[crossfire] Re: Map Protocol Question

[Alex Schultz]

Mark Wedel <
     
     mwedel at ...
     
     > writes:
>
     
        The server is arguably behaving properly - as said, the design is that the 
     
     >
     
      server basically just sends what changes.  The event that causes those changes 
     
     >
     
      isn't a concern to the server
     
     
If one calls properly, to the spec of the doc/Developers/protocol file, then it
would depend on your interperation of certain parts of that document (hence the
"arguably" part).

>
     
        Now, when maps are being changed, it probably is more efficient to have a 
     
     >
     
      server->client command that basically says 'I'm clearing everything' - that 
     
     >
     
      would be more efficient than the server sending the coordinates and whatnot
     
     >
     
      for a bunch of spaces that need to be cleared.
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
        The easiest way to handle this is to probably add something like a newmap1 
     
     >
     
      command.  The client can negotiate its understanding of that with the setup 
     
     >
     
      command like the other stuff.  IF the client gets that command, it acts liek
     
     >
     
      it does now - clear out its fog data, and the server knows that if it sends
     
     >
     
      that command, it also clears out all its data.  So when the client gets it, it
     
     >
     
      then knows it doesn't have to send a mapredraw request to the server.
     
     
Yes, that's probably the easiest way, and IMHO the cleanest way.
 
>
     
        However, if doing, that goes back to a discussion from last week about fog
     
     >
     
      map caching and stuff - the newmap1 command would be the obvious place to
     
     >
     
      include map name and any other pieces of data.
     
     
Yes, and on that topic, I think it would be best to use a newmap1 command or
something like that to include both the map name and starting coords for the
'fog map caching', but also allow individual maps to disable 'fog map caching' 
(if the coords would give away too much, or it there's some sort of storyline
reason), in which case the server wouldn't send the coords and the client gets a
special signal that tells it that it can't cache fog maps here.

Alex Schultz