Introduction
Multiplayer was a feature added very late to Civ 2 and was also not included in original Civ 3. Civ 4 Must come with this vital part of the game included as a fundamental concept.
Summary
Mos tof the ideas raised are for increasing flexibility of the MP games. LAN connectiing to Internet for example. Unfortuanlty from the lack of posting here, I can only summize that the majority of people are not interested in a MP version of the game, and therefore Firixis were right in their judgment call of not including it in the game. This does make me sad however the voices have spoken, or rather not spoken!
The Ideas
1.1 Ability to have LAN and Internet conections in same game.
1.2.0 Ability to play a PBEM-version of the game - smooth and without problems (from the game itself that is...... fx. a save-game file is created on the desktop ready to forward by ending the turn - protected by a password if such is choosen - and easy to open by double-cliking on the save-game file - eventually by entering the password.
1.2.1 Ability for the same number of players to play PBEM-games using the standard-game as the maximum number of players allowed in the game.
Alternative play the game with up to 8 human players and xx AI's up to the maximum number of players allowed in the game.
1.2.2 If/when an official patch is released, players should be able to finish running games without uninstalling the patch.
1.3 HotSeat Remain for all those without LAN or PBEM or Fast Internet
2.0 Multiplayer: Shared Civilization Control Support Apolyton
It would be nice if multiple players could share control of the same civilization in multiplayer. They could split up tasks among each other - one would deal with moving units, another with production... or they could each take care of a region of the civilization, or they could decide to split their responsibilities in another way or not split them at all (the decision would not need to be enforced by the game). It would make games with huge civilizations more managable and also probably speed them up.
2.1 Certain Events to be Voted on. If using shared control option
3.0 I think that Civ4 should be multiplayer form the ground up
while I rarely play civ3 multiplayer (it is not the best to do that way) that is still how I normally play it because I like playing wtih my friends one possibiltier to make civ4 mroe multiplayer iis this
make it so that every game had a server this server woudl handle things like AI and where everthing is for a single person game you would be your own server bur for a lan or internet game people woudl connect to the server (and the server might not even be playing) make the two sort of independent the idea of conquests was a good one, and something like that should continue to exist but Is till ike the epic game best, and I think a lto of other people do also
4.1 massive multiplayer idea 1
one idea of massive internet play is this (can probably be done on the lan also)
have a game start on a server
make an AI governor sort of thing
and than play with simultaneous turns, with the turn thing set for some constant unit of time which is suffiencently long
have a password to enter your game
have different servers set for different speeds
and so you (and your freinds) can play as a civ on one server that is going in real time
and for the turns youc an't be there, you have the AI run things
o a server would just be running constantly, and you would log on and play some turns
but while you were gone it would keep on playing (AIs would control)
you could also make the time control geographically depended, like a given server could be set to have time stopped for vertain hours of the day
than the game would go on from like 8-12 on modays, wednesday, and fridays, and if you don't show up, you have a compter (which yuo gave orders to) play for you
4.2 massive multiplayer idea 2
this idea is a little more different
basically you start a game
and the server has a whole bunch of people who start at roughly the same time start playing at once
and it keeps track of what sort of land you have and the like, as well as ech you have and what date it is
and than you log off
next time you play, you log on again, but none of your last group are on right now
so the server sticks you with a new group
this group is at the same time as you
but it is a different world, made by the server as an amogumatino of your previous world, and their previous world(s)
and oyu have the same techs as before and the like
but of course alliances and trades would no longer be in effect
and it could be sort of hard to make a new world to fit everyone's empires in
I admit that this is a wierd idea, it iis interestng though
5.0 Speed of turns
One of the biggest complaints re multiplayer is how slow it gets. A lot of this time is the amount of units especially workers that must be managed. To assit in multiplayer, the worker function must be addressed whic is of course the subject of other thread. But perhaps the use of CTP style Public works would be good. You could set all these tasks whilst others are having their turns and then on your turn the tasks are conducted.
6.0 Ability to play PBEM-games based on scenarios.
6.1 Ability to change leader-names/emailing adresses during the game. That would really help other players/game moderators during a game.
Conclusion
In conclusion I just reiterate my summary in that lack of posting here will cause a lack of a good MP game.
