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JacquesDeLalaing -> RE: LOS Question (11/27/2021 8:51:21 AM)
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Just by looking at your screenshot, I'd say that the 37TkBtn is mainly spotted by the German units of the 1127th regiment. The village Blanere sure leads to a reduction of the recon points being cast from the north, but some points will still get through.
Note that you can check your exact LOS% on the target hex (see my explanation below).
The main factor why the Germans can see the 37 Tk Btn is that the Tk Btn is positioned in open fields (hide 4!) so you need to have only a few recon points in their hex to spot them. Due to the good weather and the lack of LOS-obstruction (there is just open ground between the 1227. and the Tk Btn) the Germans get more than sufficient recon points on the hex to "partially" spot the US tanks. If the tanks were positioned in the village or the woods, things would look much different!
My attempt to explain Recon in Decisive Campaings: Ardennes
Each unit generates raw recon points according to its size (most combat individuals generate 1 recon point, support individuals usually don't).
In the hex of a unit itself, 100% of its generated raw recon points are applied. Only a percentage of the raw recon points are cast out to other hexes, according to distance, weather/light conditions and terrain. TIP: Select a hex, switch to move mode (doesn't work in inspect mode for some reason) and hover over other hexes. There is a place in the bottom right corner of the UI (left of the "HEX" tab/register) where you will see the exact LOS value and the effect of weather/light (presented as a fraction; so /2 = 50% LOS, e.g.) and obstruction (presented as a %-value). The LOS% value tells you how many of the raw recon points generated by the units in the selected hex are applied to the hex you're hovering over. This is also represented by the color of the eye symbols (if you have switched "LOS overlay" on).
Your final raw recon points in any hex are the sum of the recon points of all your units in hexes that have at least 1% LOS on that hex.
The game then translates raw recon points into effective recon points. If you have a huge raw recon point value in a hex, your effective recon points will be much lower and vice versa. This helps smaller units to spot better, while it gives diminishing recon returns for huge troop concentrations. You can get detailed information on your raw and effective recon points in a hex if you hover over the Recon value in the hex-information window (the recon points shown here are effective recon points).
The effective recon points are then compared to the hide value of any enemy units present in the hex. The main factor here is the terrain itself (an open plain gives only few hide points, urban terrain many). Very small or experienced enemy units get a bonus on their hide value (and vice versa). If your effective recon points exceed an enemy unit's hide points, you get to see a counter on the map (thus preventing an ambush if you move into the hex). However, in order to gain more information and see the actual elements in the enemy unit, your recon needs to exceed the enemy's higde value by a larger margin. The larger the difference, the more accurate your information is.
WHY DOES IT MATTER? In my experience, you can only hit enemy elements that you've spotted. So if you just see an enemy counter but have not identified any elements within that counter, it's totally futile (and a big waste of ammo) to fire your artillery on that hex. You need to see the actual combat elements! Also, the hide value affects the "cover points" an element gets in combat. I'm not entirely sure how that works, it seems to affect target selection (so that you vulnerable units are less likely to be targeted if you have high cover points). Last but not least, if you unknowignly move into a hex with enemy presence, the enemy will get two ambush combat rounds on you (200% attack power, you don't get any entrenchment).
NOTE: The spotting status (spotted/identified) doesn't strike me as very important. It helps to keep units you've spotted on your map and affects cover points. But it does not make a unit easier to spot (this is written rather confusingly in the manual).
NOTE: Recon points are updated live (i.e. during movements, not only at the start/end of the turn). EDIT: I think the game uses/remembers your maximum recon points on a hex during any turn. I.e. you can move units on without losing their recon points? (If this wasn't the case, the order in which you move your units would become highly important)
NOTE: You can quickly gain recon points in a hex by attacking into it (ca. +5 Recon points per combat round). Often it's a good idea to first attack with a probe to spot enemy elements and only then rain down your artillery.
NOTE: Spotting in this system is not two-sided. It occurs rather often that you can see the enemy but the enemy can't see you (or vice versa).
RULE OF THUMB: If your recon value in a hex exceeds the hexes' hide value, you usually know if there is an enemy in the hex or not.
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