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

[Daniel Burrows <Daniel_Burrows@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, Jul 24, 2000 at 11:43:09PM +1000, dnh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx was 
heard to say:
> 
> 
> On Mon, 24 Jul 2000, Daniel Burrows wrote:
> 
> > On Mon, Jul 24, 2000 at 01:37:27PM +0200, Mathias Hasselmann 
> > <Mathias.Hasselmann@xxxxxx> was heard to say:
> > > But the auto-goto-style you proposed is unfair: see this
> > > situation:
> > > 
> > >                     D...
> > >                     .....    D - diplomat
> > >                     ..C..    C - city
> > >                     .....    . - visible squares
> > >                      ...
> > 
> >   Why is this unfair?
> 
> Because Diplomat D is with 1 square of the city and is still not seen,
> hence having the goto and capture command would allow the Diplomat to take
> the city in one turn without the City having any warning or time to
> defend. (With the current system this still sort of happens, but instead
> of the city being instantly taken the defender has a few seconds in which
> to throw a last ditched effort to kill the D).

  This is exactly how it was in CivI/CivII.  When I started playing Freeciv,
I lost a lot of diplomats before realizing that fog-of-war wasn't ready
yet :)

  Really, this is how it is in Freeciv as well (now that fog-of-war is here)
unless players are VERY observant or happen to be watching the city right
when the diplomat makes his appearance.  Those squares were deliberately (IMO)
weak in the original Civs and are a good reason to patrol around your cities
or set up bases outside them.  (transports wreak havoc with perimeters, of
course, especially if you have small continents..)  Diplomats aren't the only
issue, things like Cavalry can sit there as well, and they have a Goto
command..

  And what about Spies?  They get 3 moves, so all of this discussion is
useless since they always `unfairly' attack from outside the city perimeter.

  This is strategy.  It contrasts with `tactics' in that it has nothing to do
with how fast you can jam the mouse buttons down.  And that I suck at it in
general, but that's another story :)

> ps. Is it just me.. or are defending diplomats useless now? In the last 3
> games I played.. I realised the possiblity of a diplomat attack and built
> 2 defending diplomats in the cities. Straight after these units were
> finished, low a behold a diplomat attack, and yet the first diplomat that
> was used got the city... even with two defenders... These diplomats are
> now so powerful with fog of war and lag, that it seems even more so than
> before, that Diplomats are the only way to attack.

  Yeah, I've noticed this as well.  It is extremely annoying :(

  Daniel

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