How do I area-target behind a hedgerow?

[Bulletpoint]

Since I started playing this game, I have been struggling with how to target the action square immediately behind a hedgerow. Maybe I am doing it wrong?

Let's say I spot some enemy taking cover behind bocage. I want to target my tank to hit them as best possible, but the tank itself doesn't spot the enemy.

What I do:

I select my tank, click the target order, and then hover the mouse over the action square behind the bocage. The line is red, no LOS. I then fiddle around with the mouse on the actual hedge itself, until I get a blue LOS. I click to target.

But oh, the red target line doesn't poke through the hedge. It just goes to the square in front of the hedge.

So I click the target order again, and fiddle again with the mouse over the hedge. I click, no luck. I'm again targeting the square in front.

This continues sometimes several times, but EVENTUALLY I usually find the magic pixel, and the red targeting line pokes through the hedge and I can fire away.

But suddenly it struck me: am I doing this wrong? Am I actually supposed to fire at the square in front of the hedge?

Or if not, any ideas about how to more consistently "hit the spot"?

[Baneman]

There is a trick to it ( yeah, no kidding )

What you do, is you turn the camera 180 degrees and position yourself so you can see the enemy side of the hedgerow. Now get your blue LoS line up to the hedge again. ( from above looking down almost vertically is best )

95% of the time, you can now get the red targeting line to "take" through the hedgerow. You may have to click 2 or 3 times, but try it, it often works.

Don't ask me why it works like that though

[Bulletpoint]

There is a trick to it ( yeah, no kidding )

What you do, is you turn the camera 180 degrees and position yourself so you can see the enemy side of the hedgerow. Now get your blue LoS line up to the hedge again. ( from above looking down almost vertically is best )

95% of the time, you can now get the red targeting line to "take" through the hedgerow. You may have to click 2 or 3 times, but try it, it often works.

Don't ask me why it works like that though

Thanks for the tip, will try that out next time I hope they tweak this a bit so it doesn't have to take quite so much effort.

[mjkerner]

You probably know this, but just in case, mortars can "see" a bit beyond blocking terrain, so linear targeting along the hedgerow will get rounds behind it. And with tanks, main gun fire seems to mostly be a waste, unless you do like Baneman says and get lucky with a round through the hedge or an opening...they generally just 'slpode against the berm to little effect. Try Target Light and their MG's will at least do a decent job of suppressing those guys on the other side.

[Baneman]

...I hope they tweak this a bit so it doesn't have to take quite so much effort.

I guess it's some sort of "baked into the game engine" thing, so don't hold your breath

You get used to the workaround - nowadays I generally just go up a bit and look down more or less vertically and I can get the targeting line through - only for very persistent "problem hedges" do I go all the way to the other side, but doing that solves 99.9% of issues I get of this kind.

But when you're not used to it, I recommend going all the way to the enemy side, you'll just get the desired result faster and more regularly until you get the knack.

[womble]

One shortcut, assuming someone has the enemy unit spotted is to TAB onto the enemy unit so you're looking back at your own forces from the enemy side of the Bocage. Then you pick the units you want to fire on the area out of your own icons. Not so useful when you've got hordes in the background, but can be a helpful tool in the box.

I don't think this can ever change while we're limited to a 2D display. The computer can't know your intention while you're mousing around, so it has to just present "what it can see", and the hedge "hitbox" gets in the way of seeing the far side of the hedge.

[Bulletpoint]

I think it's just an interface problem, really. After all, the game will indeed let me target that square behind the hedge, I just have to fiddle around with it a lot first, so why can't I just click on the middle of the target square, where the red target line eventually points to anyway?

[Vanir Ausf B]

A word of caution. If you struggle to get a target order to stick, that typically means the LOS or LOF is marginal, which will sometimes put the targeting unit into the dreaded spotting - aiming - firing (but not actually firing) loop.

[womble]

I think it's just an interface problem, really.

Yes, it's the interface problem of representing a 3D environment to the opeator on a 2D plane.

[Bulletpoint]

Yes, it's the interface problem of representing a 3D environment to the opeator on a 2D plane.

Seems to be specific to targeting hedges though...

[womble]

Seems to be specific to targeting hedges though...

That'll be because they're the only object you can target "behind", I guess. My memory fails to inform me as to whether the same jiggery-pokery applies to low walls.

[Bulletpoint]

That'll be because they're the only object you can target "behind", I guess. My memory fails to inform me as to whether the same jiggery-pokery applies to low walls.

I thought I was targeting the middle of the square behind the hedge, since that's where the red line end up pointing at. But maybe this is just a crude graphical representation of what really goes on: the target is actually on the hedge itself, but on the "far" side?

[Pak40]

What the game really needs is the ability to target non-action spots: vertical walls and bocage OR actually make these vertical elements into action spots. I can't for the life of me understand why this hasn't been done. It would make area fire so much more easy to do and cut down tremendously on players' frustrations.

[A Canadian Cat]

There was a recent thread where Steve explained why there are on target able spots on walls, buildings etc. It was towards the end of a threat @womble started about trouble targeting buildings. In a nutshell the issue is with the computer processing power required.

[sburke]

There was a recent thread where Steve explained why there are on target able spots on walls, buildings etc. It was towards the end of a threat @womble started about trouble targeting buildings. In a nutshell the issue is with the computer processing power required.

exactly. BF is not stupid, nor are they out to make our lives miserable. They simply understand the limitations faced much better than we do. So to say "I don't understand why...." is exactly correct and the answer. There are a few things that we are just going to have to accept as limitations in CMx2. Maybe when CMx3 comes out they won't be an issue anymore, but they are fundamental problems with computing power and game design, not simple tweaks.

Now I am sure none of that helps with the frustration, but it is what it is.

[Baneman]

Here you go Bulletpoint.

http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=112956

It is useful to read. Very informative.

Edit: Sorry, it was Pak40 who really asked the question this is the answer for.