Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
information about the presence of enemy units. These two techniques—unexplored
regions shown in black and explored but unpatrolled regions shown dimly—are
collectively known as the fog of war . Figure 14.1 shows the bright area currently
visible to the player, the dimmed area that has been explored but is not currently
visible (due to lack of troops there to provide intelligence), and the black bulk of
the land that remains unexplored.
FIGURE 14.1
The fog of war from
Civilization III
The fog of war lends realism and excitement to the game. Because the player can-
not see what is happening in areas where he has no troops, he could be attacked
unexpectedly if he does not take appropriate defensive measures. These games
reward those who set up guard units to warn of impending invasions and those
who send out scouts to find out where the enemy is.
Hiding the unexplored landscape itself, however, is completely unrealistic in any
game set after about the year 1500. Armies haven't had to fight wars without a map
of the terrain for several centuries. Games continue to hide the landscape from the
player because the task of exploring makes the game more challenging. In a lot of
games, if the player can see the landscape clearly, he is able to plan more effectively
and therefore win more quickly. Many games also cheat, hiding the landscape from
the player but allowing the computer's AI to see it. This gives the computer an
advantage that the player does not have and helps to compensate if the AI isn't very
good in the first place. It's a design solution to a programming problem: weak AI.
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