[Freeciv-Dev] Re: [Freeciv] Re: play by email version (PR#725)

["Raimar Falke" <rf13@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

[ CC to RT to get PR#725 going ]

On Wed, Mar 26, 2003 at 12:37:59PM +0000, John Allman wrote:
> >>I'd really need to know more about how actions are processed by the
> >>server before i could say more though...
> >>   
> >This is not done as seperate as it should be. On top of this it isn't
> >documented except in the code. This problem has bitten us before (see
> >#725 <http://rt.freeciv.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=725>).
> >
> >So defining, implementing and documenting a certain well defined order
> >have benefits outside the PBEM issue.
> >
> Aha - this is really the bit that's going to stop a proposed pbem in its 
> tracks (well in the way i was thinking of anyway). It would seem to me 
> to be a very good idea to do this. perhaps VGA planets or the Galaxy 
> pbem might be a helpful place to start. I'm pretty sure both have their 
> steps documented and laid out.. The phost project has this: 
> http://www.phost.de/dox/formulas.htm which might be a help. I cant spot 
> the order in which things happen in Galaxy but afaik its an open project 
> and im sure the developers would be willing to give any interested 
> parties that information, even if it isn't actually on their webpage. 
> Even looking at the rules of the board game Diplomacy might be a help. 
> It has some very simple rules about how things happen once eveyone has 
> decided what they are going to do. The result is something that is clear 
> cut and unambiguous.

We won't need such a long list like the URL above. Lets try to start
one:
 1) unit actions (goto, pillage,...)
 2) revolution update (choose preselected government)
 3) city refreshing (this is an internal step)
 4) city production1 (adding the food, shield surplus to the stocks)
 5) update city size from food stock (increase, decrease)
 6) tech update1 (science of all cities to the player's pool, new tech)
 7) great library
 8) gold update (gold of all cities to the player's pool)
 9) city upkeep (pay buildings, sell ones when not enough resources)
10) unit upkeep (pay units, destroy ones when not enough resources)
11) city production2 (build new units, buildings)
12) city refreshing (this is an internal step)
13) rapture grow
14) leonardo
15) refuel planes
17) destroy out of fuel planes
18) heal units
19) decrease helicopter hp
20) destroy trireme
21) refresh the movements points of the units
...
97) reset values in units (moved, paradropped,...)
98) reset values in cities (did_sell,...)
99) save some values in the changed_from fields (city production and
player research)

Uhhh it did got longer than I expected. And it is possible that this
list will double its size.

The is only the core phase. Other actions are game related but not
player related:
 - handle pollution and fallout
 - summon barbarians
 - spaceship traveling
 - check for end conditions
 - update diplomacy reputation values

In addition to these are the non-game related technical actions:
 - inform client about new state
 - save game

This list is by no means complete and also doesn't reflect the current
behavior.

> Is making it a true turn based game a priority then? As i understand
> it, making it one would eliminate a variety of problems...

Formalizing the new-turn activities is a priority. Removing/disabling
the real time aspects during a turn isn't afaik.

        Raimar

-- 
 email: rf13@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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