Something That Needs to be Done Immediatly

Post for the win

Potential of Sins MP is arguably bigger than one of SC yet it really amazes me how devs / publishers can't see this. Or they can but are not doing anything about it... Or who knows what...

I would actually go that far and say that Sins MP is one of the biggest wasted opportunities in gaming history...

Just my 2 cents...

Hah, Yes that does suck big time, Me and my friends usally take about 10 try's to get all together, Just reloading over and over..

Boys, you have random starting because you use random map...

The solution is very simple... create your own map where starting planet are fixed... rest can be partially random...

Bug need a patch but this is not a bug...

And how do you propose to effectivly distribute the maps?

Sins does not auto-download maps, making it very difficult to share maps.

In my observer type maps I added team index to random maps. But I think the final product will be a bit less than random map.

Either way this change probably won't arrive till next expansion when they will finally add random teams and such.

Solution -- Ironclad needs to patch the game to allow custom map auto-download.

Right now no one plays real custom maps because it requires people to go out of their way to download them and to add them to the game and it also seems that 33% of the time even when people put them in the right folders that they still get "missing file" errors anyway when they try to join one that's being hosted.

If we had auto-download for custom maps then the free marketplace of players would end up making certain custom maps--especially competition grade maps--popular.  It would add a new dimension to the game.  Most online multiplayer games already have auto-download for custom maps.  Why Sins hasn't been fixed to allow it yet, I don't know.

another thought re custom maps would be to allow the forge maps in the user space galaxy irectory without crashing sins

harpo

I agree, I think maps being auto-downloaded is a must.

Like I said there is a lot of MP related stuff that needs to be done.  If anyone gets the ear of Blair/Craig ask them when will we get some goodies, or if we can get a miniexpansion jsut for MP stuff.

Use Impulse - they can add new maps to each release to they get downloaded with that patch.

Or alternatively maybe they can add map packs or something...

I agree with being able to start with your allies as an option. As there isn't time to do it for Entrenchment and as this pertains more to the theme of the 2nd expansion we'll take another look then at how it might be done. The process isn't as simple as it would seem but I can understand the value.

Thnx Blair. I would love that you add a lot of MP stuff for secodn expansion because right now it is billed as SP only.  In MP we have no need for diplomacy with the AI

Wah!

No mention of enabling custom map auto-download?  Just enable that and us custom mappers will take care of the rest; we can set up starting positions so that allies start near each other, etc.

Custom map downloading is not technically possible with the Iron Engine. That would be a fundamental rewrite. Our future technology will likely include it. It this case its easier for us to adjust the ally placement code.

is that the placement code forwhere the maps are stored?

harpo

Again I echo the call I have been making for a number of months on this issue. If the game engine cannot do it, then use the distribution mechanism that the game uses - Impulse!!!

Just get Ironclad to review the maps and release them as either stand alone components, or include them in a new patch...

Their should be 2 codes for allt placement blair.

1st were all allies form each side are all next to each other.

and the 2nd were allies and enemies are perfecly alternated one after the other.

Thanks for explaining it.  Hope you guys can find an easy way around the problem at some point.

That sounds like a great idea.  Ironclad could first require (1) that maps be of good quality, and (2) that mappers agree to let the maps be used for a bonus pack.  Then make an optional bonus pack of the custom maps available on Impulse.  There could be  multiple bonus packs as more and more maps are made, etc.

Also more defult maps for 4v4 and 5v5 single start would go a long way. Their curently is just one 5v5 and it's a double multyple star, when people in general prefer to play single star.

Reviewing the maps submitted by hundreds of fans would probably be too time intensive for the devs.  If they just glanced over every map, then there would almost certainly be balancing issues (someone gets cute and sets planet conditions in their favor) then there'd there be people complaining about the maps they'd approve.  To avoid this they'd have to review the initiall conditions of every planet in the map, then there'd be a month long wait list to get you map approved, and peole complaining about there map never getting uploaded.

Or you could just go to https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.aspx?libid=70 to download maps... there's actually a link to there in the downloads section of the SOASE site.

I don't think it would be that tough USS.  An experienced online player can probably look at a map's layout and quickly determine whether or not it would be worthwhile.  Heck, I could volunteer for the project if Stardock/Ironclad were game.

Just the layout, no that wouldn't be too hard, but say some smartass sets is so that one planet is homeworld for team 10, set's that as his team number, then gives it all the anemities of a fully developed empire i.e. labs, trade ports, factories. You couldn't detect something like that just glancing over the layout, and if IC signed off on something like that and put it in a release, you know people would be pissed off at IC when they figured out why one guy online that insist on playing that map keeps kicking their asses, instead of just the jackass that made the map.  That's why they'd need to look at planet conditions for each planet, that could take forever.  I'm just saying that with the hundreds of maps that would doubtless be submitted, there are bound to be some jerks who can't play that will think they're geniuses for tricking everybody.

You also need proper turrets <--- damn must stop doing that.

But yes inspite of my obvious derailment, the OP is quite correct and gives a reasonable arguement for the need, parhaps a post-Entenchment patch. The ideal of course would be for players to veiw and accept the map being downloaded to obviously ensure it wasn't a complete stitch up.

... or having read Blairs post perhaps not a patch. (btw you need a smilie to represent a muppet, me in this case b4 anyone starts flaming)

I REALLY think the next expansion should also allow people to autodownload custom maps while you're in the lobby. This would really make the online part very interesting.