What about "zone/Map control" ? I have allways found ridiculous that it's not possible for an opponent to "re-use" a factory or any structure which has been captured (or any mex or power plant). When this can make sense when there are different factions (alien vs humans), one can easily figure out that humans would not be able to re-use an alien factory. But when you have a single faction, then any opponent should be able to capture existing structure and use it instead of having to destroy it then rebuild a new one. This should apply to any structure available in the game but could be balanced by fixing a rule to make this structure re-used by an opponent. This would provide some sort of "zone control" and would enfore people not to turtle because they would have to defend any structure or mex/powerplant which has been built. In addition, why not also consider that Mex should be located next to a factory in order to be able to use the mex production ? In C&C there are collectors you have to micro manage in order to retrieve the resources. but it's annoying because you have to micro manage them. So by enforcing some kind of proximity in order to use a mex that you have built, any opponent would have to either defend this mex (to prevent it from being captured or destroyed). Let's say for example that a mex can't be captured if it's used by a factory which is using it (but it can be destroyed). This would mean the opponent has 2 alternatives : either he destroys the mex or he tries to capture the factory. That would be the same for powerplants. How do you all consider what zone control should be ? there are dozens of approaches (Z, C&C, Ground control 1/2, Dawn of War)
In TA you could capture and use any unit except the commander. I am against the "zone of control idea".
Same in SC/FA. Definitely voting against zone control, it doesn't belong in the series, and especially not in a game where the scale is going to be as big as it is. Expansion should be encouraged, not stifled.
Zones of control should be an abstract concept, related to unit response times and firing ranges, not something explicitly enforced by the game engine itself. Capturing is a bit of a gamist conceit anyway, given that any unit can self-destruct itself on command, capturing is only possible at all because the unit AI has not been instructed to ctrl-k itself if it starts to become captured. It's not very realistic, but the alternative (justifying it by saying units in the process of being captures are unable to respond to any orders) is even worse, and capturing is an Acceptible Break From Reality.
