SP and MP Poll
 

All,

Out of curiosity, I thought I would ask about your SP vs MP play time.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I use singleplayer almost exclusively to test strategies and early expansion. So that I can get a feel for how powerful a given race's troops are for expanding, and wether or not something is going to bring me into a good mid game (turn 25+).

Jazzepi

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I played more MP at first. Now I play more SP. Half of that is because most of my MP games are stalled. But part of it is I don't like all the micro and stalemates in the late game. I have a lot more fun in the early game. Alliances and NAPs can also make MP games unenjoyable when you run out of enemy neighbors. I've got a ton of unfinished SP games where I've pretty much won, but at that point I can just move onto a new nation or era, or a pretender I haven't tried yet.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I selected option 5 ,I only play Multi Player, but use Single Player as an experimental lab.

I would really love more options to make SP play alot harder. Like being able to select the AI's god. Only allowing the AI to recruit national troops and units from special sites, plus knights, elephants, crossbows and archers. No militia. The option of being able to give the AI, upto 10,000gps, 100gems of all types and upto 500 extra troops at game start. Allow the AI to start with magic research of upto lvl 4 in all paths. You get the idea.

I personally do not mind giving the AI huge advantages or for it to cheat like crazy, as long as the gameplayer has control over how much the AI can cheat.

Its a challenging game that makes me think and stretchs my ability that I really want. Different players have different abilty so it as to be user definable. I want the real risk that the AI could beat me.

Oh yea, I do know that mods can do alot of what I suggest to make the game harder. It would still be good in the vanilla game, perhaps Dom4? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I play 80% SP 20% MP. But mostly I mod. Like vfb I bail on every SP game I play long before it's finished, because fun is the goal here, not trudging through the last 30 provinces rammed with AI hordes.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

The last time I actually finished a SP game was one that had victory points. Everything else I bail when it get to be nothing except micromanagment. I do enough of that at work...

Intersting to see the results so far, I wonder how it will shake out over the weekend.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I think that solo players might tend to lurk more. Check the "Extra Information" at the bottom of the screen. There tends to be 3 times as many anonymous users as registered ones at any time. I dont think that a lot of MPers are unregistered. There are probably some. I just think that SPers might be more hit-and-run on the forum, and MPers would tend to register in order to help in joining into games.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

Like vfb, Sombre, and Saxon, I play mostly SP, and pronounce myself the winner when there's nothing left to do but finish grinding the AI into the dirt. Which is too bad, because I like the high-level spells and items (even used against me!)... but the micromanagement makes the end-game drag.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

Umm... Is it just me, or do those percentage numbers not add up to 100%?

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

Must be rounded down, leaving the fractional part

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I play SP, and either bail or adopt projects after victory is obvious. Projects include SC builds and experimenting with spell combinations (last interesting one was Astral Corruption + Infernal Prison to allow my high end spellcasters to continue to use non-Blood spellcasting).

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I play mostly SP and have been getting my feet wet in MP only recently. Undecided which I prefer yet.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I voted for mostly MP, but that is somewhat wrong. It's because I'm in my first MP game for about 6 months. In SP I rarely play more than 30-40 turns nowdays, which makes it a bit difficult to test things properly. I probably havn't played a serious SP game in several years http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I only play MP, and not many games at that, but I use SP to try out some opening moves and experiment with early-game strategy.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I just use SP mode to check if the pretender is working. (as if you begun to play MP the AI just bores you)

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I play almost solely SP due to time restraints, though I have played a few MP games. I usually win vs. the AI, but the games can still be interesting.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

Hmm, has anyone here played hotseat ? Dom-ppp was actually developed with me and JK and at times JO or Serra sitting in a room and play on just one comp. More fun than SP, but you need a TV or some other distraction while waiting.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

YES! constantly!

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I play hotseat MP more than PBeM and IP combined. I play with a friend of mine whenever I can. Best way to play!

I think it would be even more fun if you got 3+ players at hotseat. I can just imagine how complicated the treaties could get!

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I use the hotseat mode to test stuff.

Jazzepi

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I play mostly SP, because I suck so badly against every other player. I like uniformal things so my armies are running back and forth of betveen forts and frontline to recruit that three or four soldiers that were killed by some accidental friendly fire.

