[Freeciv-Dev] Re: (PR#6174) Loading transports

["Jason Short" <jshort@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

<URL: http://rt.freeciv.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=6174 >

>
> <URL: http://rt.freeciv.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=6174 >
>
> On Sat, Jan 31, 2004 at 12:33:02PM -0800, Jason Short wrote:
>> All of this is quite feasible to code
>
> I agree. Except the transporters-carrying-transporters this is all
> about convenience. You can (will to be precise) always use the
> load/unload command to move the transported-by status of a
> unit. However we also want convenience to not force micromanagement on
> the player. For this there are certain rules which should resemble the
> expected behavior (mostly the current on).

It's not only about convenience but consistency and flexibility.  The
current assign_units_to_transporter works well enough except:

- There's no way to know which units will be put in which transporter.
- It basically hard-codes the concepts of land, air, and missile
transporters.

Neither of these are much of a problem with the 1.14 code.  However since
then we've done some new things:

- The server sends transported_by info to the client; the client should
eventually display this for the player to see.  This means this
information needs to be consistent.
- Generally we want ruleset support to be more flexible.

>> but doing it in steps (rather than one monolithic patch) isn't as
>> easy.  But if this design is approved we can work on it and submit
>> patches that work toward the goal.
>
> We first should come to an agreement on the convenience rules and
> other problem which need attention.
>
> Let me start with the convenience rules:
>  - if more units want to board a container than the container can hold
>  the units are prioritized by their specialty. A missile carrier will
>  first serve missiles and so on. If this doesn't solve the conflict
>  the units are served on first-come-first-serve basis.

This isn't a problem because only one unit will ever be loaded at a time.

>  - moving a unit into a tile which the unit normally can't go and if
>  there is a container the unit will automatically get loaded into this
>  container.

Yes.  This should also apply if the position is dangerous if the unit
doesn't load: e.g., fighters/bombers over a carrier.

This should be combined with a better GUI interface for the unit popup
dialog so that the player can easily see what units are transporting
which.

> Other rules:
>  - the unload action exists in two forms:
>    * unload via a move (this is needed to embark from a ship)

Yes.

>    * unload on the spot (I also this is needed)

Via the load command, once it's implemented.  In the interim (before the
load command is implemented) activating a sentried unit in a transporter
may do this.

>  - you can't (un)load a unit in a contained container (I think this is
>  general enough)

For now.

jason