CanuckSoldier
Emperor
When CIV IV was released there were many games on the market with proper multiplayer mode implemented. The 2k/fraxis doesn't give damn about constant complaints and clearly broken multiplayer mode. The whole lack of managibilty and reliability of multiplayer mode is just a big JOKE. Just imagine playing starcraft where you need to update location of hundreds of units every single fraction of second having such a lag and issues as CIV IV has. Have you guys ever played a game (3 years old by now) called world in conflict ? Have you seen how the multiplayer has been implemented ? Seemles map downloading / game management / stats / comunity etc... i don't think CIV V will get anywhere close to reach these standards if it will try at all.
Also to all you guys wondering what's the multiplayer like in CIV. Just try to play this mode one day and see how huge potential it has if only the implementaion was properly done. Don't worry about simiultaneus moves - it just works great.
Oh I certainly agree that MP can be done better than it has been. But that is not what your original statement was about. You said people should basically ignore MP because it won't be fun for people and that is what I disagree with.
Thousands of MP players have had fun playing MP in Civ3 and Civ4( not to mention the days of Civ2 MP on the MS Gaming Zone) despite the problems with what Firaxis has given us to use.
So unless Civ5 MP is a complete and total failure on the code side, thousands more players will continue to have fun beating on each other in MP games as no matter how good the AI is it will never think like a human and that is why people play MP, you will never get an adrenaline rush from an AI trying to attack you, not in the next 20 years anyway.
CS