URL:
<http://gna.org/patch/?5584>
Summary: Add beginner friendly action enabler support
Project: Freeciv
Submitted by: sveinung
Submitted on: Thu 18 Dec 2014 10:42:02 PM UTC
Category: freeciv-ruledit
Priority: 5 - Normal
Status: None
Privacy: Public
Assigned to: None
Originator Email:
Open/Closed: Open
Discussion Lock: Any
Planned Release: 3.0.0
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Details:
My understanding is that the goal of ruledit is to be beginner friendly. By
beginner I am referring to someone that don't know the Freeciv ruleset format
and don't wish to learn everything at once. Someone that knows it could after
all just edit the text files. Here are some ideas for how it could be done.
Note the non of them excludes also having a full power editor for advanced
users.
Approach 1) Sacrifice reusability (and power) to be extremely beginner
friendly. Thinking about a tool doing this is probably enough to make many of
us programmers cry. The audience here aren't programmers.
Place a button, lets call it "What actions this unit can do", in the units
tab. When the user press it he can choose to add ability, remove ability add
immunity or remove immunity.
If add is selected a friendly wizard shows up. "Select action" (All actions
that has a unit actor appears are selectable) -> "Should the unit be allowed
to do the action while transported over terrain it can't exist on? (Example:
land unit on a boat)" (Yes|No) "Should the unit be allowed to do this action
to someone it isn't at war with?" (Yes|No) After more questions like this an
action enabler giving requiring the unit type and what he answered.
If remove is selected the user is asked to select an action (that is enabled
for the unit). When an action is selected two buttons become enabled. "Remove
ability to do this at all" will remove any action enablers that only are
enabled for this unit and add !present unittype actor reqs to the others.
"Remove ability to do this in some situations" will bring up a list of all
action enablers (translated to English) and allow the user to remove some of
them. (Removal of action enablers applying to other units will add a !present
unittype req)
Add immunity: select action.
Remove immunity: select action with a unit target.
Approach 2) Force the user to understand what a flag is in return for
reusability. I, a programmer, think this sacrifice is worth it.
The ability to edit what flags a unit has is added. The ability to define new
user flags is also added. A button to customize what functionality a flag
provides is added. When pushed the user can both edit combat bonuses and
actions. (This will hopefully make learning what a flag is worth it for non
programmers as well)
It contains a "What actions this unit can do" button that works like in
approach 1 except that it is for unit flags in stead of unit types.
Approach 2 enables a user to define a user flag for "units capable of doing
the actions Steal Tech and Steal Gold to players we have peace with that have
the DefenseMultiplier 1 when fighting a Spearman." This added power is great
once the user knows how to use it.
Approach 3) Expose the user to requirements but in a non scary way. (More
power) Like approach 2 except that in stead of a wizard asking the the
questions are selected from a list and the current restrictions already added
are shown (including if they apply to the actor or to the target).
Approach 4) Full power. Like approach 3 except that it is possible to add any
requirement (for those that know what a requirement is) as an alternative to
answer questions.
Marko: How well would these approaches fit in with your plans?
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