[Freeciv-Dev] Re: images implementation (was: Minor adjustment of Norwegian flags and shield....)

[Jed Davis <jldavis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

--On Monday, 7 August 2000 4:50 PM +0200 "Gaute (B) Strokkenes" 
<gs234@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Jeff Mallatt <jjm@xxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
>
> > Even a single flag appended will completely disrupt the "unique lines" at
> > the end of the file.  Again, if patch is clever enough, it may work.
> Ah.  I have always assumed (somewhate naively, I suppose) that patch
> only looks at context if it cannot find an exact match for the lines
> that it is supposed to remove / replace.  When you think about it,
> it't not that simple.
>
> > Also, I'm not sure that putting images in rulesets is a good idea.  The
> > way things work now, that would imply that we transmit the images from
> > the server to the client across the (potentially slow) wire.
> Ouch.  I agree.
Here's a thought:  The client can request from the server any tiles that it 
doesn't have locally.  This way, if the change is only to add a few units 
or a terrain type or whatever, you don't need to give every client a copy 
of the modpack (although you still can if you want); whereas if the added 
graphics are substantial the client can download a local copy and not take 
the transmission overhead for every game (although someone on a fast 
connection needn't bother).
Maybe one packet type to ask for a tile and another packet type to deliver 
it?
--Jed