Column #84: "Pet Peeves Of Multiplay"

[DanQ]

http://apolyton.net/civ2/civ2frame.s...4_peeves.shtml

Comments/questions welcome.

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Dan; Apolyton CS

[ZhugeLiang]

I can understand your frustration. I've never finished a game of civ2 MPGE. In fact i've only once gotten to invention, and that time my opponent started acting like a immature jerk so I quit. Just the other night I was in a war with a guy, he was going super expansionist, he wasn't gaurding his cities and had only a few units at our border (which was a mountainious region) I had 4 cities to his 9, and about 15 units to his 17 or so. We were struggleing for the mountain area, as it was the strategic gateway to either's land and would enable them to invade easilly. I got lucky with some battles and bribes and i captured the region, all of a sudden he said he had to go and quit! And the sad part was, if he would have buckled down, and started making units instead of a bunch of settlers and improvments, he would have whipped my butt easy....but he quit so, we'll never know.

[Ken Hinds]

Just a question for clarification please. Are we talking about players who do not return for later sessions, for whatever reason, or are we talking about players who "hear my mother calling" and so disconnect before the agreed session length is completed?

My game machine doesn't have internet access so I don't play on-line, but I have seen complaints about both problems in the Multi-player forum.

Ken

[Smash]

A good host never lets the game continue.A good player doesn't just sit there while the game "passes them by".This why ICQ is so important.


It was this author that proposed a weekly Sunday night game and then abandoned it before it started

[Ming]

Yes, there are times when technical problems drive you crazy. But then there are times when you can play for 6 hours without a problem... Not much you can do about it

Yes, continuing games will always remain a problem. I have a hard drive full of games that are just taking up space because I know they won't be continued. But, I also have a ton of games that are being continued whenever the right combination of people are on line... The trick is to play with people you know. People that will continue a game even if they are losing. I know who those people are, and those are the people I will continue to play with. A core group of people you can trust in the real answer

[CapTVK]

Considering technical problems: if one of players drops out simply reload or make your moves before it's the dropped players turn, save and restart from there. ICQ is a must in this situation, always appoint a comm-man so players won't bug the host.

Full length civgames have different goals than those you would find in arena games(small map, double production, 3-5 players). So it should be possible to finish an arena game in one month Best advice is to find a regular 'core' of keyplayers, set up a regular day and invite playes to join for a session if they want to. Your never be able
to keep the orginal team together for more than a month. People fall too far behind on the powergraph, get bored and start another game. Even if you can keep the regular team together It's just too much hassle to agree on a date where 5 or more players are available at the same time.

Having played a diplogame till the very end (a game that lasted 7+ months!) I may have some pointers. If you really want to play a civgame till the bitter end I can only say: perseverance and dedication In a diplogame it isn't so bad to be a small civ because you can act as a go between the larger nations to improve your position.
But then I consider diplo games the way Civ should be played.

[War4ever]

Smash you are correct that i wanted a Sunday night game.... alas i had schedualing problems and others were missing and it never got off the ground.

I too have made mistakes with with commitments.... ie being late or sleeping through or just plain forgot once... and at times it is difficult to agree to a set day...

I have some people online who i enjoy playing against and you know who you are... even if i do lose to them more often than to others.

Ming I would really like to play with your group one day if only for the learning experience that you would give me..

MWHC that war duel is still on if you like and for some other notables Smash, Theben, and Alexanders Horse .... not to sure if you guys play MP but if you do or anyone for that matter... icq # 30200920 whenever i am online... PST Westcoast of Canada Don't hate me because i am a warmonger
BTW thanks for posting my article !

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War is the answer when you need to strike first.

War is the answer when you think you should strike first

war is the answer when you think others may strike first.

[finbar]

Here's a curly one. How long do you wait for someone who drops out?

W4E - the problem you referred to in your essay was a unique one in my experience. You rejoined (or you thought you did, and we thought you did) except, somehow, it was only in some sort of weird voyeur capacity. That was why the game continued. Until we realised the situation and stopped again. The weird voyeur situation happened again. We stopped again, but you disappeared offline completely.

Truly bizarre.



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finbar
Mono Rules!
#33984591


[This message has been edited by finbar (edited December 13, 1999).]

[War4ever]

hi finbar.... i hope you didn't take offense to what i said about the game continuing .... as it was not meant as a slag at all... in fact due to the problems and the fact that i started playing at 860bc.... welll i didn't care it was more hypothetical in some other games with people i have played...

That truly was a weird game though... and whats all the fuss about that post???? I thought you kangaroos were inseperable!

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War is the answer when you need to strike first.

War is the answer when you think you should strike first

war is the answer when you think others may strike first.

[finbar]

No, no offence at all. It was just bizarre that you could watch but not play.

We kangaroos will get over it, I'm sure. We're like that. If we can't find a foreigner to bludgeon, we'll do it to ourselves.

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finbar
Mono Rules!
#33984591

[J.C.]

quote: A core group of people you can trust in the real answer

Amen !!!

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Joe Carberry

[Mao]

Oh crap! I thought there was some time paradox that sent me back in time...*whew* Damn that date brings back memories...back when we were still afraid of Y2K...

[Canadian War Beaver]

LOL@Mao

i wrote this article....... *sigh* what was i thinking ...... can i add another pet peeve.......

BABIESS.... arggg........... cant play with em.... cant' give em to the wife

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Dont' let the name fool you, my policy is still the same..... War4ever.... damm where did i put that nuke

[Empress]

I have finished to alpha centauri two games multiplayer, although they involved me and one other person with 6 a/i. I think the key to success in multiplayer is really to only have 2-4 players... although the Finbar, Crusty, Diety,Carnide, Empress game has been goign for a while now hasn't it!

[Derek]

Hey, I've never played any Civ MP, but, my work schedule may be changing soon, where I will be able to work 4 days on, 4 days off! So I may try and get in with some of you my.

Anyway, my question is, if you leave a game, is it possible for you to let the AI take over you Civ, that way the other players don't have to wait on you and can take their turns?