[Freeciv-Dev] Freeciv versus Xconq

[Erik Sigra <freeciv@xxxxxxx>]

Erik Sigra wrote:
> I'm now going to do a feature-by-feature comparrission between Freeciv
> and Xconq. The result will be posted here within weeks.

And here it is:

* Tested version
  > Both: Anonymous CVS

* General Impression:
  * Name of the game
    > Freeciv:
      + Sounds quite good. (At least it contains a normal English
        word!)
    > Xconq:
      - Awkward name that doesn't sound good. Two unusual letters
        (Three if you count 'c', which us unusual in some
        languages). Two different letters that are supposed to be
        pronounced in the same way. (I still have problems spelling
        Xqonc :-|   ).
   * Website
     > Freeciv: (www.freeciv.org)
       + Domain name matches game name.
       + Browse the source with LXR.
       + Archived mailing lists.
       + Screenshots.
       + Manual.
       + Localization.
       + Uses Jitterbug for bugtracking.
       + Banners for linking to Freeciv.
     > Xconq: (sources.redhat.com/xconq/)
       + Archived mailinglists.
       + Screenshots.
       + Manual.
       + Uses gnatsweb for bugtracking.
       - Bug reports are not sent to a mailing list. Unnecessary
         intermediate page on the way to the bugtracking page (one
         more click-step than for the Freeciv equivalent). (Gnatsweb
         is new and is still being configured.)
       - Address not so easy to remember.
       - No localization.
   * Terminology
     Freeciv:   Xconq:
     user       player
     player     side
     AI player  AI player (sometimes mechanical player)

* Tesselation
  > Freeciv: (Each tile has 8 neighbours.)
      + Very useful for movement with the numeric keypad.
      - Allowing diagonal movement makes moves of length 1.41 no
        more expensive than moves of length 1. Dissallowing diagonal
        movement would make moves of length 1.41 no less expensive
        than moves of length 2. Implementation of fair movement cost
        requires floating point numbers.
      - Terrain looks more tiled (less natural) because corners are
        sharper (pi / 4).
  > Xconq: (Each tile has 6 neighbours)
      + All moves are of equal length. (Special case: borderslides!)
      + Terrain can be made to look more natural (less tiled) because
        corners are blunter (pi / 3).
      - There are no 6 keys placed like this    
                    *                       *    *
                 *     *
                           or like this   *        *
                 *     *
                    *                       *    *
        which makes keyboard movement somewhat difficult.
      - Movement keys are placed in the middle of the alpabetic part
        of the keyboard. Across the void on (at least some) ergonomic
        keyboards!

* Map View
  > Freeciv:
    - Only overhead view.
    - Zoomlevel determined when starting the client.
  > Xconq:
    + Overhead and isometric view (switch between them with @). The
      map can be rotated to be seen from any of the 6 different
      directions when using the isometric view.
    + Several zoomlevels.
    + Ability to have different sets of images for different
      zoomlevels. (I know Freeciv has this too, but it requires a
      restart of the client.)
  * Terrain graphics (Terrain transitions seem to be implemented
    differently.) 
    > Freeciv: 
      + Beautiful default tileset (Trident). The variant called
        NeoTrident is good too.
    > Xconq:
      - Not so beautiful tileset. (This is a matter of taste.)
        Mountains look brown instead of grey. (Only one of the
        zoomlevels seem to have isometric overlap.)
  * Unit graphics.
    > Freeciv:
      + Relatively pretty units.
    > Xconq:
      - Not so pretty units. Look pixly with the closest zoomlevel.
  * Text viewed on the map
    > Freeciv:
      + City names, production.
      - No named terrain features.
    > Xconq:
      + City names, Town names (production is viewed graphically).
      + Terrain features such as bays, mountains, deserts, valleys.

* Internationalization and localization
  > Freeciv:
    + Uses GNU Gettext for translation of the program.
    + Some of the documentation translated into some local languages.
    + Many flags.
    - Only static local city names.
  > Xconq:
    + Very flexible algorithm for generating local place names.
    + Many flags (yes, the swastika is there). Two zoomlevels for the
      flags.
    - No translation of the program is possible.
    - No translated documentation.

* Sound
  > Freeciv:
    - No sound at all.
  > Xconq:
    + The Game Design Language has machinery for specifying which
      sound to play.
    - The UNIX interface has no sound support. (The mac interface is
      supposed to have sound support.)

