[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Another freeciv testing

[Christian Knoke <chrisk@xxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, Mar 12, 2002 at 07:00:12PM +0100, Raimar Falke wrote:
> On Mon, Mar 11, 2002 at 03:40:27PM +0100, Per I. Mathisen wrote:
> > On Mon, 11 Mar 2002, Christian Knoke wrote:
> > > > autoattack gets only executed once or twice per turn (.... checking ....
> > > > actually once, just before end of turn)
> > > > thus if the spy can finish his dirty business before the turn is over, 
> > > > he
> > > > will escape unscathed.  I do not think it is unreasonable, spies want to
> > > > live too.
> > >
> > > /me, as a non-ics player, would very much appreciate an (all time)
> > > working autoattack feature. It would give me the chance to defend
> > > my cities efectively rather than to loose them to the next lousy
> > > part-time diplomat.
> > 
> > An all time working autoattack feature would change the game quite a bit.
> > 
> > Where would you draw the line? Autoattacking units, but only inside
> > cities? If someone patched their client to use autoattacking units
> > _outside_ cities, would that be cheating? What was formerly obvious as
> > cheating becomes an undecisive gray area. We'd have to put autoattack for
> > all units at all times into the client then, to ensure that all players
> > are equal, and no-one with better patched clients win all the time.
> > 
> > But perhaps that is the better solution. Add autoattack by hostile units
> > in as a standard server feature of unit movement, not have it as a feature
> > of cities. At least that way the possibility of cheating by autoattacks is
> > removed (a long time gaping cheating hole in freeciv).
> > 
> > Anyone want me to write a patch that implements this? (As a server option,
> > naturally.)
> 
> The server and protocol allows a player to attack a diplomat if the
> diplomat comes near your city. This may end in an arms race: defender
> uses patched client (an agent ;)), attacker (ab)uses GOTO, ...

The profs already do that :-( send dipl with goto and steal/buy
You have no chance for defense except a lot of dipls in the city :-((
(not even sure that several dipls add, though)

A working autoattack could help (and balance the game IMO), not only 
against diplomats and spys but any form of sudden attacks (Cavalry e.g.). 
Gives you time to build a defense.

> This is a delicate game issue and a problem which is currently
> exploitable.
> 
>       Raimar


Christian

-- 
Christian Knoke     * * *      http://www.enter.de/~c.knoke/
* * * * * * * * *  Ceterum censeo Microsoft esse dividendum.