Zones of Control

[stuntman19]

My question involves ZOC's in realation to the probe lead strategy. I'm in a MP where the AI built a land bridge to my territory and has brought probe teams thru about 20 turns ago. I had a treaty during these last 20 years and over this time the AI has brought some 30 units into\thru my territory(over 30 squares).
Some of the probe teams were destroyed by my having the HSA, but some just wandered around stacked with other units. My question is once a probe goes thru is this a permanent situation where military units can pass thru my ZOC? The AI obviously has no advanced techs to allow this.

[VoodooChild]

From my understanding... a ZOC can be breached by the probe, and reinforced by regular units. If those regular units stay, then other units can be brought through, but if they leave then the breach will have to be reestablished by another probe.

[mark13]

Yeah, the rule is that you can always move into a square with another of your units in, regardless of ZOCs. As probes ignore ZOCs anyway, they are ideal for 'escorting' other units through enemy territory....

[Garth Vader]

Is that considered cheating in MP?

[mark13]

I wouldn't have thought so.....

*Remembers we're at war in ACT021*

Yeah, of course it's cheating, didn't you know that?

[stuntman19]

I'm not certain about the cheating part in MP. In the MP I'm in it was the AI that did it, so I'm not sure how it could be stopped. I guess I understand it a little better, I thought the probe lead only applied to that specific turn.

[WhiteElephants]

I've never thought of it as cheating. I think it is part of the reason probe teams were designed that way.

[Garth Vader]

Mark that's why I asked. I may have used probes in that way against you, but since I use them to scout ahead of my units and I don't know if there are units hiding in fungus, I don't see them because of the probe ZOC rules. So I don't intentionally use them to get around ZOC, but might do so by accident!

[mark13]

Garth, is that really why you asked?

But no, it's not really cheating, it is a part of the game, I'm not sure it was intentional, but this has been an integral part of not only SMAC, but civ2 before it. If the SMAC designers wanted it out, I'm sure they would have gotten rid of it before now.

Not that it would have done me any good anyway.... [sobs]

[Misotu]

OK ... so we're all posting here. Does this mean I have a turn in my in-box?

[Misotu]

I checked. No, it doesn't

(Remembers point of thread)

No, it's definitely not considered cheating. It's also described in Vel's strategy guide in some detail IIRC as a way of moving an attack force through enemy territory and breaking ZOC. Move the probe, then move the rest of the squad ...

It works with other units too - needlejets are rather good at breaking ZOC for ground units.
[This message has been edited by Misotu (edited October 25, 2000).]