Holy S***! NO Multiplayer Until Spring!

September 7, 2001, 11:41

Confirmed! I asked Firaxis about using Civ3 for my class next semester to participate in a Turing test and they wrote back:

Civ III is set to release in October, but the multiplayer component won't
release until some time next spring (May-ish), which will be too late for
your class this year. I could send it to you for possible use next year once
it's released.

Provost Harrison · September 7, 2001, 11:47

Dammit, that is very strange. I thought with the experience gained with SMAC they would have had no problems. SMAC's MP worked straight out of the box, and thus I thought it would be even less of a problem with Civ3...and I sincerely hope they do not intend to charge for a new version of Civ3 so you can play MP...that would be seriously bang out of order...

Urban Ranger · September 7, 2001, 11:52

But you don't need MP capability for a Turing test.

Robert Plomp · September 7, 2001, 11:53

Firaxis would make a *VERY* big mistake by releasing the game without multiplayer !

It's 2001 !! Not 1996 anymore !
ALL major games that are being released these days are multiplayer !

Just only a *few* people will purchase a MP add on.

I just can't believe this to be true.
Releasing civ3 without mp sounds really impossible to me, and not really like an option.

Dan Magaha, can you clarify this to us ?

Robert Plomp · September 7, 2001, 11:53

what's a "turing test" btw ?

Bereta_Eder · September 7, 2001, 11:53

Urban Ranger · September 7, 2001, 11:57

Quote:

Originally posted by CyberShy
what's a "turing test" btw ?

It's a test devised by Alan Turing for artificial intelligence. Basically you have a human sitting there, either watching or interacting, and decide if what he is watching (or interacting with) is human or not. Of course, all the test object seeing is a computer terminal (or a PC in this case).

Buck Birdseed · September 7, 2001, 11:57

Very interesting. Novel approach for getting news as well.

Still, being a born sceptic I'd like to ask you to post the whole message, please.

General Ludd · September 7, 2001, 12:17

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
But you don't need MP capability for a Turing test.

How else would you do it?

Steve Clark · September 7, 2001, 12:20

It's a good thing that I don't care about MP at all (if this news is true). Hate to be in the shoes of someone who does.

Patriqvium · September 7, 2001, 12:27

Well, this is exactly what that Finnish preview predicted... I think they knew it already, but were afraid to admit that...

Provost Harrison · September 7, 2001, 12:31

I can manage without MP myself for a while, but I still find it a bitter disappointment that I will not be able to MP...especially if we have to wait a considerable period of time. You'd all better get up to speed on your playing before launching yourself into the MP arena...

Ralf · September 7, 2001, 12:32

Quote:

Originally posted by CyberShy
Firaxis would make a *VERY* big mistake by releasing the game without multiplayer !

Not that long ago, several civers thought it would be a really good idea if Firaxis waited with the Civ-3 release until spring-02 (the "they shouldnt rush it" argument). Now the single-player part together with all kinds of editors, is released before christmas-01, while the multiplayer-part is released spring-02. Why? Because Firaxis dont want to rush the multiplayer-part. Isnt this good news?

tishco · September 7, 2001, 12:34

they said there would be revoltionry MP support which they woundnt say.
wot they ment was they are revolutionary in having none in 2001

CapTVK · September 7, 2001, 12:46

Meanwhile...

Some caravan traders see a wandering hermit in the desert constantly yelling: "I TOLD YOU SO! I TOLD YOU SO!!"

Who wants to make a wager that the MP option will come 'free' with the first datadisk?

donarumo · September 7, 2001, 12:55

I am almost %100 sure they will not charge for an update like this.

Steve Clark · September 7, 2001, 13:23

I am almost 100% sure that they will since it would be bundled with new scenarios, civs and features.

Steve Clark · September 7, 2001, 13:30

Besides, you think Firaxis will spend 4+ months developing and testing a new MP paradigm for Civ and not get a return on its investment? I really don't think so.

tniem · September 7, 2001, 13:30

Quote:

Originally posted by Ralf
Not that long ago, several civers thought it would be a really good idea if Firaxis waited with the Civ-3 release until spring-02 (the "they shouldnt rush it" argument). Now the single-player part together with all kinds of editors, is released before christmas-01, while the multiplayer-part is released spring-02. Why? Because Firaxis dont want to rush the multiplayer-part. Isnt this good news?

