Any way to see the map in 3D before selecting a unit?

[dewington]

As title... Basically I'm finding occasionally when I'm in the map screen during a fight that some of the terrain isn't displayed very clearly - dirt mounds, edges of slopes, stuff like that. The kind of stuff that I only notice once I've selected the unit and it's gone into 3D, then I find what I thought was a direct route has a great big hill in the way.

So I figured, there must be some way to view the field in 3D before making the choice and being stuck with that character, right? Well, I've tried every button on the pad during this screen and nothing seems to do it, so either I've missed something or it doesn't exist. If anyone can clue me in if it DOES exist, I'd appreciate it.

I don't think it helps that I've recently been playing Fire Emblem Awakening, which shows where your selected unit can go (and how far they can travel) a lot more clearly. (Incidentally, I think some kind of 'max distance' radius to show how far someone can go with their AP would be handy)

[dewington]

And I've just thought, it probably doesn't exist because it would negate the need for scouting areas if you could just fly around the map willy-nilly. Hmm...

[DoomyDoom]

Originally posted by dewington:

Incidentally, I think some kind of 'max distance' radius to show how far someone can go with their AP would be handy

Targeting circle of "Mortar Support" order is 100 units in diameter. You can drag it around to estimate distances like a short ruler.
Stepping on mines and going over sandbags can add about 10-30 extra units.

[Petralicious]

With this and quite a few other things, when you stop associating this with FE it's more fun (talking from my own experience).

Also there's the fun in reading the maps (and just finding all the little details).

Originally posted by dewington:

And I've just thought, it probably doesn't exist because it would negate the need for scouting areas if you could just fly around the map willy-nilly. Hmm...

This is a good point actually.

Originally posted by DoomyDoom:

Originally posted by dewington:

Incidentally, I think some kind of 'max distance' radius to show how far someone can go with their AP would be handy

Targeting circle of "Mortar Support" order is 100 units in diameter. You can drag it around to estimate distances like a short ruler.
Stepping on mines and going over sandbags can add about 10-30 extra units.

Hm, this is gonna be useful... once I unlock that one.

Also, a bit offtopic, do the mines get stronger as the game goes on? Because it takes quite a few mines to kill a scout already.
I wonder if mine-jumping would be viable.

[DoomyDoom]

Originally posted by PH_007:

Originally posted by dewington:

And I've just thought, it probably doesn't exist because it would negate the need for scouting areas if you could just fly around the map willy-nilly. Hmm...

This is a good point actually.

Yes and no.
The game separates terrain from units that can or can't can be seen. Easy example - if there's an enemy your units haven't spotted yet around the corner, you can walk up to that corner and twist the camera to see around it, but the enemy will be invisible until you actually walk out of the corner and "spot" him with currently controlled trooper.
So it's 100% possible to make moving camera that doesnt reveal enemies on current engine. The problem is being able to see important non-unit objects (i.e. mines, crates etc), which are never "hidden".

Originally posted by PH_007:

Originally posted by DoomyDoom:

Targeting circle of "Mortar Support" order is 100 units in diameter. You can drag it around to estimate distances like a short ruler.
Stepping on mines and going over sandbags can add about 10-30 extra units.

Hm, this is gonna be useful... once I unlock that one.

Extra note - 100 units is center-to-center of the "fat" border, not edge-to-edge.
It also has a somewhat high cost, so you can't use it when you're low on CP, so you might have to calculate your final moves ahead of time.

Originally posted by PH_007:

Also, a bit offtopic, do the mines get stronger as the game goes on? Because it takes quite a few mines to kill a scout already.

There are 2 tiers of mines (both AT and AP) as far as I remember. I'm away from game files so I can't look up now, but I will throw in their damage values later today.
There are 3 tiers of mines, not 2:

• Anti-Personnel mines have 180, 250, 350 vsPers and 50 vsArmor, explosion radius 25.
  
• Anti-Tank mines have 200,300,400 vsPers and 350, 450, 600 vsArmor, explosion radius 20

Originally posted by PH_007:

I wonder if mine-jumping would be viable.

Don't wonder. It is. For Lancers/Shocks it's pretty efficient. Scouts - meh, 900 AP is enough.