what are the advantages of TCP/IP

geoschmo · #1 December 6th, 2001, 05:08 PM

quote:
Originally posted by tesco samoa:
I do not see a reason why the 3 people cannot fight it out at once. ( Combat is still turn based ) and why it is going on everyone else will be fixing their emipres up. And speeking of tcpip and time. Is there anyway to control the lenght of turns. Say 6 seconds a planet or something.

Here is hoping for tatical combat in tcpip mode.

Tactical combat in multiplayer TCP/IP is possible with an extensive rewrite of the game itself. As pointed out below Tactical does not occur in simultaneous games at all, and TCP/IP has to be simultaneous currently. You would either have to build in functionality for TCP/IP into turn based, or allow Tactical combat for Simultaneous games. But either way you do it, anybody not physically involved in the ongoing tactical combat would have to be completely idle, aka twiddling their thumbs.

If it's turn based, only the peson who's turn it is will be able to play, and anyone they attack during that turn. If it's simultaneous, then everybody issues their orders, and if any combat results then the parties involved resolve each round of combat in turn until all are done. Then the turn is over and everyone gets to give orders again.

This down time for non-involved players IMHO is the biggest drawback to any suggestion of allowing tactical combat in TCP/IP games. It's just not practical in a turn based or simultaneous game. Unless the game is limited to 2 players.

Geoschmo

tesco samoa · #2 December 6th, 2001, 05:15 PM

True True. Down time can be done correcty.

Extra time to fix the empire and/ or chat.

And the players will understand this going into the game.

geoschmo · #3 December 6th, 2001, 05:38 PM

Time to chat, yes. Fix your empire, no. You can't have access to your empire at all.

In a turn based multiplayer game only the player who's turn it is can do anything. If tactical were implemented then the defender or any other players with ships in that sector could move his ships during combat obviously, but nobody else.

In a simultaneous multiplayer game you only make changes to your empire during the order phase. Combat occurs during the movement phase. If tactical were implemented then the movement phase would pause for each round of combat which would be resolved by the parties involved, but nobdy else would have access to their empires to do anything.

So you see it is technically possible, but not very efficent. Of course as you say everybody would know that going in. I suppose they could chat or cruise the internet while the guys with ships fight it out.

I also suppose the simultaneous turns turns could be broken down even further. Instead of turns Lasting a month, they would be broken down into days. Instead of giving orders for the whole month, each day would tick by and you would have the option of moving ships that had movement available. No ships could move more than one space per day, but faster ships would have movement available more frequently during the month than slow ones. Build and research queues could be accessed once a month.

It wouldn't eliminate the down time, but it would space the combats out more so you didn't have them all together at once. I wouldn't want to be the one to code that beast though.

Geoschmo

Captain Kwok · #4 December 6th, 2001, 08:39 PM

It would be like a hotseat game on different machines...and would take lots and lots of time - kind of defeating the purpose of tcp/ip unless you have lots of hours sitting in front of the computer and don't mind waiting...

Imagine how long it would take in a ten player game? Each person's turn Lasting 10-15 minutes? You'd be sitting around doing nothing for almost two hours between turns...

Tatical Combat with tcp/ip sounds cool and would be fun, but it's just not very pratical in a game like Space Empires IV...

Suicide Junkie · #5 December 6th, 2001, 09:01 PM

quote:
Tatical Combat with tcp/ip sounds cool and would be fun, but it's just not very pratical in a game like Space Empires IV...

Why couldn't you do tactical combat in a simultaneous game? No long waits for your turn, and the tactical combat together. You could maybe set it up so that other players who can see the sector (those with spysats, vehicles or allies in system) would be able to watch the Combat, as it happens, even though they are not physically involved.

Also, you might be able to have multiple tactical combats running in parallel, as long as the outcome of one won't affect the other.

Captain Kwok · #6 December 6th, 2001, 09:24 PM

Mr SJ,

What would happen say, if you're already in a tatical combat and someone else decides to attack you in another system? What would happen then?

geoschmo · #7 December 6th, 2001, 09:39 PM

Good point Kwok. But even beyond that SJ, we aren't saying you couldn't do it. Just that it wouldn't be very practical. It wouldn't be very fast and that's what TCP/IP is supposed to be about.

But if you don't care about the speed and the tactical combat is your reason for wanting TCP/IP, then I can see your point. I just haven't heard any indication from Aaron that it's even being considered. Although I am by no means in close contact with Aaron so the fact that I haven't heard it means nothing.

Geo