No this is not good news because I want a full game when I buy it. I don't want to have to buy a ton of addons just to play the game that I should have originally gotten. Firaxis don't you dare do this to us. I will not buy Sim Golf if this is the case.

But I agree with Snapcase that I am very skeptical about these reports. Post the full email if you really received this news. Until then I am not sure that I can trust your information.

Sabre2th · September 7, 2001, 13:32

I'm not fully convinced either. Unless I see a true announcement from Firaxis, I'll just stay here and be ignorant.

September 7, 2001, 13:48

That was the whole message except Kelley Gilmore's phone and email (she's Firaxis's communication manager). Nor was it a scam to get news or a free game.

My idea is that for my philosophy class next semester, where I teach Turing, I would set up a project with four students per game, four AI controlled players. I would set up the games and tell students who they were in the game - but that's all. PBEM format. In game chat would be disabled to make it more difficult to determine who is who. Students goal would be to play the game alone until the point in the semester when we get to Turing. Then they would devise their own test to predict which civs are human controlled and which civs are computer controlled. After they turn in their papers about their tests and predictions I would say who was who. Philosophy relevant and in action instead of just on paper. Boosts enrollment in my class, I would publish both on the results of the test and in an educational journal about using the project in class.

Oh and if anyone is thinking about using this as a scam to get free games, all of the companes who have actually sent me games for evaluation DID check my credentials and shipped them to my office - so don't try it.

BTW, anyone have any suggestions on a game I could use?

tniem · September 7, 2001, 13:59

Mister Pleasant,

Would you mind forwarding the email to me?

I want to see her name at the bottom and the email address.

Call me doubting, I just want to see how mad and paranoid I really should start becoming.

Sabre2th · September 7, 2001, 14:02

Quote:

Originally posted by tniem
Mister Pleasant,

Would you mind forwarding the email to me?

I want to see her name at the bottom and the email address.

Call me doubting, I just want to see how mad and paranoid I really should start becoming.

I'd be interested in this too.

Vlad Antlerkov · September 7, 2001, 14:08

As long as the MP upgrade is bundled with scenarios, civs, and all sorts of new features they couldn't implement earlier, I won't mind. Or if it's free, but doesn't come bundled with anything. Or both.

LaRusso · September 7, 2001, 14:13

well, mike of firaxis is currently online, it would be kinda cool if he replied....

Gramphos · September 7, 2001, 14:17

I hope this is rumors.

If not Firaxis must NOT charge extra for the muliplayer, but make it a patch, or I'll not buy the game until it has multiplayer support.

Wittlich · September 7, 2001, 14:17

Hmm, what can I say? except....

I WAS RIGHT AFTER ALL!

Doesn't this sound familiar:
a. First there was Civilization - then CIVNET.
b. Then there was Civilization II - Then CivII Multiplayer Gold Edition (MGE).
c. Now it looks like there will be CivIII, and aprox. 6 months later, what? CivIII Multiplayer?

One last point I would like to make is this...

When CIVNET was released, did anyone get CIVNET for FREE just because they had already bought Civilization? How about CivIIMGE because they had bought CivII? The answer is NO.

When the Multiplayer Edition of Civ3 is eventually released, you can rest assured that you will have to shell-out more money for it.

Dauphin · September 7, 2001, 14:22

As long as muliplayer works when it comes out, rather than crashing out like in CtP, then I will be happy.

Although, I don't have the greatest of confidence in the completeness of a game if, a pretty much standard, feature isn't even included to start.

Robert Plomp · September 7, 2001, 14:24

If Firaxis has officially replied to Mister Pleasant,
then I guess it's save for any firaxian that's around here to confirm it.

Thus than I wonder............. why doesn't any firaxian confirm it ?

I'm surry, but I just can't believe they'll release it without mp support. That's ridiculous nowdays ! It would be the blame of the year ! Firaxis will forever have the "MP support will be patched later" label sticked on their face, with whatever game they'll release !

And about the "no rush" comments................
2 years working on a game does not nescecarily have anything to do with rushing !

as long as it's not been officially confirmed I concider this to be a hoax. When it's confirmed........... I'll get back to you to try to describe what it is.

Metamorph · September 7, 2001, 14:28

Sounds like Firaxis decided to screw over its players after all. Guess I'll be waiting until May 2002 to buy Civ3; I'm not interested in buying a game that's only 73% complete.

- Metamorph