Line of Sight?

[Mahtasooma]

I really tried to make sense of the Line of Sight rules, but I just can't.

I found that mostly, any horizontal difference and being even besides some cover blocks line of sight, which often looks really weird (crouching beside a long table when a guard along the table can't see you some squares away).

But sometimes they notice you at 90 degrees and sometimes they don't. Sometimes open doors block vision diagonally and sometimes they don't. I'm not getting it. Could someone with more knowledge please make a guide or something about this?

[grunt 117]

I would also like to learn a bit more about this. Also, are you saying that you can be standing essentially face to face with a guard but with cover on your left - and be concealed?

Something I do know is that their cone of vision expands to roughly 180 degrees when they are alert if that helps at all. Either way, a guide from someone who has figured this out would be great.

[Mahtasooma]

Yeah basically imagine a long table and a guard that is on the same line as the table facing the (small end) of the table. if you are on one of the sides of the table, even at the end close to the guard, he can't see you.

[RockType]

I'm not going to do a comprehensive guide, but here are some of the trickier things to notice:

- Cover objects only block vision to one tile directly behind them (in a 90 degree angle). Any space behind the object is considered visible. (The agent will press themselves against cover objects, so there is a clear visual indication.

- Cover Blocks all vision up to a 90* angle from the agent. The guards can't see you unless you're directly in front of them in some way.

- Guards have their peripheral vision marked in a lighter red as "noticed". Moving into this space will NOT make the guard see you, but they will notice something moving and investigate on their next turn. The exception to this is when a guard is ready to shoot, but has lost the target. On overwatch, the guard will turn to follow the moving agent and then shoot, if you move too many squares in the orange.

- Here's a tricky one: When a guard walks straight directly beside you when you're pressed up against a wall, they will not notice you. However, if a guard TURNS towards the direction of your agent from that position, their vision cone shifts onto the agent, meaning they will notice something and then see your agent.

- When a guard is looking around, they will notice if an agent is hiding in cover within one tile, and will investigate even if they can't see them. (The won't shoot, but will move to the agent's position next turn)

Lastly, there is no horizontal element to cover, in the tactical view, all cover objects look like the same-size boxes, even if their models are different.

[grunt 117]

That's all I needed tbh Hawk, well played mate.

[Mahtasooma]

Interesting... thank you. Covers a lot of issues. Door frames work in what way? I think sometimes a guard saw me on a 90 degree angle of a door frame...

[RockType]

The tricky one, I believe.

[Dorok]

Originally posted by Mahtasooma:

Interesting... thank you. Covers a lot of issues. Door frames work in what way? I think sometimes a guard saw me on a 90 degree angle of a door frame...

Check carefully guards description, a few have an extra large sight angle that is 180 (90+90). You won't be able catch them at a corner or a door exit/entrance.

EDIT: A trick could work anyway but I think it will make you lost an alarm level, need be checked. Wait them in front of a door closed. So when they open the door your character could stun them. But I think it won't avoid the alarm level lost I don't remember. So the trick would be let them enter and stun from their back, or long range, or just skip them. :-)

[obliviondoll]

Originally posted by ApexHawk:

- Here's a tricky one: When a guard walks straight directly beside you when you're pressed up against a wall, they will not notice you. However, if a guard TURNS towards the direction of your agent from that position, their vision cone shifts onto the agent, meaning they will notice something and then see your agent.

Just a note about this. Distracted/alerted guards look around, and will see you if you're beside them in cover. Unaware guards don't do this. If a guard's routine patrol leads him through a doorway, and your agent is on the other side, he'll walk past without suspicion. If he came to investigate the door being opened, or footsteps outside the door, he'll check both sides. If you're not ambushing, try not to be there.

[Dorok]

Originally posted by obliviondoll:

Just a note about this. Distracted/alerted guards look around, and will see you if you're beside them in cover. Unaware guards don't do this...

Firstly I think the "tricky guards" are just guards with extra sight angle, and their description pinpoint it. Secondly your point is right only when the guard reach his end of walk if he is a hunting guard (red triangle with exclamation mark). And for distracted guard (yellow triangle with interrogation mark), only when he will reach his target that is a yellow triangle with a mark (interrogation mark? I don't remember).

[Prometheus]

Use the check guard pathing A LOT or get a tag gun (my single favorite item) or the Wisp program (my favorite utility program). If a guard walks straight through a door with no turning, you can hide an agent directly to either side of the door with no problem. The same principle can be applied to cover objects if the guard just walks straight past with no turning.

[Biddion]

I tried a test along these lines. A guard on his normal patrol route opens the door, walks one tile in and returns. I placed an agent on either side to see if guards turned clockwise or counter-clockwise. Neither. The guy walked back in his room without giving my agents a one-over: a 180 pivot, skipping 1-179 degrees.

[Empiro]

Guards turn instantaneously -- so if a guard is looking in one direction and will make a 180 the next turn, you can have an agent standing literally beside the guard and not be seen. However, in a square in which they turn they have vision on squares before they turn and after. This can be tricky.

If you played the new XCOM, then you know how cover works -- when you're pressed against cover, draw an imaginary line that runs along the edge of the square between your agent and the cover, extending in both directions. Guards on the other side of the line cannot see you.

However, if a guard is alerted or distracted, then at the end of their move they do a "look around", which I think covers 180 degress. In addition, they "peek" around one square in each direction, meaning that you will be noticed (but not spotted) if you're hiding "just around the corner". You'll see a yellow notice marker drop where your agent is hiding.

As a final aside, note how distractions work -- guards who don't see an agent always go to the "last" distraction. So if a guard saw you and you hid (meaning that the guard goes into your last square, a noise, a door opening, someone moving in their notice zone will cause them to forget about what they saw and go after the new "thing".

[Dorok]

Originally posted by Hecate's Lover:

Use the check guard pathing A LOT or get a tag gun (my single favorite item) or the Wisp program (my favorite utility program). If a guard walks straight through a door with no turning, you can hide an agent directly to either side of the door with no problem.

I'm almost sure that this is wrong, if the enemy has extra sight angle (it's quoted in his description) this won't work, such enemy will stop at door entrance but if I remind well he won't see your agents right after the door, but will notice something (yellow interrogation mark on position).

I haven't seen often such enemies but a few time anyway.

[Empiro]

The spec ops guys have 180 degree vision with no peripheral weaknesses. The Akuma drones have that too. Both enemies are pretty rare, but you can't hide behind a wall as they walk past you.