Matrix Games Forums

Hi Steve,
Question about how smoke works for LSA.
If you have two tanks against each other and smoke in-between, then smoke blocks Line of Sight and makes a hit on target very difficult.
But, if one player has infantry outside of the blocking effect of smoke and can also see the enemy tank, then tank (associated to the spotting infantry) can get LOS to the enemy tank and have accurate shots on it.

Is there a way to change how smoke blocks Line of Sight, so that smoke will always block Line of Sight between two units ... even if a spotting infantry unit is able to see an enemy unit?

Thanks
GameRat

LOS for accuracy purposes is measured from unit to unit. So even if the enemy tank is spotted by friendly infantry (i.e. the player can see it on the map) a friendly tank shooting through smoke (or any other hindrance that gives a 'obstructed' LOS line) will be firing 'unaimed.'

If you can't see the enemy tank at all (i.e. you're targeting the ground on the map where you suspect the enemy tank might be) this is 'area fire.' If you're shooting through smoke/other obscuring terrain it may also be 'unaimed fire' with the same accuracy penalty as above. The main difference is, without any known target, the firing tank will usually choose to shoot HE ammo and not AP. So the chance of damage is much lower even on a 'hit.'

Thanks for your reply Steve.
It seemed like smoke wasn't reducing accuracy when infantry spotters were in the equation, but sounds like that is not the case. Nice to know.

Maybe the advantage being noticed was when smoke was very close to tank (with infantry spotter), and that smoke (being adjacent to tank) was providing a cover advantage?

Hi Steve,
I'd like to change smoke for GJS mod ... to completely block Line of Sight (for example: red for lines of sight, instead of dark green).
Is there a way I can do this?

Hi davidss - unfortunately no, there isn't a way to mod the amount of hindrance smoke causes.

SteveMcClaire wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 5:24 pm Hi davidss - unfortunately no, there isn't a way to mod the amount of hindrance smoke causes.

Ok.
Thanks for taking time to answer.