RE: [Rails-devel] Train ownership limits

[Erik V. <eri...@hc...>]

> > For instance: 
> > <CompanyType ....>
> > 	....
> > 	<TrainLimit number="4,4,3,2"/>
> > </CompanyType>
> > 
> > where the last number ("2") applies for any later phase as well.
> 
> Keep in mind that companies may change "types" -- ie, in 1826 
> a company 
> starts as a 5-share company then may convert to a 10-share 
> company once it 
> reaches its destination (so somewhere there needs to be 
> descriptions of 
> the rules for conversion).  In 18US, a company may start as a 1-share 
> company (a private), become a 4-share company as soon as it 
> has a legal 
> route, become a 5-share company, then a 10-share, and finally 
> may become 
> part of a system that has 20 shares.  The train limits for 
> each of these 
> may be different (although in practice it is usually 2 or 3 different 
> values).
> 

This is one of the many aspects we have not yet really thought deeply about.
Sure we need to find a way to model that.

> You can also have private companies which influence the train 
> limit for 
> the owning or assigned company.

I think this would be just a PrivateCompany attribute.
  
> My personal feeling is that it will be too difficult to 
> describe in XML 
> every possible way this can be done, and a better approach is 
> to implement 
> that in Java, with part of the files distributed for a game 
> being .class 
> files which can be loaded with ClassLoader.  That was the 
> approach I took 
> for a partially-completed Cosmic Encounter long ago -- the 
> basic timing 
> issues were codified, but all the powers that allow you to 
> break the rules 
> in specific ways were implemented directly in Java.

Yes, we will have to do the more special stuff in Java classes.
We already have two special classes to handle the 1830-style
and the 1835-style opening rounds.

Game-special classes will certainly be needed for 18US, 
but IMO the 1826-style minor/major company conversion is now 
common enough that a generic implementation looks worth while. 
Probably by creating a special PublicCompany subclass (the company class
name must already be specified in the <CompanyType> XML tag).

As Brett already mentioned: we are focussing on 1830, while
keeping an open eye on other games. But we don't try to solve 
everything in this stage.

Erik.