The prop-config files

Our aim is to put as much as possible design parameters in config files. These prop-files will tell the Evolution application which classes the game will use -- these classes are then dynamically loaded -- and will tell the application which rules are to be applied in the game.

For this aim we will be working with KnowledgeCatalog's. We have several of them:

GameKnowledgeCatalog (evolution.prop): will tell the game which other catalogs we use and some general rules by which the game should behave (e.g. it will define the goal of the game).
ResourceKnowledgeCatalog (resources.prop): will tell which resources are involved in the game.
LandKnowledgeCatalog (lands.prop): will tell which types of land to use in the game and which types of land to use for initializing the game board. Also the possible land transformations can be found in this file.
ActionKnowledgeCatalog (actions.prop): will tell which actions are possible in the game. For each action a whole bunch of parameters will be specified (which resources they provide/use, by which resource the action is influenced, ...)
ConstuctionKnowledgeCatalog (constructions.prop): will list the types of construction involved in the game and the parameters involved in such a construction (resources used for building, landtypes on which can be build, resources provided/used when in production, ...)

Together with the different prop-files, the behavior is implemented in classes. For example a new type of Construction, a Church, can be created as follows:


    public class Church extends Construction {
	    ...
    }

Evolution will use the Church just as any other construction and will know the rules by which a Church behaves both by running template functions in Construction as by querying the ConstructionKnowledgeCatalog.

The files

The filenames used are just defaults. By the creation of a new World the main configuration file must be passed as an argument to the constructor. In the main file the names of the other files are listed.

evolution.prop

This is the main configuration file.

Key	Description	Example
ResourcesFile	The name of the ResourceKnowledgeCatalog prop-file.	ResourcesFile = resources.prop
LandsFile	The name of the LandsKnowledgeCatalog prop-file.	LandsFile = lands.prop
ActionsFile	The name of the ActionsKnowledgeCatalog prop-file.	ActionsFile = actions.prop
ConstructionsFile	The name of the ConstructionsKnowledgeCatalog prop-file.	ConstructionsFile = constructions.prop
CreationPower	The initial creation power the player has	CreationPower = 500
Goal	Formula to calculate the goal of the game, this is in function of the resources (`Resource.getValue()`). For every resource which influences the goal you must specify its weight.	Goal = Happiness(2) Energy(4)

resources.prop

Key	Description	Example
Resources	A list of resources involved in the game.	Resources = Happiness Food ChoppedWood

lands.prop

The fact that a NormalHuman can only stand on explored land is not configurable.

Key	Description	Example
LandTypes	A list of landtypes involved in the game.	LandTypes = PlainLand Water Forest Roots
InitLandTypes	A list of landtypes which may be used to create the initial map.	InitLandTypes = PlainLand Water Forest
Type.resourceName	An image representation for the landtype Type.	Forest.resourceName = forest
Type.contains	List of the resources wich may be on or under this landtype. If the amount is not specified the actual amount of the resource will be resolved by asking this to the Resource (`Resource.putAmount(LandType)`). This means that a certain landtype keeps an associative list of resources it contains, the amount of each resource is assigned in the constructor.	Forest.contains = Coals Cherries(30)
Type1-Type2.resourceName	Defines that a transition is possible from Type1 to Type2 and that the given image is used to show this to the player.	Forest-Roots.resourceName = forest-roots.gif

actions.prop

At this time only NormalHumans can perform actions.

Key	Description	Example
Actions	A list of actions possible in the game.	Actions = Resting Fishing PlantingTrees
DefaultAction	The default action of a `NormalHuman` when he is not performing a specific task.	DefaultAction = Resting
NoFoodActions	The actions which can be performed when there's no more food.	NoFoodActions = Resting Fishing Hunting
Action.resourceName	An image representation for the action.	Fishing.resourceName = fishing.gif
Action.usesResources	A list of resources the action uses.	Fishing.usesResources = Food(2)
Action.producesResources	A list of resources the action produces.	Fishing.producesResources = Food(10)
Action.influencedBy	A list of resources by which the action is influenced.	Fishing.influencedBy = Happiness
Action.lands	A list of land types on which the action is possible.	Fishing.lands = Water
Action.transformsLand	A list of land transformations and there speed	PlantingTrees.transformsLand = PlainLand-Trees(30)
Action.reveals	A list of resources the action reveales from LandType.contains and the speed at which this happens	GeologicalInvestigation.reveals = Coal(30)

constructions.prop

Constructing is a special kind of action and only has an resourceName line in actions.prop. The rest of the info is contained in this file.

For constructions there are two stages: the constructing stage and the production stage. The constructing stage is similar to the properties listed in actions.prop but is defined in this file to keep things together.

Key	Description	Example
Constructions	A list of constructions possible in the game.	Constructions = CoalMine Farm PowerPlant Theatre
Construction.constructing.<...>	The same properties as in actions.prop	CoalMine.constructing.usesResources = Energy(5)
Construction.resourceName	An image representation for the construction.	CoalMine.resourceName = coalmine.gif
Construction.forms	The possible sizes and forms for this construction.	CoalMine.forms = 2x2:1101 2x2:0111 2x2:1111
Construction.usesResources	A list of resources the construction uses. The amount must not be specified, in which case the implementation of the construction must calculate this.	PowerPlant.usesResources = Energy(5) Coals
Construction.producesResources	A list of resources the construction produces. The amount must not be specified, in which case the implementation of the construction must calculate this.	CoalMine.producesResources = Coals