Re: [Freeciv-Dev] A few miscellaneous ideas for improvement

[Daniel Sjolie <deepone@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On 1999-05-07 15:24:45, Jules Bean wrote:
> B) Micromanagement:
> 
> In any reasonably large game (e.g. default map size) when you are
> winning, micromanagement becomes a pain.  This could be alleviated by
> building a bit more 'helping hand' AI into the client.

I agree...
I think it would be nice if You were able to define strategies
in a sense for certain actions...
You should be able to make cityplans defining what the city
should build (by assigning priorities) and maybe even what
tile improvements are prefered in the city region...

You have a number of small 'helping-hand' AI:s for different
departments of Your empire...
I'd like to be able to customize these - to follow my orders...

This is something that I might actually take a look at myself...
I *really* will try to get the time...

What is the status of help AIs like this now?
I think it would be great if we could define some kind
of interface for mini AIs like this to make it easier for
the strategy AI to use...

Divide and conquer...
Many small AIs...

Good/bad idea?
What does it look like now?
(I'll take a look at the code but it would be nice with
some comments to go with it : )

In the extension You would add a small AI to control a feature
once You implement it... Changes to the 'big' AI should be minimal...

> C) Graphics
> 
> The graphics are really excellent now.  Superb job.  There are a few
> obvious weak links, though: In particular, the citizens in the city
> display. I'm not much of an artist, unfortunately, but when I was
> fiddling around with them I convinced myself we couldn't do much better
> in that size (12x8, is it?  something like that).  It would be nice to
> boost that up to around double, and have some nice looking ones
> (overlapping if needed, when the city gets big, like the Mac version of
> Civ did).

I agree...
What is the status of graphics now?
One heavy reason I haven't been doing new graphics myself is that
I really love a lot of colors... : )
Is there any (plans to add) possibility to use graphics with
enough colors so that it won't be an issue?

What is the status on 'non-essential' graphics?
Stuff like nice pictures in the Civliopedia (or whatever it's called)

Ways to make such heavy non-essential graphics optional?
Should they be included in the dist?

> Also, whilst the numbers are more functional, I find myself missing the
> lots of little sheaves of corn...

I agree... : )
Not *really* important though...

> Being able to land missiles doesn't make a lot of sense to me.  Missiles
> should be carried, either by land, air or sea units, but once fired you
> should lose them if you don't guide them to a target.

Well, yes, that makes sense but I think it would be ok to let them
travell without aid by land... At least by train...

> I think it should be possible to transport planes by railway - possibly
> this needs a 'carrier' unit which is a land unit.

Sounds good...
Don't think we need a unit for that...

> It would also be nice
> to have troop transport planes - probably only capable of carrying one
> land unit.

We already have airlifting don't we?
I'd say that does the trick...

/Daniel

-- 
Now take a deep breath, smile and don't take life so seriously... :)