The world is no longer flat. Benefits of high ground.

[Archived from old blog: 2010-12-21]

Now, the world in Hostile Sector is not exactly round either, but at least it contains height features. And more importantly, it's not merely a cosmetic feature, but provides important gameplay as well, some features more obvious, and others less.

Higher features block sight. Naturally, you can't see through solid ground.

Steep slopes block movement. A very important feature for level designers, since it allows a basic way to channel gameplay throughout the scenarios.

These are the two basic features that you get "for free" with height differences. The following are less obvious, but provide additional depth for a turn based strategy game like Hostile Sector.

Slopes cost additional points to move in. On covert missions, movement in slopes has the advantage of flexibility. If you encounter an enemy below you can choose to take advantage of the higher ground and move up, or if an enemy is spotted above, you can move down and try to lose line of sight.
The disadvantage is that slopes are cumbersome to move in.

Higher ground means longer line of sight. High ground is good for lookouts and long range weaponry, as they have an increased chance of getting the drop on enemies.

So, as you can see, height creates interesting tactical opportunities, and is by default a good and balanced gameplay feature. The advantage of being positioned there, is balanced by the difficulty in getting there (and sometimes getting out of there).