From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (qmail 30517 invoked by alias); 8 Nov 2003 22:59:51 -0000 Mailing-List: contact xconq7-help@sources.redhat.com; run by ezmlm Precedence: bulk List-Subscribe: List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: , Sender: xconq7-owner@sources.redhat.com Received: (qmail 30510 invoked from network); 8 Nov 2003 22:59:50 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO outbound28-2.lax.untd.com) (64.136.28.160) by sources.redhat.com with SMTP; 8 Nov 2003 22:59:50 -0000 Received: (qmail 12526 invoked from network); 8 Nov 2003 22:59:48 -0000 Received: from 66-52-247-112.sttl.dial.netzero.com (HELO vangogh) (66.52.247.112) by smtp01.lax.untd.com with SMTP; 8 Nov 2003 22:59:48 -0000 From: "Brandon J. Van Every" To: Cc: "xconq" Subject: Patrol methods Date: Sat, 08 Nov 2003 23:08:00 -0000 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal In-Reply-To: Importance: Normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1165 X-SW-Source: 2003/txt/msg00613.txt.bz2 John Ludlow wrote: > Brandon Van Every wrote: > > John Ludlow wrote: > > > Brandon Van Every wrote: > > > > > > > > I do think that "making your presence felt over > > > > an area" is a higher level warfare concept that > > > > Civ completely doesn't implement. > > > > > > Agreed, which is why I like the regional model. Actually, > > > have you considered regions as an overlay to the squares? > > > > From a game design standpoint, I don't like the idea of "funny > > boundaries." I'd rather either fully accept them or fully reject > > them. > > > > From an AI architecture standpoint, I do not like the idea of > > intermixing the two models at all. In actual coding practice, the > > "flatter" and "more regular" the addressing model, the better. > > Fair enough, but how do you plan to let the player make themselves > felt over an area? Would they define this area, or is it entirely > defined by the AI? If it's defined by the AI, what does the AI work > on as a basis? The player has to define the areas. For playability, I can't allow the player to treat the game as a paint program, having control over every single hex they do or don't want to search. It is too much of a drain on game time, they will fiddle and micromanage endlessly. So, I have to give them a pretty coarse "brush." A "patrol" icon with a radius, essentially. I think we could, however, have these patrol areas adapt themselves a bit more intelligently to the regions they're plopped down in. For instance, instead of just radiating from the flag, they could radiate from the nearest city. This is especially useful for airplane patrols. Ground forces could radiate according to movement cost from cities, using various transport networks. However, you'd want the patrolling methods to be decided more intelligently than simply going down the quickest road. The point of patrols is to guard the *flanks* of a road, not just the road. Also, you could have units patrol up to natural boundaries. Armor could patrol up to mountains but not enter them. Infantry could stick to their preferred terrain (forest, jungle, mountain, city) as much as possible. So, as you cursor the "patrol" icon over your map, the shape of the patrolled region would flex and bend. As would those of other patrol regions overlapping it. This way, you could systematically build up a patrol structure for your empire without too many mouseclicks. Also your patrol icons would morph and flex as your cities are created or destroyed, as your empire expands or contracts. Patrol flags would always have to be re-evaluating the regions they cover, based on current conditions. Cheers, www.indiegamedesign.com Brandon Van Every Seattle, WA Taking risk where others will not.