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Forts and Sensor Arrays...a new idea
I haven't been able to find past threads in regards to a sensor array type improvement ala SMAC. Along those lines I propose an enhancement to the fortification terrain improvement.
Make the fortification a mini-sensor. Not a powerful two square radius like SMAC, but lets say with the invention of astronomy, which also corresponds to collapsable scopes (spy glasses, whatever the name is) a fortication would gain a sight of 1 tile. This would correspond to a sentry in the fortifications. Not any actual defending unit but a caretaker of the fortification, like a lighthouse keeper who would observe the surround lands.
It seems to me that fortifications were not utilized much by human players in Civ2(though over-used by the AI). They were good for chokepoints, but not much else. When someone looks at actual history, fortifications are always built, look at Europe which is almost a checkerboard of old fortifications (if they haven't been leveled), not the huge castles, but small towers. Giving fortifications a secondary role would make them more useful therefore utilized more and make the game more historically accurate without cutting down on the fun-factor which is more important to Civ.
In summary, a fortification would give its normal defense bonus to only its actual tile, but following the discovery of astronomy, or some optical advance, would give it a sight bonus, clearing the fog of war only, not any extra defense. Also this effect should only be active for fortifications within your borders or within your control (ie enemy territory, but occupied by your unit). A further idea would be the extension of the sight bonus to two tiles with the introduction of radar, or flight, even in the Civil War, hot air balloons were used for observation.
A side thought would be the modification of this bonus based on altitude. For example a fort in the mountains should easily be able to see into a grassland below without astronomy, or be 2 squares with only astronomy. Or a fort in grasslands shouldn't be able to see into neighboring mountains.
Make the fortification a mini-sensor. Not a powerful two square radius like SMAC, but lets say with the invention of astronomy, which also corresponds to collapsable scopes (spy glasses, whatever the name is) a fortication would gain a sight of 1 tile. This would correspond to a sentry in the fortifications. Not any actual defending unit but a caretaker of the fortification, like a lighthouse keeper who would observe the surround lands.
It seems to me that fortifications were not utilized much by human players in Civ2(though over-used by the AI). They were good for chokepoints, but not much else. When someone looks at actual history, fortifications are always built, look at Europe which is almost a checkerboard of old fortifications (if they haven't been leveled), not the huge castles, but small towers. Giving fortifications a secondary role would make them more useful therefore utilized more and make the game more historically accurate without cutting down on the fun-factor which is more important to Civ.
In summary, a fortification would give its normal defense bonus to only its actual tile, but following the discovery of astronomy, or some optical advance, would give it a sight bonus, clearing the fog of war only, not any extra defense. Also this effect should only be active for fortifications within your borders or within your control (ie enemy territory, but occupied by your unit). A further idea would be the extension of the sight bonus to two tiles with the introduction of radar, or flight, even in the Civil War, hot air balloons were used for observation.
A side thought would be the modification of this bonus based on altitude. For example a fort in the mountains should easily be able to see into a grassland below without astronomy, or be 2 squares with only astronomy. Or a fort in grasslands shouldn't be able to see into neighboring mountains.
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