Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Line of Sight in Tabletop Games

RollieJoeRollieJoe Member UncommonPosts: 451
 I have very little experience playing tabletop games unless you count Magic, but my possibly incorrect understanding is that in most games involving physical representations of units battling, Line of Sight is a factor. What I'm wondering is whether any boardgame/tabletop game that includes a LoS mechanic has managed to come up with one that is both simple and completely objective. To clarify:

A) By simple I mean it only takes a few seconds to determine whether unit X has LoS on unit Y, it doesn't require any fancy specialized tools, complex math, no rulers, no strings, and no grey area results where its a "close call" on whether LoS is there or not.

B) By objective I mean that it isn't open to slightly different results, in other words it doesn't involve looking from behind your unit towards the other unit and pretending if you would have LoS in your unit's situation, or whether 26.44% of the unit is visible or anything of that sort.

I'm not criticizing any of these methods or saying "all of these are bad" I'm simply wondering if any game has managed to come up with a LoS mechanic that somehow completely avoids these issues. It seems to me they are unavoidable but with my limited experience I hope I'm mistaken. Thanks for reading, and if you respond with an example game, please be sure to describe how it handles A and B above, since its a sure bet I haven't played the game you are mentioning!

Comments

  • anemoanemo Member RarePosts: 1,903

    If you play battletech with tiles it's pretty set.   Obviously only really affects targeting and hits.   Tactical information like a mech hiding prone in a river is still known.

    Dust when you play with board tiles also has some interesting tile mechanics for hits.

    Practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent.

    "At one point technology meant making tech that could get to the moon, now it means making tech that could get you a taxi."

  • DraenorDraenor Member UncommonPosts: 7,918
    In warhammer 40k, which is probably the most commonly played tabletop game, you determine Los from the unit's perspective, as close to the "eyes" as possible, when possible.  The most objective way of doing this is a laser pointer.  Games-workshop used to sell a laser pointer designed specifically for this purpose, it had a handle with a loop in it that you could place over the unit's head.  That was the most objective way I have seen.

    Your argument is like a two legged dog with an eating disorder...weak and unbalanced.

Sign In or Register to comment.