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Show HN: Freeciv-Web

142 points by roschdal 5y ago

raxxorrax 5y ago
This is awesome. Finally something sensible to play while at work. Kidding, but I will take a look at it. Really well done UI and artwork after taking a quick peek.
hluska 5y ago
Oh wonderful, the game where ‘just one more turn’ turns into 8am. I love the web so much.
- canadianfella 5y ago
  > I love the web so much. That’s a weird thing to say.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
purpleidea 5y ago
Beautiful! but I don't have 100 years left to play this. I need to be coding: https://github.com/purpleidea/mgmt/ https://github.com/purpleidea/mgmt/
roschdal 5y ago
Source code of Freecivweb: https://github.com/freeciv/ https://github.com/freeciv/ https://github.com/freeciv/freeciv-web https://github.com/freeciv/freeciv-web https://github.com/Lexxie9952/fcw.org-server https://github.com/Lexxie9952/fcw.org-server
Apocryphon 5y ago
Sadly, the attempt to add a SMAC mode to FreeCiv was abandoned decades ago. http://freecivac.sourceforge.net http://freecivac.sourceforge.net
- animal531 5y ago
  Awww, I love SMAC so much. It's one of those games that I play every 2-3 years for a bit, but I'm not even sure if it'll run anymore.
  - aenis 5y ago
    It still works under windows, on amd at least.
  - salamandersauce 5y ago
    They do sell it on GoG updated to work on newer versions of Windows. It's been a while since I tested the CD release but that had trouble with dual core processors but once that's worked around worked fine.
    - vanderZwan 5y ago
      The main issue with the game these days is that the interface just doesn't "scale" - the late game gets bogged down a lot.
      - vidarh 5y ago
        SMAC allows you to turn on automation of almost everything, and has a button (shift? Ctrl? Don't remember) that'll speed up animations drastically when held. It's not perfect, but the combination of turning on the governor's for everything you don't need to care about and holding that button during AI moves makes a big difference.
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
  - loudmax 5y ago
    I played a game just a week ago, but sadly my Morganite faction was crushed by the Spartans. The version GOG sells works on Linux on Lutris/Wine. I did find myself rescaling the screen because it expects the display to be 640x480. IMHO, the hard science tech tree still holds up very well. Of course these futuristic technologies are speculative, but they're plausible enough that you don't have to work too hard to suspend disbelief. I'd love to see an updated version of SMAC with a more modern user interface and a better AI.
est 5y ago
Any plans to make hexagon version of it? Or better, a real 3D globe map.
- roschdal 5y ago
  Freeciv Webgl 3D version: https://fcw.movingborders.es/ https://fcw.movingborders.es/ Source code: https://github.com/freeciv/freeciv-web/tree/develop/freeciv-web/src/main/webapp/javascript/webgl https://github.com/freeciv/freeciv-web/tree/develop/freeciv-...
- salamandersauce 5y ago
  There is an open source clone of Civ 5 called Unciv. https://github.com/yairm210/Unciv https://github.com/yairm210/Unciv
- kzrdude 5y ago
  Freeciv already supports a hexagonal grid, but don't know if freeciv web does.
fsiefken 5y ago
Would be nice to have a real flat top down 2d view for either square or hexagonal tiling, but the web client tiling seems to be fixed to birds eye view. I can just download the android/linux/win/mac client for that of course.
- vanderZwan 5y ago
  If you prefer the hexagonal tiling of Civ V and later, there is also UnCiv: https://yairm210.itch.io/unciv https://yairm210.itch.io/unciv
Clewza313 5y ago
So I'm probably missing something obvious, but how do I start a private multiplayer game with a set of selected friends? (As opposed to Internet randos.)
- chalst 5y ago
  I see the top game on the list of current multiplayer games has the attrbute "password protected", which sounds like the kind of thing that would achieve this.
  - Clewza313 5y ago
    Indeed, but how do I start a multiplayer game? "New game" seems to be single player only.
    - kzrdude 5y ago
      You use the multiplayer button to join an existing game. Several of them are blank "new games". Join it and set a password.
mnw21cam 5y ago
> Joining this game requires signing in with a player name and a validated Google Account. Two things. Firstly, I'm trying to observe, not play. Secondly, not on your nelly. There's no way I'm linking stuff to my Google account (assuming I had one). Authentication should be kept completely separate.
- tasuki 5y ago
  I guess the game contains state which should be hidden? It can't just let anonymous randos observe the whole game state? What's wrong with Google for authentication? If you wanted to add other auth methods, I think your contribution would be welcome.
  - macintux 5y ago
    Google has a history of locking people out of their accounts for perceived fraud (as determined via hidden algorithms) so the more you rely on it, the more dangerous it becomes. Obviously no one’s going to shed tears if they’re locked out of Google and can’t log into a Freeciv game, but I wouldn’t want to use Google for anything I cared about.
jlundberg 5y ago
On the topic of Civilization in the browser, here is a very ambitious such project: https://statebuilder.com/ https://statebuilder.com/ Built from the ground up for the web. Don’t think this is well known so probably worth it’s own HN post.
- tasuki 5y ago
  That looks extremely nice. Hexagonal too!
  - tasuki 5y ago
    Eh, so, instead of adulting, I tried it out... The bad: - looks like not actively developed anymore - no contextual help, though things are reasonably civ-like - clearly unfinished, some things look like stubs that don't do anything? The good/great: - combat mechanics are great: instead of units evaporating altogether, they gradually lose health - units also slowly lose health over time when wandering around - max four units per tile - hexagonal! - I haven't seen a single UI bug I like FreeCiv a lot, but now I like StateBuilder much more!
    - jlundberg 5y ago
      Oleksandr was developing this heavily in 2016 when I first encountered Statebuilder. And he kept adding things. Maybe he will get a new burst of inspiration if you share your feedback to him. :) What I have been impressed with most is the webGL rendering. Have been really neat every time he has shown me his newest prototype.
MaxBarraclough 5y ago
Here's the homepage of the FreeCiv project itself, which also has various other frontends besides FreeCiv-Web: http://www.freeciv.org/ http://www.freeciv.org/ I recommend the Qt frontend. Last time I checked it was in a much better state than either of the GTK ones, but that was a while ago.
vanderZwan 5y ago
For maximum nostalgia I suggest putting on the original Civ 2 soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qaiaF80O3U&t=81s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qaiaF80O3U&t=81s
JoeyBananas 5y ago
Freeciv is fun but the AI isn't very smart compared to civ 3. They never send boats at you and they stop researching technology later in the game.
dang 5y ago
Recent discussion: Show HN: Freeciv-Web - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26500800 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26500800 - March 2021 (22 comments)

