Hello,
On v2.5, on hard difficulty, I use at least 4 smoke grenades a mission.
I use them until I know where all the aliens are, and until distances, coverage and support are proper and ensured.
It doesn't spoil the game interest.
- Smoke last quite long, often enough to cancel the initial pressure.
- It seems that any smoked square offers the same protection degree, whereas one may questions whether (standing up or) being on the last square (at the border) should protect the same. Standing up in the square just next to a non smoked area looks unfair.
- Finally, there are blatant situations when any intelligent enemy would heavily suspect that smoke cloud on an empty map hides some PHALANX.
Suggestion: on hard and higher difficulty
- Have some wind on the map! Smoke could last less (1 or 2 turn less).
- Add a chance for a "borderline" soldier to be spotted. This chance would be computed at LOS computation time. I guess that currently, he's sighted by the LOS system, and then a test causes it to be removed from the target list:
(T: target, X: sighter, S: smoke, -: fresh air)
TX : 100% spotted
T----------X : 100% spotted
T--S------X : 0% spotted
T----------X (T is in smoke) : 0% spotted
I'd change the last line:
T----------X (T is in smoke) : 20% (e.g.) spotted
(see the code below)
- Make any smoked area a threat to the AI:
- be "cautious" nearby a smoke (as far as the AI may be cautious): crouch, ready for reaction fire in this direction.
- make some center locations in the cloud (in case LOS prevents to aim at the very center) low priority targets (the nearer, the more priority).
- aim at the middle of the cloud with AoE or dispersive weapons (grenade, blaster cannon ball, needler, ...) in order to hit either those hiding inside, or those hiding behind.
This targeting would be cancel if friendly fire is likely to occur.
Of course, PHALANX could lessen this new threat by staying at the border of the smoke, and they could lure the alien by firing smoke in remote locations, but that's war.
If I'm correct, the current algorithm is (considering that the target would be spotted without the smoke):
IF {((target is at smoke location) AND (target is not adjacent)) OR (a square of smoke is blocking the sighter-target LOS)
THEN (remove target from target list)}
Could be altered to the following:
IF {((a square of smoke is blocking the sighter-target LOS) OR ((target is at smoke location) AND (target is not adjacent) AND (test to spot is failed)))
THEN (remove target from target list)}
It is assumed that when there's no smoked square between the sighter and the target to block LOS, and the target is in a smoked square, then this smoked square is next to fresh air square in the direction of LOS, and the sighter should be given a chance to keep on spotting his target.