Re: Revised exploring_worth function

[dancebob at mindspring dot com (Bob Carragher)]

Lincoln Peters <peters2000@mindspring.com> sez:

> With the new code (and the multiplication fix), the explorer worths of
> units in the standard game are as follows:
> infantry:		6
> armor:			40
> fighter:		54
> bomber:			108
> destroyer:		300
> submarine:		300
> troop transport:	400
> carrier:		1600
> battleship:		800
> nuclear bomb:		360
> base:			0
> town:			0
> city:			0
> 
> That does make sense, because carriers have a longer range than any
> other unit (400 cells, unless they're supporting aircraft).  I'll test
> it with some other periods and see if it holds up.

Maybe I am misunderstanding the meaning of "explorer worth."  Does
it include factors such as building costs (particularly the number
of turns required to build one), visibility range (and whether it,
in turn, can be seen -- e.g. subs), and defensive capability?  A
carrier is all good and well for exploring until it runs into its
first sub or is spotted by a bomber.  Now, if it's complemented by
subs, destroyers, fighters, and maybe a battlewagon, it'll be a
much tougher unit to destroy, but that's a pretty high cost for a
vehicle of exploration.  (Then again, such a group has other uses
as well.)

I guess I should've read the posted code ....

> Maybe as Bob said, there should be a short-range exploratory plan (for
> esp. fighters) and a long-range exploratory plan (for esp. armor,
> battleships, et al.).  Or maybe the city/town should have a goal in mind
> when building exploratory units and then build a unit with an
> appropriate range, and so if the built unit inherited the city/town's
> plan, only one exploratory plan would be needed.

Maybe this is becoming too game-specific, but would it be possible
to divide the (known) world into theaters, and then have there be
exploration/reconnaissance plans for each theater, with the producing
units in each theater set up to produce what is needed for those
plans?  That might help to avoid duplicate effort (e.g. if each town
tried to produce local reconnaissance units, even in a densely
populated area).  How to effectively determine theaters is left as
an exercise for the reader.  B-)

> By the way, the "abstract" period Bob was describing sounds a lot like
> "postmodern".  Could they be related?

It looks that way.  I did not know this game existed, but it has
all the units that were available in the "abstract" period, plus
a few more.  Some of the unit type names have changed -- the dreaded
"ogre tank" is now a "bolo."  It also has this annoying "research"
requirement, which I am unable to make happen -- with the unfortunate
result that I cannot build anything!  A rather boring game, if you
ask me.  B-)

				Bob