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Topic: Alerts button

Scraggy

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Joined: 2009-04-01, 14:15
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Posted at: 2009-05-19, 15:49

In S2, the system sent alerts (in a non-obtrusive way) when various events occurred, like when a building ran out of a non-renewable resource, or when an enemy attacked.

I really found this useful, so I could forget about something, knowing that I would be informed when necessary.

I would like to see a similar system in WL, maybe with the following alerts:

  • Enemy is attacking

  • Enemy has destroyed a building

  • Labourer has promoted (so the player can upgrade if needed)

  • Resources are low (so the player knows when a mine or whatever is working inefficiently)

  • No more resources

  • A new building is constructed (if requested during construction)


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Joined: 2009-02-26, 11:50
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Posted at: 2009-05-19, 15:54

There's a message system in trunk (thanks to Dwarik). I'm not sure if all of these things are reported, but I'm sure somebody does. But things like new building being constructed or geologists found something are here.

Also, what do you mean by 'labourer'? There are simple workers, no special guys working on something new. I assume you meant a worker that can get experience (miners, innkeepers...). Again, I'm not really sure about it.

Just wait a second and I'll ask on irc (and then edit this post (or reply)).

@EDIT: OK, just buildings and geologists atm - but this can (or cannot) change any time soon.

Edited: 2009-05-19, 15:58

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Dwarik

Joined: 2009-05-11, 17:50
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Posted at: 2009-05-19, 16:00

Enemy attacking is something that i'm working on. (yes know, i'm working on way too many things face-smile.png ) Labourer promoted(like miner becomes chief miner) and Resources low i'm not sure since i don't want to take over all micromanagement and don't want to spam a player with messages.

Also i report HQ creation and geologist findings. the latter has to be designed in such a way a geologist doesn't report finding coal 27 times


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Scraggy

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Posted at: 2009-05-19, 16:13

Dwarik wrote: Labourer promoted(like miner becomes chief miner) and Resources low i'm not sure since i don't want to take over all micromanagement and don't want to spam a player with messages.

I'm not sure what you mean by "I don't want to take over all the micromanagement" - Do you mean that that should be a job for the computer to sort out?

As for the spamming aspect, there could be a button in the "Worker Listing" dialog box where the player requests this alert.

Dwarik wrote: Also i report HQ creation and geologist findings. the latter has to be designed in such a way a geologist doesn't report finding coal 27 times

I find the S2 method of alerting about resources, namely checking first of all whether the same resource has already been found nearby, a good heuristic.

EDIT: I see what you mean about it being implemented (just updated the latest svn). IMO there still needs a lot of work doing on it, though.

Edited: 2009-05-19, 22:02

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sigra

Joined: 2009-03-05, 19:02
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Posted at: 2009-05-19, 23:43

Dwarik wrote: Also i report HQ creation and geologist findings. the latter has to be designed in such a way a geologist doesn't report finding coal 27 times

Actually it reports the creation of any warehouse. HQ (headquarters) is just a name of a warehouse type that is defined in a tribe. A HQ is not anything special on the game engine level.

That a headquarters can be created for a player when the game starts is not hardcoded in the game engine. It is just an event that is configured in the game data. To create a message for it, a new event type would has to be created ("message"). Then such an event has to be added to the list of initialization events (where the event to actually create the headquarters is).


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SirVer

Joined: 2009-02-19, 15:18
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Posted at: 2009-05-20, 11:31

Dwarik wrote: Also i report HQ creation and geologist findings. the latter has to be designed in such a way a geologist doesn't report finding coal 27 times

the information might be useful for computer players (even 27 times). Instead there should be a filter object responsible for deciding what the Human Player will be notified about. This could make sure that the human is not bored with all these information.


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Dwarik

Joined: 2009-05-11, 17:50
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Posted at: 2009-05-20, 11:42

that's actually a very good idea. I think i've got some ideas how to implement that. i'll work on it and let you guys know what i come up with


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Nasenbaer
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Joined: 2009-02-21, 18:17
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Posted at: 2009-05-20, 12:04

SirVer wrote: the information might be useful for computer players (even 27 times). Instead there should be a filter object responsible for deciding what the Human Player will be notified about. This could make sure that the human is not bored with all these information.

At least not for the current one - it does not send a geologist, but simply reads the resources from the map data.


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Dwarik

Joined: 2009-05-11, 17:50
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Pry about Widelands
Posted at: 2009-05-20, 12:44

CHEATER!!!


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Dwarik

Joined: 2009-05-11, 17:50
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Pry about Widelands
Posted at: 2009-05-20, 12:50

On a slightly more constructive note: maybe it would be a good idea whom has access to which interfaces. My gut feeling says an AI should first send out geologists (maybe at least on 'easy' mode)

The problem is that of course players can also remember where resources are. If i play the same map 2 or 3 times in a row I at least remember which spot i have to place my coal mine. That of course can be solved if we could implement 'resource rotation among mountain edges' (at the same piece of mountain resources could be located in a slightly different order)

Maybe we should also thinking about what we would consider cheating in widelands. I'm sure there will be some point that someone will implement the 'full visible hack in multiplayer games'. We probally won't be able to avoid all cheats but maybe if we at least think about what we want to allow we can somewhat reduce it.


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