PROJECTS ... list of things to do or fix.

#	$Id: PROJECTS,v 1.30 1999/03/03 23:55:22 cameron Exp $	

Small things

	- switching into or out of no-geno timer hours on continuum resets quit
	  timeout, perhaps due to repeat of RSA verification.

	- jammed slots on other teams?  Can they be ejected?

	- practice robots drop shields as soon as you die, thus taking torps
	  in flight on hull.

	- revisit syntax of .metaservers file to aid understanding,

	- change metaserver solicitation to process multiple IP addresses from
	  each DNS host name given, just like new COW metaserver code.
	  [coding in progress by cameron@stl.dec.com]
	  
	- there is no way to tell the difference between a busted client and
	  the player simply walking off.

	- need generic shared memory dump tool to assist diagnosis.

	- update t-mode messages, they are outdated.

	- refit to sb docking permissions bug, docking state should default
	  to on rather than off,

	- starbase etemp bug, still shows up, engine cooling rate reduced,
	  warp 2 gives stable etemp, under those conditions it should drop
	  slowly at warp 2,


Bigger things

	- proposed client metaserver window solicitation UDP protocol.
	
	- get INL robot working to satisfaction of INL Council.
	  [coding in progress by cameron@stl.dec.com]

	- slots that timeout during login or outfit (resurrect) should be moved
	  back onto the wait queue (at end or start?) and their slot given to
	  the current head of queue player.  May require client changes.

	- observers do not see tractors and pressors ... fault of protocol,
	  according to Trent Piepho (xyzzy@u.washington.edu)


INL robot issues following testing with Tom Holub

	- port 2592 "sorry you can't play now" message needs to be nicer [low]

	- make GAMETIME response two lines if team name too long [low]

	- increase observer ports [low]

	- either captain should be able to free non-live slots on either team
	  [high]

	- future: revamp stats DB to hold stats instead of post-processing
	  [low]

	- no iggy/terminator in pre-game [low]

	- observer can become captain?

	- observer can change teams?

	- post game inl core dump, had to restart from .sysdef

	- force known team name for REGISTER

	- INL robot entry voted in from pickup, do not do odds/evens swapping,
	  keep old teams if possible, the league does not need 0-7
	  pre-allocation of slots to teams,

	- see what host name of client of players on queue

	- time to show n minutes n seconds [low]

	- overtime was set to 30, but started with "45 minutes left"


Prioritisation Mail from Tom

Message-Id: <19990204210412.A7633@shell3.ba.best.com>
Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 21:04:12 -0800
From: Tom Holub <doosh@best.com>
To: vanilla-l@us.netrek.org
Subject: [VANILLA-L:1340] Notes on INL Robot

[... completed items removed ...]

3) Would Be Nice This Season

* Increase observer ports
* Fix "gametime" message to be 2 lines if names are too long
* No iggy in pre-game
* Show time as minutes/seconds
* Message on port 2592 is friendlier

4) Long Term

* Have server save and generate statistics on its own

[end of message]



Fault report ... sending PAUSE then CONTINUE as a captain causes a superfluous
countdown which does nothing.  INL robot.

Check TCP update distribution at rates above 5 per second, reported by
Dave Ahn.
