Problems with spotting

[vasilak]

Hello all.

First things first: great game! Long time in waiting for it too...
So congrats to the developers and publisher.

To my current issue now.
I have a lot of problems with scouting and spotting in general.
The spotting values shown in the unit stats do not seem to reflect the actual spotting range.
Very often I move into ambushes thinking nothing should be there since it should have been spotted by my close by units.
I can expect something like this when the enemy unit is in a city hex.
But this happens even in the clear and it is becoming very difficult to plan any attacks since I am unable to figure out whether there are any enemy units unspotted nearby.

So, what are the actual rules regarding spotting, and in which cases the shown spotting values do not apply?

Thanks.
George

[Rudankort]

Values shown in unit stats should work as shown, unless there is rain or snow (in which case spotting range is divided by 2). Planes also lose some spotting range in cloudy weather.

I'm not sure why you are not sure if there can be an ambush in a given hex or not, because the game clearly displays the areas covered with fog of war (they are darker than spotted hexes). You can expect an ambush in any darkened hex, if you move your unit into it.

[vasilak]

Values shown in unit stats should work as shown, unless there is rain or snow (in which case spotting range is divided by 2). Planes also lose some spotting range in cloudy weather.

I'm not sure why you are not sure if there can be an ambush in a given hex or not, because the game clearly displays the areas covered with fog of war (they are darker than spotted hexes). You can expect an ambush in any darkened hex, if you move your unit into it.

Thanks for your quick answer!

You are right of course, I just haven't played too much yet to figure things out I guess.
The "problem" was that I expected air units to have a spotting value of 1 in rainy weather and also the fog is not shown in the regular map (or if its shown it is not clear) but only on the strategic map. It would be much more helpful if this was in some way also shown in the regular map (this would go in my wishlist I guess...).
Two last things:
1) A halved spotting range value of 3 becomes 2 or 1?
2) Does mud have any effect on the spotting value?

George

[Rudankort]

You are right of course, I just haven't played too much yet to figure things out I guess.
The "problem" was that I expected air units to have a spotting value of 1 in rainy weather and also the fog is not shown in the regular map (or if its shown it is not clear) but only on the strategic map. It would be much more helpful if this was in some way also shown in the regular map (this would go in my wishlist I guess...).

Hmm... Not sure I understand you. Looks at this screenshot for example:



Don't you see darker fog of war (e. g. in the right part of the map)?

1) A halved spotting range value of 3 becomes 2 or 1?

It will become 1.

2) Does mud have any effect on the spotting value?

No, mud does not affect spotting. It is a ground condition and as such, it affects movement, not visibility. But in the game mud often comes together with rain, and in this case spotting will be affected of course.

[vasilak]

Hmm... Not sure I understand you. Looks at this screenshot for example:



Don't you see darker fog of war (e. g. in the right part of the map)?

I can see the fog now that you point it out but I have a really hard time identifying every hex's status (fog or no fog).
Maybe it's just me but it is not clearly shown at all. Perhaps a bit darker would be better...

Thanks again.

[Rudankort]

This issue might also be related to how your monitor shows colors. Will it improve if you tweak brightness/contrast settings? Anybody else experiencing this problem?

[VPaulus]

This issue might also be related to how your monitor shows colors. Will it improve if you tweak brightness/contrast settings? Anybody else experiencing this problem?

Never had any problem in identifying for areas from non fog areas. I've a CRT.

[vasilak]

This issue might also be related to how your monitor shows colors. Will it improve if you tweak brightness/contrast settings? Anybody else experiencing this problem?

I have tried several different settings of brightness and contrast. Very difficult to discern the fog in every setting. Honestly if you did not point this out I wouldn't know it was there.
Even now that I know it's there it's almost no good. I definitely cannot use the knowledge to help me in the game. I have to resort to the strategic map but even there it's not so easy to spot quickly a specific hex I am interested in.
Maybe it's my screen though, I don't know. I use a Samsung SyncMaster 2493 (it's not old...).

G

[Rudankort]

Well, all I can suggest is to download this file:
http://www.rudankort.me/smoothFoW.png

and try to place it in your game's Graphics/Overlays subfolder (it will overwrite existing file, I recommend to backup it before overwriting). I darkened this file, compared to the original version. This might help you to see the FoW better.

[Locarnus]

It might help to set the hex sides to "strong" in the options, to discriminate between fog and no fog areas.

[vasilak]

Well, all I can suggest is to download this file:
http://www.rudankort.me/smoothFoW.png

and try to place it in your game's Graphics/Overlays subfolder (it will overwrite existing file, I recommend to backup it before overwriting). I darkened this file, compared to the original version. This might help you to see the FoW better.

Definitely improved things a lot. I only have a problem with thickly wooded areas but probably that can't be helped.
Thanks a lot!

Setting hexes to strong in settings is not helping as it just makes hex borders more visible, but not the fow.

G

[jaggy]

Well, all I can suggest is to download this file:
http://www.rudankort.me/smoothFoW.png

and try to place it in your game's Graphics/Overlays subfolder (it will overwrite existing file, I recommend to backup it before overwriting). I darkened this file, compared to the original version. This might help you to see the FoW better.

Thanks Rudankort! Like vasilak, I've a Samsung monitor, could really make out the FoW. With the new png, the FoW really stands out. I've back-up the original but I'm keeping the new FoW.

[jaggy]

Sorry, meant to say "couldn't" make out the FoW until I used the new file.

[Rood]

Really like that darker version for the FOW effect!

[vasilak]

By the way, I am viewing the screenshots with an LG monitor now (LG E2260) and have the same issue with the original FoW png file.
It's a bit clearer, I admit, compared to the Samsung, but only a little bit.

G

[impar]

It might help to set the hex sides to "strong" in the options, to discriminate between fog and no fog areas.

This!