Maybe my habits make me bad MP player...

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I usually play MP hotseat games sometimes with AI included. As far as something else to do while waiting well I recommend playing other great TBS games at the same time on other computers. TBS games such as Heroes_3 Complete, AgeofWonders_2:ShadowMagic, and Dominions_3. I've rotated between as many as four different computers.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

Also Space Empires IV and Stars! For some they would consider GalCiv2 also

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

Started with SP of course, now doing more MP and just SP for fun and testing.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I only play SP.

I tried MP twice and I was eliminated first out of everyone both times by strategies "I" felt (that's me personally, so I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade) were cheap. It left a bad taste in my mouth, and so I don't do MP anymore.

Which is too bad, because I'm sure if I got into a game without triple bless strategies and made it past turn ten I'd likely have a good time.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

Try some newbie(ish) games or possibly the next mod nation game. They don't seem to be about uber rushing.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

Ahh. GalCiv2. What an awesome game. Too bad it is only SP. Still, I play it almost exclusively when I'm not playing Dom3.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

Yeah, it sounds like you were very unlucky there. I've played probably around ten games now, and never been the victim of a rush once. It's a pity you had that experience, cos I can well imagine that would be no fun at all.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I voted for SP only. I still feel lost in Dominions3, there's so much to explore. I like to take my time, so for now, MP is out of question. I really like to play MP games, but I'm not ready for Dominions yet.

Also, in this game, MP seems to be all about using cookie-cutter strategies. I like to try something new each time.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

B0rsuk, one may argue that it is about cookie cutter strategies, but first
there are at least a hundred of them, and second, no plan survives contact
with the enemy :-)

I know that for each nation I play, I have at least three strategies. (One
exception, LA Man, I wonder why I still play them, they are unflexible)

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

While I agree with Stryke11 and Lingchih completely, I also very much enjoy playing MP despite some folks blessing to kingdom come and/or rushing new people, drunk people, and those with crapster starting positions. Being knocked out early isn't an intellectual insult or anything as far as I'm concerned - it's a chance for you to go out in, say, role playing flames. Or your element of choice. I also think it's great fun to try 'different' strategies in MP, because often the lack of cookie-cutter actions you may do confound others. Usually for ill, but hey. Sometimes it works out. SP games don't cause me to particularly laugh, cry, or defenestrate myself while wearing an upside down apron and tinfoil shoes.

MP games do. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

You must live on the first floor. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

I play mostly SP, though I do occasionally enjoy a nice hotseat game. Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic is also good for hotseat games.
Even though I've been rather curious about trying more serious mp, I'm somewhat anxious about normal pbem because it essentially forces you to play once a day or once every other day. By having such a necessary schedule, I feel like it might take the fun out of it for me. (Sometimes I feel like playing for 6 hours straight, sometimes not at all for the whole week.) Perhaps one day my curiousity will overcome my trepidation. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

Mostly I actually like the fixed schedule of MP, for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, if I really want to play lots, I can't. This stops me using up huge amounts of time on Dominions when I get addicted. Recently unfortunately I have got around this by first working on my server, and now organising games and modding. But still the principle is there, and also I think it kind of prevents burnout (I tend to play SP games to death by playing them too much then suddenly getting sick of them).

Secondly, I find that whenever I play Dominions SP I end up rushing my turns, then I get annoyed at playing well, then I give up. In MP I may also rush my turn depending on my mood, but the 'End turn' button isn't half so alluring so it's less of a problem. Even if I do submit my turn quickly, I then often have a genius idea while walking somewhere/cleaning my teeth or something, then will come back and change my orders. I find this very pleasing. Obviously this whole point is all because of a lack of SP discipline on my part, but anyway that's what I find.

By the way, I never really feel there's any 'cookie cutter' stuff going on. Maybe there is, but it's not obvious. I feel like I make up my strategies from scratch, and often adapt as I go along. I guess the trouble is that vicious cookie cutter strategies like F9W9 Vans or E9N9 Niefel Giants (aaargh!) get more mention on the forums than the countless more interesting things going on, because they are so very annoying (I've never faced Vans, but boy do those giants annoy me).

