Re: [Cosmos2-code] RE: Questions

[Steve B. <sbr...@ch...>]

Im sorry but Im going to have to drop off the project, at least for a while.
I just started a new job and although I'd like to be involved, I just don't
have the time to commit to it.
Steve

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ben Kloosterman" <ben...@it...>
To: "Cosmos2-Code" <cos...@li...>
Sent: Friday, March 14, 2003 2:45 AM
Subject: [Cosmos2-code] RE: Questions


> Keep the questions comming . I posted this to the list as other people may
> have the same questions.
>
> Ben
>
> > Hello Ben,
> >
> >    I have some (many ;)) questions.
> >    1) EmpireTreeView: How should I access nodes? What information
> >    the nodes will contain? What does the Tree represents? Which
> >    variables should be contained in the Tree? Can player switch
> >    between Empires or this is a list of Empires for MP game?
>
> EmpireTreeView on the UI . This only contains the playing empire and will
> contain the Races of the Empire and all his Groups( and contained  Units)
as
> well as characters allowing quick navigation of your possessions.
>
> >    2) Game: IS our game MP-oriented?
> Single and MP . MP will probably be first as it allows better play testing
> and humans teach us how to build sneakier AI's. At the moment we are
trying
> to get 1 Empire getting a turn done - we will then get MP on one machine
> done by doing each turn for a number of players and then doing a Gen.
>
> > How many players will there be
> >    online?
> Probably 1 - 16. I think this is set in the Empires class.
>
> > Will there be any AI?
> Yes  , but not just single player even in multiplayers when players drop
> out they will be relaced by an AI.
>
> > Will there be diplomatic relations
> >    between Empires?
> Yes
>
> > What will it include in?
> Diplomatic options need to be designed ( but will probably have to wait
> for a bit more of the game to be active). One think of interest though is
a
> character may negotiate a Peacy treaty which will last a certain time.
>
> >  Where the information
> >    about Empires will save: on HDD or on an Internet Server?
> Good question . On the HDD of the players and the server. The server will
> generate new files to download for each player. The UI then reads those
> files.
>
> To give you an idea stars uses this procedure. The game has an .XY file
> which is the map , which each player downloads at the start of the game.
> Each empire than has a .m file representing all his assets and there
> positions as well as map items they can see ( mines  , enemy ships and
> salvage). Then there is an .h file which has part of the map the player
has
> last seen ( a history) . When a player submits a turn he generates an x
file
> which is basically an order file and is pretty small. The server then uses
> the old m files and the orders to generates a new m file and mails it to
the
> player. Single player works the same but the files are on the same machine
> and the generation is automatic.
>
> I will do something similar but will keep map and scan information with
the
> map class eg (StarSystems) but I have to work out how to handle map
updates
> each turn without resending the whole map. This will need to be fleshed
out
> but like I said the first target is to be able to play the first turn.
>
> I would hope to have a client that autodownloads and uploads  when a turn
> gen is done ( which could be every 2 minutes or even every 2 days) but
this
> is not a priority yet and could be written in less than week.
>
>
> > Whar does
> >    double_click on EmpireTree represents: will it change current
> >    Empire or do smth.
> No . It will select the item clicked on ( Unit or character) and recentre
> the map to that point.
>
> > else? What is the Main Screen Window( Test2 )?
>
> Testing - Devs can put extra stuff under Test2 . It is not used anymore.
>
> >    Will it be the main window or is this optional? What's the use of
> >    Empires class if only ActivePlayer.EWmpire represents the real
> >    EMpire?
>
> ActivePlayer.Empires has been replaced this week by UIEmpire.Empire.  The
> reason is that UIEmpire.Empire get the current players possessions and is
> used by the UI. When a tick occurs that a game month has passed Core will
> generate the changes by going through the orders of all the empires and
> executing the changes. The other reason is when you see the ships of other
> Empires you will need to get basic information from the Empire class to
get
> logos colours etc  , the detailed information will not be present so
Empires
> need a remote empire and an active empire mode ( same but less information
> is available) .
>
> > How do I access the TechList of the Empire, what does it
> >    represents?
>
> It represents the Technology levels than an Empire has achieved /posseses.
> This is being replaced by some different classes but it is pretty similar.
>
>
> >    3) XML: Can I crypt Xml files? For example for saving password. To
> >    save Empire I've simply made Empire class Seralizable, am I on the
> >    right way?
>
> We will have to crypt stuff but I would preffer to deal with that later eg
> when we wrap all the XML into a single file for each Empire. At present
just
> leave it so it is easy to use.
>
> Make sure you test it.
>
> >    4) EquipmentEditor: what is it, what will it do? Maybe there is
> >    smth to upgrade in it?
>
> It is used to create Items(components ) that units and ships use eg
> Computers , Lasers , Fusion Powerplant etc . It is unlikely players will
> have access to it , but it will be used by us to create components for the
> game.  I will do some minor mods soon to make it simpler eg to remove
> subItems and have fixed raw materials ( Core.World.Materials - originaly
raw
> materials were components).
>
> >
> >    I've sent you the code changes I did. It's beta, but it works.
> >    Let me know if there is smth. wrong in it.
>
> Try to test things yourself ( and all code is alpha at that point) , I
only
> have time really to plug it in and see if it compiles.
>
> Ben
>
> PS: I send you some bits of a conversation we are having which is not list
> worthy yet. Do you have Viso if so I will post the diagram.
>
>
>
>
>
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