Babylon and MP

[CrazyCanuck87]

I've read through a lot of the threads based around the recent news about Civ5, Steam, and the Deluxe edition featuring the Babylonians, but I couldn't find a definite answer to one question that stood out for me. What will happen if someone with the Deluxe edition plays a multi-player game with someone without it? Will the owner of the Deluxe version be able to play as the Babylonians? If so, will the other player's version have the graphics for the Babylonian flag, units, etc? My first thought is that single-player only Babylon would be a ripoff, but that if the other versions include the data for Babylon, wouldn't it be pretty straightforward for a modder to activate it?

[need my speed]

Well, if the files are already in the game of the one who didn't buy Babylon, then yes I guess. But that would make it easy to simply buy the standard version and mod the game so that you still have Babylon (except if there's some kind of encrypment, but people will get past it eventually).

And even if the files aren't there, there are ways to play with Babylon against someone who didn't buy it, and make it show up.

[CTH]

I would belive that everybody has the graphic for the babylonian. I cant see a reason why not. Sure it might be a little easier for people to get hold of the civ without the deluxe edition but it is not like it would be impossible otherwise. It is much easier if there is not additional big downloads than just the complete game. I could imagine that it is just some files in a map that is included in the install and that it is just to copy them over to the normal civ5. I would imagine that moste deluxe copies will be pre-orderd anyway and bought on the release date, people who buy those things tend to want the game directly

[Mercade]

Originally Posted by CrazyCanuck87

I've read through a lot of the threads based around the recent news about Civ5, Steam, and the Deluxe edition featuring the Babylonians, but I couldn't find a definite answer to one question that stood out for me. What will happen if someone with the Deluxe edition plays a multi-player game with someone without it? Will the owner of the Deluxe version be able to play as the Babylonians? If so, will the other player's version have the graphics for the Babylonian flag, units, etc? My first thought is that single-player only Babylon would be a ripoff, but that if the other versions include the data for Babylon, wouldn't it be pretty straightforward for a modder to activate it?

The honest answer is: nobody knows at this point. How did this work in in multiplayer if one player was using a modded leader that the others didn't have? Was it automagically copied? Would it only work if the modded leader was on the host? Did you just see a blank dummy leaderhead?

1. It's possible they will cleverly make it so that everybody sees the Deluxe player flaunting his Nebuchadnazar.
2. It's possible that a modded leader isn't recognised by others and you just see a big blank question mark leaderhead.
3. It's possible the Babylon mod can easily be "borrowed" from someone who has the Deluxe version.
4. It's possible the Babylon mod is encrypted and its use checked against your product key.

Obviously 1. is the most favourable from the Deluxe perspective and non-Deluxe buyers would like 3. as well, but there's no saying at this time.

[The_J]

Originally Posted by Mercade

The honest answer is: nobody knows at this point. How did this work in in multiplayer if one player was using a modded leader that the others didn't have? Was it automagically copied? Would it only work if the modded leader was on the host? Did you just see a blank dummy leaderhead?

Simple answer: It didn't work.
If two players had different versions, you could not play against each other.
But that was not an issue, because there has only been 3 real official versions (+ patches).
It's completly another case with DLC.

[HamTard]

Originally Posted by Mercade

1. It's possible they will cleverly make it so that everybody sees the Deluxe player flaunting his Nebuchadnazar.

This will almost certainly be the case. I believe it's how it works in Dawn of War 2. Players who have the expansion can use the new race, players who don't can still play with people who have the expansion, they just can't pick the new race. The base game was patched with the new content, but it's just locked so you can't use it, only see other people use it. It's how they keep the multiplayer community together, and they need to do that because their multiplayer community is so small to begin with.

Also, if Deluxe players can only play with other Deluxe players, it would be pretty stupid to buy Deluxe. That's why I am confident that there won't be compatibility problems in multiplayer between Deluxe and Regular.

[Never]

What if the person with Deluxe hosted a multi-player game and tried to use the Fertile Crescent map-type?

[Mercade]

Originally Posted by Never

What if the person with Deluxe hosted a multi-player game and tried to use the Fertile Crescent map-type?

By HamTard's logic (which I support), it should be possible for a Deluxe host to host that map. Having said that, it hasn't been confirmed whether the Fertile Crescent is a (multiplayer) map or a (single player) scenario AFAIK.