TCP/IP

geoschmo · #1 April 3rd, 2001, 07:52 PM

I agree with MB about the limitations of TCP/IP for a turn-based game like SEIV.

Londo, think about how long it takes you to do your turn in a single player game and
multiply that times the number of people playing and that is how long you would have to wait between turns. If you had a game with 15 players or more, you would be doing nothing for hours while you wait.

Even if they could somehow implement tactical combat for multi-player games, combat is usually 2 or at most 3 players and the rest would be sitting idlly at there machines waiting for their turn to come back around.

However, it would be more useful for simultaneuos games. At least then you would have everybody working their turn at the same time. The host machine could assign a time limit, or at least monitor each player to see if they are still active and take there turn for them if they are not.

Geo

Fuerte · #2 April 3rd, 2001, 08:34 PM

I don't understand why anyone would play TCP/IP when we have PBEM already.

Also I don't understand why you need a SE4 disk.

Seawolf · #3 April 3rd, 2001, 08:44 PM

TCP/IP will be implemented but not in the near future. We need to get the game right first before we takle that issue

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Seawolf on the prowl

Londo · #4 April 3rd, 2001, 09:07 PM

i am focusing on simultaneous games, I have no intention of waiting a half hour at a time for my turn. 3 friends and I are eagerly awaiting TCP/IP as this will allow us to play together in real time, the same way we have in other great games including Age of Wonder, Europa Universalis, and Alpha Centauri. This game belongs in a class with those others, and in my opinion would be superior once TCP/IP is implemented.

Boy, didn't realize that I would nearly be flamed (just kidding, Belisarius) about this issue.

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Vir! You have made a mess of this post once again, now give me a large cup of brivari so that I may begin to forget the bad times and remember the glory of the great Centauri Republic.

Arralen · #5 April 4th, 2001, 09:19 AM

You cannot play SE4 "realtime", as it isn't.
You can't even play it like SMAC, as you cannot access your cities (planets) if it isn't your turn.

You may call this a major design flaw (and I may agree on this), but it's something which cannot be altered without re-writing the game engine ...

Sorry to spoil your dreams ..

A.

Magus38 · #6 April 5th, 2001, 01:57 AM

I may be wrong but I think that when Londo says realtime, he simply means all players connected through a single host simultaneously. Though turns would be taken simultaneously it would remain a turn based game.

A good case in point of just how possible this would be is MOOII. Here is example of everybody playing simultaneously and the game working well, everyone knowing who is finished because there are small colour coded lights in one corner of the screen that indicate that the associated player has finished his turn by turning dark. Another good example is age of wonders; turn based strategy supporting simultaneous play through both TCP/IP and IPX/SPX (for a Novell network).

What I am saying is that while it may take quite a bit of work, it is not only compatible with the current game architecture, but there are ample precedents out there in the strategy gaming world.

God Emperor · #7 April 4th, 2001, 02:32 PM

Londo,
I'll throw a vote of support in for TCP/IP. I and three of my friends all look forward to its eventual arrival. All of us like tactical battles and PBEM does not inspire us. So for the time being, its playing and tweaking the AI!

Magus38,
I agree entirely with you. I remember losing many hours playing MOO2 simultaneous across the modem. Ah, those were the days...
Am looking forward to them again with SE4.

[This message has been edited by God Emperor (edited 04 April 2001).]