Respectfully Compiled by -Rasputin
With special thanks to:
Multiplayer was a feature added very late to Civ 2 and was also not included in original Civ 3. Civ 4 Must come with this vital part of the game included as a fundamental concept.
Summary
Mos tof the ideas raised are for increasing flexibility of the MP games. LAN connectiing to Internet for example. Unfortuanlty from the lack of posting here, I can only summize that the majority of people are not interested in a MP version of the game, and therefore Firixis were right in their judgment call of not including it in the game. This does make me sad however the voices have spoken, or rather not spoken!
The Ideas
1.1 Ability to have LAN and Internet conections in same game.
1.2.0 Ability to play a PBEM-version of the game - smooth and without problems (from the game itself that is...... fx. a save-game file is created on the desktop ready to forward by ending the turn - protected by a password if such is choosen - and easy to open by double-cliking on the save-game file - eventually by entering the password.
1.2.1 Ability for the same number of players to play PBEM-games using the standard-game as the maximum number of players allowed in the game.
Alternative play the game with up to 8 human players and xx AI's up to the maximum number of players allowed in the game.
1.2.2 If/when an official patch is released, players should be able to finish running games without uninstalling the patch.
1.3 HotSeat Remain for all those without LAN or PBEM or Fast Internet
2.0 Multiplayer: Shared Civilization Control Support Apolyton
It would be nice if multiple players could share control of the same civilization in multiplayer. They could split up tasks among each other - one would deal with moving units, another with production... or they could each take care of a region of the civilization, or they could decide to split their responsibilities in another way or not split them at all (the decision would not need to be enforced by the game). It would make games with huge civilizations more managable and also probably speed them up.
2.1 Certain Events to be Voted on. If using shared control option
3.0 I think that Civ4 should be multiplayer form the ground up
while I rarely play civ3 multiplayer (it is not the best to do that way) that is still how I normally play it because I like playing wtih my friends one possibiltier to make civ4 mroe multiplayer iis this
make it so that every game had a server this server woudl handle things like AI and where everthing is for a single person game you would be your own server bur for a lan or internet game people woudl connect to the server (and the server might not even be playing) make the two sort of independent the idea of conquests was a good one, and something like that should continue to exist but Is till ike the epic game best, and I think a lto of other people do also
4.1 massive multiplayer idea 1
one idea of massive internet play is this (can probably be done on the lan also)
have a game start on a server
make an AI governor sort of thing
and than play with simultaneous turns, with the turn thing set for some constant unit of time which is suffiencently long
have a password to enter your game
have different servers set for different speeds
and so you (and your freinds) can play as a civ on one server that is going in real time
and for the turns youc an't be there, you have the AI run things
o a server would just be running constantly, and you would log on and play some turns
but while you were gone it would keep on playing (AIs would control)
you could also make the time control geographically depended, like a given server could be set to have time stopped for vertain hours of the day
than the game would go on from like 8-12 on modays, wednesday, and fridays, and if you don't show up, you have a compter (which yuo gave orders to) play for you
4.2 massive multiplayer idea 2
this idea is a little more different
basically you start a game
and the server has a whole bunch of people who start at roughly the same time start playing at once
and it keeps track of what sort of land you have and the like, as well as ech you have and what date it is
and than you log off
next time you play, you log on again, but none of your last group are on right now
so the server sticks you with a new group
this group is at the same time as you
but it is a different world, made by the server as an amogumatino of your previous world, and their previous world(s)
and oyu have the same techs as before and the like
but of course alliances and trades would no longer be in effect
and it could be sort of hard to make a new world to fit everyone's empires in
I admit that this is a wierd idea, it iis interestng though
5.0 Speed of turns
One of the biggest complaints re multiplayer is how slow it gets. A lot of this time is the amount of units especially workers that must be managed. To assit in multiplayer, the worker function must be addressed whic is of course the subject of other thread. But perhaps the use of CTP style Public works would be good. You could set all these tasks whilst others are having their turns and then on your turn the tasks are conducted.
6.0 Ability to play PBEM-games based on scenarios.
6.1 Ability to change leader-names/emailing adresses during the game. That would really help other players/game moderators during a game.
Conclusion
In conclusion I just reiterate my summary in that lack of posting here will cause a lack of a good MP game.
Respectfully Compiled by -Rasputin
With special thanks to:
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