[Gandalf Parker]

Originally posted by Kel:
I wouldn't want them to alter the gameplay significantly to make it MP but if they added MP as an afterthought, without changing SP, I wouldn't mind. It wouldn't be great MP, battles would probably have to be computer run, but as long as it didn't affect SP, it would just be a bonus (like the hotseat MP shell was).

Actually there was an addon program that let you play MoM multiplayer. Well hotseat. It worked pretty well but tended to show why MP didnt work well in MoM.

Its very hard for MP and SP to share a game. I loved things in MoM like maybe starting off with a great resource inside my capital cities zone. Or the irritation of having a big lair next to me which I know is going to start tossing wandering units out before I can take it. Or the difference between one hero showing up (YAY!) or another (not worth the money).

In MP those are all "unfair". Multiplayer games dont want things to be decided by random events instead of by player actions. They want fair and equal maps and starting positions. They want interesting events but not majorly plus or minus to the player. They want no chance that someone will end up starting so fantastically, or so horribly, that you quit and generate a new game for a more playable start.

Im not saying any of that is bad. Its just that a game pretty much has to decide ahead of time if design decisions are going to be in favor of good MP play or in favor of good SP play when they seem to conflict. Or, which is even worse, a middle-of-the-road little-bit-good for both. Its very hard to do either MP or SP well. Its VERY hard to do them both well. Dom2 and Space Empires IV (both Shrapnel games) are the closest Ive seen in my decades of playing games. I just want my MoM back. Then they can mess with it.