the Zone Of Control (ZOC) poll

[Pingu:]

Zone Of Control (ZOC) Poll

Hello!

Quite a few people, myself included, have said on these forums that the Civ3 ZOCs are a little weak, and need improving. So here's a poll to get at what people really think about this.

I'll explain the options that I've put:

1) Like Civ2:, this means that ALL units have a ZOC around them and once enters a ZOC it cannot move within the ZOC, only out of the ZOC or attack.

2) Fast units & fortresses => impassable: select this option if you think that ZOCs should only be given to units with a speed advantage or in a fortress (as currently the case). BUT the ZOC should be made impassable, like they were in Civ2.

3) Fast units & fortresses, do crippling damage: select this option if you broadly like the Civ3 ZOCs but want them beefed up. The idea here is that a unit passing a ZOC is reduced to 1 HP.

Perhaps, if a unit has a speed advantage over the unit in the fortress, then it takes only 1 HP of damage, so Cavalry can do a flanking attack if the fortress just contains an infantry unit (but not mech inf, or Tanks).

4) Keep them as they are: should be self explanatory.

5) Get rid of them altogether.



Pingu:

[rid102]

I'd like "impassable" because you could then actually have borders which are enforceable as opposed to either needing to build a line of units or just always giving the AI RoP (as it assumes it anyway).

I'm not even bothered about "fast" units having ZOC. Just units in fortresses would be fine for establishing decent borders IMHO.

[Easy Rhino]

I don't think that a unit dumb enough to move past a swarm or ZOC enemies should automatically get reduced to 1hp. However, I want to see EVERY unit in the stack attack him and beat him into the ground.


WHAM!
WHAM!
WHAM!


like that
ER

[Father Beast]

after playing Civ3 for a while, I went and played a game of Civ2. That was one of the things that annoyed me. the Civ2 zoc's seemed just silly.

If we're going to change it at all, give a ZOC to units in fortresses, not any fast units or others.

[Mannamagnus]

Only fortresses. One square on real world might be several hundred kilometers wide so anything else seems silly to me.

[Hurry]

I agree. But I´d like cities to have ZOCs, too. And maybe units behind rivers. Now rivers are totally useless, since it´s so easy to just cross it and attack from the flank.

[Morganstern]

I think the new ZOC concept is one of the strongest features of Civ 3. One thing I'm a little confused on, though, is my movement within the Aztech territory. Regardless of whether the space is blank, a road or railroad, each space is one movement point for my units, making the conquest process agonizingly slow. I don't remember this occurring within the Russian and Iroquois territories. Is this an Aztech feature or something else - anyone have an insight on this?

[Wrong_shui]

improvements in enemy territory dont work for your units

[rid102]

I think the new ZOC concept is one of the strongest features of Civ 3.

Don't you mean a lack of ZOC concept?

[Zealot]

Originally posted by rid102
Don't you mean a lack of ZOC concept?

ZOCs still exist for ships (or so I read somewhere).

[Dravin]

Originally posted by Wrong_shui
improvements in enemy territory dont work for your units

Which really doesn't make much sense concerning roads. Rails I can understand, but roads? As somebody else once said on this board, "What? Do the roads just refuse to let you walk on them?"

[Malleus]

Originally posted by Dravin


Which really doesn't make much sense concerning roads. Rails I can understand, but roads? As somebody else once said on this board, "What? Do the roads just refuse to let you walk on them?"

Roads are easy to enfilade by partisans.
Road signs can be switched to be misleading.
Road networks are confusing enough for their residents, much less a foreign invader from another culturre.
Your intelligence on road maps can be falsified or incorrect.

There's many reasons why an army in hostile territory avoids roads when not in column. History is replete with amusing stories of armies which followed the wrong road.
This is one change I am happy for. I always wondered how you got away with using roads in the other Civs, and why your units weren't taking damage or something from partisans. Or moving randomly into the wrong square from misdirection.

K

[Trifna]

Make so it has some sense

I dunno how i is in reality but just make it as it is really. Reality sure has some balance I guess...

[Morganstern]

rid102-

Given the history of this genre, the LACK of a ZOC is indeed a "ZOC Concept." It's easy to nitpick when a statement is presented out of context.

[shirgall]

How about this friendly amendment: fortified units in cities and fortresses should have impassable zones of control, fortified units in open ground should damage units passing through their zones of control.

Even cavalry running past infantry should get shot at.

Even ships running past the shore should get shot at by arty on the ground.

Planes flying over mech. infantry should get shot at too. (SAM batteries move in real life)

--jrp