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Author Topic:   How good is Multiplayer?

Lil Boots posted 02-18-99 08:38 AM ET
I have played the Demo and tink the game is great. I have heard and read about some problems with Multiplayer games. Can anyone who has played a game over the net tell me how well it works? I would like to know how many people in a game is practical over the net (Can all 7 be human players?) Can you really speak to each other thru the game?

Jeffrey Morris FIRAXIS posted 02-18-99 10:31 AM ET
I've played a lot of multiplayer and here's the gist. Unless you "starcraft" each other and completely blitz the entire game, a SMAC multiplayer game will take DAYS to finish. Saves work, but it's a major commitment. Next, internet performance is exceedingly dependant on the quality and speed of EVERYONES internet connections. One low ping player can slow down the entire endevour. A practical limit of 4 players for TCP/IP seems a good rule of thumb, unless everyone's on a T1.
jkm
firaxis games
Chris Pine FIRAXIS posted 02-18-99 11:11 AM ET
And yes, you can really speak to each other through the game! It's really cool. Because of the compression (since in some cases you are sending game stuff and voice stuff all through the phone lines which were only made for voice) it sounds kind of like a Speak-and-Spell! Jeffrey Morris sounds like a weiner in VOD (Voice Over Data). I bet I sound like a stud...
Scrubby posted 02-18-99 01:11 PM ET
Thanks JM and CP, that was a refreshingly honest assessment of multiplayer, seemingly free of marketing hype.
Lil Boots posted 02-18-99 05:19 PM ET
So has anyone outside of FIRAXIS played multiplayer?
Sinapus posted 02-18-99 06:17 PM ET
I started one Tuesday night. Me and my brother have a Pact.
It is pretty good. Uses a TCP/IP connection and my brother's faster machine is hosting it. Had a few problems with losing connection and waiting a bit for the two systems to find each other, but the game otherwise continued uninhibited.
Although it CAN take awhile to run it.
DanS posted 02-18-99 08:24 PM ET
I pretty much gave up playing multiplayer Civ II (after investing about 100 hours in it) because of the daunting multiplayer math (time of everything X at least 7--ouch) and had hoped that the simultaneous move of SMAC would do wonders for the time.
Firaxis folks or whoever plays multiplayer: could you please describe a little bit more about the method SMAC uses to communicate (as nitty gritty as you can) and the delay time we could expect for a game that is composed of state-siders with one or two europeans? Thanks.
Jeffrey Morris FIRAXIS posted 02-18-99 09:34 PM ET
Just give it a shot. It's up to each person's tastes whether or not it's "doable".
jkm
firaxis games
CaptComal posted 02-18-99 10:43 PM ET
I have played two MP games so far and find them very DO-ABLE!
Just remember this is NOT StarCraft, so prepare to think rather than test your fast reflexes!
One pure Turn Based game averaged 20 full turns per hour but that included plenty of socializing and talking about the game. A SIM TURN game should be faster ... but talking about the game may be part of the fun or at least part of the ENLIGHTENMENT in these early days of SMAC. I found myself asking the other players things like "how do you do such and such".
Was definately GREAT FUN ... most fun I've had in a long time!
I have an "interesting" work schedule ... working 7am-9pm Fri, Sat & Sun ... so I am available to play Multiplayer games Mon, Tue and Weds most of the days and nights ... and Thursday days and early evening. Send me an EMail if interested, or ICQ me (my number is posted in Reliable Alpha Centauri Players ICQ List):
http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=alphacentauri
Telastyn posted 02-19-99 12:30 AM ET
i've played a 2 human vs 5 computer game via LAN with it set to HUGE map and basic simulaneous rules. I am playing the gaians and my brother the UoP. So far we've played about 26 hours of game time on this one game with no problems at all.
One earlier game we started crashed after one of us was doing social engineering at the end of the turn and the other finished their turn.
Multiplayer simulaneous is a must and seems really nice and smooth. There are a few annoyances like not being able to go right into a base when it completes a building, but that was obviously dont to speed the game up. Hopefully I can get a 4+ player LAN game this weekend and tell yeas how it goes.
Mortis posted 02-24-99 01:24 AM ET
I've played a Sim turn and a normal game with 2 ppl. We found that the non-Sim turn game was quicker. Probably because of my slow connection.
