return (slope > VERTICAL_SLOPE? VERTICAL_SLOPE : slope);

    return (slope > VERTICAL_SLOPE ? VERTICAL_SLOPE : slope);

}
// Compute the imbalance, defined as the
// number of consecutive diagonal or orthogonal moves
// in the ray. This is a reasonable measure of deviation from
// the Bresenham line between our selected source and
// destination.
int _imbalance(const std::vector<coord_def>& ray)
{
    int imb = 0;
    int diags = 0, straights = 0;
    for (int i = 1, size = ray.size(); i < size; ++i)
    {
        const int dist =
           (ray[i] - ray[i - 1]).abs();
        if (dist == 2)
        {
            straights = 0;
            if (++diags > imb)
                imb = diags;
        }
        else
        {
            diags = 0;
            if (++straights > imb)
                imb = straights;
        }
    }
    return imb;

                int cimbalance = 0;

                // the imbalance. I'm defining 'imbalance' as the
                // number of consecutive diagonal or orthogonal moves
                // in the ray. This is a reasonable measure of deviation from
                // the Bresenham line between our selected source and
                // destination.

                // the imbalance.
                int cimbalance = 0;

                {
                    int diags = 0, straights = 0;
                    for (int i = 1, size = unaliased_ray.size(); i < size; ++i)
                    {
                        const int dist =
                            (unaliased_ray[i] - unaliased_ray[i - 1]).abs();

                    cimbalance = _imbalance(unaliased_ray);

                        if (dist == 2)
                        {
                            straights = 0;
                            if (++diags > cimbalance)
                                cimbalance = diags;
                        }
                        else
                        {
                            diags = 0;
                            if (++straights > cimbalance)
                                cimbalance = straights;
                        }
                    }
                }