Re: [Freeciv-Dev] AI client

[Nick Lamb <njl98r@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, 2 Jan 1999, Mitch Davis wrote:

> (...)  I think an AI which connects as a client is the eventual
> goal towards which we should be heading.

The current AI is pretty omniscient. It seems to me that we could offer
(optionally by server choice) the whole map to clients that ask for
it. Freeciv could support two new types of clients...

1. Omniscient = Either AI client, or perhaps for beginners who might
want to see what's going on, as an early advantage
This player has 100% map visibility, and possibly gets info he would
otherwise need spys/ diplomats to ask for.

2. Just watching = A client which has no race, and is just watching
the fight. They get info as if they were a member of all races, but
they can't change/move/do anything.

For public servers, both types would probably be OFF, because otherwise
there would be a lot of cheating. But for private servers, or a
competition, one or both types would be very useful.

These options don't prevent people building AIs so good that they can
participate as normal clients, and still beat you -- but I think such
a client would /deserve/ to win. Especially since the rules in Freeciv
can so easily be changed :)

Nick.