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Old 02-11-2003, 00:31   #1
Matrix
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Default A funny idea (perhaps a suggestion)

I've been thinking, I like multiplayer with Civ3 very much. And I multiplayer with more than one opponent even better. (One could say that the fun is proportional to the number of opponents.) Yet with PBEM it goes too slowly, and with turn based one is wasting time. (And I'm not considering simultaneous moves - that's just not Civ anymore...)

The ideal solution would be: eight people/players hiring a cottage, each one bringing along his/her computer, install a LAN and start playing. Not only will the game go as fast as possible, but you will also have social fun, especially when the game is further ahead.

When you're behind your computer alone it's not doable having to wait such a long time and having to pay attention when that's necessary (like when someone's attacking).

I have five friends-for-life, but none of them like Civ3 much. And even then, who'd want to use(/spoil) his holiday for playing Civ3? Therefore I say this is not a suggestion. I merely wanted to share this crazy idea I've had in my mind for a long time.
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Old 02-11-2003, 20:02   #2
Lt. Killer M
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been there, done that (for Duke Nukem) - cna be a great way to blast a weekend
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Old 02-11-2003, 21:40   #3
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Done it on my office LAN and works great. Plan to do that again in the near future and will post here when so those interested can join.
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Old 03-11-2003, 00:42   #4
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For Civ3, ProPain?

Hm, so apparently it's not such a wild idea at all. Of course this is the way LAN parties have started.

Well, perhaps some of us will do this in the summer of 2004. I'd be happy to join!
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Old 03-11-2003, 20:45   #5
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quote:Originally posted by Matrix
Yet with PBEM it goes too slowly, and with turn based one is wasting time. (And I'm not considering simultaneous moves - that's just not Civ anymore...)
What else then? I guess you are in fact not considering turnless mode.

With simultaneous moves you can at least set the timer to none. So you have control over when your term ends. Combat is different from the SP/PBEM Civ, considering troup movement sequence or the lag between issuing a command and seeing its result. But this is only an issue for the warmongers out there.

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The ideal solution would be: eight people/players hiring a cottage, each one bringing along his/her computer, install a LAN and start playing. Not only will the game go as fast as possible, but you will also have social fun, especially when the game is further ahead.
The not so ideal solution:
I just got cable connection, at last. Started an online test game with a friend. Encountered no problems. In fact I feel it's not even any slower than playing by LAN-connection. So regular online-playing a few hours could be an alternative for my occasional LAN-MP-weekends. Of course it lacks the social part.
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Old 03-11-2003, 22:01   #6
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great pro for online is the fact distance doesnt matter. I kinda imagine non of the US members fancy coming over to the Netherlands for a weekend.
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Old 03-11-2003, 22:26   #7
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Am sure we'll work something out before Summer 2004 Matrix
In fact the next CDZ RL reunion will be a LAN party at ProPains place as he suggests above.
We are thinking of January ...in that month planes are cheap and empty so the Brits will be able to come over for 18 pounds return on EasyJet
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Old 04-11-2003, 16:52   #8
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18 pounds?! So have you talked about this through MSN of something? I like the plan very much in any case.

Anyway, anarres, I'm not concerned about the speed of the game, but about what one will do when it's not his/her turn. And in simultaneous or turnless mode the strategy of combat is totally different. I really don't like that. It's a turn based game after all.
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Old 04-11-2003, 19:50   #9
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Certainly, simultaneous moves is a different game, especially as far troup movement and war is concerned. I have to admit that I never went into full war with a human player, so I can't make a valid comment on the feel of it.

But with turn based, you must have lots of time available.
My games usually last between 8 - 12 hours, depending how much war is going on.

If you have 8 players playing 16 hours a day, then the game will last 8*8/16 = 4 days in the good case, in worst case it might last 8*12/16 = 6 days.

Playing for 24 hours a day might of course speed things up. (Pun unintended).

On the other hand, if there is really so much time available, then there could also be a second game if playing simultanous moves.
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Old 04-11-2003, 20:57   #10
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I played SMAC in simultaneous mode. Problem there: Once you started to fight a human and came close to any target, it was all about 'luck'. Not that one had to move fast, but the game gave you a forced break sometimes, which was eventually giving one player an advantage - w/o any obvious fair rules behind it.
So we generally switched to 'real' turn based mode at some point.
I have no idea how PTW/C3C handles that simultaneous play mode, but I guess it's somewhat similar to SMAC...

Some turn-based games like MOO2 or Imperialism were very nice for LAN gaming, because movement/fighting was done 'inbetween turns' and the game playing could be really done in simultaneous mode.

But!: I also really enjoyed stuff like an amusing Duke-Nukem-3D marathon, "Let's rock!" (the 'zero-hour' mod was a ton of fun).

What to do inbetween turns? In some games, it was still possible to mess around with your empire during off-time, so we used the breaks to set production, design units (SMAC) or mm stuff (e.g. public works in CTP1,2).
Again, I don't know if you could do that in PTW/C3C. But my understanding is that you do not get production prompts at turn start, so I *would* think you could still interact when it's not your turn (?).

If you play LAN against more than one freak, waiting time should not be boring...
(well, don't play folks that made a silence solemn promise)

PS: Matrix, maybe Wildfire's point was that you randomly put words into anarres mouth once in a while...

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Anyway, anarres, I'm not concerned about the speed of the game...
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