Why upgrade? I'm not a lawyer, but here's my take on the differences
to version 2:
* Software patents: better protection against abuse of patents to
prevent users from exercising the rights under the GPL. I doubt
we'll get hit with a patent suit, but it's a good move just on
general principles.
* License compatibility: compatible with more free licenses, i.e. can
"steal" more free software for use in Empire. I don't expect to steal
much, but it's nice to have the option.
* Definition of "source code": modernization of some details for today's
networked world, to make it easier to distribute the software. Not
really relevant to us now, as we normally distribute full source code.
* Tivoization: this is about putting GPL-licensed software in hardware,
then make the hardware refuse to run modified software. "Neat" trick
to effectively deny its users their rights under the GPL. Abuse was
"pioneered" by TiVo (popular digital video recorders). GPLv3 forbids
it. Unlikely to become a problem for us.
* Internationalization: more careful wording, to harden the license
outside the US. The lawyers tell us it better be done that way.
* License violations: friendlier way to deal with license violations.
This has come out of past experience enforcing the GPL.
* Additional permissions: Probably not relevant to us.
Also include myself in the list of principal authors.
The abstract idea of tying ships and land units to a logistical tether
is sound, the concrete implementation as option FUEL is flawed. It
adds too much busy-work to the game to be enjoyable. It hasn't been
enabled in a public game for years. The code implementing it is ugly,
repetitive, and a burden to maintain.
Remove selector fuel from ship_ca[] and land_ca[], and selectors
fuelc, fuelu from mchr_ca[] and lchr_ca[]. Remove fields fuelc, fuelu
from ship.config and land.config.
Remove command fuel from player_coms[].
Deprecate edit key 'B' in doship(), dounit(), and don't show it in
pr_ship(), pr_land().
Drop opt_FUEL code from build_ship(), shi(), sdump(), ship_damage(),
show_ship_stats(), do_mob_ship(), nav_ship(), build_land(), land(),
ldump(), land_damage(), show_land_stats(), do_mob_land(),
resupply_all(), resupply_commod(), get_minimum(), has_supply(),
unit_list(), vers().
Remove opt_FUEL, fuel_mult, struct shpstr member shp_fuel, struct
mchrstr members m_fuelc and m_fuelu, M_OILER, struct lndstr member
lnd_fuel, struct lchrstr members l_fuelc and l_fuelu, fuel(), and
auto_fuel_ship().
New lnd_att(), lnd_def(), lnd_vul(), lnd_spd(), lnd_vis(), lnd_frg(),
lnd_acc(), lnd_dam(), lnd_aaf() replace the struct lndstr members with
the same names.
Make land unit selectors att, def, vul, spd, vis, frg, acc, dam, aaf
virtual.
Move stuff to untangle the ugly cyclic dependencies between the
archives built for selected subdirectories of src/lib/:
* Move common/io.c to empthread/ because it requires empthread stuff
* Move parts of subs/nstr.c to common/nstreval.c to satisfy
common/ef_verify.o
* Move getstarg.c getstring.c onearg.c from gen/ to subs/ because they
require stuff from there
* Move bridgefall.c check.c damage.c empobj.c journal.c maps.c
sectdamage.c from common/ to subs/ because they require stuff from
there
* Move cnumb.c from subs/ to common/ to satisfy common/type.o
* Move log.c fsize.c from common/ to gen/ because they really belong
there
* Move emp_config.c mapdist.c from gen/ to common/ because they really
belong there, and require stuff from libglobal.a
Also package as/ as libas.a to satisfy common/path.o.
Remaining dependencies:
lib needs
--------------------------------------------
libas.a libglobal.a
libcommon.a libas.a libglobal.a libgen.a
libgen.a
libglobal.a
liblwp.a libgen.a
libw32.a[*] libgen.a
[*] Except for service.o, which can only be linked into the server
Link order now: liblwp.a libcommon.a libas.a libgen.a libglobal.a
libw32.a. The position of libw32.a is not quite right, but works
anyway.
