Multiplayer Idea - no, really.. =P

[SirSebastian]

Okay... how about doing a clan-based system which would allow groups to make clans/guilds/whatever... The games are setup as clan vs. clan... and anyone from a certain clan can join a game that their clan is involved in. If multiple players from the same clan are connected, then they have a nice little chat... but only one of them should be able to _play_ (or.. maybe more? but that seems difficult). Anyway, they would only have to implicitly support this... all you need is password-protected civilizations... (and a good way of finding other players and setting up games).

In this way, clans could keep games running 24/7... with a previously accepted AI-level taking over when no clan member is logged in. As an extension, Firaxis (ack.. I almost wrote MPS... grr... and to think that I ended up with Hasbro stock... anyway) could officially support the clans, put a clan-chat in the game, keep rankings and statistics, etc...

I get my copy of Civ III tomorrow... (and the peasants rejoice...)

-Seb

[Stormhound]

I don't think you're going to see that. At least, we're not designing it in...if someone else can figure out how to make it work with the code, more power to 'em.