Holy S***! NO Multiplayer Until Spring!

[yin26]

Isaac: If I had already bought the game, I would wait for confirmation about MP. If it proves true (and if I had any interest in MP at all, which many do), I'd also cancel my pre-order.

However, knowing this industry the way I do (and knowing Firaxis the way I do), I haven't even ordered yet and WILL NOT order until and unless the game meets my apparently high expectations.

I don't think 'traitor' enters the discussion. Ideally the relationship between developer and fan is a symbiotic one...but Firaxis at least publically seems to say they can do this on their own. If the relationship is not a symbiotic one, it should at least be one of open communication and some kind of negotiation.

But when the relationship is being formed as top-down, take whatever we give you and like it kind of thing, the only recourse a fan has is to withold his money. This is not being a traitor. This is having some common sense.

[isaac brock]

After popping some immodiums, I understand your pain, brother. Unfortunately, I don't give two sh*ts about multiplayer, and it has been very difficult for me to have any compassion for MPers, but I've done my best. All I hope for is a sweetass single player experience. But I respect you and your multiplaying ways. I hope firaxis ends up working something out. Good luck with that.

[dennis580]

Well I for one which I had the money to buy 10 copies. I commend Firaxis for having the courage to not waste time and resources on MP and instead try to make Civ3 the best SP game ever.

[isaac brock]

Thats my illegitimate love child, dennis. You tell those MPers whats what.

[yin26]

For people who don't play MP, I suppose it can be hard to understand, but MP is the future of gaming while SP, while an important part of TBS to be sure, is not the undisputed king it used to be. The Civ community has in large part stayed active through the MP community...for how many times can it be fun to beat the same silly AI?

The question here is not whether or not MP is an important sales point...clearly it is. The question is how will Firaxis handle this rumor, for surely the MP folks deserve at least to be told what's going on and why.

As I have said many, many times, most or all this chaos could be avoided through a straight-up explanation from Firaxis one way or the other. Another point that hasn't helped this is that Firaxis itself hyped up MP as new and exciting and never-before-seen, etc.

Now tell me: Why would any properly thinking group of individual hype something that they knew wouldn't make it into the box come release day? And if this is just an unfortuate change of plans for them, why not step up to the plate and do the civil thing, the good PR thing, and clear the air?

[dennis580]

MP is not the future of gaming. I expect AI in games to grow by leaps and bounds over the next several years and hurt MP gaming.

[SITS]

I agree with Yin26 about the future of gaming being MP. Sp cannot compete once you start beating it on a regular basis.

I suspect the reason MP might not be available is the 'new' part of it which I think might include a website/server that simply won't be ready - which is outside the game and might not mean the game is being rushed out incomplete.

[dennis580]

Also Firaxis never said MP would come out of the box. They only said they would give more details on it when Civ3 got closer to release.

[yin26]

...and hurt MP gaming.

Because we all know that good AI would be the death of MP gaming.

[isaac brock]

Thats the part that bugs me. either (and you may not want to read it because it is hugely optimistic) Firaxis is trying to blow us away by including a great MP after all OR they might be able to barely scrape up the multiplayer in time for release but they aren't sure, OR they are digging a deeper and deeper trench every day between them and MPers because they fear what may happen if they announce the truth. Of course, the last is very probable, but i believe the second one is at least possible too. No matter what though, firaxis should stop tippy-toeing past the issue and admit the truth.

[yin26]

No matter what though, firaxis should stop tippy-toeing past the issue and admit the truth.

Precisely. I can also hope that the delay means they want something outstanding. I just hope they don't expect people to pay for MP.

[isaac brock]

or maybe everyone's complaining will incite them to make you pay for MP anyway, simply to piss yin off

[yin26]

LOL! Now THAT would truly be funny...

[dennis580]

Well maybe Firaxis thought they wouldn't be able to delevier on thier promises of a innovative MP and decided to leak out an e-mail because they felt it might be the best way to weather the storm. That 's probaly what I would have done.

[isaac brock]

Actually, I think their "leaked e-mail" is just fueling the hatred. And I don't think they thought a professor would leak it to apolyton.