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Cogmind => General Discussion => Topic started by: Jiyva on January 28, 2024, 03:47:41 PM

Title: How does line of sight work with structures?
Post by: Jiyva on January 28, 2024, 03:47:41 PM
It seems random to me based on the screenshots I attached. But I am pretty sure there must be some rules that I am unaware of.
Title: Re: How does line of sight work with structures?
Post by: Jiyva on January 28, 2024, 05:24:38 PM
Perhaps the rule is: structures reduces the visual range instead of blocking it. That explains what happens in the screenshots.
Title: Re: How does line of sight work with structures?
Post by: Kyzrati on January 28, 2024, 06:52:10 PM
Pretty much, yep. The manual discusses robot FOV and spotting behavior in the section on Combat > Spotting:

Quote
Note that sight range is also reduced when line of sight passes through machines, making it possible in certain environments to get closer to hostiles before being spotted.

The more pieces of machinery blocking a given direction, the shorter the total line of sight in that direction.
Title: Re: How does line of sight work with structures?
Post by: Jiyva on January 29, 2024, 12:07:18 PM
Pretty much, yep. The manual discusses robot FOV and spotting behavior in the section on Combat > Spotting:

Quote
Note that sight range is also reduced when line of sight passes through machines, making it possible in certain environments to get closer to hostiles before being spotted.

The more pieces of machinery blocking a given direction, the shorter the total line of sight in that direction.

Thanks for the reply! At first I thought this design choice is odd. But it probably creates a better user experience by providing a better view for the surroundings.
Title: Re: How does line of sight work with structures?
Post by: Kyzrati on January 29, 2024, 04:17:23 PM
Oh yeah it's great for tactics, making encounters and exploration much more dynamic and interesting overall.

If you need a conceptual way to think about it, consider that machines do not fully occupy every inch of space available to them in a given area--some are shorter (you can partially see over them), some are not as dense (you can see through parts of them, just not as fully/clearly), and so on.

If you've ever walked through a factory, or seen the inside of one, think of it like that. You can often see pretty far, but not quite as clearly as you can across completely open ground! (and the further you try to see the less clear things are, even if you'd be able to see what's on the other side of machines just fine if they weren't in the way, given the distance).

Solid blast doors, by comparison, block all vision of course.