Line-of-sight, still

[Philip Brown <>]

[Note: I actualy changed the Subject: line to keep it relevant!
 Ooooooo.... AAaahhhh......]


>>>>[From Carl Edman]
    
    Again, I disagree.  We have been over this terrain three or four times  
    already in the last few days, but I guess I'm the only one who actually  
    reads all the articles (it helps in replying).  Having LOS done on the  
    client side both costs you huge latency every time you enter or leave a  
    map even if you only move a few squares in it and requires the constant  
    transmission to the client the location of every single moving monster  
    in the entire map even if the player is standing still.


Where did you get this??? You only have to transmit things that chnge in
the 11x11 part of the map.

People who have chhacked their client to "see a larger area" wil be able
to see where they are relative to other things (which I think is a
wonderful idea). However, their actual character can only physically see
5 squares ahead, so that's what they get updates for.

"monster-rich" maps have the same liability as just moving without using
scroll buffering (which is what we've been doing all along, so far),
so we don't make anything unplayable.  The "unplayable" argument is
bogus, because even with LOS on server, you still have to deal with a big
open are without walls. If that is "unplayable", then you lose anyway.

If you're that paranoid about cheating, you can always add
#define PARANOID_SERVER_GOD 1
#define BUTCH_SERVER 1

and hve the server only send LOS stuff instead of the whole 11x11
automaticaly.

Remember  that it will require a diffrent set of movement update routines.
It will have to black out, and unblack, squares, just becaus the player
moved, not because anything on the map actually changed.