Multiplay idea

from Elemental Forums

I read a lot of the multiplayer related posts and I hope I'm not repeating anything someone has already suggested.  Anyway, here goes.

I think the multiplay function could be a sort of a hybrid between realtime and turn based. 

  • Everyone could take turns at the same time.
  • Turns would not be required to match up one on one.  Meaning in the time it takes one player to take one turn, another player might have completed three.
  • Conflicts, interactions between players and items on the map, and diplomatic interactions between players would take place in real time.

The biggest benefit of this would be that no one would ever have to wait for someone else to finish a turn to continue playing.  It would also create some interesting strategies that would not exist in normal play.  If you decided to build up a huge empire, as it got larger and larger and you had bigger and bigger armies to order about your turns would take longer to complete.  Another player may decide to keep their empire smaller and tighter allowing them to complete two or three turns for every one that you can take.  You would have to balance being big and powerful but heavy and slow with being small, mobile, and quick but with tiny hit and run style armies. 

The problems that some multiplayer schemes have with who gets to attack who or who gets the goodie bag or monster lair first would be easily resolved.  It would literally go to whoever queued up the action first. 

The only odd thing I can see coming from this sort of setup would be that your sovereigns would end up being vastly different ages from one another, as would their kids.  There would have to be some leeway about a 25 year old sion getting married to a 85 year old one and still being able to produce the next generation. 

23,684 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

That's the 'only' odd thing you see about this system? It completely changes the game from a Turn based strategy game to a 'who can set up their turns and click end turn the fastest' game.

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

Turns would not be required to match up one on one.  Meaning in the time it takes one player to take one turn, another player might have completed three.

That doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Interesting from a Mod-multiplay standpoint ... but only interesting from that sort of Scholarly type perspective.

I would want the game to be balanced without such huge bonuses being givin to those with quick turns. I do however think its cool that large empires could potentially have less turns .... but this seems like something not TBS ... this after all would be a complete break and a new direction in experimental functionality.

Personally I would prefer TBS, but would be interested in playing maybe One game like this ONE time.