[Freeciv-Dev] Interactive Tech Tree [Wishlist] (PR#1186)

[freeciv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Full_Name: Peter Cook
Version: 1.11.4
Distribution: Windows binary
Client: Both (or N/A)
OS: Windows 2000
Submission from: (NULL) (195.172.42.7)


(File under wishlist)

I have downloaded and installed the windows binary from
ftp://ftp.freeciv.org/pub/freeciv/packages/windows/freeciv-1.11.4-win.zip

Has anyone played Civ III and seen the "Science Advisor" screen?  Basically it
has a lot of good (and fairly obvious) ideas to show the tech tree and choose
what science to research.

Its a clickable tech tree (right click to show the Civilopedia entry, left click
to select as a research target).  You can click on say "Gunpowder" and when each
advance is finished, Civ III will automatically (subject to a confirmation
dialog) start on the next step to reach gunpowder.

The on screen tree shows visually how to progress - how to reach a particular
advance.  This is much easier than reading several of the civilopedia pages. 
The advances you have got, and the ones you are researching (or planning to
research), are colour coded.

And it also means people won't need their postscript printouts of the tech tree
anymore!

In order to fit on a screen (even at the minimum high res required by Civ III)
the tech tree was split into "Ages" (or pages!).  There are also some other
ideas introduced in the "Ages" concept but they are not relevant here.  For now,
a scrollable tree would be fine.

How to create the on screen diagram?  Either some very clever logic to layout
the tree based on the current game settings, or premade trees for Civ I and Civ
II rules.  Any mod pack that tweaks the tech tree would have to include the new
tree layout information.

Thanks

Peter