[Miles]

Originally posted by Norfleet:
Okay, here you go:
http://pheak.kludgemush.com/~fishman/dom2mods.zip

Cheat Detect disabled. Note that for any prospective MP cheaters reading this, this will not enable you to cheat in multiplayer unless you host your own game: This only allows the hosting of mods, or cheating in single-player: Clients do not require this to play mods, only the host requires it.

Well, now. When I unpack that, it looks like a Windows executable. I will have to add: "Linux game players are less likely to cheat in multiplayer games" to my list of reasons for switching to Linux.

This doesn't really fix the underlying problem. It seems to me that the REAL problem is that cheat detection has slight benefit for Multiplayer games. However, it harms Singleplayer games.

If this trend continues (favoring the interests of Multiplayer to the detriment of Singleplayer) it could cause serious damage to the future of the game.

I think this problem should be openly faced and dealt with. I believe that Dom2 is currently limited because ALL games are treated as multiplayer games. The most obvious place to start is to add options to the game setup screen that allow you to setup types of games that favor single or multiple play.

Game setup options that I think would help include:

• Enable/Disable Cheat detection
• Number of simultaneous global spells
• Enable/Disable unbalancing spells
• Enable/Disable unbalancing Units
• Enable/Disable unbalancing Gods
• Enable/Disable unbalancing Nations
• Enable/Disable unbalancing sites
• Enable/Disable unbalancing events

Anywho, you get the idea. In many ways, a multiplayer game is boring in single play. Multiplayer games normally never allow any single event to really alter the progress of the game. All factions in Multiplayer games have to be roughly equal. You can't play a very strong side. You can't play a very weak side. The game can't be very unpredictable. Games usually drag on LONG after the result is apparent because the game doesn't allow a side to collect or deploy overwhelming power.

But, Dom2 really NEEDS a strong singleplayer game. Most of the consumers will never multiplay. Without strong singleplay, Dom2 will get bad 'word-of-mouth'. Most of the multiplayers will be recruited from singleplayers. Without compelling reasons to singleplay, the numbers of multiplayers will be severely limited.

I have been playing Dom2 since it came out. Before that, I played Dom1 for months. I still play MOM. I still find Dom2's singleplayer game very enjoyable. But, I think it could use some improvement. I suppose that I could try multiplayer. But, my schedule never seems to be that predictable.

Sorry for the long post.

Thanks for the great game.

Miles

[ January 14, 2004, 18:50: Message edited by: Miles ]