[Freeciv] Re: [Freeciv-Dev] Re: Improved Auto-Explore

[John Wheeler <jdwheeler42@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- Juha Litola <slave@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On Fri, Nov 15, 2002 at 11:25:51AM +0000, Gregory
> Berkolaiko wrote:
> > Before I read the patch, I'd like to hear more
> comments from the gamers.  
> > 1. Do you think this behaviour is good?
> > 2. Should the old one be ditched in favour of it?
> > 3. Or should they both be available through some
> sort of choice dialog?
> Old version can be ditched if using multiple
> explorers leads to 2 
> units moving along coast line to different
> directions and others
> exploring inland. If they all just follow coastline,
> it isn't good
> enough.

I like that idea of 2 explorers moving opposite
directions and the rest inland, but I suspect that
will be very difficult to program outside of the AI --
having one unit's behavior depend on another sounds
like a real bear to program.  However, with the AI
setting flags or the human using a dialog, choosing
the behavior of the explorer shouldn't be that
difficult.

Of course, personally I hate to have a dialog with a
single choice, so I'll get out my laundry list of
behaviors I'd like my explorers to have.  First, when
I'm playing with huts, I first prefer to avoid huts
until I've finished exploring my island, for fear of
hostile barbarians.  Once I fully explored the island,
however, I like to collect huts in the most efficient
manner possible.  When I'm in enemy territory, I like
avoid finishing next to a hostile unit or city (that
goes for ships too -- I try to end outside of the
visible range if fogofwar is enabled.)  Also, in "safe
mode", I'd always want my triremes to end up next to
shore.  Finally, when I have an explorer on a ship, an
option to automatically awaken upon discovering new
land would be a nice feature.

I realize, that's a lot to ask for, but it would
certainly justify adding an exploration dialog.

++JohnWheeler


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