Demo 8.1 Goals and Plan

[demipomme]

Originally posted by alms66

Actually no it doesn't just cover large scale migrations. The migrant could just as easily be 4 people as it can be 4000 people.

Although I agree the migrant could be used for more than large scale migrations, I would hasten to point out that modelling the migration of groups as small as 4 people would put a lot of units on the map.

I think perhaps the migrant unit would only be applicable for migrations into territory that is not already owned by that civ.

[alms66]

Originally posted by demipomme


Although I agree the migrant could be used for more than large scale migrations, I would hasten to point out that modelling the migration of groups as small as 4 people would put a lot of units on the map.

I think perhaps the migrant unit would only be applicable for migrations into territory that is not already owned by that civ.

Which is why I suggested that the player be able to select the minimum distance of travel before displaying the migrant, it could also be expanded to a minimum size.

[LDiCesare]

Here's a small coding status.
From the original plan in the first post in the thread, for the points where I'm an actor: A few stuff is added where relevant.

AI (Laurent)
-Checking ai siege and reinforcement code. 90%
->OK. This could need some more reginement, and I still need to have the ai decommission units.
-AI for naval units including loading and unloading land units
-> Not done.
-AI for exploration
->OK.
-order to pursue/attack particular enemy TF
->OK.
-AI knows to attack province capitals
->OK.
some start on an over all military AI including fronts (demo 8.2?)
-> Not done.
-some start on overall planning [The ai would be much better if it had a high level planning that decided whether subplans should be explore and defend, attack and defend, attack explore and defend, and what in what proportion. Add in shifting economic stance from peace time to war time eventually] (demo 8.2?)
-> Not done.

Military (Laurent)
-refine city wall availability, cost and effect
-> Not done. I'd rather rework the military model a lot so I am not sure I'll change "just" the walls.
-supply level affects movement rate (can be offset by forraging which can damage economy)
-> Done, but foraging is not taken into account.

Diplomacy (Vovan, Laurent)
Some diplomacy with the ai to handle it. Simple ways to handle war to peace and peace to war transition. adjust depending on what Vovan thinks he can achieve
-> Not done.

Technology (alms, Mark, Laurent)
more complete ancient Tech tree. As has been pointed out many technologies will need game functions before they are interesting to the player. Integrate technology changes better with economics and social models, and modify military model as needed. Take ten to twenty technologies that currently have no effects and give them game effects
-> Not done.
integrate activity tag with subtag weight/rank inside technology tag
-> Partly done - activity now has a weight instead of proportion so you don't have to do all the compuations by hand, but it's not yet integrated.
Add a tag with a text to be displayed when a tech reaches a given level, instead of systematically putting a message when an (integer) level is reached.
-> Not done.

Government and social models (Laurent, Mark, alms)
Enhancing social model code. Give all government social policies meaning in terms of economic productivity, technological development rate, military effectiveness, and in other areas as appropriate.
-> See below.

Miscellaneous (TBD)
City Creation Ability (founding cities at least, but automated creation would be extra gravy). One thing that could be done is to automatically chose cities as capitals of provinces instead of the current system (when a province is lost). Plus relocating capital by the ai.
-> Not done.

Graphics
-show provincial and civ capitals on map (star in civ color or something)
-> Done for provinces.
-rivers and lakes (8.2?)
-> Not done.
-military unit images to be the size of tiles
-> This is to let units have a standard size. I had done most of it but went back because instead of making computations to show unit on the tile, I make harder computations to show them in the TF box. I may still do it if I get an idea of how to do it fine.
-Make the map filter menu checkboxed or radiobuttoned.
-> Not done.
-Overlay for borders instead of inner white lines.
-> Not done. (I made the code use an overlay for the selection cursor).
-Map filter colors to be consistent.
-> Map filters use various colours. I'm done making sure red = bad and green = good consistently, but riot info is never green, just shades of red. I am not sure about how to handle riots consistently here since any riot shouild be red.

Now on the social/government model, I have rewritten almost all the riots code. I had coded 2 "PAF"s (bad policies and discrimination) and given an event associated to each, and computed them per square. Now I have coded all the Pro Action Feelings (except Poor Welfare which requires Per Capita Income), and compute them per province instead of per square. There are 7 different kinds of Pro Action Feelings but 9 different effects. I am currently finishing the code of these effects, knowing that some (rebel duke) have effects on variables (Province Autonomy) that are not clear to me (are they supposed to change only by themselves, can be changed but no lower than what the events provide...) I still have to fill the army betrayal, revolutionary, murder attempt and military coup events. I hope I'll get finished on that part next month (won't be able to code much for 2 weeks).

