Compared to Spotlight, Foward Observer is really hard to get working. There are many ways for a hacker to spread out your hacking area to get a model targeted. Pitcher, deplayable repeaters, fast repeater remotes, etc. so that the hacker can spotlight the target relatively save. And even for the repeater carrier it's with low risk, since you must only get into ZoC, not LoF. Compared to this, the Fordward Observer has to put much more efford to get to his target and then activate the FO is also a risk, since the target can simply shoot you. Additional it's a face to face roll, so that FO can fail AND you lose your FO Unit. How about using FO does not break camo and give the FO skill the stealth trait? The whole point of a FO is a guy that sneaks on the target and marks it undiscovered until the air strike is launched. As the rules are right now, FO is just a cheap way to get a specialist for pushing buttons. I simply makes in the most situations no sense to use FO when the FO unit simply can shoot the target. Hacker can use spotlight as ARO - FO as ARO is not very useful. FO simply needs an overhaul to become a truly useful skill
I rather like this. It would perhaps be simplest to give the ARO a -6 MIM modifier against Forward Observer, or make Forward Observer Silent.
Silent is probably not a good idea. In part because it doesn't do anything if you're using this in LOF to the target, which is in large part the reason people give when they discount forward observering (that it's better to just shoot), but also in part because it'll allow the opponent to immediately declare a normal roll Reset to cancel the state due to being allowed to Delay. It's an interesting idea, but I have two reservations: 1. It only really benefits skirmishers, which is a bit ironic since skirmisher hacking isn't in a great spot atm due to repeaters enabling DZ-hackers. 2. FO is still very popular for being so incredibly cost effective specialist and ARO enhancer.
Forward Observing is fine, I already utilise it enough as needed to facilitate guided. It should be utilised by skirmishers when they've managed to maneuver past a target and have got them out of cover and outside of a +3 band. If you're trying to unga bunga brute force this against targets in cover in their good range bands that's on you making a user error. Done correctly most of your random FO skirmishers take this attempt on B2 on 13s, even against fireteams the odds of success usually sit at something like 68% success when you take this at B2 on 13s vs B2 on 8s. Just because it's less order efficient than Spotlight doesn't mean it's ineffective. Guided fire delivery via Spotlight is simply too easy at the moment as it is, we don't really need to make Guided weaponry even more effective than it is now. That's the last thing the game needs.
As an N2/N3 player, one of the things I miss from the changes to Camouflage was the loss of normal rolls. When I played vanilla Ariadna, using scouts to FO and then Katyusha the enemy (even if suicidal) was a worthy trade. Since then, I've never felt that FO on skirmishers is actually worth the orders. If you compare spotlight hacking vs. FO: Spotlight requires ZOC, but not LOF - often a no risk attack or ARO, especially if repeaters are used Spotlight is on flat WIP in most cases (Tinbots, ECM:Hacking are relatively rare) Spotlight is Comms attack (only Reset/Hacking allows face to face) - there are no "special reset" options. No units get +1B reset Spotlight can fork/break a fireteam (Dodge, Reset, Hacking AROs) Spotlight burst is same in Active and Reactive turn FO requires LOF FO is modified by all BS attack MODs (cover, mimetism, range) and has no +3 band. Unless you have excellent positioning, the FO is most likely at WIP-3 for cover, but can easily be at WIP-6 or WIP-9. FO competes with all other BS attacks in terms of face-to-face counters - BS attacks with high BS or +1B fireteam, high dodge or special dodge (smoke). Infinity is highly optimized around BS face to face rolls, so a B2 attack without any positive mods is at a major disadvantage. Skirmisher FOs at least have mimetism and cover to help reduce the opponent's BS response (and sometimes surprise attack), but against a high dodge or smoke dodge ARO, it doesnt provide much benefit. FO is even weaker in the Reactive turn due to its reduction to B1 and the fact that your target is easily at B3/B4, with positive range mods The conclusion is that Spotlight is largely a B1 WIP vs. B1 WIP roll, with no downside (beyond order economy) if you fail, while FO is a B2 WIP-3 vs. B1 or B2 BS/PH+0, where losing often means dying. If a Spotlight fails, you can also try again since your target is still in the hacking zone, but if an opponent throws smoke or dodges in response to FO, then you have no chance to try again. I like the idea of giving FO the Silent trait, since it rewards you for maneuvering outside of your opponent's LOF with a normal roll. Not having a +3 range band still sucks but B2 WIP 13/14 before cover/mimetism mods is still a decent chance to succeed a normal roll. Rules question, since I don't think I've actually used a Silent weapon before. From the wording of the rule, are Dodge and Alert the only allowed reactions to a silent attack?
No, it's just very much not in line with the FAQ 1.1.1 nor rules V2 changes. If opponent is in Line of Fire - resolve without Silent If opponent is in Zone of Control, but not Line of Fire - Any ARO as a normal roll, or Alert. If you survive. If opponent is in Hacking Area, but not Zone of Control - Hacking and Reset may be declared If opponent is not in Line of Fire, nor in Zone of Control, nor in Hacking Area - Reset only, Alert if you don't. You're unlikely to get an ARO in this situation, though. Since you can Reset, Dodge will be unavailable regardless.
I like some of your Ideas although it shouldn't break the core mechanics even discover (= rolling dice) breaks the user's camo. But the FO's spotting attack (the BS-Attack part of the skill should be named differently from the FO skill!) could really get some additional modifications. So far the currently most effective FOs are the Tachimoto remotes due to their Marksmanship this could be translated into a general MOD for any spotting attacks. Also the range bands should get some change, IMO in the ranges 0" - 32" 0 | 32" - 40" -3 | 40+" -6
