Re: [Freeciv-Dev] build queue

[David Pfitzner <dwp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Lindqvist Marko <caz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>  For saving some game specific information from client there's two
> possibilities. First one is to add new packets PACKET_SAVE_FILE and
> PACKET_LOAD_FILE, which server uses in order to keep savefiles
> synchronized. Of course in case of lost connections and client side
> crashes there's nobody there to perform save.

Yeah.  But there is much bigger synchronization problem: a client
may connect to multiple games, and multiple servers; the server may
save several times and then re-load an older savegame; the client
may re-connect a few turns _after_ the server reloaded; etc.

It may be possible to get around this partly by the server sending
some unique token for each savegame, which the client can use
on re-connection to find the right data.  But there is still a big
possibility for the data to be lost/deleted/unavailble, or the client
was on a different machine before, etc.

>  Second change is to make server add some data from clients to savegames.
> So used bandwith is the same, but client is no longer so dependant to what
> server can do for it.

Yeah, I like this option better because it keeps all the savegame
data in one place.  As long as the amount of data is relatively
small...

>  Is there any real need to save some data from standard clients that is
> game specific? If there is maybe I should clean up and publish my patch
> that allows clients to make small additions to savefile.

For the build queues, I think its actually advantageous for the
server to be directly involved for another reason:  if you set up
some build queues and then happen to disconnect for a few turns
(assuming non-blocking end-turn) it would be good for the server 
to start the next item from the queue when a city finishes building
something.

Regards,
-- David