142 points by roschdal 5y ago

This is awesome. Finally something sensible to play while at work. Kidding, but I will take a look at it. Really well done UI and artwork after taking a quick peek.

hluska 5y ago

Oh wonderful, the game where ‘just one more turn’ turns into 8am. I love the web so much.

canadianfella 5y ago
> I love the web so much. That’s a weird thing to say.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

purpleidea 5y ago

Beautiful! but I don't have 100 years left to play this. I need to be coding: https://github.com/purpleidea/mgmt/ https://github.com/purpleidea/mgmt/

roschdal 5y ago

Source code of Freecivweb: https://github.com/freeciv/ https://github.com/freeciv/ https://github.com/freeciv/freeciv-web https://github.com/freeciv/freeciv-web https://github.com/Lexxie9952/fcw.org-server https://github.com/Lexxie9952/fcw.org-server

Apocryphon 5y ago

Sadly, the attempt to add a SMAC mode to FreeCiv was abandoned decades ago. http://freecivac.sourceforge.net http://freecivac.sourceforge.net

animal531 5y ago
Awww, I love SMAC so much. It's one of those games that I play every 2-3 years for a bit, but I'm not even sure if it'll run anymore.
- aenis 5y ago
  It still works under windows, on amd at least.
- salamandersauce 5y ago
  They do sell it on GoG updated to work on newer versions of Windows. It's been a while since I tested the CD release but that had trouble with dual core processors but once that's worked around worked fine.
  - vanderZwan 5y ago
    The main issue with the game these days is that the interface just doesn't "scale" - the late game gets bogged down a lot.
    - vidarh 5y ago
      SMAC allows you to turn on automation of almost everything, and has a button (shift? Ctrl? Don't remember) that'll speed up animations drastically when held. It's not perfect, but the combination of turning on the governor's for everything you don't need to care about and holding that button during AI moves makes a big difference.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
- loudmax 5y ago
  I played a game just a week ago, but sadly my Morganite faction was crushed by the Spartans. The version GOG sells works on Linux on Lutris/Wine. I did find myself rescaling the screen because it expects the display to be 640x480. IMHO, the hard science tech tree still holds up very well. Of course these futuristic technologies are speculative, but they're plausible enough that you don't have to work too hard to suspend disbelief. I'd love to see an updated version of SMAC with a more modern user interface and a better AI.

