Fog of War – No real RTS game can exist without FOW, and I intend to build this model in from the ground up. No client will have knowledge of the ‘real’ world, except what they are informed of via the server. Thus the server will be the only location where the real knowledge is, and will disseminate according to rules to be determined later (eg. Proximity, spy networks, satellites, etc.). As such all client data will be considered an approximation, and will thus be time stamped (to indicate currency).
I am not an AI programmer – yet! Although I studied Prolog at Uni, I definitely would not claim myself to be able to write a sentient (according to Turing, anyway!) adversary, and so I will restrict the game to multi player only. Accordingly, the model I will develop is based on the future consideration of allowing an AI to be created which will interact with the central game server in the same way as the players. Thus, the AI will not be able to cheat, or make any decisions from which it has no data to base it on.
Given the nature of trademarks, copyrights, etc., and the fact that my game will be a leap from the original, a new name seems appropriate. I have thought of (and used as a working title) the name ‘Riskier’, which is just a bit of fun, really. Other names that I like are ‘Manifest Destiny’ and ‘Global Hegemony’. The first title refers to the 19th century belief in the US that the two continent of the western hemisphere would be best served by being conquered by the US, which felt it had a God given right to do so.. A perfect name for a game about empire really, isn’t it? The second is a general reference to the way the world is viewing the current state of world affairs (i.e. US Hegemony in the Middle East). Although I like the title, I have found that few know what the word means, and many can’t even pronounce it!
Oh well, Manifest Destiny (MD) will do for now!
