Remote control is simple in operation, and hopefully simple to understand as well.
Normally, when you own a ship, you'll see that ship in your RST file, and it will execute your orders. If you're Crystal, your ship will be reported as a Crystalline ship, and you will be able to Lay Web Mines.
When you remote-control a foreign ship, that ship will belong to the original owner for the complete host run. Before RST files are generated, however, the ship is turned over to you, and will be reported in your RST (you can only give commands to ships which are in your RST). In the next turn, after TRN processing, the ship will be given back to its original owner. For example, when you're Crystal and control a Bird ship, that ship will act as a Bird ship all the time. It will be able to Super Spy and not to lay Webs. It will be reported as a Crystal ship in RST files.
All other players will see that ship as belonging to the Crystals, but PHost will tell them that it's actually a Bird ship. It does so by sending a util.dat record as well as by adding a tag to its name.
To summarize, here's what happens with remote control:
- A player assumes remote control over a ship by sending a command message (see below). Let's assume you're Crystal and want to control a Bird ship.
- Host processing proceeds normally. The ship is still owned by its original owner - Bird Men in this case - and will perform its normal orders.
- Right before RST files are sent out, PHost changes the "ownership" field to Crystals.
- You will see that ship as if it were yours in your RST, and all other players who see that ship will see that, too. You can now give commands to the ship. The original owner, Bird Men in this example, will also see this ship as a foreign ship, and has no control over it.
- When you send in your TRN, and PHost runs again for the next turn, PHost will process your commands for that ship. Afterwards, the ship will revert to its original owner. For the complete host processing, the ship will again behave as a Bird Men ship.
- Continue with step 3.
Some things to note:
- Both the original owner (Bird Men) and the remote control player (Crystals) can cancel the remote control at any time. The original owner uses remote forbid, while the remote control player uses remote drop. When this happens, the remote control player can still continue to give orders for this turn, but next turn, the original owner will again be in control.
- The owner of a ship prevent it from being remotely controlled (remote forbid command).
- The owner of a ship must offer you the ship level of alliance for you to be able to take control.
(4.0e) As a shortcut, the original owner of a ship can place a ship under remote control in one step using remote give. This is otherwise identical to remote allow from the original owner followed by remote control from the new remote control player.
- The give command can be issued by either the original ship owner, or the remote control player. The ship will continue to be remotely controlled if the new owner also permits it. All other commands (beamup, extmission, and so on) can only be given by the remote-control player, because it's he who is in control of the ship. ► Note: Note that give is completely different than remote give.
- The remote control interface is enabled by the CPEnableRemote config option. Without this option enabled, players have no access to the remote control commands.
