I'd rather have MM work on AI as opposed to TCP/IP

pathfinder · #1 February 15th, 2001, 03:05 PM

having never played a strategy game in multi, I'll defer judgement to you who have. willing to try though if/when implemented.

as for improving the AI... I am in only the second game where I have survived long enough to be in a dead heat for 3d or 4th place. most time I get glassed ...so the AI is bad enough for me

[This message has been edited by pathfinder (edited 15 February 2001).]

Seawolf · #2 February 15th, 2001, 11:27 PM

I'm going to make a few real silly points.

1) Those who want to TCP/IP and can play for hours at a need are younger persons who have lots of free time on their hands. (IMHO)

2) The rest of us don't have hours or money to sit and use up a phone/cable line to play a game.

3) If you can be Online to do TCP why can't you just open up and send out the files via e-mail?

4) not to mention if you do it via e-mail you can play from work with little effort.

------------------
Seawolf on the prowl

Triumvir Emphy · #3 February 15th, 2001, 11:51 PM

Besides, for those who don't want to wait for email because it might be slow, you can always x-fer files through icq/aol/yahoo messenger/etc/etc, or if you are adventurous set up a PPTP tunnel with your buddy and share folders and have a direct write going. You have to wait a few minutes to finish turn anyway, what is 2 seconds to reopen SEIV and start the next turn.

klausD · #4 February 16th, 2001, 12:27 AM

I agree fully with seawolf.
As the game is now there is no really reason for me (old fart) to play it Online or even per pbem.

This would change if MM introduce a scenario generator with its MP-addon. With such a generator we could create short to medium scenarios which could be played in a reasonable time.

If MM does not make such a scenario generator, I fear for a lot of people the Multiplayer addon is not very useful. In this case the time should be rather used for AI-improvement.

bye
Klaus

Lefty · #5 February 16th, 2001, 04:09 AM

TCP/IP doesn't necessarily mean internet games. I work in an office with about another 5 guys willing to play a couple of hours after work or during lunch.
Lan play in simultaneous works well. Alpha Centauri was brilliant. Warlords was cool.
AI is important but you will never get an AI good enough to challenge a good player.
Fo a challenging game human is the only possibility.

phalen · #6 February 16th, 2001, 07:35 AM

sending email on a lan with no internet or email server wouldent work to well and lots of collages get kids renting/reserving a large conferance with no internet access...(or wont allow the students to access it from there) plus its a pain to explain how to use the mouse to some people... let alone explain to them how and WHERE to place the file sent via email.. (if im remembering correctly never played email.) plus as i understand alot of moder's are working on helping the ai as well.. (not shure if its hard coded..expecting it mostly is)

i would like to see a form of live play be put on back burner... weather it be using say icq Messages or some form of network play.

Nitram Draw · #7 February 17th, 2001, 02:27 AM

Overall the AI will be used by a lot more players, if only to flesh out hotseat/pbem games. Making the AI as challanging as possible would provide the most bang for the buck.