Ara: History Untold’s Multiplayer is Designed for Speed, Flexibility, and Fun

[The_J]

We got a new news article on XBOX.com about the multiplayer in Ara, https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2024/09/10/ara-history-untold-multiplayer-preview/.
They talk about how the simultaneous multiplayer is handled, and that all games are automatically saved in the cloud.
The most relevant parts:

“To make these epic games not only practical but also enjoyable for players over extended periods, we’ve implemented cloud-based Ara servers. These servers allow the game to exist in the cloud, enabling players to seamlessly continue games in progress, whether they’re playing synchronously with others or asynchronously at their own pace. The key feature here is the ability to pick up right where you left off, making it easier to enjoy the game over weeks or even months without losing momentum,” President of Oxide Games Marc Meyer shares.

This robust online experience for Ara: History Untold will be a huge factor that helps it stand apart from competitors in this genre space. With games being hosted on the cloud, it means that you will be able to jump in and out of multiple games – you won’t need to have all the players available at the same time. This is where its unique simultaneous turns system comes into play.

“The key differentiator in Ara: History Untold is our simultaneous turn system,” Meyer says. “Players aren’t stuck waiting for others to finish their turns; instead, everyone makes their moves at the same time. This significantly reduces turn times, enabling us to support 20, 30, or even more players in a single game. It’s a more streamlined and engaging experience, letting you focus on the strategy rather than the waiting.”

I am not sure how this simultaneous turn system is handled here. Is there no limit? Do you jump in any day during a day, and it progresses to the next turn when everyone has played?
It's not really clear to me.


Unrelated, curiously there's also a "Meyer" on this time . (yes, spelling is different, I know)

 

[PMF]

Very cool, I remember seeing a similar article from a few months back, maybe it's like hotseat being baked in by default? I'm not really much of a multiplayer person but I do like the idea of making it super easy in a way that's not commonly used (cloud servers)

 

[Sephi]

I am not sure how this simultaneous turn system is handled here. Is there no limit? Do you jump in any day during a day, and it progresses to the next turn when everyone has played?
It's not really clear to me.

It might be a gameoption so you can choose the limit or deactivate it if you only play with friends.