Summer Term: AU 601 - Introduction to Multiplayer

[alexman]

I was thinking we could try something different for the next AU course, perhaps even in parallel with the 500 series of courses. So what about a course designed to introduce us to multiplayer strategy?

There are many strategy differences between MP and SP due to the fact that in MP you have to interact with other humans, who are much more unpredictable than the AI. Due to this unpredictability, strategy is much less clear-cut in MP than it is in SP. Some games are decided by a one-dimensional strategy of who will first get the largest SoD of swordsmen, while other games involve countless hours of diplomacy and planning well into the modern age.

The easiest way to transition between single player and multiplayer is PBEM (play by e-mail), with two humans and several AI. In the upcoming AU course, as an introduction to multiplayer, I propose to focus on one aspect of MP: how to manipulate the AI when there is another human trying to do the same thing!

Here is a format that might be interesting:

• All players will be divided into pairs. Each pair will play a PBEM game on a standard pangaea map with six AI. For comparison purposes, all games will be played on the same map, with the same civilizations.
• Human players will agree not to attack any city that has not been founded by their own civilization, unless that city belongs to the other human. Also, they may not take control of such cities by any other means (peace negotiations, culture flips). Since the human players will not be neighbors, early rushes are ruled out.
• Instead, both players will concentrate in the early game on manipulating the AI to their advantage. Can you bribe the AI to attack your human opponent? Can you be the first one to make a profit from trading?
• Leter in the game, we are likely to have a military showdown between human players, but the AI will still play a role. Can you convince the AI to vote for you in the UN elections? Can you secure the resources needed for a spaceship launch by trading with the AI, or will the other human beat you to it?
• Each player will have a DAR thread dedicated to himself, where he is the only one to post the progress of his game. Each player may update his thread with screenshots, saves, and even ask advice from members of the AU community. Neutral observers will be able to follow the games, compare them, and comment in a special spoiler thread. It goes without saying that players should not peek in other threads until their game is finished, and neutral observers should not give out spoilers in ongoing game threads.

Interested? Register here, stating:

1. The times you can play your turns.
2. How many turns per day you hope to play.
3. Any time periods of planned vacation when you won’t be around
4. Whether you prefer stock or AU mod.
5. The diffculty level you wish to play.

Note that PBEM games are a long-term commitment. Don’t register unless you expect to be consistent with your turns at least for the duration of the summer.

We also need someone to design the map for this course.

[ZargonX]

I think this is a great idea, alexman. I guess it's time to ressurrect the Multiplayer AU Mod thread

[Strollen]

While this has some appeal, my biggest question is time.

Roughly how long does it take to play PBEM in real life?

[Aqualung71]

Since I'm now playing more PBEM than SP, I think it's a great idea personally. The only drawback is the length of time taken to play PBEM games, and so those AU members who do not play much or any PBEM may lose interest fairly quickly or not participate at all.

But putting that aside, there's no doubt that the format proposed by Alexman of only 2 human players will help speed things along if both are committed. Having up to 6 AI will also give the game more of a SP feel anyway, so that's probably a good idea.

However, if the lesson to be learned is MP strategy, preventing a human from capturing another human's cities will restrict the potential for success considerably, IMHO, so I would suggest not to use such restrictions. It then becomes a matter of whether you want to team up a PBEM player with a novice for strategy lessons, or whether you want to try to match the skills of players as much as possible.

Strollen: My fastest 4-human game is going at around 1.5 turns per day, so in 2 months we are up to about turn 90, or 750BC. A 2-player game can easily average 2 or 3 turns per day or even more if you put in a few sharp sessions.

So yes, great idea as usual Alexman, though I'm a little concerned about what the participation rate might be.

[Krill]

ok, I'll play, but being GMT I may have problems finding a partner. But we need to be careful on coosing civs. either both are expansionist, or neither are. Maybe Greece, and Korea? Also, it is possible to get cities in peace treaties, if you kill enough units. I think that that should be disallowed, because it effectively breaks the rule anyway.


And Strollen, if you get a good match, you can easily get about 30'40 turns a week in. I've done 20 in one day (so 60 rounds, since their are 3 players).

[alexman]

The idea to not attack foreign cities was so that:

1) There is less direct competition between the players, and more interaction with the AI, to ease the transition from SP to MP.

2) To avoid the situation where one warmongering player gobbles up all the AI and the other player can only watch as he lacks the resources to compete.

But perhaps we should allow attacking the other human player's cities. Would people who have not played MP feel uncomfortable with that?

[Dominae]

Re: Summer Term: AU 601 - Introduction to Multiplayer

Nice idea.

Originally posted by alexman
Human players will agree not to attack any city that has not been founded by their own civilization. This includes cities of the other human player. Early rushes and wars of aggression are therefore ruled out. You can launch attacks and raids against units in enemy territory if you wish, as long as you don’t attack any cities.

How about if this rules expires at some later point in the game (say, somewhere in late Medieval)? I understand the idea is to manipulate the AIs, but it would also be fun to have a showdown between the human players.

[ZargonX]

If we're using a man-made map, which I would think would be good, start the human players on opposite sides of the world, with the AI between them, so each has ample time to become "settled" before they finally meet. This will also prevent the two humans from massively colluding early on and gaining too large an advantage over the poor AI. Dom's idea of setting a no-attack until X might be good also. Just forbid Ancient age wars between the humans?

[Aqualung71]

I think you at least need to allow humans to attack other humans - otherwise it won't feel like PBEM. The big strategy differences between SP and MP are largely about military strategy and defending your cities adequately, and learning to cope without the other goodies for longer.

Perhaps a restriction on the ability to capture AI cities or take them in peace deals may help....though at higher levels where the AI REX's like crazy, this may make it rather difficult.

[alexman]

OK, so no attacking or otherwise gaining control of AI-founded cities. No other restrictions, but the mapmaker should make it so that there is at least one AI civ between human players. I think this would work well.

It would be up to each pair to decide the difficulty level of their game.

[Jawa Jocky]

Re: Summer Term: AU 601 - Introduction to Multiplayer

Originally posted by alexman
I was thinking we could try something different for the next AU course, perhaps even in parallel with the 500 series of courses.

I really hope this is done PARALLEL

As a member of the SLRLTBSAUFC (severely limited RL time but still an AU fan club) I have to voice concern about starting a course that excludes so many members of the AU community.

Making the same map available for SP would be enough to elleviate my fears. DARs could be split into SP and MP. It may even be interesting to compare the progress of SP vs MP games.

If this plan has any support I would also recommend calling the courses 504 and 604.

[alexman]

That's a good idea!

I have to say, though, that PBEM games place much less of a strain on your RL than SP, which is the reason they take so long to finish!

[Backpack]

I'll Play - But a warning, I have never played an MP game before. - (But I'm competing/winning ok at Emp. in SP, and surviving at Demi-God) - I'm a builder/democratic warmonger late in the game.
This AU course seems right up my alley.

Kevin

[alexman]

So I think the five people that have voted that they are playing are kwpulliam1973, Aqualung71, Krill, alexman and either Dominae or ZargonX (they both seem to like the idea but didn't say they're playing for sure).

Anyone else?

3 games are enough to start the course, but are there any volunteers to create the map?

[ZargonX]

Of course I'm playing I have my panelistic duties to uphold, don't I?