Matrix Games Forums

In the absence of a feature list, and given that I do not own the original PCOWS, are any of the following aspects or features included in PCK:

Ability for AFVs to seek hull-down positions (manually or automatically). Is the owner of the vehicle aware of the hull-down stance?

Ammo tracking (displayed) for AFVs, infantry, arty and AT guns.

Height advantages/lower-elevation disadvantages, for both fire and movement.

Steep slopes/gullies that are impassable for vehicles.

Weather effects on visibilty (rain, snow, fog) and mobility (mud)

Multi-floor or high rise buildings that can be occupied by infantry on different levels.

Since buildings are not destructible, is there a mechanism to reduce the protection afforded to infantry in them, when such buildings have been subjected to heavy bombing or shelling?

ORIGINAL: James Crowley
In the absence of a feature list, and given that I do not own the original PCOWS, are any of the following aspects or features included in PCK:

Ability for AFVs to seek hull-down positions (manually or automatically). Is the owner of the vehicle aware of the hull-down stance?

No. Not until a shot fired at the vehicle gets a 'ground deflection' result from the shot impacting the ground protection.

ORIGINAL: James Crowley
Ammo tracking (displayed) for AFVs, infantry, arty and AT guns.

No fiddly stuff like this at this level game. Things run out of ammo and a message is displayed when it happens. You can assume that smoke rounds and APCR ammo will run out faster with use. Then HEAT. And finally HE and AP to last the longest.
Artillery doesn't run out of ammo, smoke or HE.

ORIGINAL: James Crowley
Height advantages/lower-elevation disadvantages, for both fire and movement.

Certain aspects may be included in the sighting ray. And it seems like infantry in fox holes and trenches may have a little less sighting range as they are at ground level.

ORIGINAL: James Crowley
Steep slopes/gullies that are impassable for vehicles.

Yes, these are a terrain type and easily defined.

ORIGINAL: James Crowley
Weather effects on visibilty (rain, snow, fog) and mobility (mud)

No effects on sighting. There is mud and a whole lot of terrain effects on mobility. There is an entire table dedicated to it in the manual.

ORIGINAL: James Crowley
Multi-floor or high rise buildings that can be occupied by infantry on different levels.

Yes, this is a bit abstracted as infantry occupy 'cells' in buildings. But the sighting is by ray so a ray from a higher story in a building or church tower sees over many things.

ORIGINAL: James Crowley
Since buildings are not destructible, is there a mechanism to reduce the protection afforded to infantry in them, when such buildings have been subjected to heavy bombing or shelling?

No. Though buildings are classified as heavy or light HE might affect units in light buildings somewhat more. The manual mentions something about HE has a 20% chance to explode in the building ignoring the cover for that one attack. (I may have this wrong however.)

ORIGINAL: James Crowley
In the absence of a feature list, and given that I do not own the original PCOWS, are any of the following aspects or features included in PCK:

FYI, the feature list is coming either tonight or tomorrow along with the first big press release about Kharkov, so not much longer to wait there.

Ability for AFVs to seek hull-down positions (manually or automatically). Is the owner of the vehicle aware of the hull-down stance?

Yes, manually. You have to eyeball it a bit based on what you want to be hull down to, so you can get down at the vehicle level and see if it appears you are hull down. Being hull down means that hits that would otherwise hit your lower hull will instead be likely to deflect off the ground. You'll see such ground deflections reported, letting you know that your hull down position is working.

Ammo tracking (displayed) for AFVs, infantry, arty and AT guns.

Only in the sense of has ammo / out of ammo for on-map units. Common ammo types (like AP and HE) are less likely to run out than exotic types like APCR or HEAT. Infantry is less likely to run out of ammo than vehicles, secondary weapons like MGs are less likely to run out of ammo than main guns. Off-map artillery does not run out of ammo.

Height advantages/lower-elevation disadvantages, for both fire and movement.

Yes, everything is checked in 3D so if you have an elevation advantage you could potentially hit the top armor of an approaching target or (assuming you have a good position) be hull-down to it.

Steep slopes/gullies that are impassable for vehicles.

Yes, we have some nice balkas and rivers that are a real pain for vehicles except at certain spots with lower slopes.

eather effects on visibilty (rain, snow, fog) and mobility (mud)

Default lighting/weather visibility is set by map and is not dynamic. Terrain, including mud and snow, absolutely does affect movement (based on movement type).

Multi-floor or high rise buildings that can be occupied by infantry on different levels.

Yes, but not "high rise" - we have a few two-story factory or church buildings. We did not focus on urban fighting so buildings with more than two stories are not in at present, nor are detailed urban rules for stuff like sewers, etc.

Since buildings are not destructible, is there a mechanism to reduce the protection afforded to infantry in them, when such buildings have been subjected to heavy bombing or shelling?

Buildings do not currently degrade, though that's high on the planned feature list for the future. Improvements from Winterstorm do include varying protection based on light or heavy buildings and a chance for each larger caliber HE weapon firing at a building that it "penetrates" and negates the building's cover bonus and does full damage to the unit inside.

Regards,

- Erik

Erik and Mobius, thanks once again.
 
I'm off to foreign parts, sans the web, from Wednesday. Hopefully the list will appear before I disappear!