Danzig Posted September 7, 2002 Share Posted September 7, 2002 Units with active covered arcs will only engage enemy targets within these arcs, and while they are not allowed to hide (they need to be observing so they can’t keep their heads down), chances are that the enemy will not spot these units until after walking right into the killing zone.After playing through citadel several times last night, I realized that my units were still in hide mode after giving them covering arc. They would pick up and shoot at anything that came within the arc I created for them. So how does this work? Even though it says 'Hiding' for a unit, if it has a covering arc, is it assumed they aren't really in hiding but just well concealed for an ambush? If this is the case, I would wonder why the cover arc command is just not available from the unit menu while in a state of hiding. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnergoz Posted September 7, 2002 Share Posted September 7, 2002 I would think that "hiding" involves the desire to make oneself totally invisible, with no regard for the efficacy of the hideout as a fighting position. The "covered arc" command, to me, on the other hand implies that the unit is preparing for ambush in a particular direction, and has camouflaged the fighting position accordingly. This implies that fields of fire are laid out and perhaps ranges are measured (in real life, anyway). I don't see how a unit that started out with the idea of just "hiding" could somehow prepare their hide position into an appropriate ambush position...the two are quite different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grisha Posted September 7, 2002 Share Posted September 7, 2002 You can also use covered arc for moving units so that they keep their attention in a specific area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSpkr Posted September 7, 2002 Share Posted September 7, 2002 I disagree, gunner - perhaps that is accurate as to covered arc commands given to units at the start of a scenario (and thus also having the camoflage bonus, etc.); but say you have a platoon of infantry moving up through the brush. You can deisgnate covered arcs for the squads to stake out new watch zones (i.e., Sergei, your men cover our left flank from here to here; Ivan, you cover the center from here to her; Yevcheni, you have the right from here to here. Nobody engage until the enemy is within 40 meters.). Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnergoz Posted September 7, 2002 Share Posted September 7, 2002 If the question began as something like "why isn't the covered arc command available from hide" I would stick with the proposition that a unit engaging in the act of hiding itself is not basically preparing to engage the enemy. The covered arc command -- whether invoked at the start of a scenario or afterwards -- implies the intent to engage the enemy, and specifies from which direction and range the intent extends. Concealment benefits are a bonus, and a valuable one, but the intent to engage in a specific way is the primary reason for the command. Hide means, to me, "lie low and don't fight unless they trip on your boots as they go by." Units implementing covered arc are using the same profile as a hiding unit, because that's likely the closest thing to it in game terms. The big difference is, the unit with a covered arc is alert and "cocked and locked" as they like to say in the movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwazydog Posted September 7, 2002 Share Posted September 7, 2002 Actually guys that is how it was origionally, but it changes so you can hide them now. Note though that hiding troops dont spot as well as they used to. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danzig Posted September 8, 2002 Author Share Posted September 8, 2002 My question was more of a technical manner, but thanks for the replies. What I'm trying to figure out is even though I assign a cover arc to a unit, I can put it in hide mode. So does this mean it's hidden and assumes the benefits of that mode, or is the unit in a covering mode, getting bonuses for an ambush-ready state? Or is it something completely different? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danzig Posted September 8, 2002 Author Share Posted September 8, 2002 Ah..thanks Kwazy! That's what I was wondering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted September 8, 2002 Share Posted September 8, 2002 1) I have assigned covered arcs to units while they were hidden and they remained hidden. 2) I do not believe that having a covered arc confers any stealth advantage to a unit. It is merely focussing that unit's attention in a particular sector. HTH Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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