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Show HN: Freeciv, HTML5 open source version

play.freeciv.org

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Re: Show HN: Freeciv, HTML5 open source version

#21

Post by PavlovsCat »

streptomycin wrote: post #20
roschdal wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nice project you've got going there, perhaps a "Find and capture the barbarian capital" mod for Freeciv (or Freeciv-web) could be something to think about.

Thanks! The only reason I made it that way is because it let me produce something playable without yet implementing techs, the economy, real AI, etc :)

Personally, I would find even a very simple AI, as long as it plays under the exact same rules as the player, potentially more interesting than the admittedly cool stuff civ4 has. I just felt a bit cheated once I got better at the game and read up on it, e.g. there is not a single difficulty level where players and AI are simply equal, and people reported the AI having fishy knowledge of things going on at the other end of the map.

To me, even an AI that plays along very simple patterns can be fun while I am still figuring out those patterns; but if it's having cheaty knowledge, then even the fun I had becomes a bit unfun in hindsight once I saw through that.

Just my 2 cents and all that, of course, not trying to tell you how to make your game ^^ Just encouraging you that even super simple AI might be fun. Of course multiplayer is the best, but even then, having derpy AI in the middle to use against other humans = always fun, as long as the AI is consistent and doesn't cheat, IMHO.

Re: Show HN: Freeciv, HTML5 open source version

#22

Post by schodge »

No!! No!! Civ needs to be big and bloated and slow and requiring installation (i.e., Civ V) - the only defense against the "just-one-more-turn" addictiveness is to limit availability, and you're making it available everywhere. At least my phone battery will die eventually...

Re: Show HN: Freeciv, HTML5 open source version

#23

Post by robbiep »

argc wrote: post #16

Pretty cool, but unplayable unless I was doing something wrong. I couldn't move the minimap unless I was careful where to click (dragging doesn't work) and everytime I tried to select a unit everything disappeared. Looking forward to playing when it works a little better!

I had the same problem, iPhone 5. Couldn't end turns, couldn't exit city window once I founded one, units were trying to move everywhere and it wasn't clear which one I had selected at the time as they would jump in the stack on selection.

Very ambitious however and look forward to watching it!

Re: Show HN: Freeciv, HTML5 open source version

#24

Post by fsiefken »

That's very nice to see! I have not tried it yet but now I could conceivably play freeciv on the ipad in safari, opera or chrome. How difficult would it be to package the html/js and server into a native iOS app? Is there a way to set the tiling to flat 2D instead of isometric as in the native client? I always prefer to play that way. For those wanting to play the granddaddy of Civ, try Empire or Empire Deluxe on iPad. http://killerbeesoftware.com/kbsgames/ednew/ http://www.classicempire.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_Deluxe#Empire_Deluxe/

Or better yet, try the board game variants and derivatives (Eclipse, Empire 4). http://empire-game.org/empire/history/detailed/

Re: Show HN: Freeciv, HTML5 open source version

#28

Post by colomon »

colomon wrote: post #12
roschdal wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The best way to control units is to learn the keyboard shortcuts for unit commands, and use the keyboard commands in combination with the mouse, just like in the desktop version of Freeciv. So for example, first use the mouse to select a unit, then use the keyboard shortcut for goto (G), and then click on the tile you want the unit to move to.

Actually figured out an answer on my own -- the handy thing I was looking for was W (wait, I think) to skip to the next available unit.

Okay, actually the reason I was confused is the web interface seems to be very buggy. W, for instance, seems to shuffle you back and forth between two units as often as it cycles through all of them. And lots of activities, like R or I, just leave you sitting on the unit you assigned it to, rather than sending you to the next unit waiting for orders.

Re: Show HN: Freeciv, HTML5 open source version

#29

Post by roschdal »

colomon wrote: post #28
colomon wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually figured out an answer on my own -- the handy thing I was looking for was W (wait, I think) to skip to the next available unit.

Okay, actually the reason I was confused is the web interface seems to be very buggy. W, for instance, seems to shuffle you back and forth between two units as often as it cycles through all of them. And lots of activities, like R or I, just leave you sitting on the unit you assigned it to, rather than sending you to the next unit waiting for orders.

Yes, there is some room for improvements in the unit controls. If you could please list all the bugs you find in unit controls, then I would be happy to fix it in the next version.
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