[Freeciv-Dev] Simplification of startup

[Urban Mueller <mueller@xxxxxxxx>]

[Please Cc: me, I'm not on the list]

Idea/suggestion:
- Server started by client
- Simpler metaserver connect
- Quick rule introduction, easily accessible
- Entry in start menu of common distributions
- Information about free slots in games

Description:

I have quite a few ideas and bug reports for freeciv but I think this
one is 
the most important. Very important. The changes I propose are easy but
could 
have a big effect on the number of players.

IMHO, Freeciv must move into the KDE startmenu and must be easy to
operate without
any shell interaction. This would increase the number of players
manyfold. Many
people don't even know they have freeciv in their distribution, and many
others
quickly give up because they don't get immediate rewards.

How to achieve this? First, the freeciv binary should always be
available as rpm,
and that rpm should install a kdelnk to the client in the KDE Games
menu.

The player should then be greeted with a modified (and larger)
metaserver window, 
to look roughly like this:

------------------------------------------------------------------
   Name: [mueller]

   Play against: [x] Computer      [ ] People on the internet

   Server Name            Port   Status    Players    Comment
   [                                                        ]
   [                                                        ]
   [                                                        ]

   [Start]                [Quit]                  [Show rules]
------------------------------------------------------------------

Note the missing Version: column; games that the player can't connect
to should probably not be shown.

If the player chooses computer enemy, the client should start
a server, set up computer enemies and start the game. The server
options could be set in a second pane of the metaserver window:

----------------------------------------------------------------
  Number of computer enemies:      [5]

  Difficulty level               : [x] easy     [ ] hard

  Separate island for each player: [ ] 

  [Start]                                        [Show rules]
----------------------------------------------------------------
           



If the user selects [x] People on the internet, the server list is
generated and presented like now. A special server could be added
to the list: "specify manually". Alternately there could be an
advanced metaserver pane. The server list should be sorted btw.

Show rules should be the top entry in the Help menu and give a quick
introduction to freeciv rules. I've written such a document, check
http://goa.relog.ch/pub/manual.html

Finally, the client should be able to tell the the player if there
are any unused players in an already running game that he tries
to connect to, and should then propose to join as one of them.

All of this makes the initial encounter with freeciv much more 
rewarding.

  -Urban