Let turn based MP actually be turn based

[Matrix]

Both with Civ2 and Civ3 I have been disappointed about the interface of turn based multiplayer. The makers thought of numberous things they should change to make the game proceed faster, but it usually made you have to be more attentive (e.g. because you don't automatically see other units moving), which is tiresome, and have to check everything at the end of the turn, so that in fact it only takes longer!

I really hope that in Civ4 turn based will be just like single player, except that a human is moving another Civ's units. Perhaps a button to toggle "follow other movements" on or off, so that you have the option of changing a city's production. But that's it!

I wonder what other people say about this.

 

[microbe]

Why not try PBEM then?

Online play should be more real-time. No one wants to wait for you because you just go away to have coffee.

 

[Matrix]

Because PBEM is too laborious!

When I want to play with someone else in all calmth and with good sight of what's going on, I can't play simultaneous, because that has certain annoying game play features (like landing a big stack of units at the end of one turn and immediately start attacking the beginning of the next turn, not to mention the way city production and science is regulated), but with PBEM one has to load a savegame, play one turn, then save it, send it, wait (too short to do anything else), receive it, and load it again. I'd rather stay in the game, and watch my opponent's movements live.