[Freeciv-Dev] Re: rfc on allowconnect

[Reinier Post <rp@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, Jul 05, 2002 at 05:14:46PM +0200, Per I Mathisen wrote:
> I've been thinking a bit on how to make allowconnect work better. Right
> now my impression is that it is hardly used much, and sometimes used to
> abuse the server. The ability to abuse it looks to me like a fundamental
> design flaw.
> 
> First off, allowconnect should be a per user attribute, and only that user
> should be able to change it. Hence, it would only be settable from the
> client concerned.

There are more candidates for this.  E.g. the player's name.
 
> Secondly, the current attribute mask in allowconnect is needlessly
> complicated. There is no need to allow connecting to dead players and
> barbarians.
> 
> Being able to restrict the number of observers to either one or any number
> seems redundant. Either you want people peeking over your shoulder or not.
> The ability to set human players to observers only also seems redundant.

Yes.

> So I suggest removing "allowconnect" entirely, and replace it with
> 
>       /allowobserver on|off
> 
> and
> 
>       /control [connection]
> 
> where the first allows any number of observers to join you and the latter
> gives the indicated connection control (or gives you control over an AI).

where 'connection' = a user name, I suppose.

Yes, except that I think it should be clear from the syntax that these
are commands that pertain only to the current player.  Just to avoid confusion.

E.g.

  /my allowobserver off
  /my control K

How will control be revoked?

> When you have enough observers, just turn allowobserver off.

Can I cut (fellow) observers from my player?

> Only
> controlling connections or connections to a player with no controller can
> issue these commands. Players set to AI should always be set to
> allowobserver on.

I don't think so, observing over a poor connection can easily hang the game. 

> Finally, in the code there are comments indicating that it was originally
> thought observers should be omniscient. I do not see the justification for
> this, it will only lead to rampant cheating. So I suggest this
> goal/comment is removed.

Seconded.  However, this is motivated by a common interpretation of what
an observer is, namely, someone who doesn't play at all, but only observes
the game, that is, a dead player in Freeciv.  It's questionable that dead
players turn into such "all-observers"; perhaps they shouldn't, it's possible
to use it for cheating.  But it's certainly a much demanded feature and the
workaround (create a player, disband all units, wait a turn) isn't very
practical.  It would be nice to have a game-wide setting to allow/disallow
"all-observer"s to connect.

> Yours
> Per

-- 
Reinier