* User Interface
  > Both:
    - Too little of the window is used to display the actual
      map. Objects should be rearranged to give more room for the map
      view.
  > Freeciv:
    - GTK+ is somewhat buggy. Text input works sloppy, and I have
      learned the hard way to stay away from the menus during
      multiplayer games. XAW is hopelessly outdated (no keyboard
      acceleration).
  > Xconq:
    - Outdated and unfriendly. Worse than GTK+. (The mac interface is
      supposed to be better.)
    - There is no city dialog.
    - There is no command to change production from A to B in all
      cities.
  * Help browser
    > Both:
      - Plaintext. Should use some help browser widget with rich text
        support. (Qt has it. I don't know about other toolkits.)
    > Freeciv:
    > Xconq:
      - The user can edit the helptexts in the help browser.
      - The technologies doesn't show which units they enable, only
        which technologies they enable.
      - There is no way to select research goals. Technologies must be
        researched 1 by 1.
      - There is no way to get help about technologies from the
        research dialog.

* Game
  * Customizability:
    > Freeciv: (Civilization emulator)
      + Good for making games very similar to the default game. (Civ
        style games.)
      - Impossible to make anything different (without
        recoding). For example terrain types are hardcoded.
    > Xconq: (Game engine)
      + Huge flexibility when creating games.
      - Impossible to get everything exactly as desired. (Such as
        dialog boxes.)
  * Multiplayer:
    > Freeciv:
      + There is a public civserver at the Freeciv webpage.
      - All players move simultaneously.
    > Xconq:
      + There is an option to let players move simultaneously or to
        let them move in turns.
      - No official playserver.
  * [Partially] computer controlled playing
    > Freeciv:
      + Good Go-to handling.
      + Auto-explore (although useless for triremes).
      - Not possible to test variations against each other because the
        same code controls all computer players in the game.
    > Xconq:
      + Support for having multiple types of computer controlled
        players.
      + Computer controlled players have separate low-level and
        high-level planning.
  * Units
    > Freeciv:
      - Units and cities are completely different concepts.
    > Xconq:
      + Units are generalized and can be anything from carriers to
        piles of timber. Cities are just a special case.
      + Units can be on different altitudes.
      + Units belong to sides but can have various degree of sympathy
        towards each other side.
      + Units can have name, full name and number.
      + Units can be merged and split.
      + Units have supplies.
      + Units have action points, which is much more flexible that
        Freeciv's movement points.
      + Units have combat experience points, which is more flexible
        than Freeciv's 1-bit veteran status
      + A unit can chage to it's "wrecked type" when being destroyed.
      + There can be a tech requirement to just see a type of unit, so
        (players/)sides may have to reach a certain tech level just to
        be aware of of the existence of a unit.
      + Tech requirement to own a unit.
      + Tech requirement to use a unit.
      + Tech requirement to build a unit.
      + Self-unit. Represents the player. Game ends if it dies.
      + Self-unit resurrection.
      + The game designer can specify if the player must move for
        example all his aircrafts before any ships.
      + Units can be designed with the ability to accumulate action
        points by doing nothing for a few turns. And they can be
        designed to be able to have negative action points and recover
        after an action.
      + Many more things I don't have time to mention now.
  * Climate
    > Freeciv:
      + Pollution, radioactive fallout, global warming and nuclear
        winter.
    > Xconq:
      + Wind. (Can affect sailing (movement).)
      + Temperature.
      + Possible to set average temperature and temperature
        variability.
      + Seasonal variation.
      + Daily variation.
      + Possible to set the initial season and time of day at the
        start of a scenario.
      + Ground covering such as snow.
      + Clouds.
  * Players/Sides
    > Both:
      - A players/sides techlevel can never decrease.
    > Freeciv:
      + Multiple connetions per player(/side).
      + Players have diplomatic states towards each other.
      + Shared vision.
      - Agreements can only be bilateral.
    > Xconq:
      + Sides have relationships towards each other (somewhat like in
        SMAC), which is more flexible than Freeciv's reputation.
      + Agreements can be multilateral.
      + Agreements can be public or secret.
      + (Players/)sides can be grouped into classes (for example
        barbarians, celts, germanians, slaves, humans, orcs,
        whatever).
      - Agreements are not completely implemented.
      - Only 1 connection per (player/)side.