LOS checker on vs off

Jeff Sewall

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I always play with the LOS checker disabled. I recently had this LOS in a game:

LOS checker off.jpg

The LOS is pretty tight but obviously clear. Snap-to-center is on, but the thread looks centered.

As a test, I then enabled the LOS checker, and restrung the LOS, producing this:
LOS checker on.jpg

The LOS checker says it's blocked, but the curious thing is that visibly, the same LOS is obviously blocked. There is a slight shifting in the snap-to-center placement, which might explain the visible difference, I guess.

I'm wondering if the snap is the difference here, or there might be another explanation. And even if it is the snap, why does that change if the LOS checker is enabled? I know that snap tends to "drift" the farther one gets from the hex coordinate "origin", but it should be the same here.

This is using VASL 6.4.1. The board is BFP-Q.
 

Spencer Armstrong

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That's weird. I never use it because I know the rules better than it seems to. More than once I've had it say blocked, zoomed in and there is not a thing on the far side of the line. It knows only if it touches a pixel, it seems. That's fine, just not the rule. It also can't handle overlays. Just too many exceptions for me to consider it a terribly useful tool.
 

Robin Reeve

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I don't rely on the LOS checker's indications either.
I use my eyes and I consider that the one pixel thread is the one which makes authority.
In the rather rare case when I have to think about the blind hex and elevation differences, I take the opportunity to read the rules and to have some good mental training exercise - when playing FtF, I will be able to figure out LOS without an automated help from a computer program.
I will be able to play ASL without Internet nor even electricity (preparing for the crashdown of our civilization based on virtual reality - eh, just kidding here :poser:)...
If, in addition, the LOS checker gives weird indications, well it is a supplemental reason for me not to use it.
 

zgrose

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(edit) re-read your description better... I’ve never seen the string shift but now I want to go and try to make it wiggle....
 
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