[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Idea/suggestion: Different heights

[Reinier Post <rp@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, Mar 28, 2002 at 01:01:21AM -0800, Raahul Kumar wrote:
> 
> --- "Per I. Mathisen" <Per.Inge.Mathisen@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > On Wed, 27 Mar 2002, Raahul Kumar wrote:
> > > > ... which is just so silly when you actually stop to think about it.
> > > >
> > >
> > > I'm not with you here mate. I've tended to notice that my ability to
> > > spot things increases the higher up I am.  It's the entire basis
> > > behind satellites, and reconaissance aircraft.
> > 
> > Explorers do not climb mountains do get a better view. Ever tried to climb
> > a mountain? The notion is just hillarious. Think for a moment about the
> > scale of things here.
> > 
> 
> They do climb hills all the time ;-). You're right in that the idea that 
> anyone
> would go climbing the Himalayan range is ridiculous. On the other hand, the
> puny excuse for mountains in Europe(Alps) could be crossed by an overweight
> elephant.

Per didn't say that mountains aren't climbed, he said that they aren't
climbed to get a better view.  There are exceptions, but they are few.

> > Historically explorers sailed the seas and rivers to map the world, and
> > when that was done, they went on horseback, and I'll wager they avoided
> > hills whenever they could.
> 
> Not in certain chunks of the world. I'd love to see how the explorers in Tibet
> managed to avoid hills. Switzerland also sticks in my mind as another place
> where explorers did not avoid hilly terrain.

Normally, they would, unless they have no choice but to take a pass.

Hilltops are good for views on a small scale, that is, defense in battle.
They rarely really provide a better view on a Freeciv tile scale.

> I hate the fact that currently if I battle Evil_Per, I cannot use tactics to
> defeat him.

> There is no way for me to use artillery on high ground,
> combined tactics with aircraft and ground units to beat you. There is one and
> only one way to win. More units.

This is not true.  I have lost many games due to lack of tactical skills,
including games in which I was 3 or 4 times as big as my opponent.
It's hard to separate from sheer agility, the ability to click the mouse
faster than the opponent, but I lose most of my battles by seeing my
opponent doing things that simply cannot be explained merely by click speed.

-- 
Reinier