[freeciv-data] Patch for Phase 1 data reorganization is ready

["Eric S. Raymond" <esr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is the stuff currently on my Freeciv todo list:

1. Update the existing nations with full class-legend data.

A patch for this is tested and ready.  

2. Implement phase 1 of the data reorganization -- replace
   image spec files and tile arrays with image directories of individual
   sprites.

A patch for this is tested and ready but a boatload of cvs adds 
will also be needed, because for the C patch to work there has
to be a suitably populated data/graphics directory..

Question: How do we test that shields are retrieved correctly?  I
don't actually know what the game uses them for.

3. Merge in a new nation-composition howto.  I have a draft already.

4. Eliminate nation-order dependencies in game saves.
   Note: this step might break savefile backward compatibility.

5. Nuke data/default/nations.ruleset.  It's bogus that the nation
   files are listed explicitly; a better design would be to give
   "*include <directory>" the obvious meaning and say "*include "nation"
   to have everything in the nation directory interpreted.

6. Merge in contributed nations from FTP site, and Barsoom.

7. Revise tileset HOWTO to reflect new data organization.

8. Change the logic for selecting cities so that the default selector
   can use city names from any civilization that is not currently live.
   (Assumption: civilizations are never started after any player 
   civilization has exhausted its city list.  Otherwise a city name
   could wind up being used twice.)

9. Move as many cities as possible from misc_cities to nation
   files, where they will be more useful.

Goals of this work:

A. Make it possible to contribute new nations just by dropping some
   icons in the graphics directory and a nation spec in nations, without
   having to touch any other data files.  This will be accomplished at
   step 6.

B. Simplify the datafile architecture.  At step 2, graphics specfiles
   will go away.  At step 5, the nations ruleset will go away.

C. Lay groundwork for phase 2 data reorganization.
-- 
                <a href="http://www.catb.org/~esr/";>Eric S. Raymond</a>

If we believe absurdities, we shall commit atrocities.
                -- Voltaire