[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Twitch-guard

[Daniel Sjölie <deepone@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On 2001-09-21 14:43:19, Daniel L Speyer wrote:
> On Fri, 21 Sep 2001, Jules Bean wrote:
> 
> > On Fri, Sep 21, 2001 at 01:10:26PM -0400, Daniel L Speyer wrote:
> > > 1) On a very large ccontinent, a placer wishes to send a settler from one
> > > end to the other on a railroad.  Assume there is a timeout in the
> > > game.  All the territory is safely controlled by the settler's owner, so
> > > there shouldn't be a delay.
> > 
> > Yes.  Fine.
> > 
> > > 2) An undefended city is locked off by a battleship as shown:
> > > 
> > > .....             .=water
> > > ...A.             A=Alpine troops
> > > ..l..             l=(empty) land
> > > .C...             C=(undefended) city
> > > ....B             B=battleship
> > > 
> > > Now, the owner of the city doesn't know the battleship is there, but the
> > > owner of the battleship is counting on preventing ground re-inforcements
> > > from reaching the city.  If the Alpine Troops pause, then their owner will
> > > know *something* is waiting to attack, but if they don't, this strategy
> > > won't work.
> > 
> > Do battleships have ZOC range 2?  If not, then there is no problem:
> > the square 'l' is  not in their ZOC.  
> > 
> > If battleships do have ZOC 2, then I can think of other circumstances
> > when an enemy can 'spot' them from afar in the same way.
> > 
> 
> Battleships don't have ZOC at all.  However, they do have vision=2, and
> the strategy I described is a credible one to want from
> client-scripting.  It works in the real world (I think).

I really don't see the problem... There will only be a delay when you
enter enemy's ZOC - how could a battleship without ZOC possibly matter
in any way here???
Anyway, I think there are problems with the ZOC approach (it will always
give the defender a chance to attack first that might very vell be too
god) - borders are really what would make this feature natural...

Hmm... Maybe I see (part of?) your point above now... Do you mean that
since you won't see a unit passing the border if it is not visible to any
unit giving it a delay does nothing for your ability to act upon it and
thus the delay could be skipped thereby letting the invader know that he
is unseen? (Long sentence :)
I don't see how this could come up with ZOC though since everything has
at least 1 visibility and nothing has more than 1 ZOC (I believe?) -
thus you always see the unit slowing you down, right?
With borders I think simply making it so you always get a delay when
passing a border is a very good solution...

So, I still don't see the problem...

/Daniel

-- 
Now take a deep breath, smile and don't take life so seriously... :)