Make walls restrict enemy LOS

Walls serve the purposes of keeping the enemy out and creating choke points.

I prefer the idea that walls restrict LOS for enemies such that enemies can effectively only see what’s on THEIR side of the wall even if they are pressed right up against it.

This would allow strats to be better hidden especially given the large LOS of scout units.

Woodlines cut a certain way already offer this effect, even the thinnest of wood later still offers full stealth.

I believe walls should do the same.

Edit

base on some of the things ppl suggested below
a tower and/or keep can see over enemy walls if within range, therefore negating the sleath within range of the tower/keep.

Likewise for stone walls if you stand on top of the wall (as an enemy) that too should negate the stealth effect within the LOS range of the unit(s) on the wall.

26 Likes

I like it. But maybe if you have towers / castle / elevation you can see over

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I like this as long as it works both ways, such that longbow men and other ranged units can’t attack over walls, they should have to be on top in order to attack.

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Love this idea, and I agree with @PirateHamster1 that it should work both ways. Walls should block LOS both ways unless you are in a tower or on the wall.

There should be a fog of war inside and out of the walled area. Certainly you could set your ranged units to fire blindly over the walls but it would encourage the use of scout units in late game.

Perhaps there could be an additional wooden tower structure that could be buildable. Low armor, no additional weaponry, only mannable by 1-2 units. But it would be taller and would give greater LOS, but ONLY when garrisoned.

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Exactly that should be the proper counter also if you stand on the wall you can see

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There would be no advantages to building the wall if proper projectile units can’t fire over standard palisade.

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The risk/benefit would mean you need to build towers to see over them, or send a vanguard outside.

On that note, I think palisade walls should connect to outposts.

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I think both players should be able to see over palisade walls. Stone walls could restrict vision for the opposing player. They should not restrict vision for their owner, but by themselves should only give short vision.

As mentioned, towers / elevation lets you see over enemy walls. And you should be able to see their castles behind the wall.

Would be good to give more buffs to units on walls, as they aren’t placed there often. Maybe units on a wall give that area the hot oil ability, long vision range, and possibly some passive repair proportionate to the # of units on the wall, who should auto-navigate to an attacked portion of wall.

Maybe magonels and springalds can get onto tower / gateposts for a range and defense boost.

Too turtley?

Good idea… and can only see within their range radius

Agreed, only things that are taller than the wall itself (towers, etc) should see through walls, scout shouldn’t.
I had a match the other day in which I tried to wall off a path, but the building villagers got killed by a French player’s early knights before finishing the final section. After that, he constantly pick off villagers I sent to finish that one section and I didn’t understand how, because I don’t see his knights anywhere. Only by watching replay did I realize he can spot my villager coming from far away with scout, despite being on the other side of the wall :frowning:

I like this idea for stone walls, but I think you should still be able to see over Palisades

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Agree, but only stone walls should block view as if it were a forest.

Palisade walls should allow vision… Perhaps reducing it a bit, unless the palisade wall is in a higher position than the unit.

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Absolutely in support of this feature. I’d love to see this given serious consideration for future patches.

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Good idea and also elevation matters.
If the wall is built on the grassland, and the enemy scouts it from the near mountain they should be able to see a little bit.

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Agree, also it would give more reasons to have units on top of walls.

Which would be more historical too. Having lookouts or reasons for units on towers would be cool.

It could get complicated if there’s a tower behind the wall, as that should sorta be visible without granting other visibility,but of they pull it off it would be so cool.

Great idea! Those are the little details that add a lot to the game.

Is this idea only for enemy LOS? If so, cool. However, if your LOS is hampered by your own walls (unless you have archers on top of them), that wouldn’t be fun. A little claustrophobic feeling and a dissuasion to building walls, imo

You should loss LOS if you have walls and don’t have towers, since they should have LOS.

This would work by setting up the wall LOS to 0, and making it block the LOS of units and buildings (except towers, defensive landmarks and fortress)

It will also enable more strategic gameplay: if you are going to attack and realize that there are no units guarding the wall and no tower, then you might get your army closer to the wall in a sneaky way before attacking, even constructing the RAM or the siege tower right under the wall

Of course, if you defend, you should send an archer to the walls, to look on the wall… And it would be even better if they enable patrol to cover an even bigger area.

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Then I hereby officially rescind my vote for the idea. What was once a simple “restrict enemy LOS” idea has blossomed into a wall RPG mini-game. I’m out… :wink:

The idea has become needlessly too complex and restrictive for both players, so I now reside in the camp of “let’s leave it as it has been for two decades.”

Imagine wheeling up your trebs and not being able to see over walls until you break a hole in wall. And with that you only get a narrow peek through the wall whilst enemy horses stream through the hole and take out your trebs in 2 seconds flat