HELP SID Make a Civ Massive Multiplayer Game!

[MarkG]

The brainchild behind the Civilization series is calling for you input on taking its mulitplayer aspect to the next level. During Sid Meier`s interview with PC Gamer Podcast (PCGP) which aired this week, this Director of Creative Development at Firaxis Games http://www.pcgamerpodcast.com/?p=17" TARGET="_new">challenged fans of the franchise to think about how Civ would make an interesting massively multiplayer game. This came in response to the last question posed to him by the PCGP on-air personalities which was what one question about the Civ series has Meier not heard to date and wish it had been. Meier phrased it as [w]hat about massively multiplayer civilizations? Wouldn`t a game of this size, scope and variety lend itself to massively multiplayerness?


While taking the personal position that it was a challenge to make the game multiplayer, including the up-and-coming CivIV for which Meier was being interviewed in the first place, many of the current [massively multiplayer] games kind of follow a certain mould [and] I think that... breaking that mould with an idea like Civilization would be very interesting. He concludes his thoughts on this by saying that Firaxis will kind of toss that out there as something to think about for the future.

The interview with Meier is the feature segment of this nearly 48 minute podcast from the crew of PC Gamer magazine, PCGP's third show. It can be downloaded for free in MP3 format. - DanQ

[Fidel]

silliest idea ever. hopefully sid has not lost it completely
pirates! are definitely much better platform for mmo

[Koriand'r]

sounds like a disaster in the makings.all he wants is a massibly online cash cow

[Zero]

good idea, ill give him some advice after ive cashed on a game of my own.

[Senethro]

With large servers with simultaneous turns why couldn't it work?

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Firaxis should remake Colonization instaed of this project.

A new colonization would be a lovely addition to my games collection

[MarkG]

there could probably be a civ4 colonization mod....

[ChrisiusMaximus]

I suppose your right there

Just need some of the clever people around here to build one.

[Atahualpa]

MMOTBS

[Nikolai]

This reminds me of the ideas in the old List (for Civ3). There were a few interesting and innovative ideas there.

For both Sid and other interested, check out the old List here.(finally I got use of the upload feature!)

[MarkG]

nikolai, you are aware we have the list on the web, right?

http://apolyton.net/civ3/suggestions/thelist/

and just for reminders, the civ4 list

http://civilization4.net/3/118/

[GAZ082]

MMOTBSGs dont have to be about thousands of players/nations. Just a lot of them, like 64 or 128 (64 is the standard nation number in my dreams, because oh yeah, i've been dreaming about this since i have internet, 6 years ago, but 128 is more realistic and fun! the more the merrier!).

We must analyze what MP options cIV offers, but the persistent server seems to be the one for this kind of game.

Now, for the game being trully MMOTBSG, you dont have to wait for 64 or 128 nations to be online at the same moment, so, how do we do?

(I was writing and idea, but found it useless)

Perhaps a Nation will not have to be ruled by one player, but if he miss a playing session... but no, a MMOG should be player at anytime...

Owww, problems problems problems...

[Nikolai]

Originally posted by MarkG
nikolai, you are aware we have the list on the web, right?

http://apolyton.net/civ3/suggestions/thelist/

and just for reminders, the civ4 list
http://civilization4.net/3/118/

That's version 1.0, I have 2.0.

[LDiCesare]

He can make it one turn per day.
But I admit it mostly looks like a silly idea. MMO games require people to get themselves addicted to the game, I'll never play these unless you can afford to play no more than 1 hour or 2 per week and not be lost.

[Atahualpa]

Actually there are already massively multiplayer turn based strategy games. Most of them are web-based and pretty much work the same way.
One of them is e.g. Utopia

They are played by thousands of people who are all pretty much addicted to it and dedicate lots of time. I know it, because I've played this as well.