Interim Recon Solution regarding splitting Counters

[Iconoclast]

Hey all,

Splitting counters is on the list for some future installment of the game, but we all know that we are not going to see it anytime soon. Pondering about the issue, something hit me that I would like to offer as an interim solution to this problem.

We can basically distinguish between Recon done by the line units themselves (tactical recon) and recon done by designated recon units. While the former requires you to be able to split a Patrol from a Company, the latter offers a convenient solution.

In-game, we are mostly presented with designated recon units in Coy strenght. In reality these Coy would rarely be deployed as one coherent force, and even if, they would most of the time occupy a bigger area than they do in the game e.g. to form a screen. How about we would "split" these Coys beforehand, in the scenario designer, so the players would have 4 platoons available instead of one company? We wouldn't be able to reform the company, but that wouldn't fit their task anyway while we at the same time get closer to actual recon capabilities in terms of "ground covered"

Have a nice day,

A

 

[john connor]

Nice idea, but whilst there are already various platoon sized units that occasionally crop up in game (as an exception) I suspect that they must suffer from the same issue that made playing Caphillrat's platoon level scenarios a frustrating experience for me (at least) - the LOS doesn't seem to be coded for units smaller than (roughly) company size. That is, the LOS coding seems to assume a footprint that is considerably larger than a platoon size, which meant that, in those platoon sized scenarios, for example, it was not possible to hide 7 men units (for example) behind a 50 metre thick building, or other obstruction, because they were visible as if they took up much more space than that, and, indeed, could see through much thicker obstructions than that quite easily (because they had a much bigger footprint than they should have had, if they were really only 7 men). So this issue would make the smaller ad-hoc recon units a bit difficult to handle realistically. To bring about that fix yourself, at the moment, is also quite difficult. It would involve some tinkering with the estab editor, not just scenmaker.

Peter

 

[john connor]

It just occurred to me - I wonder if you could 'fix' the LOS issue (for Caphillrat's platoon level scenarios, for example) by using mapmaker to set much more extreme values to the level of sight obstruction provided by certain objects........? I might try that!

 

[Dave 'Arjuna' O'Connor]

I suspect the problem is the guaranteed sighting range based on the unit footprint but I would need to look into this before confirming that.

Another solution is to abstract the patrolling done by companies on defence by allowing them to devote a certain percentage of their force to patrolling. Then we can assume they have a certain patrol range. This would give them a certain probability of detecting enemy from that extended range and another probability of engaging enemy entering that range. It would need another task option.

Perhaps it could be extended to Move tasks as well but assumes the force will be conducting a screen forward of the vanguard. Though with additional settings we could have it focus on the left or right flank. Just a thought.

 

[john connor]

Those solutions sound great to me, Dave. For what my opinion is worth, I would prefer, in fact, that at the present level (company/Bn) the recon task is abstracted, as it seems mad if you would have to fiddle around sending out patrols etc.

BUT, when you do the platoon level iteration, I assume then we would be able to send out small bands of men as we wish. Which would be subject to you looking at the LOS implications, as it doesn't seem to work too well at the moment at platoon level, no doubt for the reasons you suggest. You can play Caphillrat's platoon scenarios, of course, and, from a distance, it al looks as if they work ok, but once you start getting out the LOS tool you realise that you have tiny units looking straight through factories and woods etc, and being spotted through them no problem, even when the obstruction is very significant. You don't think I could 'cure' this by upping the 'density' of the LOS effects for certain objects (trees, buildings etc) in the map effects? I guess not if it's to do with the footprint.