[Mark_Everson]

Thanks for the update Laurent. I hope that you won't be able to code because you're having fun!

I haven't had much of any clash time lately. Let me know about a week before if you're going to need something from me. I did commit the PCI stuff, but still owe you some other things.

[LDiCesare]

I finally got everything to compile and not crash the game immediately. I will check what the newly coded social model does soon, but I have still have some trouble with some equations.
One important thing in the model is revolutions and independance. I didn't code the civil war declaration yet, but considered all opponents to be civs. Rebels are 'feudal' units (that's what is in Demo8), but revolutionaries are full-fledged civs. We'll probably need a naming scheme soon. Some of the effects of the model (causing a government change on capturing the capital) will have to wait until I have debugged a bit more.

[LDiCesare]

The social model is coded as I said in the Social Model thread. I have updated the walls code because there was a bug if the wall wasn't defended, the square couldn't be conquered. I changed the siege code a bit as a consequence.

[LDiCesare]

I implemented a first draft of the naval ai; still have some work to finish but it's at least not making things worse. I'll probably need interception orders. I also wonder whether ships should have a sight of 2 squares away because of their big movement ability and because such a good sight would certainly help the ai scout properly and detect enemies far from their coasts.
I'm going to redo the social model equations which need changing for gameplay (nationalistic rebellion feeling mostly) based on feedback in the Social Model thread.

[alms66]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
I also wonder whether ships should have a sight of 2 squares away because of their big movement ability and because such a good sight would certainly help the ai scout properly and detect enemies far from their coasts.

I'd say that the early game should have land units with a view radius of 1 and sea units with a view radius of 2, increasing with technology by +1 per 20 units of tech for land units and +1 per 10 units of tech for sea units (or something close to that). Also, a unit's view radius should be halved in inappropriate terrain, that is land units only see half as far at sea, and sea units only see half as far on land. I haven't actually calculated anything on that, it's just a gut feeling/gameplay kind of thing.

[LDiCesare]

This sounds sensible. Civ2 had this sea units don't see far into land limitation, with the quirk that you could see the sea behind the land and not really have line of sight blocked. Civ3 blocks sights with mountains, which is probably a good thing too.

[alms66]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
-> Map filters use various colours. I'm done making sure red = bad and green = good consistently, but riot info is never green, just shades of red. I am not sure about how to handle riots consistently here since any riot shouild be red.

Squares which are not rioting show in green, while rioting squares still show in shades of red? Personally, I think some sort of icon would be a better way to display this, sort of like the 'battle occured here' icon of crossed swords, but for riots, show a black or red fist instead, and I'd recommend scrapping the 'rioting squares' filter. If we ever get around to using animated gifs, we could do a plume of smoke and fire or something like that...


-Edit-
btw, I gave Gary a set of river images a while back. I don't have them anymore, maybe you can ask him to upload them to the repository?

and...

With the major rewrite of the social model code, once it's stabalized, don't you guys think it would be a good idea to release 8.1, and move the remainder of the 'to-do' list to 8.2?

[LDiCesare]

We can put a riotting square icon, but the severity of riots varies. The filter gives that information. Adding a fist could be done too, but the space in the square is a bit crowded.
As for releasing the game when the social code is stabilised, I do agree. I'm doing changes based on what I feel, but external input would really help. I currently have a really ugly user interface for province autonomy...

[alms66]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
We can put a riotting square icon, but the severity of riots varies. The filter gives that information. Adding a fist could be done too, but the space in the square is a bit crowded.

True, I guess severity is something you might want to see... both filter & icon would be too much.

Btw, I just updated my code, and I'll be giving Clash a go tonight.

-Edit-
Well I was going to give Clash a try last night, but unfortunately that's just one more thing that's not working right on my new computer.

[alms66]

Technology (alms, Mark, Laurent)
more complete ancient Tech tree.

For my part, I've got a rough sketch of the tree for the ancient age. It's roughly 50 technologies, but it going to look a little different for each of the simple, moderate and detailed versions.

I'm currently integrating the simple system into the Ancient Aegean scenario. If anyone with the testbed wants it, email me and I'll send it out to you- if you don't have the testbed and would like that and the scenario, again, email me and I'll send it.

[LDiCesare]

Here's a new update of my to-do list:

AI:
-Checking ai siege and reinforcement code. (90% OK)
--> Reinforcement should avoid moving units by singles...
-AI for naval units including loading and unloading land units (70%)
--> Must check military influence (land) to know whether target of amphibious attack will be conquered. If not, need reinforcement.

