I think its a brilliant use of an existing gameplay mechanic… but if memory serves, I think this same premise was touched on in @Teleros ’s thread… let me dig that up…
edit:
So, I’ve been having a little think about zones, the kind of zones we want, and how they might work best in Stonehearth…
1. Overlapping Zones
Some zones clearly need to overlap other zones. For example, a military patrol route might cut through the trapper’s hunting zone, or a carpenter’s workshop zone might have a small stockpile or two in it. I do not think there should be any need to overlap the existing (non-mining) zones though - just the new ones below.
2. Merging Zones
By this, I mean…
Teleros:
New Zone: Exclusion ZoneSimply put, this tells your hearthlings to not enter this area if at all possible. You can set it to allow military units or particular professions to enter, however - perhaps your trapper has permission to risk the haunted woods. Ideally it also works by making travel through the exclusion zone very expensive for the pathfinding algorithms, forcing your hearthlings to go around it as well. Ideal if you spot some monsters and don’t wish to disturb them.