Search and Scan exploration types.

[cheako]

The default explore setting is way obtuse. I suggest a new move(ment) Search. This circles the edges of the unknown, filling in the map from the center out. Also scan, does the same thing but for the fog of war. Scan should have a max radius, once reached starts over.

[GriffonSpade]

The default explore setting is way obtuse. I suggest a new move(ment) Search. This circles the edges of the unknown, filling in the map from the center out. Also scan, does the same thing but for the fog of war. Scan should have a max radius, once reached starts over.

I think Scout would probably be better for a name than scan, and I think the primary problem is that fog fills back in as you move, which would probably confuse the AI (Or rather, make it difficult to program functionally). And ultimately, it would probably be something that would be built into the explore, rather than a separate command.

[The Square Cow]

One way to program scout would be to, on the click of the button, place patrol way-points around the edge of the currently visible area. This could be done with a flood fill algorithm which would start at the scouting unit's tile. As the algorithm filled in the visible tiles, it would add the visible tiles that touch darkness to a list. Then it would sort the waypoints using a heristic for the travelling salesman problem. Next it would queue up the points up into the patrol queue and let loose the unit.

This algorithm would not update when the currently visible area changed.