[Freeciv-Dev] Re: cheating

["Mike Jing" <miky40@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: ccrayne@xxxxxxxxxxx
> To: Freeciv developers <freeciv-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Freeciv-Dev] Re: cheating
> Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 11:26:03 -0800
>
> In <3A24E8F4.15A0148E@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, on 11/29/00
> at 12:31 PM, Piotr Sulecki <Piotr.Sulecki@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> said:
>
> :But it have certainly been proved as inadequate to level up the 
> >:chancesbetween novice and experienced players.
> This is indeed the key point. Finding a way to allow players of
> different skills to compete as equals is a totally different goal
> than making the game more challenging for expert players. In
> particular, a player handicaping scheme must make it easy to compare
> one player's skill level against another's; provide for a large
> number of levels; and be independant of game difficulty levels.
That's absolutely right.  The 'unhappysize' and 'cityfactor' variables are 
meant to adjust the difficulty level of the game, NOT as a handicaping 
scheme.  it's important that we don't mix these issues.
Of course, they could be used in a handicaping scheme by allowing different 
players play at different difficulty levels in the same multiplayer game.  
As far as I know, this is NOT yet possible in Freeciv.
> One way of doing this in Freeciv would be through a trade bonus. For
> example, consider assigning each player a handicap rating from zero
> to some server imposed limit. [As with golf, bowling, etc. the lower
> the handicap, the better the player.] This number would be
> implemented as a percentage increase in city trade, calculated just
> before the split into Gold/Luxury/Science.
This reminds me of another point I forgot to mention in my previous posts.  
Nobody ever build trade routes in Freeciv.  In Civ2 at the Deity level, 
trade routes also become extreme important because of all the tax, luxury 
and science benefit they generate.  All this is related to city size.  City 
improvements are more worthwhile in big cities; it simply doesn't make sense 
to build stock exchanges or factories in a small city.  Trade routes also 
worth more for bigger cities.
As I have argued before, by adjusting 'unhappysize' and 'cityfactor' and 
possibly extending them, it may be possible to solve many of the complaints 
regarding the current Freeciv gameplay.  It will favor bigger and better 
developed cities -- no more "smallpox syndrome"; encourage the use of all 
the elements of the game -- trade routes, governments forms other than the 
Republic, and mordern technologies; and all in all provide a more 
interesting and enjoyable experience.
Mike

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