[Freeciv-Dev] Re: (PR#3594) Data: viking.ruleset

["Per I. Mathisen" <per@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

<URL: http://bugs.freeciv.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=3594 >

On Mon, 15 Aug 2005, Jason Short wrote:
> Per may feel differently, but as far as I'm concerned if we have any
> reasonable SVG flag the ruleset can be added.

I do not object to a split into a viking and Norwegian ruleset. I want a
unique new flag, however.

My objection to new nations is general - we have problems with existing
nations that are just made worse by adding new ones, and no efforts are
made to solve the existing problems.

The existing problems?
1) There are too many nations, and finding the one you want takes too
long. This is partly a GUI issue, partly a human indecision issue.
2) There are too many similar flags, and seeing two players apart can be a
real challenge sometimes.

Nations in Freeciv are just pure fluff, linguistic candy. They are easy to
add, but (especially when considering the amount of code and data that has
eventually gone into them) add very little to the game. Playing the game
as the vikings is just the same as playing the game as the elves.

When will it be enough? There are literally thousands of nations on this
planet, each with their own cities/settlements, leaders and symbols.

A nation member may be just as likely to pick the Mordors as his nation as
his own nation, not just because the Mordor nation is cool, but it is
difficult to find or even know that his or her nation exists in the
humongous list of nations that we have.

I am afraid that we are adding nations more out of a sense of completeness
and wouldn't-that-be-neat than an eye for making the general gameplay
experience a better one for everyone.

  - Per