Re: [Freeciv-Dev] Fog, was: Idea for 2.0

[Peter Schaefer <schaefer@xxxxxx>]

Mitch Davis wrote:
> 
> David Pfitzner wrote:
> >
> > I'm not sure if this will clarify things, or just add more fog,
> > but I will try to make a few clarifications of my own. :-)
> 
> No, it's good.
> 
> > 4. Supposing by 3 that it is game "policy" that certain
> > information forms part of the "current view", then what
> > should be the details about that policy?  Eg, specifically,
> > what information about enemy units last seen in areas
> > covered by fog should be considered part of the "current
> > view"?
> 
> I had thought of this, and my thinking is thus:
> 
> If a tile is currently visible from a city or by a unit, then
> that person gets all updates regarding that tile.  When a tile
> is no longer within viewing range of a city or unit, a turns
> value is given to that tile.  This value is then decremented
> each turn until it is zero.  If something happens on a tile,
> updates are sent to those people who have non-zero turn counts
> on that tile.  The initial value could be a server option.
> 
> This is like a use-by value on the information:  You get updates
> for a while, then you don't, unless you inhabit that land (or post
> units), or you revisit it.
> 
> Strangely, this was how I thought Civ I did it... :-)
> 
> Mitch.

Agreed, I too believe that Civ 1 did make a unit visible
for the next turn ( May be only when it was your unit that 
moved out of contact ). But i also do remember a few of them 
stayed visible until they moved again, so this is probably
what REALLY was happening.

Applying this rule to tiles instead of units would also 
reduce the tedium of keeping water-proof sea border patrols
a bit. Maybe a good idea, may be a bad, I don't know.

This also make for an easy way to smart up an AI client (handicap);
give it a +1 turn on seeing the foe's units and it can follow
and shadow a ship that e.g. sailed away 3 diagonally
even when it lacks the smarts and the cpu time to play
Scotland Yards with the player.



-- 
Peter Schaefer - schaefer@xxxxxx, schaefer@xxxxxx
Spiegel Online, 12.6.99 - 
Aktionaere rennen auf die Boerse, auf der einfach nichts los ist.