What? You can't use icq or access your system

If this is true, God those Activision people are dum asses. Don't they know that in multiplayer games like civ 2 people like to use icq and even surf the net between turns or do other stuff between turns? icq is very useful if someone loses connection during play or if there is a problem loading a multiplayer game.

I also heard you can't customise city names or civs. Don't these people do ANY benchmarking against other games? I can't believe they left out that feature if they did. Its basic to tribe or team play and perfectly easy to program.



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Chaos, panic and disorder - My work here is done.

[Depp]

I would say you are the dumbass if you can´t do it. You can acess ICQ or anything. Works great, just alt-tab or alt-esc. It is in SMAC you can do this...

[John-SJ]

Horse,

I don't know about renaming cities, but as far as accessing other apps while playing, check out this thread.

BTW, I got CTP after all the mods had been done, loaded the mods (the popular ones) and still didn't like the game. CtP2 is much better. I only got it yesterday so I've only played a couple of hours but my initial impression is that this time Activision has a real winner on their hands!

John-SJ

[vlad]

Guys you don't seem to understand what Horse or I am talking about. You guys must not play civ2 multiplayer games. While you play civ 2 you can see the whole systray, you can chat on icq WHILE the game is playing. You don't have to go to a different screen, you don't have to hit any buttons.If you play alot of MP online this is an IMPORTANT feature. I only play MP games thats why I need this. I enjoy wasting a whole day playing and would like to still communicate with people while I do so. I don't want to have to pause a game, switch screens only to see I missed a message. I can even surf while playing civ2 and still see whats going on in the game, again in a 4-6 player game this is important for the long in between turns.
We figured out right away the city names change, but I still don't like being stuck with a pre-determined civ name. yeah its a minor thing, but again something I enjoy from civ2 MP.I am sure there is a way to change it, just haven't found it yet

[John-SJ]

vlad,

You're right, I didn't understand. I do now. This sounds like something to ask for in a future patch, eh?

John-SJ

[vlad]

Doubt its patchable, but I can always hope for the best. I just hope Firaxis keeps that function of civ2 alive in civ3 if possible. Its really a minor complaint, and doesn't affect solo play much, mostly MP play in long games.Unfortunately MP is what I bought CTP2 for, to replace my civ2 online addiction I guess I will have to look further for my gaming methadone

[markusf]

hmm. Does anyone have a pif editor? I believe its possible to make a pif file and then force CTP to go into windowed mode. But i have to agree any game that is multiplayer when playing online. Thats one of the biggest attractions, for a turn based game in my opinion... everyone gets bored waiting for thier turn

[Big Dave]

quote: Originally posted by markusf on 11-18-2000 10:13 PM hmm. Does anyone have a pif editor? I believe its possible to make a pif file and then force CTP to go into windowed mode. But i have to agree any game that is multiplayer when playing online. Thats one of the biggest attractions, for a turn based game in my opinion... everyone gets bored waiting for thier turn

Hate to tell you this but a PIF is only for DOS apps in a Windows setting. Might work under NT or 2K for a Wind9x app, but I wouldn't count on it.

David

[skorpion59]

This is not unique to CtP2 so you better get used to it. All new games are coming out with DirectX and Full-Screen mode.

[Blade Runner]

OK, so the CIV2 got window with the possibility to use programs (like ICQ) simultaneously. Yes, because this game was developped before the DirectX age. The last 3-4 years every professional PC Windows game use this technology. SMAC also use DirectX, and I am sure CIV3 will use it too. You have to live with this technology, or even better if Micro$oft will provide a decent in game chat system built-in the DirectX drivers. I don't think Firaxis will go back 4-5 years into the past just to enable this possibility for Civ3.

Blade

[Swissy]

From the sound of this thread, it seems they have eliminated the built-in chat feature of the MP game. It was in CTP1, I was able to chat(open and private) with any player in the game with a pop-up caht screen in the game. Since that is doubtful, you probably haven't found it yet. CTP1 had the docs on the feature burried in the read me, so many players didn't know it existed in CTP1. In CTP1 you hit the ' key to open the chat window.