Military (Laurent)
-refine city wall availability, cost and effect (50%)
--> I corrected some bugs when entering a square with only a wall (square not conquered) plus I allow taking the control of the square even if defenders hold the wall. This simulates sieges, a la Dominions. You still need more military influence than the defenders to control the square but don't need to breach the wall. I may have to refine Siegewars or increase military influence of the walls if the effect is bad. Need checking of fights in these conditions too.
-supply level affects movement rate (can be offset by foraging which can damage economy) (90%)
--> Affects movement rate, foraging not taken into account.
-Have visibility of sea units be 2, and visibility of units can increase with tech, and visibility of land units don't expand into sea more than 1, that of sea not into land more than 1. (0%)
-BUG: Units with move of 0 DID move.(OK)

Diplomacy (Vovan, Laurent)
Some diplomacy with the ai to handle it. Simple ways to handle war to peace and peace to war transition. adjust depending on what Vovan thinks he can achieve(0%)

technology (alms, Mark, Laurent)
more complete ancient Tech tree. As has been pointed out many technologies will need game functions before they are interesting to the player. Integrate technology changes better with economics and social models, and modify military model as needed. Take ten to twenty technologies that currently have no effects and give them game effects(0%)
- integrate activity tag with subtag weight/rank inside technology tag(20% - activity now has a weight instead of proportion so you don't have to do all the computations by hand, but it's not yet integrated)
- Add a tag with a text to be displayed when a tech reaches a given level, instead of systematically putting a message when an (integer) level is reached.(OK)

Government and social models (Laurent, Mark, alms)
Enhancing social model code: Riots per province, all social model events coded. (OK)
Give all government social policies meaning in terms of economic productivity, technological development rate, military effectiveness, and in other areas as appropriate.(50%)
-->Civil rights - increase research efficiency: (1+cr)/2 (OK)
- lower military units morale (0%)
-->Private Property - Should have an effect on economic model.(0%)
-->Social Policy - Should reduce the revenue of the ruler by a given amount.
----> Should be done by giving a cost to Admin Level, but I don't get how this is computed or done. (OK)
-->Province Autonomy - Should reduce the revenue from the taxes from that province.(OK)
-->Ethnic and Religious discrimination - This should also lower the number of RPs generated by the discriminated group - that is assuming we track that by ethnic and religious groups.(OK)
-->Slavery: Slave social classes/groups, taken primarily among discriminated ethnicities/religions.(50% no ethnicity division)
----> Create social class (OK) and provide for production bonus (0%).

Social:
-Provide alternative riots model which I understand, is linked to economics, and the ai can manage.(OK)
-Handle Province Autonomy (OK).
-->Slight bug with apply policy button + Precision of autonomy (0%)
-Allow Restore Policies Button to restore the Prov autonomy. Social panel currently changes the autonomy because of the ai - should change the restore mechanism. (OK).
-Independance event: Chance of units in province joining revolution depends on their ethnicity. (OK)
-Independance event: Make new civ at war with, at least, the original one. (OK)
-Show known regimes so the ruler can alter his own to adapt. This is done in an embryo of Encyclopedia (civilopedia).(OK)
-Preferred regime should be shown in ruler panel. Just an empty line. (OK)
-Lower probability of riots based on presence of military troops. (OK)

Miscellaneous (TBD)
City Creation Ability (founding cities at least, but automated creation would be extra gravy). One thing that could be done is to automatically chose cities as capitals of provinces instead of the current system (when a province is lost). Plus relocating capital by the ai.(0%)

Graphics
-show provincial and civ capitals on map (star in civ color or something) (OK for province only)
-military unit images to be the size of tiles??? I am not sure because it's ugly in the TF box.
-Make the map filter menu checkboxed or radiobuttoned. (0%)
-Overlay for borders instead of inner white lines. cf. borders.zip in ClashD8 directory(0%)
-Map filter colors to be consistent.(50% green for econ and red for riots but not green-red/red-green)

----------------

What this means is the social code is mostly done. The effect of all the riots and effects is tested. The code looks ok to me, I must now tweak the scenarios, in particular the Social Test one, where currently it's quite hard to end the scenario in control of your country. You're more likely to end up with the Despotism of Macedonia or the Divine Monarchy of Macedonia (not you) controllong Pella and an independent nation or two spawned from your provinces.

[LDiCesare]

I realised the ai I have coded is very memory demanding, so I refactored the code a bit.
Ancient Middle East eats lots of memory (runs well with java -Xmx200m but gets stuck with the default 64meg that the JVM allows by default).
I changed the code in order to gain 1 mbyte on this scenario by removing a layer of objects. The result is a faster and leaner map display, so we should get a faster game in general. If needed, I might do stuff to the economy too (MarketForCommodity is a bit expensive).