[Pkg-freeciv-devel] Bug#241929: Bug#241929: freeciv: Freeciv is tip to tail braindamaged and harms young hackers.

[Jason Dorje Short]

Ivan Shmakov wrote:
>>>>>> "JM" == Jan Minar <jjminar at fastmail.fm> writes:
> 
>  JM> Package: freeciv Version: 1.12.0-0.1 Severity: important
> 
> 	Looks like most of the issues noted below aren't applicable to
> 	Freeciv any longer (as of 2.0.8-3.)
> 
> 	I guess that the report should be closed, probably after
> 	splitting the issues that are still there off into separate
> 	reports.

http://bugs.freeciv.org/ - or through the email interface

>  JM> On the server side, there should be some way to specify your
>  JM> favourite defaults (It would be *extremely* lame if you had to
>  JM> configure the (possibly complex) options every time you run the
>  JM> server, so I think there _is_ a way to do it, yet I didn't figure
>  JM> out how).
> 
> 	The `read' command is there for ages now, and there's also the
> 	`--read' server option.

/read and /write.  I believe there's now a GUI interface for this. 
There may be some confusion between server and client options however.

>  JM> * The GUI should be more simple.  The repetitiveness: two
>  JM> production choice windows, `Worklist' and `Change', `Worklist'
>  JM> doesn't show turns-to-completion, two `Help' buttons in the
>  JM> `Worklist' window, etc., etc.

There's actually a very large number of ways to change city production. 
  I don't think the repetition is necessarily bad.

>  JM> * The `Messages' pop-up hides most of the animations, and there *is
>  JM> no way to configure this*.

the "message options" menu choice.

>  JM> * The only way to find a specific unit (say the only cruiser I
>  JM> have, on an explore mission) is to click through the whole map.
>  JM> When the unit is hidden under some another, or in a city, it's
>  JM> almost impossible.

This is a problem, yeah.  The units dialog should maybe have a button to 
activate all units you have (of a particular type).  Maybe another 
dialog should list individual tiles' units (as I recall master of magic 
allowed).

>  JM> Wishlist:
> 
>  JM> * Using sea units as bridges should be easier: The units stop on
>  JM> the sea unit when Goto-ing along.  Moreover, when the sea unit is
>  JM> sentried, the Goto-ing unit gets sentried too.  (A special `Bridge'
>  JM> command, along with the `Sentry', so that the units would not
>  JM> stop/sentry?  `Ferry'--`Autoattack' counterpart, so that bridging
>  JM> over few sea squares would be possible (easy when only one unit
>  JM> going thru, complex cases would require, eh, more complex
>  JM> algorithm)?)
> 
> 	... A separate report as well?

Complicated AI ferrying systems are somewhat beyond the scope of a user 
agent.  Stringing together multiple transports sentries should work 
however.  Maybe goto doesn't like it though.

>  JM> Yes, Freeciv is quite a complex program.  So it should come with a
>  JM> strong, orthogonal design.  There should be no ``That's just how it
>  JM> is...'' we know from the MS-DOS games world.  Instead, I'd like to
>  JM> hear ``That's just The Wrong Thing, and Freeciv is a free software,
>  JM> and it should be changed.''  But perhaps the *design* phase is
>  JM> where the problem lays, and it would be just a different game we
>  JM> would end up after such a fundamental rewrite.  And no, I *won't*
>  JM> do it.

That philosophy must be balanced against the improved quality of AI, 
game balance, variety, and graphics that come when things are hard-coded.

-jason