[Freeciv-Dev] ctrl level commands during game (was: New option in server. Correction.)

[Reinier Post <rp@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, Aug 17, 2000 at 03:49:00AM -0300, Martin Olveyra wrote:
 
> I dont see inconvenients on leaving killstack option as a server option, but
> i have noted that many options (like fogofwar) can be changed while game is
> running by any player with ctrl level. This is a problem, because any player
> can "trick" the game when he/she wants.

This is why the options are at 'ctrl' level: they control the game ...
If all is well, exactly the 'ctrl' level commands and options are in
this category.  So what you're really proposing is to limit the effect
of the ctrl cmdlevel to the pregame phase.  Am I correct?

I think this is unneccessary.  The 'ctrl' level was added because
*someone* must be able to control these options on public civservers,
and the problem is really that by setting cmdlevel to ctrl for all
players, *anyone* can control them.

I think a better approach is to appoint one player as the 'game host'
and allow only that player to use 'ctrl' level commands and options.

This is already implemented: the 'cmdlevel first' feature was added
for this purpose.  This is how it works:

  > cm in
  default command access level set to 'info'
  > cm ct first
  first connection command access level set to 'ctrl'
  > cm
  Command levels in effect:
  Command level for new connections: info
  Command level for first connections: ctrl

Now, only the first connecting player will get 'ctrl' level.
The idea is to run public civservers with these commands in their
startup files (using the -r option).

We've been experimenting with this feature on civserver.freeciv.org
but it was confusing.  What if the player with 'ctrl' level leaves?
Someone else can take ctrl by disconnecting/reconnecting, but this
isn't obvious.  We can enable the cmdlevel command for the purpose
of setting oneself to 'ctrl' level in this specific situation.
We can also add a notification to inform the players when it arises.
I'll write a patch to make these changes.

This solution only allows one player to issue 'ctrl' level commands;
in pregame there really is no harm in allowing them to everybody.
But I don't think that is a real problem.

So I am opposed to limiting 'sensitive' commands to pregame;
it will break this feature!

-- 
Reinier