[Freeciv-Dev] Re: treaties and embassies (PR#2274)

["Ross W. Wetmore" <rwetmore@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I third GB's seconding of Davide's layout.

Separation of concerns helps keep things simple. If you need contact
to treaty, then emabssy is only one mode of contact. If you need
embassy to ally, then a contact treaty will not permit alliances.

Davide has outlined a reasonable set of criteria for each action.
Just code it so the controls on each action check its criteria, and
deal cleanly with a failed criteria (as in greying out an option)
rather than throwing the favorite failure code of assert.

There may be minor nits like timeouts on a contact. I suggest it 
require you to be in a zone of control to initialize, and not be a
capability you inherit for a specified time. But this is just a
refinement of the gating control spec for the action.

Cheers,
RossW
=====

At 02:36 PM 02/11/11 +0000, Gregory Berkolaiko wrote:
>
>In general I agree with Davide's layout.
>
>I have a request/advice though: keep rules as simple as possible.  This 
>prevents confusion in players' minds and also (which is even more 
>important) in coders' minds.
>
>G.
>
>On 10 Nov 2002, Davide Pagnin wrote:
>
>> Hi, all! 
>> 
>> I'm here for some more ideas/comment on embassies and treaties. 
>> 
>> I have some point to propose/explain: 
>> 
>> 1) A simple 'contact' should be sufficient to ask for a meeting with
>> other nation 
>> 
>> 2) As how to define 'contact' I think it should be defined this way: 
>> "If nation A unit enters nation B not-fogged area then a contact is
>> made" (not needed to enter a city-radius, but two simple units that meet
>> themselves should suffice) 
>> I haven't looked at the code, and perhaps this is just the case, now... 
>> 
>> 3) After a 'contact' is made, a turn count down should start, (say 20
>> turns), if no permanent diplomatic status is reached in the meantime,
>> the 'contact' will vanish and you lose the possibility to call the other
>> nation. 
>> 
>> 4) A permanent status is alliance or peace or one side having an
>> embassy. 
>> (Cease-fire will expires at it's real end or at 'contact' expiration) 
>> (neutral is not permanent) 
>> (war isn't permanent but is remembered!) 
>> 
>> 5) During a meeting, if you haven't an embassy you should have limited
>> diplomatic options (or better, you should have a limited knowledge of
>> other nation status, so there are less reason not to agree to a
>> meeting). 
>> Example: 
>> * you shouldn't see how much gold has other nation 
>> * you shouldn't see how many techs you don't know and that they have 
>> * you shouldn't see any cities of the other nation that you don't know 
>> etc. 
>> 
>> 6) Embassy report should be more insightful (it should resemble the spy
>> report of your entire spy network) some possible report we can add: 
>> 
>> * demography number of all nation you have an embassy with 
>> * the names (thus the number) of every cities of the other nation 
>> (but not where they are) and which of them is the capital 
>> * the diplomatic status (treaties with other players) 
>> * number of units (perhaps detailed?) 
>> 
>> 7) we can give some of the above information only if you reach a certain
>> discover (say espionage for the most powerful ones) 
>> 
>> More words which I like to say but that are somewhat confused: 
>> 
>> I feel that for being able to make and embassy (thus collect information
>> from the other player by your diplomats and spies) you need to have
>> already discovered 'writing'. 
>> Thus, I think that we can add a 'trade embassies' clause, but this
>> should be possible only if both side knows 'writing', otherwise writing
>> tech should be part of the clause agreement. 
>> I think that 'trade embassies' should have a cost. 
>> (a diplomat or gold equivalent is required, unless you have espionage) 
>> 
>> Moreover, I think that 'alliance' shouldn't be linked of having an
>> embassy, either side. 
>> 
>> Instead I think that 'shared vision' should be linked to having an
>> embassy, thus you need make or trade 'embassy' before or together with
>> 'shared vision'. 
>> 
>> Eventually 'shared vision' should let you see also 'diplomatic reports'
>> of the other player. (They share with you they spy network reports) 
>> 
>> 
>> Feedback and comments appreciated! 
>> 
>> 
>> Ciao, Davide