Hawks on peaks maybe overpowered

[cephalo]

Hawks are very cool, but if you send one to scout a peak I think the search radius is too big. It should be one or two tiles less than it is. Also, perhaps the search area can be the same regardless of the target altitude? This is a flying creature after all.

It would also be nice if other peaks blocked line of sight from a peak. But I'm not sure that's possible. Don't want to get greedy.

 

[kaptajnknark]

I think it's a cool thing... I do it all the time. But maybe you are right.

 

[SwordofStriker]

I view that as a reward for actually teching hunting and building the hunting lodges. I find it a rare occasion that I need that technology, so when I do get it, it's very far into the game. I'm talking several hundred turns. I feel there are usually more important techs that I have to get, so anyone who does happen to need it or just chose to prioritize it should have the benefit of being able to explore more quickly and efficiently. Usually, that person isn't me.

 

[OzzyKP]

Yea, I rarely go the hunting-archery route.

 

[vorshlumpf]

I agree that the new implementation of Recon makes no sense. How does flying over a mountain make a bird see farther than flying over plains?

It also makes no sense how you can send out a hawk to ally/neutral cities to recon the rest of the world. They should be tied to your own cities, or recon units that can carry them.

 

[loocas]

I agree, and think hawks' sight should not be hindered by forests.

 

[Mailbox]

I agree, and think hawks' sight should not be hindered by forests.

Neither should the starting settler's sight, for that matter.

 

[Monkeyfinger]

I take hunting so I can build hunters, teach them subdue animal, and have them farm bears for happiness and culture.

 

[cephalo]

It also makes no sense how you can send out a hawk to ally/neutral cities to recon the rest of the world. They should be tied to your own cities, or recon units that can carry them.

Lol, I did not know that! yeah that's a bit much. However, at this sortof early stage of development, it is kinda useful for debugging purposes to quickly see how a map is going to play out.

 

[skallben]

I find that it is map-size dependant just like movement is in general. Hippus riders can cross continents on small maps

 

[beorn]

I agree that the peak makes no sense (the bird can fly as high as it wants without the presence of a peak). But that's not the main issue I see.

As far as I know, the AI will not build them, so this is a built in human advantage in solo games.

Also, there needs to be some risk. Flying over enemies should be risky, if they are getting close enough for identification purposes.

 

[Darkheart]

I'd suggest that one of the reasons why the AI doesn't build hawks is the AI already knows what the terrain is and where all the goody huts are, even though it's never actually been there.

But I like the idea of hawk interceptions, possibly archers, hunters, other hawks and/or maybe air mana adept. It would only really come in on MP games but would be a useful counter.

 

[xienwolf]

Actually a really good reason for why the AI won't build Hawks is that the AI preference to build them is set at -999. It seems to be a design decision to have them NOT build them.

 

[beorn]

I'd suggest that one of the reasons why the AI doesn't build hawks is the AI already knows what the terrain is and where all the goody huts are, even though it's never actually been there.
.

I think you are right about the terrain, but the AI does not seem aware of the goodie huts. In fact, I have often come along on turn 80 and rounded up goodie huts right near the AI civs. I sometimes suspect that the AI has better odds of getting techs from goodie huts, but they do not seem smart about pursuing them.

 

[Darkheart]

Their scouts just always seem to make a direct bee-line for the huts in and around my start position. In fact if you follow their scouts (particularly with elves, as you can out-run them in woods) they'll generaly show you which direction the next hut is in.

I'm also rather cautious of the turn 80 hut, as it can often have a large Gribbly (spider/giant/bear) with a couple of stars near it.

Though maybe I'm just synical of the AI

**whistles and looks at no one in particular**

 

[xienwolf]

I have often seen the AI completely ignore the Huts, and many times find a hut just outside of their cultural borders (as in 1 tile over, so in human visibility). Of course, I have also camped a warrior by a hut that he found while waiting to bring in a scout to claim it and watched the AI actually take the hut.

I believe that the AI selects what it's target is, then heads for that target single-mindedly. If it selects a Hut, then it gets it in a very direct fashion. But if it selects an animal, then it chases the blooming thing for hundreds of turns because it cannot keep up. And if it selects an elephant, then it catches up and dies

 

[Caradoc]

Speaking of elephants (no need for a new thread for this), sometimes I come across a barbarian town guarded by an elephant. How do you suppose that happens?

 

[xienwolf]

If the elephant's wandering path lands him in the town, then the assigned defender sees that there is a stronger unit on the tile and moves away. Then the elephant sees there is no unit defending the city, so goes into defender mode and will not move.

 

[Ur_Vile_Wedge]

I know animals can't go into civs cultural borders, can they move into a barbarian states cultural borders?

 

[SwordofStriker]

Also, there needs to be some risk. Flying over enemies should be risky, if they are getting close enough for identification purposes.

You seem to underestimate the vision of those birds. Being that raptors can typically spot prey from something like a mile away, you'd have to have a pretty impressively strong bow my friend.