Grumblers musing

[berto]

The "feature" that really puts me off is the hidden results.  I haven't yet read a solid reason behind this design change, but I cannot fathom why this was done.  I know of no other game where the results of combat are hidden, and this information is, again IMO, necessary to making rational decisions going forward.  Yes, I can click on the enemy unit's hex to see if it's been disrupted, and I can view the damage dialogue to see if any SP's were lost.  I just don't see the point in adding extra steps.

As Jason put it so well:

Hidden results in Extreme Fog of War is part of making the Extreme part of the Optional Rule more prevelant. It was really insignificant before, now it is very significant. The information is all still there, it just isn't there instantaneously like one was used to from playing the old games. It requires a few moments to dig that information out, with the intention or representing combat at the command level one is typically playing.

The blue highlight says it all. In the real-time FOW of actual combat, the higher level force commander (represented by you, the player) would not know casualties to any detail, instantaneously. (Each turn representing six minutes of "real time", right?) The force commander would have to take the time and effort to "dig" for such info.

Especially for EFOW, the intent is to move away from God-like, know-it-all, real-time omniscience.

That said, in ME 1.01, for EFOW only, we will change the "unknown effects against unknown units" to, for example, something like "losses inflicted" or "no losses inflicted", without spelling out the precise details. So make EFOW a bit less extreme, and make the Damage Report box not quite so useless.