The Unofficial Defcon FAQ

In-depth tactical discussion on how to lose the least

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NeoThermic
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Postby NeoThermic » Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:32 am

Eat_The_Path wrote:This FAQ is quite handy in a number of respects, but there are a few answers that are really just wrong, or don't make any sense. So here seems the best place to complain.

At this point you may be thinking that's a lot of data and that wouldn't it be a good idea to take snapshots of the game state every so often. Well, the answer is no because of the way the simulation runs, it has to know everything. Ever heard of the butterfly effect? The idea that a butterfly fluttering once can cause a typhoon somewhere in the world. Tiny events building to a big one. Well, a game of Defcon, when run in the simulation, is much like that, a fighter who, say, survives a 1 on 1 with a bomber, might go on to take out a sub who is about to launch nukes. And this is why it is so difficult to cheat in Defcon.


This really makes no sense at all. In the example given, a snapshot would preserve the fact that the fighter survived, and then stream events after that like normal. The butterfly effect is probably present in some degree in Defcon, but a snapshot could contain the intermediate effects of an event and continue on to the same end result, without needing to contain data about the original event. It seems to me that either this is wrong, or needs more expination


Well, if you fall out of sync seconds after syncing, you won't have enough data to jump back on. Syncing everything is the best solution as it also removes the ability for someone to cheat while another player re syncs.

Eat_The_Path wrote:
To quote NeoThermic on the matter, "They *are* correct for a spherical world projected on a flat surface. They are incorrect for the fact that launches over the poles isn't supported. Defcon uses Equirectangular projection. Ergo if you draw a line between two points, it'll be curved. Incidnelty, despite the fact that people flag this as incorrect often, it's one of the most correct things in Defcon!"


This is perfectly true... for a certain set of launch points and landing points. The fact of the matter is that how the trajectory curves would be different depending on where you are. If you were launching from one point on the equator to another, it'd be flat. South of the equator, the path would curve 'down'. The way Defcon handles it is great for USA vs USSR scenarios, like Wargames, but breaks down in Africa vs South America. So, not completely wrong, but not completely right either.

I'll stop nitpicking now.


On an equirectangular projection, given enough distance between the two points, you'll never get a straight line. Don't forget, the formula for equirectangular projection details that the x coordinate is longitude from the centre of the projection times the cos of standard parallels where the projection is "true". Not forgetting that the centre of the projection can be totally different from the centre of the map.

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Postby Eat_The_Path » Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:40 am

I'm not arguing that the shots shouldn't arc, of course they should. My issue is with how they arc, which is independant of latitude in Defcon, while in reality it should not be.

Edit: Thanks for the clarification on the syncing issue as well. Personally, I would think occasional snapshots combined with scyncing could cut down on the time it would take to connect to a game that has been in progress for a long time, but I'm not really a programmer and certainly have no experience with the Defcon code, so what do I know?
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Postby Havner » Wed Nov 05, 2008 1:36 am

This is sticky, but the FAQ in question gives beautiful 404. Anyone happens to have a copy?
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Postby KingAl » Wed Nov 05, 2008 7:25 am

Try here.
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Postby Vicious » Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:12 pm

This was very helpfull
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Postby Apachon » Thu May 21, 2009 2:00 pm

404 error !
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Postby The Reds » Wed May 27, 2009 2:04 am

Uhhh... Ok this might be a little random, but on May 26 at 5:49 P.M. my internet disconnected and I couldn't connect again. The players were BATTLETRON, THE REDS V.S. artie lange and marl. I am sorry to those players and if they don't read this, can people tell them especially BATTLETRON. Thank you people and I won't be back for another month.

Peace -The Reds
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Postby The Reds » Wed May 27, 2009 2:04 am

...
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Postby Eral » Wed Aug 12, 2009 1:47 am

The Reds wrote:Uhhh... Ok this might be a little random, but on May 26 at 5:49 P.M. my internet disconnected and I couldn't connect again. The players were BATTLETRON, THE REDS V.S. artie lange and marl. I am sorry to those players and if they don't read this, can people tell them especially BATTLETRON. Thank you people and I won't be back for another month.

Peace -The Reds



What does it have to do with a "Unofficial Defcon FAQ" The Reds?
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Postby The Reds » Wed Aug 12, 2009 1:51 am

This was a while back and I didn't know where to post this before cause I was new to forums. Little to late to say anything.
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Postby xander » Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:21 am

Eral wrote:What does it have to do with a "Unofficial Defcon FAQ" The Reds?

After several months of no one saying anything, does it really matter anymore?

xander
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Postby Wasgood » Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:38 am

404'd
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Postby Scimitar » Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:23 pm

link broken.
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Postby xander » Mon Nov 23, 2009 4:25 pm

Scimitar wrote:link broken.

That is what 404'd means.

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Postby Montyphy » Fri Jan 08, 2010 4:27 pm

Oops, fix'd. Although it's in serious need of updating.
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