Limit var for laps

[qreeves]

From: http://redeclipse.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=142

In most modes, there's a variable that can be set to trigger an early end to the game on the basis of points, rather than time. The exception appears to be in modes that are controlled by laps, gauntlet and time-trial.

Both of those should be able to run off the same "laplimit" variable, at least until the far-future overhaul of gauntlet. An example TT scenario (which is nothing but wild imagination ungrounded in reality, I'm sure) could have a few competent players on one team, against someone who's capable of putting up otherworldly numbers well out of their reach, but only occasionally, and they have a tendency to throw away runs at the slightest provocation in search of that one perfect lap. In this case, setting a laplimit would give the slow-and-steady team a way to apply at least some pressure and possibly even win, if they can keep churning out laps to trigger the limit before the opponent can put together the one lap they consider good enough.

Of course, there is an issue in that a player or team who's one lap away from the limit, but trailing, will be actively hindered (to the point of immediately losing) by completing any lap that doesn't overtake the leader. This is why, like all the other scorelimit variables, laplimit should be disabled by default.

In gauntlet, it could work slightly differently: if the first attackers reach the limit, take note of how much time has elapsed, perform the team swap immediately, and reset the clock so there's that much time left when the second half starts. If the second team reaches the limit, then (barring mid-game changes to the limit variables) they're either leading or tied, and if they're tied then it took them less time than the first half took to get there (otherwise time would have run out before they scored the final lap). Either case is sufficient to end the game in victory for the second-half attackers.