what are the advantages of TCP/IP - Page 4

tesco samoa · #31 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 · #32 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 · #33 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 · #34 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 · #35 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 · #36 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

tesco samoa · #37 December 11th, 2001, 07:42 PM

TCPIP is not about speed it is about connectivity.

Sim game with tatical combat would be perfect.

Options like Set turn lenght and Last person to complete turn nag. You could have a clock counting down on the screen to let you know how much time you have left to complete your orders. Ships move out and combat occurs on what day the combatants meet.

When combat is about to start you are given the option of computer resolve, surrender or tatical combat. All combat between each empire is queed up and completed. If their is more than one battle between completed different empires say a-b and c-d then the two battles take place at the same computer time.This contines until the end of the month. Empires E and F have no combat so they can work on their turn or chat etc...

That would be a tcpip game. You do not play SEIV for a quick game.

So the ablility to save the game and carry it on at a later date would be very important.

P.S. Could this forum look into adding a spell check ???

Krakenup · #38 December 11th, 2001, 08:22 PM

quote:
Originally posted by tesco samoa:
tatical ... lenght ... tatical ... queed ... their ... completed ... contines ... ablility

P.S. Could this forum look into adding a spell check ???

Sure, happy to help!

tactical ... length ... tactical ... queued ... there (wrong word) ... completely (wrong word?) ... continues ... ability

Phoenix-D · #39 December 11th, 2001, 09:07 PM

"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?"

Then it waits. In sequentual, this isn't even an issue.

In sim-move, it could be, but given the option to go strategic (and an option to go strategic only if the other player selects the same) should help for things like unarmed colony ship warping into a close-in WP defense, to speed it up a bit.

Phoenix-D

geoschmo · #40 December 11th, 2001, 09:43 PM

quote:
Originally posted by tesco samoa:
Options like Set turn lenght and Last person to complete turn nag. You could have a clock counting down on the screen to let you know how much time you have left to complete your orders. Ships move out and combat occurs on what day the combatants meet.

Starting to sound like a real-time game. Not that that is bad mind you. Just not what Space Empires has ever been.

quote:
When combat is about to start you are given the option of computer resolve, surrender or tatical combat. All combat between each empire is queed up and completed. If their is more than one battle between completed different empires say a-b and c-d then the two battles take place at the same computer time.This contines until the end of the month. Empires E and F have no combat so they can work on their turn or chat etc...

Ok, but the only way to make this happen is to turn Space Empires into a real time game. You cannot allow c-d to do anything with their empires while A and c are fighting otherwise. Here's why...

Say A and B are allies and both at war with C. C sends a fleet to attack A's planet but is intercepted one sector away by fleet belonging to B. So if C wins the battle he goes on and wipes out the colony of A. If B wins the battle the colony is spared. If all this is supposed to be happening in the same turn, how can A be allowed to make changes to his empire and give orders to the colony until he knows the results of the battle between B and C.

This is the definition of a turn based game. And the reason turn based games have had phases (orders phase, movement phase, combat phase, etc.) since they were played with paper/pencils and dice.

Again, I am not saying your idea is bad. It sounds cool. I would love to play tactical against other humans. But I don't like real time games. That's a personal preferance. In a turn based game like Space Empires, you can't have tactical combat without...

1. Sitting at the same computer. (Hotseat)
2. Playing a two player only game.
3. Having everyone not personally involved in the combat sitting idle.

Geoschmo

[ 11 December 2001: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[ 11 December 2001: Message edited by: geoschmo ]