supposed to pass info up the chain, and my team had good connection to company HQ and they in turn to platoon leaders. Info never transferred to anyone. So to second the OP, why are the super human spotting powers not being shared horizontally nor vertically. Is there a bug with certain units or with C2 in some cases. Looking forward to more discussions about this, and hopefully from the developers mostly.