Hopes for game play.

[tibilicus]

Just thought I would post this thread to see what peoples hopes for the MP will be. When I say game play I mean not just how the game mechanics will work but also the restrictions it will put on MP players.

As a lot of you are aware in the past, mainly since RTW, to actually play MP properly and make it a fair games rules and restrictions have had to be applied to make things balanced. Whilst in my opinion this has always been necessary I have always thought that it was a great shame as well as we were often reduced to playing the same rules on the same map taking a lot of diversity away from the game. I guess my hopes for Empire is that we can still keep the game balanced but actually get rid of a lot of these restrictions. Wouldn't it be great for example if it was designed similar to how NTW was and we could actually play a wider variety of maps in competitions and so forth? Mainly because hopefully CA have at last managed to master the art of making both maps that have diversity and balance.

A think another important thing is going to have to be the way each faction plays out. Obviously because of CA's stance that we have to have some form of wacky and wonderful units in the game i.e elephants.


Just my opinion on the matter any one else think other wise that maybe these restrictions will still have to be applied no matter what to make the game balanced?

[pevergreen]

I really hope they get rid of the 4 units at normal price, then more expensive stuff.

If they have that, I'll be happy.

[Tomisama]

I have always been in favor of no-rules multiplayer, play the game out-of-the-box (as it came), and may the best side win!

But in the real world of multiplayer championship competitions, in the interest of absolute fairness demanded by it’s dedicated player-ship, we have always had to provide an agreed exception clause.

Although there are no specified “in-game” contest rules (unit type or number restrictions), the option has always had to be made available for the two sides in a particular match to agree on specific exceptions.

These would be discussed, confirmed, and publicly documented in pre-combat negotiations. The exceptions would then be unalterable, but only binding for the duration of their impending encounters.

There has always been something! Limits on these, or must-have of those. And by and large virtually all competing clans have agreed to the same exceptions for specific games. Let’s call them “standard exceptions” as most of the community would also be playing by the same limits, specified by hosts before most pick-up battles (4 max no art, etc.).

There have always been weaknesses in the multiplayer game that don’t get noticed until the community gets a chance to road test it. In the past, these imbalances and other bugs were collected and patched several times (limited) during the reign of the particular game. But if the fix needed did not make the fix list, they were left for the community to self regulate.

But no more! Patching is dead, long live the patch! With Stream auto-update when you go online, the need-for and confusion-of keeping a game up to date, is resolved. What that means to is that the game can be easily updated by the developers, and virtually everything will be repaired at no inconvenience to the customer (that's you ).

At least the possibility now exists, where it never did before

[CBR]

I really hope they get rid of the 4 units at normal price, then more expensive stuff.

Yes it really is a poor mans way of balancing. Either get rid of it or at least increase it to perhaps 8 so more normal priced/standard units can be used in larger numbers.


CBR

[YellowMelon]

Yet at the same time, if there are sploitable units, it makes it so they can't spam them.

[CBR]

That is true indeed. But then hopefully such things are made even more obvious and can be fixed in a patch. It is better to fix it instead of just leaving it at the max 4 that hide and/or lower the effect of uber units but never really removes it anyway.

And afterall it is a new game and a new engine so this time CA will surely make MP great right..right??


CBR

[Polemists]

If I don't see people spamming rocket launchers after that trailer, i'll be impressed

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

I think it be hard to spam in the GunPower age and be able to rush. Being the fact that if you rush, won't most of your troops be mow down so to speak by the time you get into melee ?

[YellowMelon]

Pol, every once in a while you just load up on rockets, naffatun, and others thing that go boom. It brings out the sadistic side in me every time I see people burn while I laugh maniacally. I mean...

[RTKBarrett]

Your sense of humour disgusts me mel, but also gives me great ideas :p