Just to mix this convo a bit.. I'm just thinking what are important aspects for the game play in pathfinding. And how these could be simplified to creas horror.
Main reason of pathfinding is that there are impassable squares in the map. No point for boats if units can fly over water. So you need at least "find your path" through rivers and lakes pass crossings and such.
- This is hard to simplify but if units could make rafts and move very slowly cross water if there is no alternative.. hardly a realistic or satisfying solution but if there is no bridges or ferries to some places.. also it would simplify the pathfinding.
Second reason is that different passable square types that give different moving speed.
-One option to simplify is that in areas of terrain speed is generalized instead of counting each square.
Third reason of pathfinding is that the caravans and troops would be on the map also physically in some square and so could be intercepted.
-How this could be simplified is that only units that are set to intercept in certain areas would. And only when unit is near some intercepting unit it exact location would be decided.
Also one question is that what will happen if the path that is pre-calculated would be blocked.. Would troops return home, set a camp, try to find a alternative way on its own?
One issue is fog of war if it is introduced what does caravan know.. would it know automatically that all the bridges to certain place are blocked? And if it is trying to use the safest way how it would decide what is safest?
Anyhow I have full trust in TC:s magics and all the goodness that is going to be better than it should be and is coming soon(TM) I hope.
Edited by Thexion - 27 Jan 2012 at 13:11