favoring known or unknown paths

["Brandon J. Van Every" <vanevery at indiegamedesign dot com>]

Eric McDonald wrote:
>
> (1) Now that paths can be computed through unexplored hexes, the
> question is what should the cost of an unexplored hex be? If the
> cost is low like it is now, then paths through them will be
> favored over known paths. This doesn't matter if a unit is
> exploring the unknown, but if it is trying to get from known point
> A to known point B, then we either need to favor the partially
> unexplored path, or else avoid it. I'm not entirely sure which....

If the unknown is favored, then players will be irritated when their
units (1) are killed by unknowns, (2) take an unreasonable amount of
time to get somewhere, because for instance they walked across an
endless mountain range, (3) can't get to the destination because a
land-water boundary blocks their way.

If the known is favored, then units aren't going to "cut across the
black" unless that would be the best option even in the worst case.
(Assuming passable terrain.)  Or if one end of the path is in the black.
Ergo, favoring the known doesn't prevent exploring the black.

So, I think the known should be favored.  Make all the unknown hexes
cost as much as a mountain.

Keep in mind that as a unit moves, a little bit of the unknown becomes
known.  It may be worth locally recomputing the path for a couple of
hexes as the unit moves.

If you wanted to get fancy, you could implement a "Terrain Guesser."
For instance if you've swam around in a big circle in the ocean, you can
probably guess that the interior is filled with more ocean.  If you're
near the north and south poles, you might guess that more terrain will
be tundra or glaciers.  If you've seen 2 piles of mountains that seem to
run in a line towards each other, it's probably a good bet that the
mountain range continues.  If there's a lot of jungle in your part of
the world, then you're probably going to be crossing more jungle.

A Terrain Guesser, of course, can only guess.


Cheers,                     www.indiegamedesign.com
Brandon Van Every           Seattle, WA

Taking risk where others will not.