(NOT A BUG???) The "ping" function in multiplayer is broken

[Splitter]

In a team based multiplayer game the "ping" ability seems to be broken.
The ping icon above the minimap is missing.
Using P to ping will produce the ripple effect but the sound effect as well as the marker being placed on the map are missing.
A minor bug but still annoying as it makes the ping practically useless for drawing attention to things in team based multiplayer now.

Splitter.

 

[Primax]

i agree.. is this a bug or a "feature" is the question tho

 

[a_civilian]

Also, P is the keyboard shortcut for the "sea patrol" action, which makes it impossible to ping with certain units selected.

 

[ainwood]

I think it was a design change, but I'll note it as many MPers are annoyed.

 

[Gamei]

Does anyone know if the ping ability can be modded back into MP? Me and a friend want to play, but we refuse to without being able to ping. It's so incredibly useful.

Hey look at what I just found!
What? Where?
Over here, near this mountain.
Which mountain, there's a lot of them.
By the river, god.
Like that helps.
Never mind, let's go play wc3.

 

[ainwood]

Hit "P" for ping. Note that the audible sound is gone though.

 

[a_civilian]

As is the alert marker it would place on the map. Signs (alt-s) may in many cases be more useful.

 

[Gamei]

Yes, if you hit p the cursor will switch to the normal ping marker. If you then click something with the intent to ping, nothing happens. No sound, no marker on the map, nothing.

It's 100% useless for pointing something out. I don't care that the cursor switches if it doesn't do what it's supposed to..

 

[ainwood]

Yes, if you hit p the cursor will switch to the normal ping marker. If you then click something with the intent to ping, nothing happens. No sound, no marker on the map, nothing.

It's 100% useless for pointing something out. I don't care that the cursor switches if it doesn't do what it's supposed to..

Well, in SP it makes a mark on the map (the normal ping animation). Does this not happen for MP? I thought it was just that the button was gone, and the sound was gone...

 

[Primax]

yeah the animation does appear in MP. Useless tho... It always goes something like this... "Hey attack there" "where?" "THERE!!, are you stupid???" "Are you? You do know ping isn't working right?" "...."

 

[a_civilian]

Well, in SP it makes a mark on the map (the normal ping animation). Does this not happen for MP? I thought it was just that the button was gone, and the sound was gone...

This marker is also missing:

It would show the location of the ping even if it was offscreen.

The current ping is next to worthless because unless the ping happens to be in the region that you are viewing, you won't know that it occurred and wouldn't be able to locate it anyway (except by luck).

 

[Gamei]

Well, in SP it makes a mark on the map (the normal ping animation). Does this not happen for MP? I thought it was just that the button was gone, and the sound was gone...

It may make the ping mark on the overland map, but without sound and no 'off screen' button guiding you towards it..how does it help? It's next to useless in its current form. I can't fathom the thinking that thought making this a non-option 'feature' was a good idea. I can understand people being retards about the ping function in a random game, but why not make it something you can turn off and on via in game options?

My question still stands though: Does anyone know if it's possible to mod in the old functionality of the ping for MP games?

Thanks!

 

[carbonex]

Yes, I also hope that an enterprising modder will be able to restore the original pinging behavior. The sound is definitely still present and I imagine that the code is available for reference somewhere in the Civ4 directory? This function has made it frustrating to play team-based multiplayer games.

 

[fpstream]

Yes, please get this back in the game. It makes multiplayer very frustrating as my friends and I used to use it all the time. I cannot think of any way this was a good decision in the design process. I can see people overusing them but you don't have to click them. In its current form it just makes pretty explosions.

 

[sunrise089]

The current "ping" makes team MP borderline useless without a voice-chat program running. Please change it back.

 

[BlastDuke]

The current "ping" makes team MP borderline useless without a voice-chat program running. Please change it back.

I second that!

 

[Gamei]

Anyone heard/seen anything new about this issue recently? Me and my friend still aren't playing the game because we like to play team MP and it's so painful without the ping function working as it used to.

 

[Sureshot]

ya, multiplayer is a huge pain without proper pings, i want them back!

i have to revert to signs now to have someone notice something, and that takes longer to make and for the others to notice.

this is a really big issue for team games.

 

[Sureshot]

finally they should be fixed in a patch