BaNaNaS - tags

[Zuu]

Hello,

As you've seen in General Discussions, OpenTTD has got a new content server system where we can upload our AIs and users can download them directly from their OpenTTD clients.

Now, one of the fields that one can enter for AIs is tags. And it is good if we use similar tags for our AIs. Therefore you can here find a suggestion on which tags to use for your AI. This list is based on suggestions and discussions in this thread. So if you have anything you like to add to the list post a comment and if it is reasonable it will probably be added.

(bold = tag)

Transport modes

• aircraft
• ship
• bus
• tram
• truck
• train

Save/Load
For AIs that support save/load the tag save/load can be used. Please note the order of "save" and "load".

Other
Other tags in use currently are: (list updated on 2009-08-31)

• simple
• example
• performance
• transfer
• eye candy
• traffic
• car

Currently you can only see tags of AIs other than your own from inside OpenTTD.

Ideas and suggestions are welcome.

Changelog (might be incomplete)
* Changed airplane -> aircraft above as suggested by peter1138 and agreed about by Yexo.
* 2009-08-31: Added clearer structure to the tag listing and updated the list of other tags in use.

[Zutty]

Thats a great idea. I'll stick to this scheme.

[peter1138]

airplane

aircraft would be better, as that includes helicopters and the like too, and it's less grating to English speakers who know the correct word is aeroplane.

[Yexo]

airplane

aircraft would be better, as that includes helicopters and the like too, and it's less grating to English speakers who know the correct word is aeroplane.

Aircraft is ok with me, other opinions?

[Zuu]

airplane

aircraft would be better, as that includes helicopters and the like too, and it's less grating to English speakers who know the correct word is aeroplane.

Aircraft is ok with me, other opinions?

Aircraft is fine with me. I can change the initial post, but WrightAI need to be changed then, probably by TrueBrain. The reason I took airplane was because that is what WrightAI used.

[Zuu]

I got an idea, since not all AIs has working save/load. Perhaps we should add a tag "save/load" to AIs that support save/load so users better can know which AIs support save/load without having to dig into all AI threads?

Yes users will still need to read which might be hard for some of them. But if we at least provide them with text to read, then those who reads will not need to ask, or read through all forum threads.

Does this sound like a good plan? Or do anyone has suggestions for another name? I have tested that the slash works in-game. (have added "save/load" as tag to PAXLink, but will change it if we agree on something else)

[Yexo]

I got an idea, since not all AIs has working save/load. Perhaps we should add a tag "save/load" to AIs that support save/load so users better can know which AIs support save/load without having to dig into all AI threads?

Yes users will still need to read which might be hard for some of them. But if we at least provide them with text to read, then those who reads will not need to ask, or read through all forum threads.

Does this sound like a good plan? Or do anyone has suggestions for another name? I have tested that the slash works in-game. (have added "save/load" as tag to PAXLink, but will change it if we agree on something else)

That sounds like a very good idea. Please add it to the list in the first post. The current version of AdmiralAI doesn't support it, but as soon as I fix it I'll add the tag too.

[Maninthebox]

Could we perhaps make this a sticky before it gets lost? Or perhaps update the wiki with a list of commonly used tags?

[planetmaker]

More over, I think it might be a good idea to extend this topic beyond the NoAI part. NewGRFs would also profit a lot from uniform tag usage...

[Chruker]

Why the need for a load/save tag?

Doesnt all AI's get their data (vehicles, stations, track etc) stored?

If I read the wiki right, only information that cant be gathered from the API, should be stored in savegames.

I would say its a bug/designflaw in the AI, if it doesnt load&save essential information that cant be gathered from the API.

[Michiel]

I would say its a bug/designflaw in the AI, if it doesnt load&save essential information that cant be gathered from the API.

It is, and mine doesn't, so that's why it doesn't have the tag

[Zuu]

The save/load mechanism was introduced 8-9 months after NoAI became publicly available and the NoAI forum thread was opened. (Before this sub forum opened there was just a NoAI thread). So many AIs was written before save/load was introduced and thus may therefor be harder to add save/load support than if one would start a new AI today. Clueless for example was written when you had to keep quite a bit more information stored because you couldn't read it out from the map. Therefor adding save/load support to it will require saving a decent amount of information. PAXLink on the other hand I wrote a lot later and used the approach to read things from the map instead of keeping things in memory and thus eliminating the need for much of the save/load code that will be needed in CluelessPlus.

[Zutty]

I noticed not everyone uses a tag for save/load, and its not in the "official" list in this thread, so I didn't bother.

[Zuu]

I noticed not everyone uses a tag for save/load, and its not in the "official" list in this thread, so I didn't bother.

If you mean the list in my first post, then yes save/load is there. The code-box just shows tags for transport modes. Below you find tags for other purposes than supported transport modes mentioned.

[Zutty]

*slaps forehead* Oh yeah! I might change my tags then.

[Chruker]

Suggested tag: newgrf

To be used when the AI can function, handle and utilize NewGRF. Possible pitfalls:
- Changing constructions costs which causes hardcoded values to fail
- Use NewGRF stations
- Can handle new or changed cargo types and cargo relationships

EDIT: So much for going to the freaking wiki main page so see what the heck it was called.

[Roujin]

it's called NewGRF btw., not NewGFX.

[Yexo]

Suggested tag: newgfx

While I like the idea, I think it's too vague.

To be used when the AI can function, handle and utilize NewGFX. Possible pitfalls:
- Changing constructions costs which causes hardcoded values to fail
- Use NewGFX stations
- Can handle new or changed cargo types and cargo relationships

Should an AI support all of these before it uses the label? What about new vehicles? Should it also support cargo stockpiling for ecs and pbi industries?

[Chruker]

The initial idea was just as a sign like the load/save tag - so basicly indicating that it wont die horribly when using some fancy newgfx