Fog of War Setting

[canuckgamer]

New to this game and noticed that the FOW default setting is 50. I assume if I adjust it to 80 there will be more FOW. Can someone tell me what the difference would be. I did a little testing and you can still click on an enemy unit and see it's information and the hexes it can more to plus potential combat results. So does it only reduce the range you can spot enemy units?

[Grondel]

New to this game and noticed that the FOW default setting is 50. I assume if I adjust it to 80 there will be more FOW. Can someone tell me what the difference would be. I did a little testing and you can still click on an enemy unit and see it's information and the hexes it can more to plus potential combat results. So does it only reduce the range you can spot enemy units?

This slider...

...only changes the density of the fog-graphic and has no game related effect.
lowest setting:

highest setting:


sers,
Thomas

[robman]

That would make an interesting negative trait, wouldn't it? "Myopic Command: Spotting range reduced by half." Recon would become much more critical.

[DefiantXYX]

That would make an interesting negative trait, wouldn't it? "Myopic Command: Spotting range reduced by half." Recon would become much more critical.

Very nice idea. But I fear the never get any changes in this part of the game.

I never tried that excisting "fog of war" trait so far, when units cant move into the dark.How does the first AO scenario work with it? Do you need to move all your planes step by step to cross the middlesea?

[VirgilInTheSKY]

That would make an interesting negative trait, wouldn't it? "Myopic Command: Spotting range reduced by half." Recon would become much more critical.

Very nice idea. But I fear the never get any changes in this part of the game.

I never tried that excisting "fog of war" trait so far, when units cant move into the dark.How does the first AO scenario work with it? Do you need to move all your planes step by step to cross the middlesea?

Rebase is not blocked, but your aircraft won't be able to cross ANY FoW with normal move order, which totally destroys the value of recon planes since they can not properly do any long range recons. In the case of large maps with multiple fronts, it also blocks you fron deploying long range air supports since they cannot cross the FoW to reach the target, a ground recon or something else must be kept on their path to "break the encirclement" and release the planes.

[Bee1976]

That would make an interesting negative trait, wouldn't it? "Myopic Command: Spotting range reduced by half." Recon would become much more critical.

Yes and no. The problem is, on higher defficulties you should always use good recon. so like the "you cant enter fow" trait this would be a second "free" trait for a lot of players.
But a trait like this might help players to play with recon and get used to it. So it might be beneficial for the game

[DefiantXYX]

Yes and no. The problem is, on higher defficulties you should always use good recon. so like the "you cant enter fow" trait this would be a second "free" trait for a lot of players.

I consider this far away from a "free trait". You pick a trait for a whole year, imagine some snow scenarios, when you see a shit. Your movement is like zero and when you use recon cars you might run out of movement and they get destroyed at the front.
Even worse, rain and mud, imo you would run out of turns without making some progress.

In scenarios without bad weather conditions I guess the trait is like -5 core slots, since you have to use a lot of recon planes on all front to at least establish some normal movement.You see 2 hexes, fly there, get another 3(?!) hexes and so on...

[Bee1976]

Well, there is always a solution.
I always sue recon and recon support, so for me its normal to spend coreslots for it. This is a little OT, but you can kill 2 birds with one stone if you use your recons as "traps" depending on the heros you got.

i.a. readineyy and agressive counterattack make a nice combo and will keep your recon alive. provocateur and a fast tank next to your recon can create fun outcomes and of course the good old camouflage thingy

if there are bad weather conditions and reduced movement, the enemy will suffer from that movement penalty aswell, so there is no need to recon to far into the fow.

And recon planes are cheap. Just sacrifice them and rebuy or send them out with a fighter escort.

There are some missions where you suffer from this trait, but its still benefical to pick it (in my opinion)

[DefiantXYX]

i.a. readineyy and agressive counterattack make a nice combo and will keep your recon alive. provocateur and a fast tank next to your recon can create fun outcomes and of course the good old camouflage thingy

Aggressive counterattack is one of the worst heroes imo, I keep recycling these guys. Readiness is needed for other units, like infantry. Since I am always playing DvG the AI does not care about these heroes on a recons. >1941 tanks are so much stronger than recons, if they are at the frontline they get wiped out like flies. Even strong tanks are vulnerable without AT support.

if there are bad weather conditions and reduced movement, the enemy will suffer from that movement penalty aswell, so there is no need to recon to far into the fow.

But the AI has no time limit. I remember some scenarios where you have to move as fast as possible, if you move only 1 instead of two hexes you wont make it in time.

There are some missions where you suffer from this trait, but its still benefical to pick it (in my opinion)

Maybe one day I will try this trait, but right now I guess its not fitting to my playstyle.

[robman]

I never tried that excisting "fog of war" trait so far, when units cant move into the dark.How does the first AO scenario work with it? Do you need to move all your planes step by step to cross the middlesea?

Seville: Combine Fog of War with Flexible Command. Split the recon plane. Fly one half to the edge of visibility, then fly the other half to the new edge of visibility. The Spanish shore will now be in view. To take Gibraltar, leave one infantry unit and one half of the recon plane in Africa. As soon as the Republican fleet is safely past, split the infantry unit and embark it in two boats. Use the half-recon plane to scout until the two boats reach the edge of its spotting range. Then use the boats to scout for one another until one reaches the Rock.

I play with the Fog of War trait. I have found that there are always solutions to initial spotting puzzles, thanks to clever scenario design. Remember, for example, that capital ships have a generous spotting range.

[Tassadar]

I never tried that excisting "fog of war" trait so far, when units cant move into the dark.How does the first AO scenario work with it? Do you need to move all your planes step by step to cross the middlesea?

Seville: Combine Fog of War with Flexible Command. Split the recon plane. Fly one half to the edge of visibility, then fly the other half to the new edge of visibility. The Spanish shore will now be in view. To take Gibraltar, leave one infantry unit and one half of the recon plane in Africa. As soon as the Republican fleet is safely past, split the infantry unit and embark it in two boats. Use the half-recon plane to scout until the two boats reach the edge of its spotting range. Then use the boats to scout for one another until one reaches the Rock.

I play with the Fog of War trait. I have found that there are always solutions to initial spotting puzzles, thanks to clever scenario design. Remember, for example, that capital ships have a generous spotting range.

It did not occur to me to use Flexible Command, nice idea! Mostly people would combine this trait with Meticulous Planning, but that is some creative thinking that can have extra utility in other situations also.

[DefiantXYX]

Seville: Combine Fog of War with Flexible Command.

True, nice combination, especially since flexible command is always nice to have.

[robman]

Just to clarify, for anyone who might be confused: In my earlier post, I conflated "Fog of War" and "Fear of the Unknown." "Fog of War" is a setting, turned on by default, that prevents you from seeing enemy units outside of your own units' spotting range. "Fear of the Unknown" is a negative trait that prevents you from moving units into or through hexes hidden by the Fog of War. (The very important exception is aircraft rebasing.)

I always play with Fear of the Unknown. Air recon is essential, both for the obvious reason that it expands your spotting range, and because when a recon aircraft rebases over hidden hexes, you can see along its entire flight path. Recon aircraft are quite vulnerable to enemy fighters, so (playing with Flexible Command) I split them and keep one half out of harm's way as long as enemy fighters are around. This frees my fighters from constant escort duty and the associated dangers (AA, distance from base). If the active half-recon gets shot down, the other half can quickly be reinforced and then re-split.