[Freeciv-Dev] Re: [RFC] New event handling

[Raimar Falke <hawk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, Jan 28, 2001 at 10:42:34PM +0100, Reinier Post wrote:
> On Sat, Jan 27, 2001 at 12:09:25PM +0000, Andrew McGuinness wrote:
> 
> > Almost everything the player does has a near-immediate result, and
> > for a human player it is usually better to check the result before doing
> > anything else.
> 
> That's client decisions depending on the result of prior client
> decisions.  The server can stay out of it.  It's like any other kind of
> perception.  Compare drving.  I can drive a car in a world that just
> tells me the state of the world: where I am, where I can go, how fast I
> am allowed to drive, etc.  Adding return codes to server->client
> packets would be like having traffic signs saying 'you successfully
> turned left on your way to Amsterdam' or my dashboard panel ssaying
> 'your action to refuel was completely successful'.  Having such
> information wouldn't make me a better driver; what is more, it would
> probably make me a *worse* driver: it would confuse the hell out of
> me.  I just want trffic signs to report on the world I drive in, and my
> car to report on the state the car is in!  Analogously, I think return
> codes in server->client packets would confuse the hell out of Freeciv
> programmers.

As stated before: a return code isn't strictly necessary but it makes
the client programming easier.

Suppose you give the command to turn left and nothing happens. There
are a lot of possible errors: is the speed > 0, is your steering
mechanism working, is there a wall at the left side, is there a new
rule which forbids left turning today. You, as a human driver, will
check this out easily. The code however can't demand an explanation in
case of an error. So the outcome/explanation (in varying detail) is
sent back in any case.

        Raimar

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