Multiplayer: why not make 1 hour turns? (let us have GalCiv in MMO format!)

from GalCiv3 Forums

Time tested massive multiplayer practices show, that games can go on for weeks, months even, and everybody involved are excited. But GalCiv, like Civilization, wants to rush those game sessions like crazy. Personally I would never play in such haste, it ruins the whole thing. 

Completely contrary to me sounds other scenario: make 1hour (2 hour or whatever it is) turns, that go on automatically, no matter if player has given orders or not. Let the participants give orders and execute them at the very last minute before the hour for the next turn begins. THe games could be always available to Stardock original server and absent/abandoning players could earn bad multiplayer reputation. Stardock, you could have massive pools of players, willing to play in your server. Another field where to strenghten your player base and bankroll.

Sounds exciting for me. But devs dont seem to agree with this vision. WHY NOT????

40,146 views 13 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

you really want the AI to take over for you while you are sleeping?

Reply #2 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

By multiplayer, obviously, I meant human vs human players

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Reply #3 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Right.  So go to bed for 8 hours, have a busy day the next day, and 16 turns have gone by.  It is annoying enough to restructure invaded planets, if I need to go back and do it to the ones I colonized?  I would never play that option.

Reply #4 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

or are you saying that, once a planetary building is done, and you miss some turns, the planet does nothing in your absence?  That is equally horrible.  

Reply #5 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I do sometimes "sleepwalk" through some turns, but that is my choice.  There is something to do EVERY SINGLE TURN.  To deny someone turns, because they have a life... whether AI takes over or not, is something I think many people would be opposed to playing.

Reply #6 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Triple Crown, I hope I bring no offense.  I am just giving my own opinion.  I appreciate you sharing ideas, and would encourage you to continue doing so.  I just happen to believe this to be an nonviable idea.

Reply #7 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Remember this just my opinion, but I see no reason why steam can't change their 1 megabyte download speeds.

I would have no problem with timer games. This would be a timer that would start when your turn starts this would not include while other turns were going on.

The main problem is that it takes 10 minutes to upload each custom civilization when the game starts. This could cause it to take a long time to start a game.

You could start with a default value being replaced by a custom value being uploaded in the background when no one is doing anything.  

It's not each turn only when the game starts.

Reply #8 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Alright, no offense, no offense...

Explain to me then, why MMO work so well. Have you tried one before? Probably not. But I have and I know how it plays. It plays awesome. If given option to choose, I would play 1 hour turns exclusively. With something like 40 human players or more. Such magnitude is simply impossible in real-time multiplayer.

 

And its not at all like you have to be there each and every turn. On the contrary - 4 times a day is completely enough. Even twice a day is enough - in the morning and in the evening. Because you can give consequetive orders that are carried out gradually. Only when actual fighting takes place it is better to be there. But even if you do not assist - the defenses are being carried out automatically to the best of automated abilities.

Reply #9 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Point number three I was told by stardock. I'm not saying mmo's don't exist There is just that the more modern games require more resources. 

Reply #10 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Isnt that opportunity, admiral? Let those players in those servers. And those who want customized shipsets or whatever it is customized, pay some additional $ to stardock. Errybodys happy. 

 

Just IMAGINE GalCiv 3 in MMO format, with something like 100 human players in a galaxy... Wouldnt that be breath taking? Nobody would play now existing rush multiplayer anymore.

Reply #11 from Stardock.net Forums Top

There's an old space civ game called StarKnights that used a system like this. You gained movement each x period of time (configurable when making the map). It worked fairly well, until players found each other. If someone got the chance to go before you, they could do serious damage. 

Another issue was not being able to play the game if you ran out of accumulated time (you weren't kicked out, you just couldn't do anything of real significance).

 

Anyways, I bring this up because I do kinda like the idea of having an accumulated time system option. I think it could work for larger maps. With some brainstorming, I bet we could make it pretty balanced. Maybe have certain rules that prevent players losing too much while away, and rules to kick players if they don't log on in x number of days (so the game doesn't get stuck by sore losers or people who lost interest). Maybe have a cap on the number of accumulated turns.

 

So, there are a lot of knobs that you can turn when it comes to this idea. I'm not sure how important it is to try to make this work, given the limitations of time on Stardock's part...maybe if they run out of ideas on what to tweak or add to the game lol. 

Reply #12 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

If i actually played multiplayer a mmo would be a great idea. I think if steam could change the downloads to 40, 50, or 100 megabits per second from 1 megabit per second they should. I forgot to answer why it works for some games, and not this one. They probably not 64 bit, or are smaller. Maybe civilizations as complicated.

Otherwise it is a good idea.

Reply #13 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

an MMO for a game like this isn't necessarily a bad idea, I could see it being balanced

however, as this game is not an MMO, I cannot fault the devs for ignoring the request.  Look at all the bug reports?  Should those not be handled?

If you want an MMO, go play an MMO

 

no rudeness, just reality.

EDIT:  on the other hand, if you have the money to help them develop a lateral game-platform to turn GalCiv into an MMO, I'm sure they would take your donations, and hire the people to do it.