Fragboy posted 02-24-99 09:44 PM ET
I don't know about multiplayer, as whenever I try a modem-to-modem against a friend, it either crashes or freezes.
cousLee posted 02-24-99 09:48 PM ET
on 3rd hotseat game. this one we each have taken 3 factions, and the PK as mortal enemy. makes for longer turns. humans can't attack each other until the AI is eliminated. using first 3 factions as one group, and the second 3 as the second group. any three in a row will work.
Deadron posted 02-24-99 10:34 PM ET
I've just started on one seven player email game (we're on our third turn) and will be part of another at least five but hopefully seven player email game.
I seem to recall that there was initially a question about whether anyone would want PBEM, but I think it's probably the only realistic way to play with more than two, maybe three, players. You just can't get more people than that online for a sim game with any regularity.
Also, email diplomacy is lots of fun. Long ago I played an online game of Diplomacy, and the negotiations and back-stabbings between posting online and sending email was huge fun.
qwerty posted 02-28-99 01:57 AM ET
there needs to be a Bnet type thing, or is there one?
strategys are best for multiplayer and it would rox if there was good multiplayer
are there any games servers that support it?(heat.net, kali?)
and is there anyway to make games shorter? hot keys i heard something about timed turns is that true?
Spartacus posted 02-28-99 04:08 AM ET
The double production option in civ2 multiplayer makes for a much better and shorter game. Suggestion to Firaxis for a patch; allow a double production option for terrain in multiplayer.
Mortis posted 02-28-99 05:26 AM ET
qwerty- AlpahHQ.net is a player matching service, kind of like battle.net. There are lot;s of hotkeys, automations, gotos and so one. And you can set time contols.
animaster posted 03-04-99 09:53 AM ET
Multiplayer is plenty of fun. But be shure you got the patch. If you got a UK version as
i do you need to do this.
The last player to move in each turn have to give a warning before he ends his turn.
When he gives the warning all players have to leave any communications with other players/AI's. It may also be wise to leave city windows. Then the player can end his turn.
If you dont do this you get a crash 5 out of 6 times.
When it comes to playability it is very good.
I think it is better than Civ II in multiplayer. (and way better than Civnet (civ i))
Lorentz that hate to waith more than a month
to get a patch that should not be needet at all.
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Author	Topic: How good is Multiplayer?
Lil Boots	posted 02-18-99 08:38 AM ET I have played the Demo and tink the game is great. I have heard and read about some problems with Multiplayer games. Can anyone who has played a game over the net tell me how well it works? I would like to know how many people in a game is practical over the net (Can all 7 be human players?) Can you really speak to each other thru the game?
Jeffrey Morris FIRAXIS	posted 02-18-99 10:31 AM ET I've played a lot of multiplayer and here's the gist. Unless you "starcraft" each other and completely blitz the entire game, a SMAC multiplayer game will take DAYS to finish. Saves work, but it's a major commitment. Next, internet performance is exceedingly dependant on the quality and speed of EVERYONES internet connections. One low ping player can slow down the entire endevour. A practical limit of 4 players for TCP/IP seems a good rule of thumb, unless everyone's on a T1. jkm firaxis games
Chris Pine FIRAXIS	posted 02-18-99 11:11 AM ET And yes, you can really speak to each other through the game! It's really cool. Because of the compression (since in some cases you are sending game stuff and voice stuff all through the phone lines which were only made for voice) it sounds kind of like a Speak-and-Spell! Jeffrey Morris sounds like a weiner in VOD (Voice Over Data). I bet I sound like a stud...
Scrubby	posted 02-18-99 01:11 PM ET Thanks JM and CP, that was a refreshingly honest assessment of multiplayer, seemingly free of marketing hype.
Lil Boots	posted 02-18-99 05:19 PM ET So has anyone outside of FIRAXIS played multiplayer?
Sinapus	posted 02-18-99 06:17 PM ET I started one Tuesday night. Me and my brother have a Pact. It is pretty good. Uses a TCP/IP connection and my brother's faster machine is hosting it. Had a few problems with losing connection and waiting a bit for the two systems to find each other, but the game otherwise continued uninhibited. Although it CAN take awhile to run it.
