[Freeciv-Dev] Re: FreeCiv - arcade game?

[Tobias Brox <tobiasb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> > Disagree.  Besides, it's too easy to set up some script "kill diplomat
> > when approaching city". 
> 
> What would be wrong with it?

It's wrong because it's unfair when successfullness depends on lag times
and abilities to script.  It's wrong because freeciv should be about
strategics and tactics, not about how fast people can click on
"revolt".  The diplomats are useful for taking cities when the defendor is
military stronger.  If you have the possibility to build a fort close to
the city, and put a lot of defences there before moving in the diplomat,
you could probably just as well have taken the city using military forces.

> If you play chess you also loose your figures if you move them onto
> unprotected fields....

The chess example is very good.  Maybe you have misunderstood me.  To get
the diplomat thing work, the diplomat first have to be moved close (i.e.
two squares away from it) to the city in one move, then in the next move
he can attack the city.  I think that the defendor of the city should not
allow the diplomat to come that close to the city in the first place.  If
he has allowed it, then he should risk loosing the city.  That's
completely analogue to the good old civ, you move your diplomat close
to the city in one move.  Then the AI plays.  Then, if you're either
a little bit smart or quite lucky, the diplomat will not be killed.  Then
you play - and unless the diplomat was killed, you have a 100% chance of
getting your business done at the city.  With scripting or really fast
reflexes, there is in this case a 0% chance that the diplomat will
succeed.  So, yes, I absolutely think that a "go to and revolt"-command
makes sense.  At least in the name of civ compatibility! :)

This is completely analogue to chess; in one move you put your jumper in a
strategical position.  Then the other player plays.  In the next move,
you move the jumper in the winning position, chess mate - unless the other
player have already taken out the jumper or done something smart to avoid
the situation.  There is not, and should not be possible for the other
player to take out the jumper in the short delay between you've moved
the jumper to the winning position and you're saying "chess mate".

> Make a good suggestion of a more action free gameplay.

I thought a bit about it, it's truely complicated.  I haven't thought
much through this suggestion ... it's not perfect, but at least it will
allow a bit less action - I'll leave it to others to find flaws in
it:

- make an "attack" order that will eventually let the unit pursue the
target, and then attack it.  Ordinary moving will not allow a unit to
attack.

- attack commands are never executed immediately, but always at the end
of the turn.  That way, it's impossible to attack somebody before the end
of the turn. 

- It should be possible to issue goto moves that are handled at the end of
the turn - that way it's possible to hide a move for the other
players until the very end.  I might remember some silly games where all
players have waited for the timeout before moving some of the units during
the last few seconds.

The units have to be moved in a "pseudo-fair" order at the end of the
turn.  I don't know how to achieve this.

-- 
Spell checkers are for wimps
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