Combat Mechanics - Target Acquisition

[warnevada]

After the combat round set-up is completed the game steps through the merged list of attacker and defender elements. If the element status is Dead, it is skipped. There are two states for retreats, Retreating and Retreated. If the element has either of those statuses it is skipped. Each round 10APs are subtracted from an element's available AP total, if the element has less than 10APs available it is skipped. Otherwise, it proceeds to acquire a target.

Each element type has a preferred target type. For example, for an AT-gun it is armored vehicles. There is a parameter which specifies how many attempts is may make to acquire its preferred target type. There are two zones in the positions of both the attacker and defender: Front and Rear. Elements are classified as either front or rear elements based on the range of their weapons. Short ranged elements (e.g. rifles, MGs) may only fire at elements in the enemy front zone. Long ranged elements (e.g. artillery, some AT-guns) may fire at any enemy elements. After several rounds, if an element has not been successfully shot at, it is considered "broken through" and from that point on can fire at any enemy element. Vic would need to supply the specific factors related to Break Throughs.

To make an acquisition attempt, a random number is generated from one to the number of enemy elements. The position in the enemy element list equal to the random number is examined. If that element has a status of Dead or Retreated, another random number is generated and the process is repeated. Then the enemy element is examined to see if it is the preferred type. If it is not, and this is not the maximum allowed preferred acquisition attempt, then the acquisition process is repeated. If this is the maximum allowed attempt, then if the enemy element status is not Dead or Retreated that element is the target and the process proceeds to Hit Determination.

From a realism aspect there is a weakness here which is addressed in other tactical games. That weakness is that friendly units are never fired at, whereas friendly fire casualties happen in the real world, especially from artillery fire.