On 02/21/2010 03:03 PM, Zachary Uram wrote: > On Sun, Feb 21, 2010 at 11:08 AM, Mark Mielke<mark at mark.mielke.cc> wrote: > >> When I first started hacking on the client and the server, around 1990(?), I >> was around 12, and was able to navigate the code, create a borg client with >> all the standard features (assisted targeting, automatic phaser of plasma, >> automatic detonate others, etc.), and extend the server to do various things >> ("natural" planet orbits - both ways, smooth galaxy wrap around with >> visibility back to the client across the borders, etc.). It was not really >> that hard. If the code was really that bad, I think I would have had more >> trouble... :-) >> > Interesting. Can we see this borg code and server code? :) > Already sent some of the server patches in on this list - I don't recall if any were actually incorporated. :-) Many of them "change game behaviour", which I considered good - but were not so good for those who had become accustomed to the prior behaviour. :-) For the borg code - plenty of borgs have been written since, and the clients have changed so that my patches probably don't apply any more. If you really want to see them, I can post them, though. Some of these files were last updated in 1995. See attached. I didn't include everything, just enough to whet your appetite? :-) The entry point is in borg_update.c / borg_update(). Lots of useful features in there, like guessing how many armies are on the planet, extrapolating cloaker positions, ... see for yourself. The borg itself was capable of full auto-pilot, and if 16 of them were started, they would play a game - but I never really completed the dog fighting or the LPS. A few years ago (2001?) I had talked on this list about having the borg players "work together", having one program run multiple clients like arms and legs - very "borg-like" - but I had a family and ran out of time. I think it would be awesome to see 8 borg clients act as one and dive on a star base in a 100% co-ordinated attack designed to inflict massive injury in minimum time. Even narrowing down on the "detected" cloaking position between 8 clients by computing an average of the min() and max() detected position between all clients. With 8 clients, I think a higher level client compiling data from all sources would know exactly where the cloaked SB is, and even what direction it was going. I have this sense that this sort of approach has not been done yet, and would be "unstoppable" if done correctly, or even if done just adequately (lots of advantages that would be card to compete against, even if it wasn't the absolute best at other aspects). But, no time. *sigh* Cheers, mark -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: borg_defense.c Type: text/x-csrc Size: 2083 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailman.us.netrek.org/pipermail/netrek-dev/attachments/20100221/29240bf9/attachment-0006.c -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: borg_monitor.c Type: text/x-csrc Size: 8257 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailman.us.netrek.org/pipermail/netrek-dev/attachments/20100221/29240bf9/attachment-0007.c -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: borg_nearest.c Type: text/x-csrc Size: 2182 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailman.us.netrek.org/pipermail/netrek-dev/attachments/20100221/29240bf9/attachment-0008.c -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: borg_pilot.c Type: text/x-csrc Size: 12593 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailman.us.netrek.org/pipermail/netrek-dev/attachments/20100221/29240bf9/attachment-0009.c -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: borg_planet.c Type: text/x-csrc Size: 4017 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailman.us.netrek.org/pipermail/netrek-dev/attachments/20100221/29240bf9/attachment-0010.c -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: borg_update.c Type: text/x-csrc Size: 4650 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailman.us.netrek.org/pipermail/netrek-dev/attachments/20100221/29240bf9/attachment-0011.c