An interesting development

[Squirrel_of_hatred]

Marketed at 12 year olds up now there could be a reason.

They take a fantastic game/military simulation like Medieval total war then dumb down the realism to create a game RTW appealable to children did you not hear the expression, boys will be boy's, YES kids will behave like kids when in the lobbies you make a game for kids then Gawp at childish behaviour in the lobbies

The Sparkling! units in BI and Beserker animations are downright condesending, whats next -lightning bolts? the inhuman abilities given to the urban cohorts for example makes one scratch one's head and say well that aint right. Its like the main priority was on the single player campaign and the romans where souped up to increase enjoyment, after all they where not noted for their cavalry yet have the best cav in the game. Its all wrong and feels as such after all how many people have downloaded RTR. In a game like this if doesnt feel real it doesent feel right.

The Bugs have been there for age's not just a while (When was RTW released?) i.e. unit control and units simply not obeying your commands as given or doing an order contrary to that issued this turns joy into bemusment and frustration.

If i am checking the lobbies community then i dont have time to fix the problems you imply sorry lad im an adult so that just doesent wash for a myriad of different reasons.

You create a game for kids and up, But kids generally dont buy tactical/strategy games those that do, behave as expected. The main purchaser for this game i would guess would be the gamer looking for an plausible and intelligent experience, history/discovery channel fans' that prefer RTW even over the flash and dazzle of the half lifes and such, yet im not sure you have grasped this.

There is a great many things right with RTW dont get me wrong. Just what was so wrong with shogun and medieval that you felt it the need for change? did it not sell enough copies?

[cromwell]

Whoever is the one pushing the legal actions or causing the trouble, has obviously not played online much. Any game no matter what age it's marketed towards has all kinds of people playing. Everyone knows you have to put up with topics you dislike, or names that are offensive... you know what I mean.

In other words it a big world out there and you have to learn to have thick skin.

I have always wanted the ability to host my own TW servers. I can police them the way I want, and if you don't like it go to another server. ie: CS

CA, give us the "internet.cfg" file back, and tell the person(troublemaker) you now offer private servers and a public one(gamespy). If the person offended by racist remarks wants to play in a sterile environment he can host his own server and play with his friends.

Cromwell

[Puzz3D]

Maybe the quality of play will rise in RTW/BI if the chat is left disabled because the people who go there to offend will no longer have a reason to be there.

[dreadedmob]

glad you guys agree with me.
shogun no msger should be shot but i am not buying your games again (CA) and my high feelings for sega have my damaged heavily for the simple reason that you are not worthy of my trust.

i did not trust you guys to leave the lobby up because i expected it and this is a stab in the back.Don't expect money from me or anyone i can preach the word to.
thanks for at least posting shogs.

edit** puzz thats a stupid comment as new ones come all the time and we would have to leave chat off all the time and if that happened no one would be recruited and clans would decline and eventually turn to nothing.

[Redleg]

Makes me glad I don't play RTW online -

[Orda Khan]

puzz thats a stupid comment as new ones come all the time and we would have to leave chat off all the time and if that happened no one would be recruited and clans would decline and eventually turn to nothing.

I do not think the comment is that stupid at all. Unfortunately, the swearing and abuse that appears in the lobby is perpetuated by others who try to admonish the culprit/s by going one better. As for Clans and recruitment, some of the biggest culprits are actually Clan Members. Again, it is possible to play online without being in a Clan. From my experience, these culprits need drastic action because the abuse is not limited to the lobby chat area, it is present during army selection and also during the battle itself.
Now, where CA have been a bit naive, I will not join the mob and hurl abuse at them as I do not hold them responsible because of the behaviour of some pathetic fools who need a lesson in respect and manners

......Orda

[Just A Girl]

way i see it...
Is
constant abuse = cd key banned.
i dont see the problem with that

[dreadedmob]

I will not join the mob and hurl abuse at them as I do not hold them responsible because of the behaviour of some pathetic fools who need a lesson in respect and manners

......Orda

Oh stop it, you know nothing about online and yes some clans get spammers and stuff, most clans if not all get rid of them asap. You know little or nothing of our comunity, that is for sure.

Also CA made the "mistake" of letting people curse. The majority or people are at least respective of others. Why then are we being punished?

