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Re: CF: Suggestion and comments



On Apr 2,  9:06pm, Bill Farrar wrote:
> Subject: Re: CF: Suggestion and comments
> On Tue, 2 Apr 1996 14:22:56 -0500 (EST), Patrick Kenny wrote:
> I know it's not a client/server achitecture, I was proposing it to
> keep the server from slowing down at >10 players..Let's face it: if
> the local client dealt with the screen display, then that would be n
> less things the server had to do (with n = number of players), and a
> complicted thing at that.  All that has to be put in place is a simple
> protocol that tells the clients where are the monsters on their loaded
> maps are. (and ferry movement info from player to player) In other
> words, basically what CivNet is doing now already.
>

 Right now, by default no client/server is used by default.  All that
crossclient is is a simple front end that does a telnet, sets a few variables,
and exits.  By default, the server does everything - a lot of people will
telnet directly to the server to connect.

 Work has been started on a new smart client - it is marginally usuable.
 Unfortunately, the person who did most all of the work has moved on to other
stuff, and while left us working code, didn't really leave much documentation
on what it does.  I believe someone was working on cleaning this up and
documenting it.  With a smart client, display capabilities shouldn't be as
required - in theory, you can make a mac or pc client.

 I won't go into anything about hte protocol and how the smart client works -
this has already been done a few times.  If interested, look through old mail
logs and grab a cfclient version off the ftp site.

> Well, there *is* cross edit, y'know:)  We are workign on new maps
> here, and we've only been playing for a few weeks.  The ideal thing is
> to give this away as a prize for being a specific level (You made
> level 100 (or whatever) you can now write new areas!!!) Again, this is
> not that different than  MUDs i have played.
>

 One 'problem' is that there are so many maps that it can be hard to know if
you have done most or all of them.   Most of the older adventure games have
some path you tend to follow through, so you will end up hitting most all the
maps before you finish with the game.  Crossfire doesn't do that - you can go
to any map pretty much (some you will quickly die.)  But many maps don't have
much purpose beyond something to kill and get some quick experience.

 Some maps do have isolated quests (ie, a series of maps you need to do to get
some prize. (demonology maps as an example.))  These are quite good, but if you
don't about the maps, you obviously won't visit the map.  Right now, there rae
a lot of maps out there that can easily be missed - there just isn't the
information to know about them.  The inn in the starting town tells about a
good number, but there is a fair number of maps that aren't really mentioned
anyplace.

 What would be nice and add some color is better quests.  Maybe have various
kings/rulers in areas who will send people on quests - if they complete it,
they get some bonus, as well as some invisible object so they can't do it again
(and so that they won't get sent on that quest again.)    I have some ideas on
how some of this can be done, but a fair amount of new code would need to be
added (a better parsing scheme is still needed.)

 Random maps are something that probably wouldn't be really hard to do - random
encounters sort of do that right now. These could be expanded a bit, and with
some more hacking, random dungeouns could probably be made.  Use the old idea
of geomorphs - maybe 10x10 maps with exits in standard places, and glue a bunch
together to get a map.  Some extra code for edges and stairs might be needed.
 Not really sure if it is worth the effort - there doesn't seem to much that
much of a shortage of maps.

> Well, i think with the current ability of the server to handle
> players, at the speed it does, the game will have to *stay* local.
> Only when that is changed will there be a major step up in external
> ppl playing.

 One of the bigger problems is that the server does all display, and the server
will tend to be limited by the slowest display on the system.  Getting
client/server will fix that.


-- 
 --Mark