It does work, but indeed, a more flexible way of installing everything into the same directory (including mods, logs, maps, etc.) would be nice, so that one can have various independent versions if desired.
Fundamentally, a campaign is a series of scenarios/maps that have to be played in sequence (i.e. once you win part 1 you will have access to part two etc.) and that build on each other. The storyline is ideally meant to be provide historical background. Unfortunately (or not) it is not possible to carry over results of the previous campaign scenario onto the next one, i.e. you start with a small army in game 1 and end up with a larger army, which n turn saves as the basic setting for game 2, etc. I believe the challenge would be to orchestrate dynamically allocated balancing from game to game.
Being able to build roads as a start (without rails so far ) would be a nice new feature for 0AD as it is. Roads could increase movement speed of everyone (including your adversary) compared to moving through forest and grassland. Pathfinding is the main issue here unless the path is preferably following the road ( so nothing to be found). Pathfinding strategy could be to follow the shortest road through the system and only revert to the original pathfinding scheme at the end of that road.
Roads have been discussed few times already but we never progressed so far. As an example in this thread:
Citiziens, civilians, non soldiers, what ever you want to call it - just strictly speaking, all members of your army except the mercs are also citizens, right?
While you are right with respect to the current game, a roundtrip could even deliver more profit, as the total distance travelled could even be longer (profit relates to distance in game). Tried to establish such a roundtrip scheme but is does not seem to work. What appears to work (at least using trader ships) is to define a specific path to follow. I did that to avoid being attacked in that route, but it might be possible to maximize trade income by defining a longer detour.
Did anyone check this can work? Or is the distance travelled just measured "as the crow flies" i.e. shortest connection between origin and destination?