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

#	$Id: PROJECTS,v 1.53 1999/07/12 03:23:00 cameron Exp $	

Small things

	- observers, allow them to have a ship of their own that is ineffective
	  and invisible to others.

	- xtkill can't free observers?

	- compile with -Wall and fix the problems.
	  [done ntserv, quozl@us.netrek.org]
	  [big set of prototypes missing in tools/cambot.c, quozl]

	- 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	- update t-mode messages, they are outdated.

	- 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.
	
	- 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]

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

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

	- 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,


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
* 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.

Release Procedure
	cvs commit
	cvs tag v_2_9_2
	cvs tag -F v_release
	cd ..
	cvs export -d Vanilla-2.9pl2 -r v_2_9_2 Vanilla
	tar cvf Vanilla-2.9pl2.tar Vanilla-2.9pl2
	gzip -9v Vanilla-2.9pl2.tar
	md5sum Vanilla-2.9pl2.tar.gz
	# save md5sum for publishing
	cd Vanilla-2.9pl2
	mkdir /tmp/2.9pl2
	./configure --prefix=/tmp/2.9pl2
	make install
	cd /tmp/2.9pl2
	./newstartd&
	# test client
	# send .tar.gz to ftp sites
	# notify announce list
	# await response
	# update web page
	# change patchlevel.h or version.h for next kit
	

INL robot problems reported by d4sand,

	- no RESERVE command present,
	- robot did not see genocide, (fix daemon to not reset galaxy
	  on a genocide or conquer),  (possible fix, Villalpando 1998-jun)
	- could not rejoin after genocide/conquer, (fix daemon to use
	  non-final why-dead flag),  (possible fix, Villalpando 1998-jun)

INL robot problems reported by ahn@netrek.org

	- at the end of an INL game, any player stats accumulated from
	  his last death until end-game can be lost.  the reason is
	  that player stats are saved only when he dies or ghostbusts.
	  since end_tourney and other stat processing is done before
	  the player slot is saved, the reported stats will be
	  incorrect.  for example, if a starbase does not die before
	  end-game, the stats will show that the starbase wasn't even
	  in the game.

INL observations by quozl@us.netrek.org

	- need a captain command to bring an obs in as a player, and vice versa

