[SG] HELS/DFFG's and Fire & DS2 Smoke

I checked last night for DS2 smoke rules.

* Smoke by artillery smoke missions, vehicle fires, and terrain fires does
obscure firing completely.

* Smoke from vehicle smoke dischargers obscures firing from HELs and missile
systems, but makes all other weapon systems increase one range band. This
lasts until the end of the vehicles next activation.

Question for Mike Elliot and Jon Tuffley: The rules state you put the smoke
from a vehicle discharger directly in front of the vehicle. Does this mean it
only affects incoming fire against the vehicle's front side? I was thinking
they could drop a smoke screen close enough to the vehicle to obscure the
whole vehicle.

* Any scenery or buildings hit by DFFG, HELs, and arty will produce smoke and
lasts through the game unless extinguished by an engineering team.

Mike

Michael Miserendino Senior Software Engineer Lincoln Re mtmiserendino@lnc.com

> owner-gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU at internet 02/11/00 08:26AM >>>
A quick look in SG 2 failed to find the effect of firing Heavy (vehicle size)
HELs and DFFG's to start fires.

What got me thinking was the RFAC vs. Infantry thread. While I agree that
HEL's and DFFG's may be unlikely to directly hit infantry diving for cover or
behind cover, it seems that if the cover is flammable, these weapons would
likely set the cover on fire. This in turn would have an effect on infantry
within or close to the fire.

Part of the debate would have to deal with how HEL's and DFFG's are immagined.

If they are sinble pulse weapons that do most of thier damage by superheating
and internal structure causing an explosion, it could be argued that the
explosion may have the force to extinguish a fire that was started. However,
in this case, the exploding gas or material may be hot enough to start
secondary fires.

If, on the other hand, continous beam/stream or milisecond cycling pulse
is used, then heat on exposed surfaces (causing melting rather than explosive
damage) would be the effect. These type weapons would be ideal for starting
area fires by just sweeping an area that has flammable material in it.

In either case, are there rules for this that I missed?