est 5y ago

Any plans to make hexagon version of it? Or better, a real 3D globe map.

roschdal 5y ago
Freeciv Webgl 3D version: https://fcw.movingborders.es/ https://fcw.movingborders.es/ Source code: https://github.com/freeciv/freeciv-web/tree/develop/freeciv-web/src/main/webapp/javascript/webgl https://github.com/freeciv/freeciv-web/tree/develop/freeciv-...
salamandersauce 5y ago
There is an open source clone of Civ 5 called Unciv. https://github.com/yairm210/Unciv https://github.com/yairm210/Unciv
kzrdude 5y ago
Freeciv already supports a hexagonal grid, but don't know if freeciv web does.

fsiefken 5y ago

Would be nice to have a real flat top down 2d view for either square or hexagonal tiling, but the web client tiling seems to be fixed to birds eye view. I can just download the android/linux/win/mac client for that of course.

vanderZwan 5y ago
If you prefer the hexagonal tiling of Civ V and later, there is also UnCiv: https://yairm210.itch.io/unciv https://yairm210.itch.io/unciv

Clewza313 5y ago

So I'm probably missing something obvious, but how do I start a private multiplayer game with a set of selected friends? (As opposed to Internet randos.)

chalst 5y ago
I see the top game on the list of current multiplayer games has the attrbute "password protected", which sounds like the kind of thing that would achieve this.
- Clewza313 5y ago
  Indeed, but how do I start a multiplayer game? "New game" seems to be single player only.
  - kzrdude 5y ago
    You use the multiplayer button to join an existing game. Several of them are blank "new games". Join it and set a password.

mnw21cam 5y ago

> Joining this game requires signing in with a player name and a validated Google Account. Two things. Firstly, I'm trying to observe, not play. Secondly, not on your nelly. There's no way I'm linking stuff to my Google account (assuming I had one). Authentication should be kept completely separate.

tasuki 5y ago
I guess the game contains state which should be hidden? It can't just let anonymous randos observe the whole game state? What's wrong with Google for authentication? If you wanted to add other auth methods, I think your contribution would be welcome.
- macintux 5y ago
  Google has a history of locking people out of their accounts for perceived fraud (as determined via hidden algorithms) so the more you rely on it, the more dangerous it becomes. Obviously no one’s going to shed tears if they’re locked out of Google and can’t log into a Freeciv game, but I wouldn’t want to use Google for anything I cared about.

jlundberg 5y ago

On the topic of Civilization in the browser, here is a very ambitious such project: https://statebuilder.com/ https://statebuilder.com/ Built from the ground up for the web. Don’t think this is well known so probably worth it’s own HN post.

tasuki 5y ago
That looks extremely nice. Hexagonal too!
- tasuki 5y ago
  Eh, so, instead of adulting, I tried it out... The bad: - looks like not actively developed anymore - no contextual help, though things are reasonably civ-like - clearly unfinished, some things look like stubs that don't do anything? The good/great: - combat mechanics are great: instead of units evaporating altogether, they gradually lose health - units also slowly lose health over time when wandering around - max four units per tile - hexagonal! - I haven't seen a single UI bug I like FreeCiv a lot, but now I like StateBuilder much more!
  - jlundberg 5y ago
    Oleksandr was developing this heavily in 2016 when I first encountered Statebuilder. And he kept adding things. Maybe he will get a new burst of inspiration if you share your feedback to him. :) What I have been impressed with most is the webGL rendering. Have been really neat every time he has shown me his newest prototype.

MaxBarraclough 5y ago

Here's the homepage of the FreeCiv project itself, which also has various other frontends besides FreeCiv-Web: http://www.freeciv.org/ http://www.freeciv.org/ I recommend the Qt frontend. Last time I checked it was in a much better state than either of the GTK ones, but that was a while ago.

vanderZwan 5y ago

For maximum nostalgia I suggest putting on the original Civ 2 soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qaiaF80O3U&t=81s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qaiaF80O3U&t=81s

JoeyBananas 5y ago

Freeciv is fun but the AI isn't very smart compared to civ 3. They never send boats at you and they stop researching technology later in the game.

dang 5y ago

Recent discussion: Show HN: Freeciv-Web - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26500800 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26500800 - March 2021 (22 comments)