[hellenes]

Oh stop it, you know nothing about online and yes some clans get spammers and stuff, most clans if not all get rid of them asap. You know little or nothing of our comunity, that is for sure.

Also CA made the "mistake" of letting people curse. The majority or people are at least respective of others. Why then are we being punished?

Sorry to harm you feelings....but YOUR community discovered (UNFORTUNATELY) the TW series only after the CA turned the eye candy on and dumbed the game down enough for you not call it "not so real time ugly risk cr@p"...
MTW foyer didnt have even 10% of the abuse immaturity and idiocy that are present in RTW foyer.

Hellenes

[Puzz3D]

puzz thats a stupid comment as new ones come all the time and we would have to leave chat off all the time and if that happened no one would be recruited and clans would decline and eventually turn to nothing.

Yes I know that, but clans have declined anyway. The foyer's design isn't supportive of organized teamplay. All RTW/BI is really intended for is to log in, join a game and play. Creative Assembly isn't going to redesign the foyer to support organized play. All they are concerned about is getting sued.

I understand you are coming from the perspective of someone who currently plays RTW/BI, and is fighting an uphill battle to maintain a clan in that foyer. I'm coming from the perspective of someone who had already stopped playing. My clan, which had played total war since Dec 2000, didn't make the transition to RTW because of the state of it's multiplayer. We all bought RTW, but most of the clan decided it wasn't worth playing.

[Orda Khan]

Oh stop it, you know nothing about online and yes some clans get spammers and stuff, most clans if not all get rid of them asap. You know little or nothing of our comunity, that is for sure.

That is right, ROFL, I know nothing about online play. I bow to your obvious superiority.....You are very welcome to your community

......Orda

[Grey_Fox]

You wouldn't happen to be MagyarKhan, would you Orda?

[Orda Khan]

No I would not

......Orda

[Togakure]

You wouldn't happen to be MagyarKhan, would you Orda?

Now THAT was really a low blow, Grey_Fox ... lol.

[Grey_Fox]

Erm, I'm confused...

Havn't been visiting the b0rg long enough to understand what I've done wrong...

[L'Impresario]

Erm, I'm confused...

Havn't been visiting the b0rg long enough to understand what I've done wrong...

Let's just say that searching for the username "Terazawa Tokugawa" won't be very fruitful;)

[Togakure]

Erm, I'm confused...

Havn't been visiting the b0rg long enough to understand what I've done wrong...

You haven't done anything wrong, m8. It was just funny, considering the two personalities involved in your question. It caught me by surprise (and I love those), and it brought a chuckle (and I luv those too). So, I chimed in. Thanks for the smile.

[dreadedmob]

If your not kahn then who are you?
greys in the comunity longer than me and he doesn't know you.
oh and meh im sick of this convo so im prob not gonna post again unless i gota

[Squirrel_of_hatred]

Perhaps someone could open an msn account specifically for the RTW community i.e. RTWcom@hotmail.com for a good ol chat with people able to join and converse, not the same as chatting in the lobby but it's there all the same. The address could be put up on the org. The fan base here deserve the ability to met up and chat and this would be a temporary solution. Damn im smart. Whadda you think???

[dreadedmob]

i got a far better idea,

if it works it would be good. have the modders mod the game so that when we enter a room at has everyone an auto pm. it constantly updates to include anyone that comes in etc...
that way we could talk again.

[Just A Girl]

if your that desperate to talk,
Theres a chatroom right here at the org,
if you cant use that. theres 1 your welcome to use on my web page, Its java.
(no account passwords or emails needed)
"i will Boot out offencive people If im there"
You can also download rojer wilco. Which allows voice chat.
Temporary fixes. untill prob is solved.

And orda is to jochi. as jochi is to orda khan. As far as i know there father and son,
I may be wrong.
Sorry for the spelling of nouns,

[dreadedmob]

Not the same at all.
It's like doing a science project or something with someone and you both can't talk or even right down what you want unless its approx 15 letters we'll say a page as an example of per game.
best example i can think of even though its [another swear word bites the dust], sorry.

[Grey_Fox]

Ah yes, Teragate... I've heard parts of the story, not all the datails though...

I think I'll shut up...

Mob, he goes back to STW so leave it at that.

[Ludens]

Kenchi_Sulla posted this two days ago in the Entrance Hall, but it was apparently overlooked. I'll just post his message here.
==================================================

Hello all, been a while...

