[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Ruleset Development Was: Development Strategies

[Andrew Sutton <ansutton@xxxxxxx>]

On Tuesday 04 December 2001 01:08 pm, Ben Webb wrote:
> On Tue, 4 Dec 2001, Andrew Sutton wrote:
> > question: is there still a fundamental unit type in SMAC?
>
>       No, not really, although the various Alien Life Forms can't be
> constructed from base types by the player. There's nothing to stop them
> being understood by the game engine as being built up in this way though.
>
>       For "normal" units, every one is built from components. However,
> suitable compound units are made up for you when you discover a new
> technology (e.g. when you discover Fusion Power, new units are created for
> you with Fusion Plants in the place of Fission Plants).

based on this, i guess i'd say that giving unit types is a bad idea 
(needlessly restrictive apparently :) alternatives to unit types?

how about this: a unit type is an optional field for a unit. each unit type 
id corresponds to a template. when a unit is created from a template it is 
given a certain subset of properties and capabilities. customization can go 
from there... this would be suitable for civ.

for AC, it should be sufficient too. instead of unit templates, there's a 
generic factory that takes parameters and creates units as a conglomeration 
of those capabilities and properties.

it's still complicated, but it's workable and its flexible as hell.

it's just going to be a real pain in the ass for the ai. how do you force the 
ai to figure out what to create given a) a set of unit templates and b) a set 
of unit properties. well, the ai for AC figured it out, i don't see why we 
can't :)

andy