From: davidt@cs.utexas.edu (David Eng-Yeow Teo)
Newsgroups: rec.games.netrek
Subject: Re: UDP/scanning beam/visible tractor client
Summary: Scanners and Visible Tractors
Keywords: udp, scanning beam, visible tractor
Date: 16 Oct 92 22:24:16 GMT
Organization: CS Dept, University of Texas at Austin
NNTP-Posting-Host: levelland.cs.utexas.edu

In article <1992Oct16.113931.6297@cis.ohio-state.edu>, amueller@eucalyptus.cis.ohio-state.edu (andrew j mueller) writes:
> In article <1992Oct15.235203.7357@udel.edu> zog@chocolate.cns.udel.edu (Michael D. Eisenberg [Dan]) writes:
> >
> >	2) what about the %!$%#@*#@$! scanning beams? has anyone created a 
> >		client that has them?  if not, how do i do it? (i have
> >		the diff files)
>         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> 	YEH !  WHERE ARE THE SCANNING BEAMS ???????????
> 	alot of clueful players slow to warp 2 or 3 after a dogfight to
> 	try to lure unsuspecting suckers into thinking they are severely
> 	dammaged. Scanning beams would make this tactic less effective, but
> 	possibly more satisfying after the second kill !
> 
> 
> 
> >
> >-dan
> >-zog
> >-W T Sherman
> >
> ****************************************************************************
> NAME:bloodwing                    e-mail   amueller@cis.ohio-state.edu
> RANK:Commodore
> FIELD:Starship Command
> CURRENT ASSIGNMENT:discovery
> 
> 
>       the good of the team, outweighs the good of the few, or the one
> ****************************************************************************
> 
> 
> 
> 

Visible Tractors and scanners were first noticed by myself from Andy's UDP 
client/server.
Andy's visible tractors are different from Tedd's in the sense 
that :-

   Andy's Tractors have to be supported by the server.  It requires the 
   the server to "tell" the client who is tractoring who.  On most servers,
   the server only "tells" the clients, who is tractoring/pressoring, but it
   doesnt tell the clients, who is being tractored/pressored.  Therefore,
   if you use Andy's visible tractors on a normal server, the tractor lines
   will just connect to (0,0) on your local map.
   If you use Andy's visible tractors on a server that supports such tractors,
   you can see your own tractor lines and those of the other ships too.
   However, the important point here is that, the feature requires server
   support, and thus, the server admin's permission to work.

   Tedd's client is different in the sense that it doesnt require special
   server routines.  However, it can only find out who the user of the client
   is tractoring/pressoring and it cant show the tractors/pressors to and 
   from the other ships.   

   The other unimportant difference is just that Tedd changed the solid
   tractor lines of Andy's routine into dotted lines, which I feel is an
   improvement.  Tedd also improved the drawing of tractor lines to ships
   with their shields up and ships without their shields up and so on.
   However, these are just aesthetic improvements. 

Andy's scanners, like its visible tractors, have to be supported by the server
too.  Therefore, you can say that it requires the server admin's permission
for it to work.

Of all the clients that I've seen so far, only the bronco-galaxy-IND client
by jfy contains the complete scanner codes.  (You may obtain them from
ftp.cis.ksu.edu).  I have used the codes for my GFBorg with a slight 
improvement by myself.  The scan window by jfy pops up like the info window
showing the ship's attributes on slider bars.  I guessed jfy forgot to   
check for the case when the scan window is too near the edge of the base
window and may be cut off.  (Maybe he just didnt complete it)
I fixed that in a similar manner as the routines for the display of the
info windows did.
Therefore, the GFBorg does contain a workable scanner.
However, it too, like all clients with scanners, requires server support.

Besides my former server at grit.cs.utexas.edu, I dont know of any server
that supports such a feature.  Hmmm...maybe the server at netrek.cis.ksu.edu 
does too. 




David Teo
Newsgroups: rec.games.netrek