I've always exceeded the GZ, partially because there was no GZ when I first started playing.
While I have grown to disagree with the whole GZ concept the issue faced now always existed previously it just had a different appearance. There were always stages in the game were some people had to cater. This is more universal now so it comes across more obvious.
Looking for facts and/or advice here concerning the goldilocks zone.
Until now, I didn't go more than 5 provinces beyond what would be required to enter the next chapter. Does this still make sense now that the halflings chapter rewards players who have scouted beyond the GZ? Pros/cons?
I would argue there is no such thing as a GZ and it is even more impossible to define. I have a town that is in halfings and kept close to the chest requirements (a little above) and it is now surrounded with "blutopia" (almost entirely very easy, blue, provinces. Yet I also have a town in chapter 3 also within the chest requirement with very hard, red provinces everywhere. By most definitions both are in the GZ yet both have polar opposite experiences with combat. Inno has given us clues to where they expect us to be and they balance the game around this, but this is an expectation not a rule, your strategy has to decide what is best for you.
What does exist is a point where you can fight and a point where you cannot. How far you scout comes down to several factors that all relate to you and your style of play and preference.
The more you scout:
- The more catering costs increase
- The more scout times increase
- The more difficult fighting becomes
- The more difficult certain quests during events can be - Gain x relic, scout x province, etc.
- The more bonuses certain wonders get
- The more benefit seeds in halfling chapter get
- The more expansions you get
If you don't care for fighting than it simply comes down to your preference of cater costs, events and scouting verse the benefits from wonders/seeds. If you like to fight you still have to factor in the other things but bottom line is if you decide you wish to continue exploring just keep going until fights get too hard for you and then slow down or pause for a tech or two and then keep going.