Exploration and Supply lines

[Khan Quest]

I know that exploration and supply lines have been discussed before, but I don't think anyone has offered this solution (If you have, good job! And create a link to this thread.)

Each turn a land unit is beyond its borders, it has 20% chance of losing a point of health. Fortifying outside the borders will still heal one point of health, but the 20% risk still applies. Non-combatant units would have health bars for the purpose of exploration, but would still be subject to capture or destruction by a military unit.

A wounded unit that pillages a tile has a 40% chance of immediately gaining one lost point of health. All units on a tile while it is pillaged have a 0% chance of losing a health point for that turn.

Variations of this have been mentioned before, but I'll include it here. Sea units entering unmapped areas have a 20% chance of losing a point of health.

This risk can be eliminated with supply lines.

A supply line may be composed sea and/or land units within 'Movement Range' of each other. Examples of Movement Range: Two warriors each have a movement of one so there can be no more than one space between them. Two horsemen (Movement 2) could have upto three spaces between them. A warrior and a horseman, up to two spaces of separation. Road/rail bonuses apply.


The terrain between two members of the supply line must be passable/navigable.

Supply lines may be broken in two ways. Killing or capturing units in a tile that would then put units out of movement range of each other.

The other way is with a blockade. In the example of two warriors having one space between them, there are a maximum of three paths of supply. Foreign units in all three of the tiles form a blockade.

 

[sir_schwick]

wouldn't one of hte warriors need to be connected to the home land somehow?

this idea could be expanded with 'supply aircraft', which had a resupply range of many many tiles and ignored terrain, but needed clear or protected skies

 

[Aussie_Lurker]

Well, I still reckon that the best model for 'supply' and 'supply lines' would be as follows:

1) Each unit has an 'operational range'-a distance it can operate beyond its borders without harm.

2) Any harsh terrain between the unit and the border will HALVE this Operational Range-unless said unit has the ability to 'ignore' the penalty for that particular form of terrain (like a Jaguar warrior in Jungle, for instance!)

3) For every hex that a unit is outside its Operational Range, it suffers a degredation to morale, firepower and attack strength (and possible defense strength?) of 5%-so a unit 5 hexes outside its OR will suffer a 25% degradation.

4) Also, every turn a unit is outside its OR, it has a 5% chance of losing a HP for every hex beyond its OR-so the unit above would have a 25% chance, per turn, of losing a hp. This chance is double in harsh terrain, and increased for every hp already lost (due to combat or attrition).

5) The only way to extend operational range is to (a) capture an enemy fort or city or (b) form a 'supply point'. This is done either with a new terrain improvement called 'supply point' or 'supply depot' or with a fort connected via road back to your borders.

6) If a 'supply point' is captured, or the road connecting it to your nation is severed, then your units will be considered 'out of supply', and will start suffering accordingly.

7) Each tile would have a 'support limit' depending on the terrain. If you have more units on a tile than it can support, then your performance is degraded accordingly, and all units in that tile have a chance of suffering damage from attrition.

The best aspect of this system, IMHO, is that it restricts operations within enemy territory, whilst still allowing players (and the AI I hope) to take bold and calculated risks! At the same time, however, it would also encourage forward planning of an invasion AND force you to pursue a more combined arms approach, rather than blind reliance on a 'stack o' tanks' approach !

Yours,
Aussie_Lurker.

 

[Khan Quest]

wouldn't one of hte warriors need to be connected to the home land somehow?

Yes. I debated whether some "improvement" would be necessary, then editted that part out.

 

[Khan Quest]

1) Each unit has an 'operational range'-a distance it can operate beyond its borders without harm.

Hmm.. Good idea.
Expantionist civs should get a greater range on land and sea-faring civs, a greater range at sea.

2) Any harsh terrain between the unit and the border will HALVE this Operational Range-unless said unit has the ability to 'ignore' the penalty for that particular form of terrain (like a Jaguar warrior in Jungle, for instance!)

"Between" means no way around it on land? Could sea-faring improvements counter this?

3) For every hex that a unit is outside its Operational Range, it suffers a degredation to morale, firepower and attack strength (and possible defense strength?) of 5%-so a unit 5 hexes outside its OR will suffer a 25% degradation.

Rather than each hex, how about the degradation-affect range is proportional to operation range?

4) Also, every turn a unit is outside its OR, it has a 5% chance of losing a HP for every hex beyond its OR-so the unit above would have a 25% chance, per turn, of losing a hp. This chance is double in harsh terrain, and increased for every hp already lost (due to combat or attrition).

I like the harsh terrain ideas.

5) The only way to extend operational range is to (a) capture an enemy fort or city or (b) form a 'supply point'. This is done either with a new terrain improvement called 'supply point' or 'supply depot' or with a fort connected via road back to your borders.

Perhaps eventually, range would increase with technology.

7) Each tile would have a 'support limit' depending on the terrain. If you have more units on a tile than it can support, then your performance is degraded accordingly, and all units in that tile have a chance of suffering damage from attrition.

Another great idea.

----------

In my scheme, the supply line part anyway, you have direct control over. You want more range? pay fot it! And lines can be iterupted by direct military confrontation, and by a more "peaceful" blockade.

 

[Aussie_Lurker]

OK, to answer your excellent questions, Khan Quest.

First of all, I DO think that Expansionist and Sea-Faring civs should get an OR bonus for land and sea units, respectively! It ESPECIALLY makes sense for Sea-Faring!
Secondly, if there is a way around it, then obviously the computer will trace the supply line via the best possible route for Operational Range purposes. Of course, some harsh terrain may cover such a large territory, that going around it, though possible, may add too many hexes to the 'relative distance' of the unit-if that makes sense? To explain it better, lets say you have a unit that has an operational range of 6, and is currently 4 hexes from its border. A jungle lies in-between, however, which means its OR is now only 3 (1 less than its current position!) IF going around the jungle adds less than two hexes to the 'relative' distance' then this is the path the computer will base its calculations on. If its more than 2 hexes, then it will simply go straight through the jungle! Obviously, though, if you have built a road THROUGH the jungle, and connected it to a 'fortress', then this will be the line hte computer will use!
Thirdly, units from each era will, on average, have a better OR than similar units from the previous era (so foot units from the medieval era will have a +1 OR when compared to foot units from the Classical Era etc). Also, though, I do envisage that particular techs will grant the ability to increase OR for ALL units-either directly or indirectly!
Lastly, I think the idea of it being based on the proportion of OR is a good idea, thus giving even greater benefits to certain units over others (like the use of Paratroops deep behind enemy lines!)

Yours,
Aussie_Lurker