Scout Function: Patrol

swagled · December 24, 2002, 13:31

I wish I could automate scouts to patrol my land, and look for enemy troops. It's easy to miss them on a crowded map or a sprawling territory. Sometimes I don't even know about tresspassers until the "So-n-so has attacked you!" message.

It would make scouts a little more useful, too. Once my landmass is explored, I usually disband my scouts for their shield value, since they can't defend.

Kingof the Apes · December 24, 2002, 14:05

I keep them around sometimes as bait and pillagers.

LionQ · December 24, 2002, 16:18

Good idea. That will lead to a new function called "Random Movement" or something like that.

Rufus T. Firefly · December 26, 2002, 08:44

Anybody remember the old computer game, "Empire"? I played it on my Amiga, so it must date from the mid-to-late-80s. Anyway, in Empire fighter planes (mov: 10)had to end their turn in a city, just like in Civ; but they could be set to partol, which meant they would fly 5 squares out and then back, automatically, until the order was cancelled or they encountered an enemy unit. This meant you could have a large airforce that was being useful while not being micromanaged. I loved that function! Civ3 could really use it for scouts, fighters, and especially submarines and destroyers. Great idea!

Willem · December 26, 2002, 10:53

There used to be a Patrol ability in SMAC. I'm not sure why they got rid of it for Civ III, it would have been nice to have.

Theseus · December 27, 2002, 13:10

Rufus, I don;t know if you are aware, but Empire was designed by Sid Meier! That's why I've always been so confused that those great Empire functions (esp. patrol with waypoints) haven't been implemented in the Civ series.

LionQ · December 27, 2002, 15:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly
Anybody remember the old computer game, "Empire"? I played it on my Amiga, so it must date from the mid-to-late-80s. Anyway, in Empire fighter planes (mov: 10)had to end their turn in a city, just like in Civ; but they could be set to partol, which meant they would fly 5 squares out and then back, automatically, until the order was cancelled or they encountered an enemy unit. This meant you could have a large airforce that was being useful while not being micromanaged. I loved that function! Civ3 could really use it for scouts, fighters, and especially submarines and destroyers. Great idea!

Well, why isn't that function in Sid Meier's Civilization III???