Also, I like CTP1 and CTP2 being directX and limiting access to other programs. It seems all I hear about in Gameleague from civ2 players is how somebady is using a cheat program in MP games. I have yet to hear about s player using a cheat program in CTP1.

chat in multiplayer games continues to exist
quote from the (separate) multiplayer readme file

quote: To chat with other players in the game, hit the apostrophe key (') to bring up the chat window. Type your message in the editable field and hit ENTER to send hit. To close the box, hit ENTER when there are not words in the field. When a message is sent, all the other players will hear a chime and the message will appear in the upper left hand corner. While messages will appear on the game screen, they will fade away after a short period of time, however all messages can be reviewed in the chat window

now, if they included an in-game web browser connecting to apolyton, all the needs of someone playing a multiplayer game would be covered

[Pyaray]

quote: Originally posted by MarkG on 11-19-2000 11:43 AM now, if they included an in-game web browser connecting to apolyton, all the needs of someone playing a multiplayer game would be covered

Personally I keep 2 computers side by side for this reason. A bunch of games that I play actually crash if you try to alt+tab or alt+esc out of them. Ours may be more inconvenient than a windowed game, but at least it's well behaved.

The problem with running in Windowed mode as oppossed to full screen, is that animations are VERY slow. We do actually use quite a few animations in our game. There were no animations in Civ2, and that's why it could be a Windowed game. I seriuosly doubt Civ3 will be that way, although obviously I don't know for certain.

Pyaray

[vlad]

Yeah I suppose the 2nd computer is essential and also makes cheating easier
Yes Markos they need an Apolyton browser in the game,get strategy tips while you play
Oh well I guess civ2 will have some more life from my MP pleasure until I find a new game to play.

quote: now, if they included an in-game web browser connecting to apolyton, all the needs of someone playing a multiplayer game would be covered

Browsing Apolyton is one of the things I do when playing civ 2

Is it true you can't change your civ name? Damn, I always play civ 2 as "The Horse Empire"

I love that civ 2 message "civilisation destroyed by horses"



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Chaos, panic and disorder - My work here is done.

quote: Originally posted by Alexander's Horse on 11-19-2000 05:59 PM Is it true you can't change your civ name? Damn, I always play civ 2 as "The Horse Empire" I love that civ 2 message "civilisation destroyed by horses"

you can add your entire civ along with city names and everything in a text file....

quote: Originally posted by Pyaray on 11-19-2000 05:35 PM The problem with running in Windowed mode as oppossed to full screen, is that animations are VERY slow. We do actually use quite a few animations in our game. Pyaray

Thanks Mark

But this is really the nub of the problem with game design these days. "Eye candy" is added at the expense of playability enhancements. Don't they realise the hard core gamers, like the multiplayers, like the great and one and only Horsie , don't give a rat's arse about "animation". Civ 2 doesn't suffer for the lack of it. I don't care if the Sprites cast a shadow or not. Hell, I'm sure I'm not the only gamer who plays with the sound "off" as well, skips the wonders and just spend most of my time managing my civ and fighting my wars.

I understand the marketer's problem in that the hard core multiplayers are only a fraction of the market, but it seems to be the way things are going the only way will be either a separate multiplayer config or players will just have to re-engineer the games when they come out (if the config allows this). Activision poineered a "mod-able" engine with the Doom/Quake series. I hope they can do something eventually.



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Chaos, panic and disorder - My work here is done.

[DarkOrder]

It is all about the term "3rd party software."
Getting 1 game to run on 5 hundred different systems is hard enough. Getting it to co-exist with another program running at the same time, created by a different company for a different purpose? Do you want to wait the extra year to test an implement this feature? Do you want to pay for the extra expense? What program would you like the game developer to use? I don't mean to be cruel, but running 2 programs at the same time is up to you. If it is too hard to alt+tab, then I think this is more along the lines of a "user error." Maybe its just me. I like the in game chat (use the"'") and talk to others in the game while I am playing. I suggest you set your MP game to 15-30 second speed turns. This will turn your game into something that you won't be able to back away from.
just my 2 cents, don't take any offense.

Smooshies