DanS	posted 02-18-99 08:24 PM ET I pretty much gave up playing multiplayer Civ II (after investing about 100 hours in it) because of the daunting multiplayer math (time of everything X at least 7--ouch) and had hoped that the simultaneous move of SMAC would do wonders for the time. Firaxis folks or whoever plays multiplayer: could you please describe a little bit more about the method SMAC uses to communicate (as nitty gritty as you can) and the delay time we could expect for a game that is composed of state-siders with one or two europeans? Thanks.
Jeffrey Morris FIRAXIS	posted 02-18-99 09:34 PM ET Just give it a shot. It's up to each person's tastes whether or not it's "doable". jkm firaxis games
CaptComal	posted 02-18-99 10:43 PM ET I have played two MP games so far and find them very DO-ABLE! Just remember this is NOT StarCraft, so prepare to think rather than test your fast reflexes! One pure Turn Based game averaged 20 full turns per hour but that included plenty of socializing and talking about the game. A SIM TURN game should be faster ... but talking about the game may be part of the fun or at least part of the ENLIGHTENMENT in these early days of SMAC. I found myself asking the other players things like "how do you do such and such". Was definately GREAT FUN ... most fun I've had in a long time! I have an "interesting" work schedule ... working 7am-9pm Fri, Sat & Sun ... so I am available to play Multiplayer games Mon, Tue and Weds most of the days and nights ... and Thursday days and early evening. Send me an EMail if interested, or ICQ me (my number is posted in Reliable Alpha Centauri Players ICQ List): http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=alphacentauri
Telastyn	posted 02-19-99 12:30 AM ET i've played a 2 human vs 5 computer game via LAN with it set to HUGE map and basic simulaneous rules. I am playing the gaians and my brother the UoP. So far we've played about 26 hours of game time on this one game with no problems at all. One earlier game we started crashed after one of us was doing social engineering at the end of the turn and the other finished their turn. Multiplayer simulaneous is a must and seems really nice and smooth. There are a few annoyances like not being able to go right into a base when it completes a building, but that was obviously dont to speed the game up. Hopefully I can get a 4+ player LAN game this weekend and tell yeas how it goes.
Mortis	posted 02-24-99 01:24 AM ET I've played a Sim turn and a normal game with 2 ppl. We found that the non-Sim turn game was quicker. Probably because of my slow connection.
Fragboy	posted 02-24-99 09:44 PM ET I don't know about multiplayer, as whenever I try a modem-to-modem against a friend, it either crashes or freezes.
cousLee	posted 02-24-99 09:48 PM ET on 3rd hotseat game. this one we each have taken 3 factions, and the PK as mortal enemy. makes for longer turns. humans can't attack each other until the AI is eliminated. using first 3 factions as one group, and the second 3 as the second group. any three in a row will work.
Deadron	posted 02-24-99 10:34 PM ET I've just started on one seven player email game (we're on our third turn) and will be part of another at least five but hopefully seven player email game. I seem to recall that there was initially a question about whether anyone would want PBEM, but I think it's probably the only realistic way to play with more than two, maybe three, players. You just can't get more people than that online for a sim game with any regularity. Also, email diplomacy is lots of fun. Long ago I played an online game of Diplomacy, and the negotiations and back-stabbings between posting online and sending email was huge fun.
qwerty	posted 02-28-99 01:57 AM ET there needs to be a Bnet type thing, or is there one? strategys are best for multiplayer and it would rox if there was good multiplayer are there any games servers that support it?(heat.net, kali?) and is there anyway to make games shorter? hot keys i heard something about timed turns is that true?
Spartacus	posted 02-28-99 04:08 AM ET The double production option in civ2 multiplayer makes for a much better and shorter game. Suggestion to Firaxis for a patch; allow a double production option for terrain in multiplayer.
Mortis	posted 02-28-99 05:26 AM ET qwerty- AlpahHQ.net is a player matching service, kind of like battle.net. There are lot;s of hotkeys, automations, gotos and so one. And you can set time contols.
animaster	posted 03-04-99 09:53 AM ET Multiplayer is plenty of fun. But be shure you got the patch. If you got a UK version as i do you need to do this. The last player to move in each turn have to give a warning before he ends his turn. When he gives the warning all players have to leave any communications with other players/AI's. It may also be wise to leave city windows. Then the player can end his turn. If you dont do this you get a crash 5 out of 6 times. When it comes to playability it is very good. I think it is better than Civ II in multiplayer. (and way better than Civnet (civ i)) Lorentz that hate to waith more than a month to get a patch that should not be needet at all.