[Freeciv-Dev] experimental directory

["Brandon J. Van Every" <vanevery@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Marek Baczek Baczyński wrote:
>
> > I propose that there should be a new directory in freeciv called
> > experimental,
>
> I'm all for this idea, if it's going to be the default at at least one
> pubserver. Otherwise, there's simply no point trying.

That's not true.  An experimental directory would still serve the need
of single players.  And if proven as a successful development paradigm,
pubservers would eventually follow suit.

> Also, the players should be encouraged to try it out.

The problem goes far beyond "encouraged."  Imagine, if you will, a
distro with a big checkbox list of things a player could turn on or off.
And I mean a *big* list, hundreds of things.  Getting people to be
interested in turning on *your* feature is quite a marketing problem.
Ergo a brief documentation link by each checkbox is helpful.  Even that
is not enough, because many players don't care to read hundreds of docs,
however brief.  And you can't just turn 'em all on, because they're
experimental and will break things.

So what authors of such things are going to have to do, is promote their
thing.  Get people jazzed up about it.  If people catch the Buzz on some
new feature, then it'll get turned on, it'll get tested, it'll get
kicked into shape, and it'll eventually make it through beta / release.
But without active promotion on the part of the author, it will
languish.  Nobody will turn it on.


Cheers,                     www.indiegamedesign.com
Brandon Van Every           Seattle, WA

Taking risk where others will not.