[Rails-devel] Route calculation for huge runs

[Aliza P. <ali...@gm...>]

(Note:  my example is a what-if run-forward of a current PbeM game.
James, Jevon, Jerry, Breno, Scott, please go away.)



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Rails 1.4.1, 1856, CGR running 3 Diesels. (This is not completely
absurd -- my plausible choices for the CGR in this game are 5,6; D,5;
and D,D,D.  The money doesn't work out right for D,D.  This is a very
odd game where the CGR formed with 4,5,6, and ten excellent tokens)

At first, run calculations were taking 15-20 minutes on a T60 laptop
running Windows XP.  Now, though, I've got a calculation that's been
running for well over an hour, taking 45-55% of my CPU the whole time.
The map isn't that much more developed! [added - it finally completed.
 $1440 per 10% share.]

Earlier, I was all ready to file a Rails bug because I could clearly
see a better route than what was displayed, but I stepped away from my
computer and when I came back, a better run was shown instead.  So,
one simple request:  when Rails is still calculating a run, there
should be a note on the screen saying something like "route
calculation in progress."  (Screen shot attached.  Even I can quickly
see that the light blue train should run towards the WGB tokens for an
extra $60 on the run, and in fact Rails eventually did $10 or $20
better than that.)

The next thing is that I'd like to know what was autocalculated versus
hand-entered.  A note in the logfile saying what the calculated run
was would be very useful. (Yes, I could go back in the history and
look for myself, but that's not always feasible.)

Finally, any interrupt between calculating a run and entering it
restarts the calculation -- even things like saving the file or
entering the destination of another company.  Highly annoying, though
not quite a bug.