distance-delayed communication (was Re: Ongoing Strategy Games.)

From: troyer@cgl.ucsf.edu (John M. Troyer)

Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1993 00:05:23 +0000

bruno@cerberus.csd.uwm.edu (Bruno Wolff III) writes:
>  I have toyed with rules implementing, something like the above, where turn
>  reports and/or orders are delayed based on how far away the units are from
>  the capitol. I kind of came to the conclusion that this might not be a very
>  playable system. To make it work you need a way to have workable contingency
>  orders in outlying areas. This is not going to be easy to do well.

cedman@golem.ps.uci.edu (Carl Edman) writes:
>You are right.  Contingency orders are absolutely essential under such
>a system.

The problem with delayed orders is that your contingency orders quickly
reach the point of AI.

Either the player can 'program' his units in some sort of language, in which
case what you really are playing is some sort of robot gladiator program,

or the AI is in the program, and you have to make the tactical decisions for
the human player,

or the AI has millions of user-settable parameters, and the interface becomes
unmanageable.

You send off a scout in an empire-type game. Should he
go till he hits a coastline? a river? an enemy? any other unit? Should he
explore some rectangle methodically? Should he follow the coastline or
return right away? What should he do if he meets someone else? Attack, hide,
run away, offer diplomatic relations?

You send off an army to a far-away target. Are you attacking a city? A hex?
A particular unit? What if one of your allies has taken the city by the
time you get there? What if your opponents pass you on their way back to
attack your own cities? Do you stay there after you're done? Come back?
When do you send a courier for reinforcements? Should your forces split
or stay together?

You get the idea. Or am I way off base here?

One other thing: If you are using some travel-limited command system: if it
takes N turns to get the battlefield, orders should take 2N turns (there &
back) to propagate. But keep in mind that someone on the scene will probably
email the general who is N turns away, thus lowering propagation time to
N turns (the time it takes to send new units there) and semi-defeating your
'realistic' communication system.

Do you then ban email communication between players and force them to use
in-game couriers to communicate? (Possible, but difficult, yes?)

wrt Bruno's comment above. Another possibility is to have a movable
'central command center' instead of command emanating from a fixed capitol,
so that distant wars can be executed, at a cost of leaving the home front
unresponsive.

my 2 cents,

john

References

Re: Ongoing Strategy Games.
cedman@golem.ps.uci.edu (Carl Edman)
Thu, 08 Jul 1993 04:39:58 +0000
Re: Ongoing Strategy Games.
bruno@cerberus.csd.uwm.edu (Bruno Wolff III)
Thu, 08 Jul 1993 05:23:36 +0000
Re: Ongoing Strategy Games.
cedman@golem.ps.uci.edu (Carl Edman)
Thu, 08 Jul 1993 17:38:21 +0000

Referenced By

Re: Ongoing Strategy Games.
cedman@golem.ps.uci.edu (Carl Edman)
Thu, 08 Jul 1993 04:39:58 +0000
Re: Ongoing Strategy Games.
bruno@cerberus.csd.uwm.edu (Bruno Wolff III)
Thu, 08 Jul 1993 05:23:36 +0000
Re: Ongoing Strategy Games.
cedman@golem.ps.uci.edu (Carl Edman)
Thu, 08 Jul 1993 17:38:21 +0000