Zones .. I dont get it.

[Farsuf]

Even with the manual I dont understand how zones work. Or better .. why they only work for the enemy or neutral ones. After some turns, some area (maybe different zones) are discovered .. I encounter a neutral faction. After some while and enough intel of them I can see theire zone. And I cant enter theire zone any more without declaring war. But they can enter my area/zone all the time and go to my city and take away all of my zone.

So how I can stop neutrals taking away my area? (I dont mean animals)

[Anonymous Helper]

In case of minors both sides can move to each other's territory as long as you don't sign peace with the minor solidifying the border where it is (there are minors you can't do anything with diplomatically though). Only exceptions are if there's a military unit you know about or building (ie. farm) in the hex you're trying to move to. Your unit can enter a hex with a minor unit in it if you don't know about the unit resulting in ambush and your unit withdrawing after initial contact.

In case of Majors, you start at peace and declaration of war is needed to cross borders.

[Farsuf]

So it is normal that all hex are switching the owner? All specials have to be guarded and supply chains are cut from time to time? This means lot of the time I just try to get my area back and try to block the enemy?

[Anonymous Helper]

Originally posted by Farsuf:

So it is normal that all hex are switching the owner? All specials have to be guarded and supply chains are cut from time to time? This means lot of the time I just try to get my area back and try to block the enemy?

Yes. Until you sign peace with the minor or go to war with it, only way to stop their movement into your territory is to block them with your units. I recommend using independent machine gun battalions for this as they're cheap both in manpower and resources. I had hundreds of them covering all my borders at the end of my last game.

Do note that relations tend to go down with the minor while this border friction is going on so they're likely to declare war on you sooner or later if peace is not signed. The machine gun battalions are enough hold most militia forces minors tend to field until your regular army can come deal with them.

[Farsuf]

Thx now I understand how it works. Dont like it to be honest but I can handle it now

[KissHUN *;--;*]

Originally posted by Farsuf:

So it is normal that all hex are switching the owner? All specials have to be guarded and supply chains are cut from time to time? This means lot of the time I just try to get my area back and try to block the enemy?

in short yes, if your territory is taken by minor regime arachnids, mutants, rouge ai walkers, and such, the only thing you can do againts them is declaring war and wiping out them, sadly you cant anex these minors because the skill roll is ret.ardly high... above 700+.

it would be cool if the game sometimes give the player a rare oportunity to anex somehow these minors as well.

[Farsuf]

Its just odd / not even .. it seems that they have no supply limit too. For me its like a game killer ... instead of managing my land ... im hunting those guys.

[Anonymous Helper]

Originally posted by Farsuf:

Its just odd / not even .. it seems that they have no supply limit too. For me its like a game killer ... instead of managing my land ... im hunting those guys.

AI plays on different rules than player and there's also difference depending whether AI is Major, Minor or Unaligned regime.

Major regime needs roads to supply units but it can build roads for free and supplies are delivered if they're available and unit is within range of the road connected to SHQ. Major AI does not need logistic points to deliver supplies so 1000 hex road can supply 100% supplies to the end of the road if they're available in SHQ. If you cut the road, you can cut units from supply but unless you surround them entirely, AI can simply build new road for free around the cut part to reconnect supplies (units will suffer 1 turn of no supplies though and you can keep cutting the new roads to keep them out of supply until you surround them entirely).

Minor regime units are in supply as long as unit can trace land path to the capital. If you cut unit from capital, they no longer get supplies and eventually starve.

Unaligned units can not be cut from supply (animals, sentinels, unaligned forces). They get supplies even if surrounded.

See section 5.18 for AI rule differences.

[Farsuf]

Thx. Wahh I like this game so much but this part of the game mechanics drives me crazy.

[Avloren]

I mean, this IS a wargame. You're not meant to just build up your economy in peace, you're pretty much always fighting something. Nonaligned forces (animals, mostly) and minors that you can't have diplomacy with are like the barbarians in Civilization - they're a relatively gentle introduction to warfare. Consider them practice for taking on a major.

Don't try to line every single border tile with units to prevent incursions. Make peace if you can, if you can't just kill their units. Then they won't be stealing your territory either way.

An early foreign council will help pacifying or even annexing the minors that can be reasoned with. Some cheap infantry+MGs are usually enough for the unreasonable neighbors. Either way this shouldn't be a huge investment.

Medusa planets are the exception (sometimes, planet gen is pretty variable). They can have monstrous animals that you can't deal with early game. Not recommended for new players.

Take note of the planet gen settings: if you start with tech level 4+, and/or start with 1+ armies instead of militia only, it will make dealing with minors/unaligned far, far easier in the early game.

By the way, your planet and its history determine whether you get minors that it's possible to make peace with or not - it can skew heavily either direction.