I haven't posted ,or read any posts, here since the .org revamped the site a long time ago (job well done btw!!!). However, I was curious how everything was going in the "TW scene"... I checked in the multiplayer part of the game (offcourse!!!) and was a bit shocked what I found... Interesting development.

You see, I'm still a bit ticked off at CA - or the publishers - for not being able to do a good job on the multiplayer part of the game. I cant even understand it from a business point of view, spending some resources on a stable and fun version of the game online seems a good investment.

Anyway to come to my point, we all know that annoying dudes, rude dudes, racist dudes and plain ***holes play games too. CA Fell into it's own trap. They saved cash by neglecting the MP part of the game, and now they had to "CLOSE DOWN" the lobby chatwise because a couple of punks made racist remarks in a lobby. Thats not even close to a good excuse. If you are not able to monitor and guard your own freaking gamelobby after so many years, if your not even capable of safeguarding a working system but replacing it with a terrible lobby interface, how the HELL do you expect to do a better job now???

My point? Stop fooling everybody with marketing tricks, and start working on a good MP system..... a good chatsystem... It's not just a game, it's also a meeting place for people - show your responsibility in this.. If you own a bar and someone gets smacked around, wouldn't you also feel partially responsible?

[dreadedmob]

Ah yes, Teragate... I've heard parts of the story, not all the datails though...

I think I'll shut up...

Mob, he goes back to STW so leave it at that.

kk i agree with both of the later comments.

[Olorin I]

In reading these comments, it is not immediately clear to me if all of you are aware of one fact --- normal "chat" remains available in the Competitive Lobby -- or at least this was the case as of December 3-4.

I have read many of the comment in here regardingthe state of CA's response to the perceived wrongdoing as well as the state of their level of commitment to the Multiplayer Community. I stand with those who argue that CA is generally unconcerned with the multiplayer aspect of the game. Their response to MP problems/concerns is slow and, usually incomplete, when it occurs at all.

I am going to paste a copy of my December 1'st post in Shogun's thread to the MP community announcing the disabling of the MP chat feature on "their" boards. It should be noted that the "official" TW forums are similarly unfriendly to the MP community and are over-moderated by a heavy-handed group of individuals who view disagreement with CA as a violation of forum rules. This post eaned a derrisive comment from a moderator to the effect that I should not "throw around analogies":

@ Shogun:

I appreciate the grave nature of the problem you are addressing, but it seems to me that your solution is akin to "throwing the baby out with the bathwater". You have approached the problem with a broad blade where a surgical instrument would have been more appropriate. I could go on with analogies, but I am sure you get the point.

It seems that you lack understanding of the real nature of the multiplayer RTW community - a bold accusation on my part and a surprising state of affairs for developers to find themselves in. By your choice and design (the wisdom of which I do not question and am not asking to debate) the only place to "match" a multiplayer game is on Gamespy. Many people, especially newer players, come to the MP lobbies looking for a game. Lobby chat is used to advertise particular "public" games with one or more open slots, to arrange for games with others simply looking for unscheduled online play, and for discussing game related matters in real time with other gamers, including, but not limited to, discussing a game just completed. Moreover, your "solution" is inadequate --- what is to stop someone from joining a game and making a racist comment?

Your decision diminishes the value of the product I purchased in response to wrongdoing that I did not commit. Your action breeches the representation made in the instruction manual regarding the multiplayer capabilities of the game. The totality of the record of CA staff, Board Administrator, and Board Moderator comments tend to demonstrate that multiplayer concerns play a secondary role in your thinking. Yet, CA has been responsive to the MP community in a fashion --- until now. I do not wish to sit in front of a computer for hours on end attempting to outsmart a microchip in the fields of urban planning, governmental finance, family planning, religious intrigue, strategic combat planning and tactical combat maneuvers against a very unskilled AI adversary. I prefer the multiplayer aspect of the game as do many others. We represent a significant portion of your audience and customer base.

Please reverse this decision. In its place, I suggest an immediate program of Lobby monitoring. I would volunteer for a time and lobby once each week and I am sure you could find numerous other adults willing to do so. The RTW unique ID # of those making offensive comments could be captured, the comments copied on a screen shot, and their access to MP through Gamespy could be banned by banning that number. This is a surgical solution - aimed at the offenders only. I am willing to devote a portion of my time to help make a solution of this nature work.

