[Freeciv-Dev] Re: (PR#6941) Mission Orders

["Arnstein Lindgard" <a-l@xxxxxxx>]

<URL: http://rt.freeciv.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=6941 >

On Tue, 25 Nov 2003 06:07:44 -0800 Per I. Mathisen wrote:
> On Tue, 25 Nov 2003, Gregory Berkolaiko wrote:
> > On Mon, 24 Nov 2003, Arnstein Lindgard wrote:
> > > Feature: Delayed execute Orders in combination with Goto.
> >
> > While the feature is an interesting one, I think that it should be done in
> > the client. Server is for determining outcomes of basic action request
> > only.
> 
> Well, remember that execution of goto is in the server - and for a very
> good reason (lag). It does make sense to me on some level to have 'delayed
> orders after goto' also in server.
> 
> I'd like to hear more about the pros and cons on this from the patch
> author.

Well I've been playing all multiplayer games with this in the client
for a long time. One problem is that when more than one settler tries
to build on the same turn, only one will do so, probably because of
the name popup request, even when the popup is suppresed. This could
be kludged.

Generally, the lag makes the mission as a whole seem slow --
with server execution it is seamless.

It is much better to give the order first, because you will often
know what you want the unit(s) to DO at the destination at the time
you issue the goto(s). Once Mass Orders is implemented and players
get used to this convenience, we may have a situation where lots of
clients complete their gotomissions at _the beginning of the turn_.
It's not that the packets themselves are very big, the problem is
that this phase of the game is already crowded with traffic.

This is already a problem with the CMA, and I think it would be
preferable to have that in the server as well. When I have many
cities, I have no choice but to turn off CMA in order not to loose 1
or 2 seconds in the phase where that actually matters. It's like, a
Frigate has attack 4, defense 2.

In multiplayer, players at war must resolve the most critical
situations as fast as possible at the beginning of the turn, and I
would rather not add annoyances.

However, with server implemented Mission Orders, the unit need only
send one packet to the client, containing the new activity after the
goto. As opposed to first sending "idle", waiting for client to
respond, then sending update back, for each unit.


Arnstein