[Freeciv-Dev] Re: [Freeciv] rfc: autoattack

["Per I. Mathisen" <per@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 18 Nov 2002, Gregory Berkolaiko wrote:
> > if you don't do deadly things into the server people will put them into
> > the client.
>
> Client cannot interrupt goto route execution. Client cannot interrupt AI
> movement (a good thing!).

A good thing? It is _really crappy_ to make feature which only works
sometimes, and with no clear rule as to when it works and when it doesn't.
Furthermore, this is simply mind-boogling when you consider that who will
autokill whom will be decided by speed of your client connection more than
anything else (since autoattack code removes the user's reflexes from the
equation).

The _only_ redeeming feature for client-side is the current client-side
goto which uses the server for resolution, which I think Raimar wants to
remove. But is doesn't solve the problem, it only makes it less harmful.

> I think this server-side autoattack is turning the gameplay (at least
> single-player) upside down. I am strongly against it.

As I have tried to explain before, this is what you get for turning a
turn-based game into a real-time game without thinking real hard about
design problems. You get nastiness like autokill, to which there are only
two proper solutions:
 1) give everyone equal opportunity to use it (ie server-side), or
 2) institute alternating movement phases within the same turn

Everything else is a kludge.

  - Per