Thanks for the comments, (so far)
to clarify one thing,..
5) It would also be very nice if 'encounters' were handled in real-time.
by this I mean when you 'encounter' other races and get to do the 'treaty thing'. It would be nice if a 'dialogue' opened up between the parties. (not just I propose this,.. accept, refuse?) My thoughts behind this are to make 'first encounters' (especially in PBW or any multiplayer) more dynamic.
My main feeling after playing PBW-Athon was that there was much interest and fun potential in having faster paced multiplayer games. Think of it like this, sure you can play a game of chess over the net with 1 or 2 turns a day over an extended period, but It hardly compares to a real-time game of 30-45 mins. (the game [chess] is still turn based, but there is a lot to be said for the 'pace' of a live game.)
As to the saving/loading. uploading/downloading, opening/closing, etc. I left the game feeling like the 'Mechanics' of PBW got in the way of the gameplay of PBW. IMHO The 'Mechanics' of multiplayer needs to be transparent and imbedded in the game. I shouldn't have to go to a website, log in a chat room, run MS Messenger and check my e-mail every 5 mins to enjoy the game.
Bottom line Playing PBW felt more like 'work' than 'play', and spreading the 'work' over days instead of hours does not IMHO reduce or eliminate the 'mechanical' tasks that are involved. There is definately room for improvement. I am hoping that togeather we can discuss alternate possibilities.
Nuf said, Cheers!
P.S. The PBW game is a bLast, and I had/am having fun, but it left an aftertaste. Know what I mean?
[ January 18, 2004, 18:23: Message edited by: David E. Gervais ]