Turn based multiplayer strategy war game...

[Cuda1447]

A little story first:

I was with my wife at the in laws house the other night. It was my birthday and to my surprise my wife got me a board game I'd been talking about for awhile. Settlers of Catan. I'd heard it was a lot of fun. So we took it over and had a good little game. Mid-way through the game I thought. Wow, this shit is awesome. Good strategy, a very social element to the game, all in all, it's just awesome. They should make something like this for PC. Add a bit more depth to the game, combat, technologies etc... Let there be customizable maps with more than 4 players. Then it hit me.


Fucking Civilization 4. That's the game I was talking about. Its basically Settlers of Catan on super steroids. Now I realize there is a multiplayer component, but I'd only tried it once. It was very difficult to find a game and even harder to get a decent group of people to finish a game. Undoubtedly due to how long the game takes.

Have any of you ever had success getting a decent group of guys to play multiplayer Civ 4? Is it feasable or is this game type just best suited for single player?

 

[Gibsons]

Maybe with really small maps. On large maps, turns can take a very long time.

Also a lot of the fun of SoC is that no one really gets eliminated from the game. Not the case with Civ.

 

[Cuda1447]

That's a good point Gibsons. But one of the things I don't like about SoC is that I can't eliminate anyone!

 

[Gibsons]

That's a good point Gibsons. But one of the things I don't like about SoC is that I can't eliminate anyone!

This is supposedly a hallmark of German vs. American games.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German-style_board_game

Anyway, one issue can be seen in Risk. Start the game with 4-6 people and it often quickly turns into a 3 player game. Then the 'real' game begins. While it can be a fun game, it sucks if you're the one who loses out in the first few turns just because you couldn't get your match.

 

[PowerYoga]

master of orion 2!

 

[CPA]

You can play multiplayer SoC on XBox.

I know this doesn't add anything to the conversation.

 

[Possessed Freak]

This is supposedly a hallmark of German vs. American games.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German-style_board_game

Meh, there are times when you are playing dead in Euro games. You are stuck playing for another hour or two when you have ABSOLUTELY no way to win. All you can do is dick other players over through strategic piece placement... oh Red REALLY needs this position, screw Red I am going there without needing it!


To OP, the problem with strategy multiplayer games is they are going to take a LONG time. Even with simultaneous turn taking they still take time as people look to maximize their turns (another CLASSIC situation with euro board games). I know that when I was playing Civ IV multiplayer, my turns started taking longer and longer. Manipulation units, micro-managing workers, etc... while I did this single player with little concern with time, it was obviously bad news in multiplayer.

 

[GoodRevrnd]

The real way to play Civ4 multiplayer is to set up a pitboss server. It's kind of like play by email without all the bullshit. Everybody logs into one server as they please to take their turns whenever.

 

[Chiropteran]

I miss turn based RPGs. I just bought ultima 4-7 on gog, why can't anyone make a modern RPG like these?

 

[Cuda1447]

The real way to play Civ4 multiplayer is to set up a pitboss server. It's kind of like play by email without all the bullshit. Everybody logs into one server as they please to take their turns whenever.

Would we have interest in doing this? We can setup a thread on here, get a group of guys together and talk shit/negotiate via the forums.

 

[BlueWeasel]

Would we have interest in doing this? We can setup a thread on here, get a group of guys together and talk shit/negotiate via the forums.

That sounds really fun. I'd love to take part, but I am a Civ n00b. :\

 

[paperfist]

I'd play on a Pitboss server. It's tough, but I can usually get 4-5 people in on a Civ 4 game to completion. The biggest thing is keeping people from bathroom breaks

 

[Cuda1447]

I'd play on a Pitboss server. It's tough, but I can usually get 4-5 people in on a Civ 4 game to completion. The biggest thing is keeping people from bathroom breaks

So that's 3 of us. No big deal if you're a noob... so am I. We can team up!

 

[obidamnkenobi]

To OP, the problem with strategy multiplayer games is they are going to take a LONG time. Even with simultaneous turn taking they still take time as people look to maximize their turns (another CLASSIC situation with euro board games). I know that when I was playing Civ IV multiplayer, my turns started taking longer and longer. Manipulation units, micro-managing workers, etc... while I did this single player with little concern with time, it was obviously bad news in multiplayer.

This seem to me to be a big problem for MP Civ. I can't imagine it working unless you're really, seriously committed. How long do those games usually take? You have to sit there and take turns for 5-6 hrs straight?

I've played Civ since the first one, but MP I think is beyond me.

 

[paperfist]

This seem to me to be a big problem for MP Civ. I can't imagine it working unless you're really, seriously committed. How long do those games usually take? You have to sit there and take turns for 5-6 hrs straight?

I've played Civ since the first one, but MP I think is beyond me.

We've played 4 humans with 4 AIs before on a normal map and it takes around 6 hours. Again the biggest thing with human players is keeping them from taking breaks all the time and waiting on their turns.

If you played on smaller maps with quick turns it would go faster. Just like the SP game it's war and the end game of moving tons of units around that eats up time. Prior to that it goes quick.

Pitboss is different though, http://www.2kgames.com/civ4/pitboss.htm

 

[Magusigne]

Deadlock