I know that many people in here would also be willing to help moderate the forums. Yet, CA totally ignored the good will of it's own customer base and chose to paint ALL of us with one brush. When the MP community begins to suggest reasonable alternatives (i.e. chat "filters", moderators to capture ID numbers, etc), Shogun posts telling us to stop posting as too much of his time is taken in reading posts! How utterly ridiculous --- and illuminating. Shogun obviously lacks any good explanation as to why they could not adopt one or several of the less restrictive alternatives to CA's outrageous over-reaction. It also illuminates the fact that CA does not respect the MP community.

Olorin I

[Puzz3D]

I have read many of the comment in here regarding the state of CA's response to the perceived wrongdoing as well as the state of their level of commitment to the Multiplayer Community. I stand with those who argue that CA is generally unconcerned with the multiplayer aspect of the game. Their response to MP problems/concerns is slow and, usually incomplete, when it occurs at all.

All you have to do is observe the decline in the design of the multiplayer forum from STW to MTW to RTW to realize that CA has become less and less concerned with providing a good multiplayer experience in Total War. In addition to the reduction in foyer features, the game itself has become less balanced with each of those releases.

Prior to the release of RTW, CA claimed that RTW would perform as well as MTW. In fact, unlike MTW you can't play it over a 56K modem. They removed the latency display for each hosted game, and simply state that you have to have broadband to play RTW multiplayer. The "normal" unit size was also decreased by 33% while the number of units only increased by 25%. This isn't performance equivalant to MTW. In addition to that, if you loose connect to GameSpy during a battle, you drop from that battle. STW wasn't like that. In STW, you weren't connected to the matchmaking server after the battle launched. If the server went offline, you didn't know it until the battle was over. In RTW, GameSpy itself is a factor, and possibly the major factor for many players, causing lag during a battle. There is no technical reason to keep GameSpy in the loop after a battle launches, and it's detrimental to the performance of the game.

The efficiency with which you can play the multiplayer game has declined since STW. We went from averaging 3 or 4 battles per hour in STW to 2 battles per hour in MTW and now 2 or 3 battles per 2 hours in RTW. You now spend the most time to play the least balanced version of Total War.

So, CA will fix the foyer chat to prevent a lawsuit, but I doubt much, if anything, beyond that will be done to improve the multiplayer experience. That experience has declined in quality over the last 5 years. It has certainly passed below my threshold for how I want to spend my time.

[Orda Khan]

All you have to do is observe the decline in the design of the multiplayer forum from STW to MTW to RTW .

By far the most user friendly was that of Shogun, plus of course, there was the 'Chat room'. I fail to understand quite why they felt the need to change

....Orda

[Puzz3D]

By far the most user friendly was that of Shogun, plus of course, there was the 'Chat room'. I fail to understand quite why they felt the need to change

I think the reason things changed from STW to MTW was the move from the EA server to the Activision server. Activision's GameSpy provides no serverside support according to Gil Jaysmith which means everything you see on the screen and all the features have to come from within the game itself. Some of the features of the STW foyer such as chat rooms I believe were coming from the EA server. In MTW, the game would have had to make the chat rooms. I believe CA tried to make chat rooms in MTW, but couldn't get them to work. The decline in the foyer design from MTW to RTW is a bit baffling except I don't think Gil Jaysmith designed it. It looks like someone less talented programmed the RTW foyer.

Since there is a patch coming for RTW/BI, I'll wait for that and give multiplayer another try after it comes out. I really want to like the game, but I have my limits on the amount of time I'm willing to spend per battle and the amount of imbalance I can tolerate. Spears are definitely working better in RTW/BI. I'll live with the somewhat fast running speeds, and use the more efficient drag & drop to move groups which will help. I don't have connect problems to GameSpy and I don't experience very much lag even with large units. BTW, large units is what I'll be looking to play. Gil Jaysmith even went so far as to suggest huge units as the way to increase fighting time, but the lag is too much to be practical, and it appears that fighting time has increased in RTW/BI anyway.

[PFJ_bejazuz]

D'you know I'm loading up RTW now after a drunken - lets get the old mob back online

it appears our timing is as good as ever

lol

long live the PFJ