Commit graph

3 commits

Author SHA1 Message Date
39c26f4238 Switch PRNG from BSD random() to Mersenne Twister
random() may yield different pseudo-random number sequences for the
same seed on another system.  For instance, at least some versions of
MinGW provide a random() in -liberty that differs from traditional BSD
(see commit c8231b12).  Rather inconvenient for regression testing.

MT19937 Mersenne Twister is a proven, high-quality PRNG.  Actual code
is reference code provided by the inventors[*].  Quick tests show
performance comparable to random().

Like random(), MT is not cryptographically secure: observing enough of
its output permits guessing its state, and thus its future output.  I
don't think players can do that.

Drop the copy of BSD random() we added for Windows.

Like the previous commit, this changes the server's die rolls, and
makes fairland create a different random map for the same seed.  Update
expected smoke test results accordingly.

[*] mt19937ar.sep.tgz downloaded from
http://www.math.sci.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/~m-mat/MT/MT2002/emt19937ar.html
2013-05-08 06:55:21 +02:00
b5d8806eb1 Fix tiny error in distribution of die rolls
"random() % n" is sound only when n is a power of two.  The error is
hardly relevant in Empire, because random() yields 31 bits, and our n
are always much smaller than 2^31.  Fix it anyway.

Use smallest the 2^m >= n instead of n, and discard numbers exceeding
n.

Bonus: faster for me even in the worst case n = 2^m+1.

Like the recent change to damage(), this changes some of the server's
die rolls, only this time the effect is pretty pervasive.  Worse,
fairland now creates a completely different random map for the same
seed.  Update expected smoke test results accordingly.
2013-05-08 06:55:20 +02:00
ed8eead0ba Add fairland test to make check 2013-05-08 06:55:18 +02:00