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Author Topic:   Hot-Seat mode

Wojtek Brzezinski posted 12-03-98 08:13 AM ET
Will there be a hot-seat multiplayer mode in Alpha Centauri? I hope so - it allows people whose Internet access is limited to play in multiplayer. And I don't think that installing it is very difficult, either. Anyway - it's used in a game that Alpha Centauri seems to draw a lot from (i.e. Master of Orion II), so why not do it?

Frank Moore posted 12-03-98 09:13 AM ET
It is stated in the FAQ that there will NOT be hotseat play supported in SMAC
Brother Greg posted 12-03-98 06:35 PM ET
As for why they didn't do it, the whole of MP is based around LAN or internet play, basically everyone plays their turns at the same time. To implement Hotseat as well would mean adding a heap of code to cope for stuff like diplomacy.
Brother Greg.
Marian posted 12-05-98 12:21 PM ET
I personally hope that there will be a hot seat option with an expansion pack, because I often like to play a hot seat game. Or I'll have to sea if it is possible to cheat a hot seat mode.
Ciao
Marian
Editor of the Alpha Centauri Zone
http://www.juhu.de/hartel/alpha
OmniDude posted 12-05-98 01:29 PM ET
I haven't grasped yet why simultaneous turns should make it so difficult to implement hot-seat. It works in a PBEM-game like Stars!, in what respect is SMAC so much different?
Someone please explain, as slowly and clear as possible.
But I have to admit that though I like the idea of hot-seat and used it a lot with CivII I dont think I ever actually managed to _complete_ a HS game. It usually ended after 6-18 hours of play, when all computer-controlled adversaries had been annihilated and we were facing a LONG war of attrition. Then the one with the highest Civ-Score was usually elected winner and we'd get back to reality. Always a sad moment.
Brother Greg posted 12-06-98 07:55 PM ET
I must admit that probably the only people that could answer that are the design team. They just told it was way too much effort, as all the MP was based around "real-time".
I think it all came down to in effect having three modes, and the hassles that would create. As I said though, if you want the real answer, you may have to ask Brian nicely when they (Firaxis) return to the boards.
Brother Greg.
Tapiolan poika posted 12-07-98 11:51 AM ET
I suspect the problem lies in how combat is handled.
In MOO2, combat is handled separately. Normally, everyone does everything simultaneously, press the "Done" button, and let the computer process what's happening.
In situations where combat is an option (someone enters a star system where s-one else has ships, etc.), however, AFTER you press "Done", the computer detects the potential for combat, and BOTH (one after the other) potential combatants get the question if they wish to enter combat. If one of them answers "Aye", the computer switches to combat mode, the combat is resolved, and then the computer finishes the turn, and starts the next.
OK. For SMAC, I've gotten the impression that combat will at least _look_ like it did in CIV, which would make it harder to implement simultaneous combat in ANY form, as far as I can see, but even harder to implement it for hotseat...
Does this make any sense to you?
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Author	Topic: Hot-Seat mode
Wojtek Brzezinski	posted 12-03-98 08:13 AM ET Will there be a hot-seat multiplayer mode in Alpha Centauri? I hope so - it allows people whose Internet access is limited to play in multiplayer. And I don't think that installing it is very difficult, either. Anyway - it's used in a game that Alpha Centauri seems to draw a lot from (i.e. Master of Orion II), so why not do it?
Frank Moore	posted 12-03-98 09:13 AM ET It is stated in the FAQ that there will NOT be hotseat play supported in SMAC
Brother Greg	posted 12-03-98 06:35 PM ET As for why they didn't do it, the whole of MP is based around LAN or internet play, basically everyone plays their turns at the same time. To implement Hotseat as well would mean adding a heap of code to cope for stuff like diplomacy. Brother Greg.
Marian	posted 12-05-98 12:21 PM ET I personally hope that there will be a hot seat option with an expansion pack, because I often like to play a hot seat game. Or I'll have to sea if it is possible to cheat a hot seat mode. Ciao Marian Editor of the Alpha Centauri Zone http://www.juhu.de/hartel/alpha
OmniDude	posted 12-05-98 01:29 PM ET I haven't grasped yet why simultaneous turns should make it so difficult to implement hot-seat. It works in a PBEM-game like Stars!, in what respect is SMAC so much different? Someone please explain, as slowly and clear as possible. But I have to admit that though I like the idea of hot-seat and used it a lot with CivII I dont think I ever actually managed to _complete_ a HS game. It usually ended after 6-18 hours of play, when all computer-controlled adversaries had been annihilated and we were facing a LONG war of attrition. Then the one with the highest Civ-Score was usually elected winner and we'd get back to reality. Always a sad moment.
Brother Greg	posted 12-06-98 07:55 PM ET I must admit that probably the only people that could answer that are the design team. They just told it was way too much effort, as all the MP was based around "real-time". I think it all came down to in effect having three modes, and the hassles that would create. As I said though, if you want the real answer, you may have to ask Brian nicely when they (Firaxis) return to the boards. Brother Greg.
Tapiolan poika	posted 12-07-98 11:51 AM ET I suspect the problem lies in how combat is handled. In MOO2, combat is handled separately. Normally, everyone does everything simultaneously, press the "Done" button, and let the computer process what's happening. In situations where combat is an option (someone enters a star system where s-one else has ships, etc.), however, AFTER you press "Done", the computer detects the potential for combat, and BOTH (one after the other) potential combatants get the question if they wish to enter combat. If one of them answers "Aye", the computer switches to combat mode, the combat is resolved, and then the computer finishes the turn, and starts the next. OK. For SMAC, I've gotten the impression that combat will at least _look_ like it did in CIV, which would make it harder to implement simultaneous combat in ANY form, as far as I can see, but even harder to implement it for hotseat... Does this make any sense to you?