Altisma
Warlord
- Joined
- May 31, 2012
- Messages
- 271
There are plenty of issues with multiplayer now. What I’m aiming to talk about it is not the common stuff like lag, stability, crashes, etc but more of the game functions that are still missing or needed. I personally want to see some of this included in Brave New World or in a patch
1. Turn Based Multiplayer
a. Currently multiplayer is all about a click fest. Make your units move before your opponent reacts and you can save them, or kill your opponents unit before he runs away. What needs to happen is an option should be created in the game lobby for a host to disable it or enable it. By default it should be enabled (most people you find hosting lobbies randomly can be idiots and not change anything).
Adding this feature can potentially change the game with the way multiplayer works. I wouldn’t be surprised if melee units like swordsmen and horsemen became useful again other than taking for cities on that last hit. Though I’m sure comp/cross/arty/bomber units will rule the combat game still but that is for another discussion.
2. Using "Good" AI with Larger Games
a. Currently the average size of games is 6 players. 4 players happen with quick games and 8 player games are rare. Then there are the 1v1 games. Basically it’s a 60/30/10 ratio with 6/4/8 player games. With the BNW expansion taking gold away from coastal and river tiles were left with only 5 other players and city states to trade with to get gold. And from seeing the videos land based trade isn’t very much compared to sea and city states won’t always be there for some players. Then 6 players usually will drop to 4 if there is a warmonger which reduces the trade even further.
There is no real way to fix it so larger games could be played since players won’t always have time to finish it (NQ steam group isn’t the solution, the group doesn’t even enforce finishing saved games enough), stability issues get worse, etc.
That leaves the AI as probably the only thing that could enhance it for larger games. Best way to do it is to bring the single player AI to multiplayer. Currently the AI is ******ed in multiplayer and serves only as an easy land grab or gold grab. Bringing the same AI used in Single Player to multiplayer creates a larger game assuming the host sets the difficulty on it so it won’t be a waiting to give cash away to the player who asks. On top of bringing the AI mind from single player to multiplayer there would need to better improvements made to it so it’s not as stupid as it currently is in single player. But at least making the AI behave the same way it does normally would be a good solution for larger games while still being multiplayer.
Next with the AI is introducing multiplayer variant difficulties. Currently when a player leaves the game, and a emperor AI takes over, it can screw up other players due to some of the bonuses such as quicker to build wonders or grabbing influence with all city states with its massive gold per turn rate. This is basically a out of game variable that can screw over someone in a crucial moment. It would be nice to control the AI's bonuses but leave other settings on like ability to build numerous units.
3. The Timer
a. Probably the most important aspect that needs to be looked at now. Currently all you can do is enable it then nothing else. There are no options to control it, over time it gets larger and larger and the game ends up taking longer especially with lag. Add in the turn based option that we may getting in a patch following up the BNW expansion and it will taking even longer to the point turn based won’t be used in NQ games or any lobby games.
What needs to happen is there needs to be a variety of options for the host to select to change how many seconds there are. This can be per turn function like this
0-50 30 seconds
50-100 45 seconds
100-150 45 seconds
150-200 45 seconds
200-250 60 seconds
250-300 60 seconds
Then add in certain factors such as
At war- 15 seconds are added to the players turn timers when they are at war (If the game is real time it adds 15 seconds while every other player waits)
Etc
Now with shorter timers like that you make think it’s impossible to finish your turn but what can be done to remedy that is simply having city management, diplomacy, trade, etc. be universally done. That means unit movement and commands can be done during the turn while everything else can be done while waiting on other players to finish their turns.
4. Mods
a. Probably already being looked at now. But enable mods to be used in multiplayer so players can use them. Simple as that but one little function needs to also be included. For any player that joined a modded lobby, it should auto download the files they need to play the game. Unless you have friends, most people won’t play a modded map script simply because they don’t want to waste time looking to download it.
5. DLC Factions
a. Provided that there are any more DLC factions like Babylon, Korea, Denmark, Inca, Spain, Polynesia, or any other DLC content not expansion related like the map scripts and the Ancient Wonders. They should be downloaded by everyone but the people who buy them can use them, even if they are playing with people who don’t have them. A lot of people online are ignorant of the Steam Sales and the new upgrade option for Civ 5 that allows them to get these civs for a really good deal.
6. Scenarios
a. Enable the scenarios to be played in multiplayer. I would love to play the Fall of Rome scenario with players and it would be even funner to play mod scenarios too. While were on this topic, scenarios should also be updated to include the newer game functions. Portugal should be added to the New World scenario, all the scenarios should have the combat system with 100hp, even throw in religion and trade if it helps them, or just leave it the same. Also having these playable makes it easier for time constraint games.
7. Spectator
a. Simple as that, players should be allowed to watch games. Provided it doesn't introduce new stability issues where a spectator freezes the game. Players who lose shouldn't be kicked out of the game also.
8. Numerous errors
a. Currently there are tons of graphic errors, the inability to trade with other players if another trade agreement is in progress, the loss of be able to trade to players if a player leaves the game with a unaccepted trade agreement, desync errors, crashing in a lobby due to joining, crashing in a lobby due to a player joining, crashing in a lobby due to desync issues, crashing ingame due to desync errors, a game freezing up when a player leaves, and a game freezing on loading screen.
