More on Client Server

["Eric A. Anderson" <eanders+@CMU.EDU>]

Having experimented with client server for a while, I've discovered
some problems with slow links.  Although the client server protocol is
vastly more efficient than running X over SLIP/PPP (I can get 8 fps
with the protocol for many of the maps, and never seem to get more
than 2 fps for SLIP/PPP), there are still many situations where the
link can get saturated, and I'm wondering what solution users would
like to have.  A couple of examples:
1. In the dragoncave with lots of dragons, the burning hands/fear
spells they cast can overload the link for just the map stuff and the
look window.
2. Anyone who can attack very quickly can cause the link to be
overloaded because of all the messages about "you hit blah very hard"
In both of these cases, if we preserve the original interface, there
is no way that the client will be able to maintain the full 8 fps --
there just isn't enough bandwidth.

Possible Solutions:
0. Do nothing -- if someone goes onto a map their connection can't
handle, then they may die.
1. Introduce synchronization -- this is what the X stuff does, and it
means that other players could be stalled because of someone with a 
slow link.
2. Partial synchronization -- try and synchronize, if someone doesn't
get back, take some other action such as:
3. Drop map updates -- if the client hasn't responded to a sync
message, don't send them a map update until they do.  (Alternately,
let a few maps remain outstanding)
4. Drop the look window -- simply don't update anything in the look
window if the link is overloaded
5. Drop messages -- for example, don't send any of the "you hit"
messages.
--
I personally prefer solution 2 with 3&5 + a way of specifing either a
look depth or a look mask.
Does anyone have any other solutions or preferences?
          -Eric 
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"Yes, you're very smart.  Shut up."
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