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.
SLOW_WAR has issues:
* The check whether the attacker old-owns the attacked sector is
broken, because att_abort() uses sect.sct_oldown uninitialized.
Spotted by the Clang Static Analyzer.
* Its implementation in setrel() is somewhat scary. It's actually
okay, because that part of setrel() only runs within decl(). Other
callers don't reach it: update_main() because player->god != 0
there, and the rest because they never pass a rel < HOSTILE.
* Documentation is a bit vague.
SLOW_WAR hasn't been used in a public game in years. Fixing it is not
worth it, so remove it instead.
These were leftovers from Chainsaw, and their only remaining effect
was a flak bonus.
The got replaced except for flak by plane selector stealth under
Chainsaw option STEALTHV, which became mandatory in Empire 2. It is
unclear why STEALTHV didn't cover flak. No planes with these
capabilities have existed in the stock game since Empire 2.
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().
other. Ensure headers in include/ can be included in any order
(except for econfig-spec.h, which is special). New header types.h to
help avoid inclusion cycles. Sort include directives. Remove some
superflous includes.
(ef_elt_byname): New.
(nstr_match_val): Use it to generalize to arbitrary table with
uniquely named elements. Use ca_type to find table, remove parameter
type. Callers changed.
(nstr_mkselval): Adapt sanity check accordingly.
(NSC_TYPEID): No longer needed, remove, users changed to use
appropriate integer type instead. This fixes signedness of sector
selectors des and newdes.
(meta_type): Remove entry for NSC_TYPEID.
(nstr_coerce_val): Can't detect typeid - integer mismatch anymore.
Was nice to have; perhaps revive it later.
(meta_type): Add its entry.
(setnum, nstr_promote, nstr_exec_val): Deal with it. nstr_exec_val()
implements opt_HIDDEN by mapping unknown values to -1.
(natstr, nat_ca): Use it for member nat_relate. This also halves its
size. Fixes very minor leak: before, player could see relations to
all countries, regardless of contact.
(nation_relations): Add entry for -1.
