[Rails-devel] Autopass & RequestTurn

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

Autopass is now available as an extra button in the Status (&SR) 
window only (not yet in the Start Round window).

In addition, I have added a generic Request Turn facility, which
can be used in any case where a user that normally would not get
a turn could request one, provided that a situation exists where
that would be valid.

I'm currently aware of two such situations:
- a user has autopassed but wants to unset that for any reason,
- in 1830, a user has the M&H and wants to swap it for a NYC share
  anywhere in between other player's SR turns or company OR turns,
  out of that player's normal stock turn. 
  The rules allow this, but we couldn't implement it so far.

In such a case, the Special menu will be highlighted (for all players)
and will contain an entry "{player-name} requests turn". 
This is now only implemented for autopasses.
If that menu option is selected, the autopass will be reset
and the player will normally get a turn. This action must be taken
*before* the previous player finishes his/her turn, otherwise
the turn will already have passed to the next player after the
player who autopassed. Then the only way to get that turn is to undo
the last move and have the previous player set the turn request as yet,
before redoing that last move.

In hotseat or moderator play this will be no problem.
In PBEM-like play via dropbox, the requesting player should ask
the current (or any other) player to execute this action before 
finishing the current turn. 

I am thinking of a way to automate this and give the player
who wants the turn to do this himself. I am thinking to have
the requestor's program save a file named like 
"18xx_playername.requestturn" and have all other players program 
copies check for the existence of such a file, and, 
if found, execute the request behind the scenes,
before checking who the next player will be. 
That file should then be removed immediately. 

The possibility to do this depends on whether or not the Rails
copies of all players can delete each others request files;
does anyone know that?

Any comments on this approach?

Erik.