Anyone Else Who Doesn't Care About Multiplayer?

[DaddyCool]

Totaly agree. MP is not the first thing I think of when it comes to Civ type games. I tried it once with my friend with SMAC, and it was soooooo damn boring to sit there doing nothing while the other player was taking his turn (and this with only one other player).

[Yook]

My problem is with the assumption that "in this day and age" MP is absolutely necessary and to not include it is tantamount to ripping out the still-beating heart of some cute furry animal.

Just because something can be MP doesn't mean it should be MP. If one is inclined towards MP and a game does not feaure MP, then I guess one doesn't play said game. And the same goes for SP.

I am one of those folks who prefers the SP experience. I enjoy playing Unreal Tournament (and it's various Mods) as SP games. The occasional foray into online MP was fun, but I just don't like dealing with people. LAN contests are more interesting, in that the people I'm dealing with are my friends, but we tend to play a few rounds of a game and then wander off to do other things.

If you don't like the fact that Civ3 is a SP game, then don't play it. No one is forcing you to. Conversely, if ever there is a MP addition, I won't be playing it. That doesn't mean I will bemoan the fact that it has been added.

In any case, I'm looking forward to the future here, and the changes that the community will be making to the game as well as the changes Firaxis will make. Whether MP is part of these changes or not doesn't mean much to me, which is I think the point of this thread. That's it.

-Yook

[challenge]

Well, put.

[SoHappy]

It all depends on what you want from a game, an earlier post said it well and this depends on your time as most people just dont have time to spend 5-6 hours waiting for friends/foes to play their turns out. Personally I enjoy SMAC and CIV as SP as that for me is what turn based games are best at. Other games such as Quake, RedAlert etc, which are all real time based are far better as MP and a hell of a lot of fun played that way! Firaxis had to get CIV out before xmas and SP should have therefore been their primary focus, with a later patch or expansion to keep the MP fans out there happy.

[GenTomGun]

ROLMAO That is the most hillarious story i have every read in my life....so true...my day to the T sometimes ecspecially on the weekends.....give this guy a pulitzer for literature or something........best post not relating to civ3 game mechanics ive read so far.....whew!!!!!!! i need to breath....

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by mrbilll
IMHO Civ III is a diamond in the rough that will not reach its full potential until it's been worked on some more.

That's exactly why it will not touch my precious HD again until a few patches come out for it.

Re your hope for future expansions: If I have to shell out more $ for feature that they only dropped at the last minute (MP) or that should have been in there in the first place (scenario editor), Firaxis will never again recieve any of my money again.

[DaddyCool]

Yeah that's the thing about Civ and MP. It takes more comitment that in other games (like UT). First, it's not as easy to drop in and out of games as it is in UT (in case you get a phone-call or have to do something else). I'm assuming the AI would take over for you (don't have to much MP exp) which sucks...there go your well planned strategies for that game out the window. Second, a game of Civ is a loooong affair. More so if there are other players waiting on eachother. So, you have to be able to set aside a big chunk of time, and be assured that nothing and nobody will interrupt you. That's simply impossible for most of us (Barnacle Bill's hillarious message being one example).

[WhiteElephants]

Originally posted by Antonin
One thing l've noticed about many people who've responded to this thread is that they have been very polite about why they prefer SP over MP, and they have not belittled the preferences of those to whom MP is a very important issue.

So, to all you MP partisans, let's not have any name-calling, OK? We SP fans are not "mediocre"--we just prefer to play the game SP.

Is it time for a group hug, yet?

[wal35]

Never having played a MP game of Civ/Civ2/SMAC in my life just many happy hours of SP I have to ask how long does a MP game take ?

OK silly question but go on give some examples?

Like Barnacle Bill the days when I could spend all weekend playing games are long gone and I just can't see how MP works in the real world. I'm not saying it doesn't (it obviously does) I just don't know how.

Just to clarify I'm referring to TBS here I've played MP no brainers - i.e. FPS and RTS. They have to have MP otherwise they have no long term interest (IMO)

Seriously I'm genuinely

[WhiteElephants]

Originally posted by wal35
Never having played a MP game of Civ/Civ2/SMAC in my life just many happy hours of SP I have to ask how long does a MP game take ?

OK silly question but go on give some examples?

The assumption around here about MP is that you have to have your ass glued to a seat waiting fifteen minutes for your turn and that you have to devote a good chunk of your livelyhood to it. That's incorrect and is a more accurate description of a SP game.

In a standard MP Play By Email Game (PBEM) turn the times differ. In the early stages the turns go quite fast -- move scout, move worker, move settler, done. As the game progresses the turns take longer and longer to complete as naturally you have more things to think about and do -- so maybe five minutes to a half an hour depending on how meticulous you are. Typically you get a turn a day, or every other day, and most people tend to play several games at a time in order to ensure they have a couple turns to play each day.

I've had games last from the range of three months to roughly a year and three months. Naturally the games with more players are going to consume the most time. In SMAC you also had the option of playing dial up in order to jump start the game and then converting to PBEM because of lack of time and the time in takes to complete the more complicated turns. There was as an option called Time Warp, or something like that, that started the game some 50-75 turns into the game. So rather than start with one scout, and one settler, you'd begin the game with several established cities and the early wonders randomly distributed amongst the players, though this option was less popular do to the fact that the beginning of the game was deemed the important important and influential.

I grant you that the idea of a game dragging out over months and months sounds daunting, but I can't quite explain the anticipation you'll feel waiting for the next turn to come knowing your about to launch your surprise attack on the Romans (or whoever) and knowing that on the other end of the line there is a thinking, breathing, human being who is going to react in a way I may not be able to anticipate the way I can virtually anticipate the AI's every move. There is a certain satisfaction knowing you've bested a human opponent, and there is also a certain satisfaction knowing you've been bested by a human opponent. Humbling perhaps.

I think some of the best players of these games are the most meticulous as well, thus getting one turn a day to scrutinize over has a certain appeal as well.

I appreciate your genuine interest. Hopefully we'll meet each other on the playing field one day, or battle field if circumstance arise.

[sgsmitty]

Agreed WhiteElephant. The PBEM variety of MP is more possible for the majority of people who have posted in this thread. I think where others and myself differ is when realtime on play is concerned.

I have played SMAC via PBEM and it was enjoyable and fun. And yes, it did take months to get a game over with. The bummer was that many times players would drop out after a few weeks. I was not aware you could start online realtime and then convert to PBEM! Oh, how many times I started with a scout and a colony pod, moved one square, packaged it up and sent it along.


I would be interested in trying Civ3 PBEM when it is supported.

[wal35]

Originally posted by WhiteElephants

I appreciate your genuine interest. Hopefully we'll meet each other on the playing field one day, or battle field if circumstance arise.

Thanks for answering so completely. I can understand the fun of playing against real people and the anticipation of the arrival of the turn - it was the turn frequency that concerned me, but now I know and now I want MP for Civ3.

Battlefield ? Surely your puny civilization wouldn't dare