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Squall & Fog Visibility Questions


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#1 jondnewhall

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Posted 14 October 2020 - 04:16 PM

Hi, I just started playing GQ3 and I have some questions about daytime visibility, fog, and squalls.

 

Question 1:

 

In rule 1.17.4 full daytime visibility is 50,000 yards (target detection) or 30,000 yards (visual target acquisition that identifies the ship and enables gunnery without a spotter plane). It says "these ranges are reduced by the maximum visibility for the current weather conditions."

 

The example says that rolling 17 on 6d6 means "Maximum visibility is 17,000 yards." So that would suggest "these ranges (50,000 or 30,000 yards) are reduced by the maximum visibility for the current weather conditions (17,000 yards)." This sounds like it's asking me to subtract the one from the other, but that seems odd since Force 2 Day Visibility rolls will generate higher numbers than Force 10 Day Visibility rolls and if it was subtracting you'd think it was the other way around.

 

So it makes sense to me that the Xd6 x 1,000 yards Day Visibility roll is actually generating the max visibility, which is capped to a limit of 50,000 yards for visual detection and 30,000 yards for target acquisition. Is that correct?

 

Question 2:

 

Rule 1.17.4 says for Dusk conditions you decrease existing day-time visibility by the Dusk roll amount x 1,000 yards. I assume in this case it actually is about subtracting what you roll from the existing visibility limit?

 

Question 3:

 

Rule 1.17.2 says "current maximum visibility range" is d6 x 1,000 yards. So that isn't adding or subtracting anything, it just sets the max visibility to your result (between 1,000 and 6,000 yards) equally for all ships regardless of what it would otherwise be?

 

Question 4:

 

Rule 1.17.3 says rain squall visibility varies for each squall. The visibility limit is d6x1,000 yards, and "applies to vessels and aircraft in a squall, as well as a LoS passing into or through a squall."

 

Is this a new hard limit on visibility like I assume fog creates? Daytime visibility is normally whatever, say 15,000 yards, but in a squall it is, say, 4,000 yards? If so I'd assume that a ship inside looking out can see that far (if they are just on the edge of the squall they can see out of it 4,000 yards?) and vice-versa for ships looking in (they can see from the edge of the squall 4,000 yards?).

 

If so, what happens when the squall is thinner than the visibility limit? Say it is 1,000 yards wide and its visibility limit is 3,000 yards.

 

Or does it work some other way? Out of the 4 questions this is the one I'm most confused about I think.

 

I hope these don't seem like silly questions, I just want to make sure I am using this interesting weather system correctly since it seems important to the naval flavor. Thank you for your time :)



#2 Dave Franklin

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Posted 15 October 2020 - 08:25 AM

jondnewhall,

 

#1: Yes, the max visibility is the nD6 x 1000 yds roll.  See the example in italics at the end of the first paragraph under 1.17.4 Visibility.

#2: Yes, you are subtracting that amount from the Day Vis. Range until you get to the Night Vis. Range, based on the moon phase, cloud cover (i.e. full moon but solid overcast would be new moon) and possibly fog & squalls.

#3 Correct, max vis. is 1D6 x 1000 yds in fog.

#4: Yes, max vis. is 1D6 x 1000 yds in each rain squall or 1D6 x 500 yds in each snow squall.  That is looking in or out, as stated in the last sentence of the Visibility bullet under 1.17.3 Squalls.  As far as the squall being narrow, I would still play it that the visibility is reduced looking into, out of, or through it.

 

Dave



#3 jondnewhall

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Posted 15 October 2020 - 10:38 AM

jondnewhall,

 

#1: Yes, the max visibility is the nD6 x 1000 yds roll.  See the example in italics at the end of the first paragraph under 1.17.4 Visibility.

#2: Yes, you are subtracting that amount from the Day Vis. Range until you get to the Night Vis. Range, based on the moon phase, cloud cover (i.e. full moon but solid overcast would be new moon) and possibly fog & squalls.

#3 Correct, max vis. is 1D6 x 1000 yds in fog.

#4: Yes, max vis. is 1D6 x 1000 yds in each rain squall or 1D6 x 500 yds in each snow squall.  That is looking in or out, as stated in the last sentence of the Visibility bullet under 1.17.3 Squalls.  As far as the squall being narrow, I would still play it that the visibility is reduced looking into, out of, or through it.

 

Dave

Hi Dave, thanks for the reply. For the squall being narrow as an example would you say it's like this?

 

The squall is let's say 3,000 yards across and you roll 5,000 yards visibility. If you look into it then the point at which your line of sight hits the squall now you can only see another 5,000 yards. So assuming max visibility for the scenario overall allowed, you'd see through the 3,000 yards of the squall then another 2,000 yards beyond?

 

- Jon



#4 Dave Franklin

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Posted 17 October 2020 - 08:09 AM

Jon,

 

You said "...you roll 5,000 yards visibility. If you look into it then the point at which your line of sight hits the squall now you can only see another 5,000 yards."

 

Between 1.17.3 stating "This visibility limit applies to vessels and aircraft in a squall as well as a LoS passing into or through a squall." and 1.17.4 stating "While a vessel is in fog or a squall, her visual acquisition is reduced to the visibility limit determined in rule Section 1.17.2 or 1.17.3 respectively." (my italics/underline), I would play it that the maximum visibility to or from a ship in a squall is what you rolled - 5,000 yds in your example.  So in other words it is an absolute, and you couldn't as in your example see a ship in that squall from 20,000 yds just because it was only 2,000 yds inside the squall.

 

As far as seeing a ship on the other side of a squall, I would either play it the same, or I might apply a "house rule" we usually use in land games to simplify LOS and woods: that you can't see through two edges.

 

Of course you can play it with whichever nuance you wish, just let all the players know before hand and keep it consistent during the game.

 

Dave


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#5 jondnewhall

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Posted 17 October 2020 - 12:18 PM

Thanks Dave, that makes sense both from the rules perspective and from a realism perspective (looking into and out of a squall is equally hard) so I think that'll be the way I do it from now on.  Cheers!






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