[Freeciv-Dev] Re: (PR#8632) Easy way to set map size with auto ratios (seteables if desired)

["Marcelo Burda" <mburda@xxxxxxxxx>]

<URL: http://rt.freeciv.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=8632 >

Le jeu 03/06/2004 à 15:58, Mike Kaufman a écrit :
> <URL: http://rt.freeciv.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=8632 >
> 
> On Thu, Jun 03, 2004 at 12:16:40AM -0700, rwetmore@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> > 
> > The map view is a standard X x Y grid. Thus this is the simplest set of
> > parameters to define it, has been considered just hunky dorey as the
> > definition of ROWS and COLUMNS in TERM definitions for a dog's age, and
> > means that complex math for computing rations to get back to this level
> > of simplicity for grade schoolers is not required.
> > 
> > Using simple parameter selections/defaults (e.g. 80x50) for standard maps in
> > the non-advanced section of user input is fine and having a "bigger/smaller"
> > button that allows one to choose a number of sizes with similar but adjusted
> > shapes is also fine, but having the user say they want a map of 100 tiles 
> > with
> > a ratio of 1.6 is just not a usable concept, and was never from its earliest
> > inception, as has been stated before.
> 
> I concur with this assessment. Anyone (or almost) who has the ability to
> play freeciv also has the ability to muliply 80 and 50 together to get the
> number of tiles, Using ratios for most people is going to be asking oneself
> what dimensions you want and then _calculating_ the ratio from that. Rather
> dumb. I consider this idea a no go.
hmmm, player never make it, final user only need to select a size. and
get start. ratio are only used really for fine touch a game. and
probably to make a scenario.
final use get 
set size 4 /* (default) 4000 tiles map */
set topology 5
start
and he never work with ratio.

if this some user really want a square map of some size it can think
xsize = sqrt( 4000) = 63, and make

set xsize 63
set ysize 63
set topology 5
start.

that was wrong. hi will get a unwanted map! (hi will see it in half of
the game)

with a ratio system

set size 4
set ratio 11 ( a 1 : 1 )
set topology 5
start

this time user get the good map hi want.

a normal freeciv user (freeciv is not a FPS!) can easy understand that
if hi want a 200x100 map this is a 2:1 ratio, and probably hi is too
able to calculate 200x100=20k and set size 20! ( in Belgium 14y old
person are able to do that :-) )
  
player  not need know about iso map or hex map or etc

A alternative is to simply not allow user to set ratio and only use
size. that is a little restrictive. 
The other choice is to allow user to use size or, [xy]size, but in this
last case ask for natural coordiantes are bad. 

if you not like ratio for user i propose for this last alternative.
when users choice to set xsize/ysize instead size to
calculate internally size and ratio from  the hsize, vsize (the apparent
sizes ) and then calculate the xsize, ysize (natural size).

but this force to define these apparent size, there are less obvious
than a ratio.

Def=
apparent [hv]size = native [xy]size for no iso map

apparent hsize = native xsize * sqrt(2) for iso map
apparent vsize = native ysize / sqrt(2) for iso map

i thin this is a little less bad than kip the actual system. but this is
not less complicate for code, and need really more code in input control
code.
the concept of apparent size is a little odd instead a more natural
ratio. 

> 
> -mike
> 
> 
Marcelo
thx for your comments