1. Turn Based Multiplayer
a. Currently multiplayer is all about a click fest. Make your units move before your opponent reacts and you can save them, or kill your opponents unit before he runs away. What needs to happen is an option should be created in the game lobby for a host to disable it or enable it. By default it should be enabled (most people you find hosting lobbies randomly can be idiots and not change anything).
Adding this feature can potentially change the game with the way multiplayer works. I wouldn’t be surprised if melee units like swordsmen and horsemen became useful again other than taking for cities on that last hit. Though I’m sure comp/cross/arty/bomber units will rule the combat game still but that is for another discussion.
2. Using "Good" AI with Larger Games
a. Currently the average size of games is 6 players. 4 players happen with quick games and 8 player games are rare. Then there are the 1v1 games. Basically it’s a 60/30/10 ratio with 6/4/8 player games. With the BNW expansion taking gold away from coastal and river tiles were left with only 5 other players and city states to trade with to get gold. And from seeing the videos land based trade isn’t very much compared to sea and city states won’t always be there for some players. Then 6 players usually will drop to 4 if there is a warmonger which reduces the trade even further.
There is no real way to fix it so larger games could be played since players won’t always have time to finish it (NQ steam group isn’t the solution, the group doesn’t even enforce finishing saved games enough), stability issues get worse, etc.
That leaves the AI as probably the only thing that could enhance it for larger games. Best way to do it is to bring the single player AI to multiplayer. Currently the AI is ******ed in multiplayer and serves only as an easy land grab or gold grab. Bringing the same AI used in Single Player to multiplayer creates a larger game assuming the host sets the difficulty on it so it won’t be a waiting to give cash away to the player who asks. On top of bringing the AI mind from single player to multiplayer there would need to better improvements made to it so it’s not as stupid as it currently is in single player. But at least making the AI behave the same way it does normally would be a good solution for larger games while still being multiplayer.
Next with the AI is introducing multiplayer variant difficulties. Currently when a player leaves the game, and a emperor AI takes over, it can screw up other players due to some of the bonuses such as quicker to build wonders or grabbing influence with all city states with its massive gold per turn rate. This is basically a out of game variable that can screw over someone in a crucial moment. It would be nice to control the AI's bonuses but leave other settings on like ability to build numerous units.
3. The Timer
a. Probably the most important aspect that needs to be looked at now. Currently all you can do is enable it then nothing else. There are no options to control it, over time it gets larger and larger and the game ends up taking longer especially with lag. Add in the turn based option that we may getting in a patch following up the BNW expansion and it will taking even longer to the point turn based won’t be used in NQ games or any lobby games.
What needs to happen is there needs to be a variety of options for the host to select to change how many seconds there are. This can be per turn function like this
0-50 30 seconds
50-100 45 seconds
100-150 45 seconds
150-200 45 seconds
200-250 60 seconds
250-300 60 seconds
Then add in certain factors such as
At war- 15 seconds are added to the players turn timers when they are at war (If the game is real time it adds 15 seconds while every other player waits)
Etc
Now with shorter timers like that you make think it’s impossible to finish your turn but what can be done to remedy that is simply having city management, diplomacy, trade, etc. be universally done. That means unit movement and commands can be done during the turn while everything else can be done while waiting on other players to finish their turns.
4. Mods
a. Probably already being looked at now. But enable mods to be used in multiplayer so players can use them. Simple as that but one little function needs to also be included. For any player that joined a modded lobby, it should auto download the files they need to play the game. Unless you have friends, most people won’t play a modded map script simply because they don’t want to waste time looking to download it.
5. DLC Factions
a. Provided that there are any more DLC factions like Babylon, Korea, Denmark, Inca, Spain, Polynesia, or any other DLC content not expansion related like the map scripts and the Ancient Wonders. They should be downloaded by everyone but the people who buy them can use them, even if they are playing with people who don’t have them. A lot of people online are ignorant of the Steam Sales and the new upgrade option for Civ 5 that allows them to get these civs for a really good deal.
6. Scenarios
a. Enable the scenarios to be played in multiplayer. I would love to play the Fall of Rome scenario with players and it would be even funner to play mod scenarios too. While were on this topic, scenarios should also be updated to include the newer game functions. Portugal should be added to the New World scenario, all the scenarios should have the combat system with 100hp, even throw in religion and trade if it helps them, or just leave it the same. Also having these playable makes it easier for time constraint games.
7. Spectator
a. Simple as that, players should be allowed to watch games. Provided it doesn't introduce new stability issues where a spectator freezes the game. Players who lose shouldn't be kicked out of the game also.
8. Numerous errors
a. Currently there are tons of graphic errors, the inability to trade with other players if another trade agreement is in progress, the loss of be able to trade to players if a player leaves the game with a unaccepted trade agreement, desync errors, crashing in a lobby due to joining, crashing in a lobby due to a player joining, crashing in a lobby due to desync issues, crashing ingame due to desync errors, a game freezing up when a player leaves, and a game freezing on loading screen.
