The Communication Network

[SeaMonkey]

I know Hubert you have created many layers for SC, I've used them in the editor and I know that the game engine has slowly but surely gotten a little more inefficient by having to run and evaluate those routines.

But....you knew it was coming....;)... with this Pacific edition there will need to be someway to interrupt the supply aspects to the different island bases. In this manner the "island hopping" strategy that was historical can be pursued and the isolated garrisons left to wither without supply.

It is somewhat akin to your convoy system but from the perspective of supply on land now adapted to the water. I would think that subs in "hunt" mode could interdict the supply/communication net, but there also needs to be a provision for surface fleets.....say "patrol" mode...or raid...or whatever.

It really doesn't need to be a physical line(like convoy routes) just some code to detect that an unbroken path of tiles exists between the supply hub and the outer defense bases.

Players knowing this will have to make plans to keep "the net" open and so will serve to initiate air/naval battles through the needed force projection to maintain the Empire.

Is there a plan?:D

[Hubert Cater]

For the short answer, no... for the long answer it would be nice to have, i.e. a more complicated supply system for the Islands but it was felt that the current system, with the few small adaptations has actually worked out better than expected.

For example, island hopping is still critical as leaving an uncaptured island that is strategically in your way can really be a thorn in your side and generally islands have a weakened supply value of 5 so they are not that hard to take if you really want them and if they are lightly defended. Now, if you want to increase the islands unit supply value an HQ does the trick and this reflects the player's choice of recognizing the importance of a particular island chain as a base of operations in the Pacific. With limited HQs, and limited ranges for Amphibious transports players really have to think in big picture terms for their strategic decisions much like the Commanders of the day had to when it was their time to work out the master plan of which island they needed to go to next and so on.

Essentially we could have gone to a more complicated system but in keeping the "keep it simple" idea in mind and dealing with a few abstractions it really does play out much like you would expect the Pacific Theater to play out but in this case using the Strategic Command game engine.

Hope that helps,
Hubert

[SeaMonkey]

Sounds reasonable, hard to argue with KISS, but remember, the way I see it, would've been very little for the player to consider.

But a monster for the code writer.;)

Could be worth an extra ten bucks per game.:cool:

Going to be especially necessary when you go global.:)