New Thought...

from GalCiv2 Forums
How about a game that combines two or more styles of game play? Lets just call it "multiplexing". For example lets take Galactic Civilizations II, and instead of leaving the take over of planets as computer generated events… throw in some real time strategy play. It would be a combo of turn-based strat (as the main dialog of the game), with a little real time strat for planet acquisitioning. A multiplex game... with two distinct tastes. This way when you go to war on a planet you can feel a part of the battle. Should I send my infantry here, and flank them with my tanks. Ohhh no they have already started to attack!!

Multiplex games can be used on a wide variety of games that take the "one" field not used or even seen in gaming today. Nothing says you can't mix your corn with your potatoes! In fact I love it!!

Another note to what is above. You can also mix FPS by incorporating it into the real time strat battles. Say a subsection of a battle in place. Freeze all other battle sections and fight FPS style in one battle at a time for planet domination!! Awesome!! It would be like several games rolled up into one.

It might make the game last longer, but hey it will give some flavor. Multiplex games will no doubt be the next wave of gaming!! First group to pull it off will win the hearts of millions!!

It's just a thought anyways...
~ Icecius


12,676 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It has been done. There are space strategy games with RTS battles, both in space and on land. The problem is, that what you are then asking the developers to make effectively two games. That means that either:

- The game costs twice as much to produce, and therefore twice as much to buy.
- Or the developers spend half as much time on each part of the game, so you get two mediocre games in one box.

I'm not saying it can't work. But it's much harder.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I've always had this dream where you have a gaming environment within which multiple games can co-exist. Each game can be a fully developed game in its own right, even developed by different companies.

As you move from one "arena" to another the new one is primed with the settings from the original. So, as Icecius suggest, move onto planetary invasion and an RTS takes over, switch into the "infantry" eye view and FPS takes over.

If you haven't bought one of the game types it doesn't matter you just get, for example, the high level planetary invasion of the TBS doing its normal thing. I think you should also be able to choose each time whether or not you want the switch to happen, so if you want a pure TBS tonight, you get one.

It is therefore up to you to decide which game types you want to incorporate into your own gaming environment. It is also you to you to choose which of each type you want. Heck, you could even add other genres in like role play when you land a ship, full planetary civ style TBS for planetary development ...

I've seen some folks talking about actually attempting this type of play for themselves just by switching between games manually.

I agree that a single do-everything game is fairly impractical from a commercial / development perspective but something like this could work if a few developers were to get together and agree some ground rules. The main technical problem would obviously be attempting to make the switches between games as seemless as possible. And getting multiple developers to play nice with each other!

But then, I'm a bit of a dreamer.
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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Whats the name of the game I want it.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
There was an old game called "Breach" that tried to do that with space combat. Another game along these lines is "Crown of Glory" about the Napoleonic Wars. Very cool diplomacy system linked to a good battle system, although it's a little too abstract for my taste for naval battles. Then, there is the "Total War" series -- it would be tough to make a game that could beat "Total War: Rome".

Of course, none of those have FPS in them. The closest thing that I can think of to a FPS game that features tactics is the supremely excellent "Operation:Flashpoint"
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
"spacerangers 2" is pretty awsome.. DL the demo & you will buy it.. its 4x, rts, action, text all in one game.. 90% is in a 4x mode with some missions & stuff sending you to the rts,arcade & other game types... You also have roleplay elements in your char updrade to him as well as ships.

Its very fun game called "spacerangers 2"
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Gah! You necro-posted just for *that*??! :(