Really accurate arty fire??

[sstratto]

Playing the Germans on Hard in the Pershing scenario.

Mortar fires on first German turn (when there should be no line of site yet). I was moving the Panzer VI up (and it was still moving) when the barrage magically came in during defensive fire and knocked it out. Not sure if an 80mm mortar could penetrate the top armor of a Tiger, plus a moving target and quickly and exact targeting of the arty seemed a bit much.

Next turn (for 2 turns) exact hit with arty barrage in building where Germans were holding out. I think the spotting point/hexes for the two target hexes used for each arty barrage were pretty far apart.

I was also surprised that a moving Sherman would have an firing advantage over a stopped, concealed Pz IV. Saw it happen a couple of times in my game.

Is anyone else seeing this?

thanks

[Paullus]

Wow you got really unlucky there. The AI will be able to spot even when you don't see any Enemy forces. The AI OBA works a bit different from Human but there is always the drift factor. In your case the AI just got lucky.

[genesismwt]

The AI gets an off-board observer that is not limited to entry turn of the radio. Its not limited to a point in time and space, like the human is. Its a little unnerving when it happens to you, but isn't overcoming adversity what this game is about?

I think the computer was just lucky with the moving Sherman situation. Of course, with the game being late enough for Pershing tanks, its late enough for the Shermans to have gyrostabilizers for better firing on the move. Are Gyrostabilizers in the game?

Tanks!

[Paullus]

No there is no Gyrostabilizer in the Game

[waltero]

ORIGINAL: sstratto

Playing the Germans on Hard in the Pershing scenario.

Mortar fires on first German turn (when there should be no line of site yet). I was moving the Panzer VI up (and it was still moving) when the barrage magically came in during defensive fire and knocked it out. Not sure if an 80mm mortar could penetrate the top armor of a Tiger, plus a moving target and quickly and exact targeting of the arty seemed a bit much.

When playing against the AI it is best to make rash inferences.
Luck ("a bit much") Nothing...That hex has been Bore sighted. [X(]

[sstratto]

First - I love the comments! Thanks everyone.

Tried the scenario (Pershings) again tonight as Germans on hard - The AI (American) arty came in on almost every turn and it was almost always right around my guys. There was 1 turn though when it did drift and hit his own troops. The AI had 3 turns of fire on the exact same spot (right on top of buildings with my guys in it) - did not quite seem to have any random drift. I get the AI has different spotting mechanics - does it have different drift mechanics too? Is there a way to correct arty fire once called in?

I also found it odd that the AI did not seize an objective to secure a major victory vs a minor victory. The AI had 2 squads next to an objective and in another adjacent hex, 2 squads of DM infantry (I was curious what AI would do - OK, I forgot to move them). The AI took both squads into the square with the German DM squads were and did not take the VP hex (last turn too).

After playing this scenario 4 times as Germans on Hard, by the end of turn 2, the Americans usually have burned up 2 Pz IVs with Shermans. The scenario setup has them stopped, in cover and covering the approach the Shermans are coming in from. In most games (and my understanding of German vs American armor and tactics in WWII) a long range gun duel against German tanks would almost always favor the Germans due to better optics and shell penetration. I do not subscribe to the school that German tanks are unstoppable, just tougher to kill than a Sherman - especially at a decent range. Even with gyros, it was tough to hit anything while moving (we are not even adding any spotting factors here either).

Does the AI have the same fog of war as player? If so, how do they spot a tank at a distance in trees while moving buttoned up?

Still loving the game.

Thanks