[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Development Strategies [Was Documentation, Usability and Development]

[Daniel L Speyer <dspeyer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 3 Dec 2001, Raimar Falke wrote:

> On Mon, Dec 03, 2001 at 01:58:52PM -0500, Daniel L Speyer wrote:
> > On Mon, 3 Dec 2001, Raimar Falke wrote:
> > > ... > [snip lengthy discussion]
> > > > > 
> > > > > Yes we may run out, but this isn't and shouldn't be the problem.
> > > > 
> > > > Hinging a potential customizability on a limited resource is not good
> > > > design.  We don't want to run up against this just as custom rulesets 
> > > > get
> > > > popular.  We've already run into this with nations (which we allow far
> > > > more of, IIRC), and (I suspect) are losing potential developers beause
> > > > their work can't be included.  
> > > 
> > > There is a patch and it _will_ be included before the next version. If
> > > we run out of flags (currently 28) we will expand it to 64 or 128.
> > 
> > But do we want to go through this again?
> > 
> > > 
> > > Also note:
> > > 1.16         (freeciv  30-Jan-99):   F_CARAVAN=0,
> > > 1.16         (freeciv  30-Jan-99):   F_MISSILE,
> > > 1.16         (freeciv  30-Jan-99):   F_IGZOC,
> > > 1.16         (freeciv  30-Jan-99):   F_NONMIL,
> > > 1.16         (freeciv  30-Jan-99):   F_IGTER,
> > > 1.16         (freeciv  30-Jan-99):   F_CARRIER,
> > > 1.16         (freeciv  30-Jan-99):   F_ONEATTACK,
> > > 1.16         (freeciv  30-Jan-99):   F_PIKEMEN,
> > > 1.16         (freeciv  30-Jan-99):   F_HORSE,
> > > 1.16         (freeciv  30-Jan-99):   F_IGWALL,
> > > 1.16         (freeciv  30-Jan-99):   F_FIELDUNIT,
> > > 1.16         (freeciv  30-Jan-99):   F_AEGIS,
> > > 1.16         (freeciv  30-Jan-99):   F_FIGHTER,
> > > 1.16         (freeciv  30-Jan-99):   F_MARINES,
> > > 1.53         (dwp      06-May-00):   F_PARTIAL_INVIS,    /* Invisibile 
> > > except when adjacent (Submarine) */
> > > 1.42         (jjm      27-Dec-99):   F_SETTLERS,         /* Does not 
> > > include ability to found cities */
> > > 1.16         (freeciv  30-Jan-99):   F_DIPLOMAT,
> > > 1.16         (freeciv  30-Jan-99):   F_TRIREME,          /* Trireme 
> > > sinking effect */
> > > 1.16         (freeciv  30-Jan-99):   F_NUCLEAR,          /* Nuclear 
> > > attack effect */
> > > 1.16         (freeciv  30-Jan-99):   F_SPY,              /* Enhanced spy 
> > > abilities */
> > > 1.18         (freeciv  12-Feb-99):   F_TRANSFORM,        /* Can transform 
> > > terrain types (Engineers) */
> > > 1.34         (sebauer  12-Sep-99):   F_PARATROOPERS,
> > > 1.39         (sebauer  20-Sep-99):   F_AIRBASE,          /* Can build 
> > > Airbases */
> > > 1.42         (jjm      27-Dec-99):   F_CITIES,           /* Can build 
> > > cities */
> > > 1.44         (jjm      10-Mar-00):   F_IGTIRED,          /* Ignore tired 
> > > negative bonus when attacking */
> > > 1.53         (dwp      06-May-00):   F_MISSILE_CARRIER,  /* Like 
> > > F_CARRIER, but missiles only (Submarine) */
> > > 1.53         (dwp      06-May-00):   F_NO_LAND_ATTACK,   /* Cannot attack 
> > > vs land squares (Submarine) */
> > > 1.4          (rfalke   28-Aug-01):   F_ADD_TO_CITY,      /* unit can add 
> > > to city population */
> > > 1.5          (rfalke   08-Sep-01):   F_FANATIC,          /* Only 
> > > Fundamentalist government can build
> > > 
> > > So it looks like there are 3 flags added per year. I wonder why this
> > > should change suddenly.
> > 
> > So far, interesting (i.e. requiring flags or equivalent) units have only
> > been added when enslavedciv adds them.  If we can open up interesting
> > ruleset building to anyone whose interested, we should see a lot more.
> 
> But extending the scheme only on vague ideas/proposals/possibilities
> won't happen. I will think about it again _if_ we get requests for 3
> flags per month.

I suppose limitation isn't really the main issue, though I'd like to see
this get really big.

What occurs to me is that we *haven't* seen flags for all sorts of
interesting rulesets, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who's thought
about them.  I gave up because it looked too dificult -- too much time
spent learning freeciv internals for the ideas I could write.  I'm a
developer who's already gotten a few patches accepted: think how much more
intimidating this would be to someone who only halfway knows how to
program.

The current system of flags *hasn't* worked for getting all sorts of
interesting rulesets, so let's try changing it.

--Daniel Speyer
"May the /src be with you, always"


> 
>       Raimar
> 
> -- 
>  email: rf13@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>  "Just because you put a flag on the moon doesn't make it yours, it just
>   puts a hole in the moon."
> 
>