I think that region control should be implemented. It adds some more flavour to
the game. But what do we do about attitude settings in combination with
region control? I have tried to come up with something that fits into the
current 5-value system.
A region should have a unit, or stack of units somewhere if it is controlled.
I want to separate the attitude of the region from that of the stack.
For the stack apply the standard meanings :
hostile : kill on sight
unfriendly : attack if reasonable chance
neutral : don't care, don't stack with me
cooperative : I like you, stack with me
friendly : my purse is your purse
These meanings apply for any unit that is IN the region.
For regions I tried to come up with similar meanings :
hostile : kill on sight
unfriendly : attack if reasonable chance
neutral : sorry, border is closed
cooperative : I like you, please enter
friendly : I really like you, please enter, and no taxes
These meanings apply for any unit that tries to ENTER. These values
should be seen in neighbouring areas that have a connection. If entry
is forbidden to you, you can always ATTACK the region.
If you try to ENTER and it is forbidden you don't lose time. You 'saw'
the sign posted in the region you left. Of course, this isn't valid for
entry from sea, as you can't post a sign in the middle of the Osgean Sea.
(Well, maybe a buoy, needs maintenance though... ). This way, if you quickly
move through a series of regions(exploring) you don't loose time. If you
want to make sure that you can move through a series of regions discuss it
in advance with the local rulers.
(By not losing time I mean that it doesn't cost you any time to find out
that you can't enter, you just don't.)
However, if you ATTACK the attack happens at the halfway point so you
lose time.(You wanted that to go in, didn't you?). An attack from sea should
probably take you al the way to the attacked region.
Of course this gets complicated if there are two attacks from different
directions..., so maybe from a game point of view always go to al the way to
the region before the attack happens. However, you can only LOOK if you win
and actually enter. Otherwise you only get statistics about the defenders.
Uncontrolled regions will probably have their attitude set to cooperative.
However, I don't see any reason why a region with a bunch of Orcs shouldn't
set its attitude to hostile.
I mailed this as a point of discussion about attitudes, not about if
we will have region control or not as I have the feeling that Rich already
decided that... But : any opinions about attitudes are welcome.
Frits
-- Frits Kuijlman frits @ ph.tn.tudelft.nl Delft University of Technology The Netherlands