[paradoxharbinger]

yeah, zoom is a little odd. if i remember correctly, this is approximately how it works: imagine you are standing over a map, looking down at it, zoom determines how close your face is to the map. it can dramatically affect how things actually look. i cant remember all of the things i tied it into, nearly everything i expect, but i do recall that it did not lend itself very well to several applications, such as growing terrains.