[DirkHowitzer]

Why not do something like Counter-Strike? Here me out before you shake your heads and laugh...

Have permanent SEIV servers with a set number of user slots. Players could connect and take control of the various empires. When players weren't using an empire it would be run by the AI.

Yes I know, but why would want to run an Empire after some amateur or stupid AI has run it into the ground...well my answer is that here we have a simulation of the rise to power various leaders with various styles and goals. Personally I think it would be awesome, the challenge of taking some downtrodden empire and bringing it to power through superior tactics. Of course the players who were dedicated to playing longer would have the advantage because of simply a better knowledge of there empire and it being molded to their will.

The game would be won by reaching whatever victory conditions were active at which point the map would be regenerated and a new game started.

OR!!!! And this is ambitious, I know, but I was very intrigued by by Nyx's interview with Aaron in which he suggested a massively multiplayer Version of the game. Personally I would like to see a system like Star Peace with a constant Online community that could be logged on an off. When you weren't on, your empire would be played by the AI. This would take a much larger map or, perhaps, several different universes. Also needed would be a constantly upgraded research tree. This would probably be the most ambitious part as you would need some creative individual or team to constantly come up with new techs to keep the game fresh. New players would get to start a new empire in some far corner of the galaxy. The system could be kept clean by elimination certain empires after so many months of idle time and so on.

My main problem with all of this is you would have to maintain some kind of a time limit on turns. This in turn would limit the size of your empire as you would only have so much time to carry out the various important tasks requiring your attention. Or perhaps this make a player focus on maintaining proper battle lines with the core worlds being AI controlled. I know this whole proposal is a little clumsy but, if it could be enacted, it would be somthing that I most certainly would be interested in playing and I believe others would be too...especially since using these ideas you wouldn't be required to play hours and hours if you didn't wish too.

Just a few thoughts...PLEASE PLEASE RESPOND!!!! AND FEEL FREE TO SHOOT THIS TURKEY FULL OF HOLES....I AM VERY INTERESTED IN FINDING SOME WORKING MODEL OF MULTIPLAYER.

------------------

"He's dead, Jim."-- Lt. Commander Leonard "Bones" McCoy |Chief Medical Officer / USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)