
Freeciv WebGL 3D Development Status Update - roschdal
http://play.freeciv.org/blog/2017/03/freeciv-webgl-3d-development-status/
======
__s
Aside, passwords don't seem secure:

[https://github.com/freeciv/freeciv-
web/blob/develop/freeciv-...](https://github.com/freeciv/freeciv-
web/blob/develop/freeciv-
web/src/main/java/org/freeciv/servlet/LoginUser.java#L44)

[https://github.com/freeciv/freeciv-
web/blob/6c86bceeb4f79b2a...](https://github.com/freeciv/freeciv-
web/blob/6c86bceeb4f79b2afc641e7ce994c594d8facfb2/freeciv-
web/src/main/java/org/freeciv/servlet/NewPBEMUser.java#L71)

[https://github.com/freeciv/freeciv-
web/blob/fd99d083e496d58a...](https://github.com/freeciv/freeciv-
web/blob/fd99d083e496d58ad98eb84f9e5dc1f1260503b3/freeciv-
web/src/main/webapp/javascript/pregame.js#L971)

Last link showing that passwords are only MD5 hashed

~~~
koolba
When is this code from?!

I haven't seen someone use the Java servlet API "raw" (outside of examples) in
nearly 20 years.

------
roschdal
Hi! What do you think of the new version of Freeciv WebGL 3D? I'm always
interested in feedback to improve the game. Thanks!

~~~
halflings
You should try to get some UX designers involved with the game's UI and
controls. It's very confusing, nothing works like you'd expect from a
Civilization-like game (left click to select a unit, right click to move?
nope).

Also, the camera kind of got into "drunk mode" (slowly pivoting and rotating
in arbitrary directions). It should be fixed at a constant angle, with the
possibility to translate the camera with arrow keys (like in Sid Meier's
Civilization).

------
Camillo
Is it even useful for gameplay to have a low-angle perspective as shown in the
screenshot? It seems more useful to have the usual Civ perspective, mostly
from the top, and isometric.

~~~
mrec
I don't see the need for 3D at all. Civ is "naturally" a 2D game; the shift to
3D added nothing and IMO removed a lot. I racked up hundreds of hours in Civ
2; I'm not sure I bothered to finish more than one game in Civ 3, or even one
in any of its successors.

The key graphical challenge a Civ-type game faces is conveying a lot of
information quickly and clearly. 2D bitmaps are ideal for that, because
sprites, tiles etc can be optimised for legibility and distinctiveness, and
the fact that things are always seen from the same angle makes them
consistent. All of those benefits are lost in 3D.

~~~
suby
Civilization III was 2D as well. I agree with you though, there was something
lost in the transition to 3D. Performance reasons alone is compelling argument
to stick with 2D (turn wait times in Civ 5 were ridiculous). Not to mention
that it's easier to create 2D art, so any mods that people created were of
higher quality. There were some pretty good terrain packs for Civ 3 (for
instance,
[http://www.civfanatics.net/downloads/civ3/modpack/Womoks_Gre...](http://www.civfanatics.net/downloads/civ3/modpack/Womoks_Greener_sm.jpg))

~~~
foota
I think the civ5 wait times were more about AI than graphics.

