Evolution - Programming GPS and OpenStreetMap Applications with Java - page 210

the home of ROAF developers. Many ROApps define one ROAF. Before
the ROAF can grow organically in life cycles the reader needs to contribute
his ROApp. The real-world aspect should connect all ROApps together in
the long run!

14.2 Game Scenario versus Real World

For some developers, the London Chase implementation might be disap-
pointing and not a great challenge. One runner against three or four chasers
is the player limit for a reasonable game scenario. On the other hand, it
is a feasible size for developers working alone or in a private training envi-
ronment.
The main reason to choose the game scenario of Scotland Yard is the
abstraction or simplification derived from the real world. The game of
Scotland Yard was not implemented to its full extent in order to leave
some room for individual development. For a Java course, the game is
sucient to study the architecture, add game logic, and develop intelligent
players on the application layer, i.e., ldn packages.
In order to pursue the vision, the LondonChase application should be
copied as CityChase (CC) to branch from the game scenario to the real
world, from London to any other city. Just like the moving and navigating
objects were left behind, the game is only the entry scenario to the ROAF|
the technical proof of the concept.
There are many ways to break out of the game limitations into a more re-
alistic scenario. Depending on the developer's intentions or domain knowl-
edge, there are many aspects that can be improved.

Game Board versus City Map

A most apparent problem of our implementation of Scotland Yard is the
tiny population of the scenario restricted to four or five players.
The straightforward way to extend the number of players is to create
a London city map with more stations. The map images of London in
..resources/london.roa/client/pix from the osmosis zoom level Z15 indi-
cate the network density of the real city.
For a long-term approach, a dedicated map compiler can be created
to extract the original game board network from the real London Open-
StreetMap. This initially involves hand selection to identify the relevant
nodes and edges. Consecutive extractions should recognize the previous
network, i.e., by adding ROAF attributes to the OpenStreetMap (see Fig-
ure 14.2). It is also a good idea to conserve OSM compatibility to be able
to apply OSM tools and viewers.