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

Interesting results. I think they make a compelling argument that single player is pretty important to the community and, to be blunt, deserves a bit more respect.

At the time of this posting, 52% of players are predominantly single player. That is a big piece of the community. Only 11% do not touch single player at all, so I think it is fair to say the single player part of the game is important.

What else do we see? Fully 76% of people have a go at multiplayer, even if it is not their main form of play. That is also interesting and shows that multiplayer is also a critical part of the game. As I said in a separate post, this is a game of two halves and both need respect.

Could these results be skewed? Of course, this is not a random sample by any means. On poster has suggested that single players tend to lurk more and would be under-represented. On the other hand, I did not include Hot Seat play in the poll, so perhaps we don’t have a full picture of play patterns. I would guess that Hot Seat players would consider that play as multiplayer and vote appropriately, but perhaps they abstained.

To summarize, both SP and MP are important to the game and the community. To get on my soapbox, the community has many levels of skill and knowledge. Respect for a person posting needs to be earned through demonstrated knowledge and quality debating of points. Respect for SP, and MP, as a form of play, should be automatic.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

Committing to a long term can be a pain, you might want to give single session or 'blitz' MP games a try if you can find the players. Formerly I would have recommended the dominions IRC channel to find them but the pool of players has mostly dried up at least for now.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

Even without playing a blitz, if you play with a small number of other players who have enough free time, you can get turns done pretty quick. You can also play on quite small maps like Silent Seas.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

Real blitzes can be great but you might have to arrange them where you are. Get friends hooked on Dominions. Then you can get games that process every 5 minutes for a whole day worth of gaming.

On here the closest you can get to that is to pre-arrange to host a game and declare that the players need to commit ahead of time to being available something like 5am to 9pm on Saturday (be sure to say WHOSE 5am you are referring to, what location on earth or time zone you mean). Setting the game to host every XX minutes even if the turns arent all in can be fun also.

If you use SoloPlay for only testing purposes then you might want to look at the mini-map battle simulator example. There are many threads about it. Here is one link...
Units on the Battle Simulator

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

Bump.

There are a number of new folks on the forum and I thought it would be interesting to see if their input would have an impact on the results.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

Well, I need to revise my answer. How do I undo my response to the poll? I played more MP at first. And got killed fast. Then I played more SP. Now I play mostly MP again. And still get killed, but slower http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

AFAIK, you don't. There isn't any way to change a vote here once it's cast.

Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen a Web poll anywhere that allowed you to change your vote after submitting it.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I find the time between turns of PBEM really good - it allows me time to mull over my strategies and do some diplomacy. The lack of diplomacy is one of the things that puts me off SP, actually.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

The existence of diplomacy is one of the things that puts me off MP http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

Unfortunately friends will team up during MP games which provides them an unfair advantage and discourages new players since they are killed early as a result of these teams.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

That could be annoying... ><
I play mostly SP with some MP (now.) And lots of Hotseat.
I hotseat with my friends when they are around. If you mix it with tv/movies, or some kind of 360 game it can be really fun. I also use hotseat to make Sp interesting. I play more than one faction so i don't get bored as fast.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I have played mostly MP since buying Dom III. I play some SP but rarely will pick up a game I started once I stop. It just is never as fun the next day. MP is much more intriguing though I do get wailed on, especially since I rushed into a bunch of MP games before having any clue how to design a pretender. EG I am Niefelheim with a Sage, no blessing, and not even a rainbow design. I couldn't have made a crappier Pretender had I tried! Nevertheless, losing is almost as fun.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I play only MP recently, including some blitzes. But I will start a huge SP game with new patch and new CB mod.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

At the moment I just play sp to familiarize myself with this game. Later on I will try some mp but that is propably a month or two in future.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

Single player, only. I am new to the game and completely incompetent, and can only stand to have AIs snicker at me. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I wish the questions were different. I play mostly single player, only because I hafta wait on the other players in MP. I wish the questions would have been "Which do you Prefer" style questions.

Re: SP and MP Poll
 

I used to play SP a lot, but have totally moved to MP after my first MP game.
Recentlly I have not much time for MP games, and only use SP as small test occasionally.