Spotting enemy on rooftops

[souldierz]

I was playing a game with the Brits and came across a situation and I was wondering if someone can confirm or clarify what exactly is going on.

I had a FO and Sniper team on the roof of a 3 story building, but I noticed that even with a greater elevation advantage my teams could not see any of the enemy ATGM teams on a 1 story rooftop between 150 and 250 meters away.The rooftop the enemies were on had low walls and not the high walls that provide better cover and there was clear LOS.

When I further thought about this situation it seems like I never once was able to spot any enemy position on a rooftop unless they fired first or they were very close.Even when the allies have their eyes looking down from above they don't seem to see them.

Is this just a fluke situation on my part or is there a reason why enemies on low walled roof tops seem to be hard to spot?

[Paper Tiger]

Was that an UNCON ATGM team? They would be hard to spot if the civilian density was set to High.

[Sgt Joch]

how long did you wait?, sometimes it can take 5-10 minutes or more until they notice, spot (i.e. "?"icon) and then I.D. the unit. Stationary or hiding infantry can be very hard to spot.

[souldierz]

It was Syrian army and the civilian density varied between some missions, mostly high though.

You both raise very good points and that could be whats happening, the enemy are covered by civilian density and hiding so it will take longer before they become spotted, if they ever become spotted.Would they eventually be spotted or only seen if they fire a shot?

I would think that men on higher rooftops scanning with scopes and binos within a certain distance would be able to see the threat on low walled rooftops a bit better and quicker, but it might have just come down to a couple fluke situations on my part.

Sometimes in some moments it seems kind of odd and out of place when there's scattered solo houses dotted around the area and enemy is on most of them and can't be seen.It's like war just broke out and the small town decides to throw a Mardi Gras and a party is happening on every roof top masking all these deadly weapons and men near your forces.

[LongLeftFlank]

I've found that recon by (Area) fire will often winkle out hidden units on rooftops as they move about when discomfited. Grenade launchers are especially handy for this. Not exactly IAW Rules of Engagement in a populated area, but hey, war is hell.

[vincere]

LongLeftFlank

That was a good tip. I've used a surviving XO to ping the rooftops with ? on and revealed some nasties hiding. Cheers

[MikeyD]

A few patches ago the complaint was rooftops were deathraps! It seems what happens on rooftops is ...what's the phrase? ...simulated, (though that's not the word I'm searching for). The game assumes hanging laundry and smokestacks and stairway access and whatnot on roofs. That make a hiding stationary enemy a certain % more difficult to spot. When they get up and start running around the roof silhoutetted against the skyline, that's a whole 'nother story.

[vincere]

MikeyD. Thanks for that. I figured as much, though it does look a little odd with visually open roof and no spot. Not complaining though, they were death traps and they're much better now. Some of this type of rationale could be in the manual.

[Dietrich]

A few patches ago the complaint was rooftops were deathraps!

I still find that rooftops are best used as positions for observing rather than firing, since the extent to which pixeltruppen are exposed on a rooftop makes it dangerous to draw attention thereto, especially if enemy vehicles have LOF to that rooftop. However, it's still situation-dependent; if the enemy has no heavy weapons and the rooftop is outside small-arms range, then a rooftop can tactically be a prime piece of real estate.

When they get up and start running around the roof silhoutetted against the skyline....

Which may well explain why infantry on rooftops, when told to change facing or given similar orders, will typically go prone and crawl in the corresponding direction.

And people say the animations in CMSF are substandard!

[LongLeftFlank]

My two cents is that rooftops have now hit the Goldilocks level as far as cover and concealment is concerned -- just about right.