MP wish list for RTW

[Louis de la Ferte Ste Colombe]

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

I enjoy VI MP mode a lot despite a few bugs and hope that RTW MP will be better.

What I would like to see in RTW MP in no particular order;

- have more than 8 players
- ian shall be an option. Overall, it's either ian or a really limited line of sight. Today is in between.
- possibility to make scenarii that change deployment zone (from Tosa post)
- scenarii and normal games shall include the possibility to have reinforcement (whether as a scenarri condition like take that hill, or at player will)
- possiblity to shift units from one player to another.
- more information at faction selection including preview of the map, of deployement, of game condition (seasons, environement...)
- POSSIBLITY TO PLAY A MAP or A MOD EVEN IF ONLY ONE PLAYER HAS IT.

And of course corrections of all VI bug (but has I hope RTW MP will be compltely redesigned, there is no reason for those to stay...). Foyer might need an update too.

Louis the Simurgh,

PS; note I don't ask for a RTW MP campaign.

[FesterShinetop]

Well, I would like an in-game browser for online games. Less hassle that way, might even give it a try then http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Stormer]

id like a ranking system like MI was

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

I'd like a seperate server for new players, so they don't get disenheartened by geeting whupped by vets three times in a row. I'm not sure how you'd implement this to prevent gatecrashers though. Maybe in conjunction with the ranking system Stormer proposed, so only players under a certain rank can enter the newbie server?

[FesterShinetop]

Something like in Americas Army (the game I mean http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif ) where players get points as they play more. So at least you can see how experienced a player is. Sounds good to me.


Eh... by the way... it might just be me but I never see the pic in Stormers posts, the one in his sig...?

[CBR]

Well I would hate a ranking system like MI heh. Something for how many battles played would be nice perhaps.

Things like being able to view what map is used AFTER you have joined a game, change settings without having to relog, alt tab without being disconnected..yes minor stuff perhaps but things like that shouldnt be that big a problem to do.

Creating historical battles/scenarios that can actually be used online would be very nice... with some more advanced objectives than just the last man standing battles we have now.

CBR

[Louis de la Ferte Ste Colombe]

Hum anyone would like more than 16 units?

We might want to think about it as radically different from MTW MP experience... Unis size will be different, why not overall army size?

And when we are at changing the system; do we still want a RPS related system? Would the sword / cav / spear triangle be historically relevant for RTW?

Louis the Simurgh,

[CBR]

Quote[/b] (Louis de la Ferte Ste Colombe @ July 08 2003,22:42)]Hum anyone would like more than 16 units?
Like it or not we will have 20 units in RTW http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

And apparently several "units" of artillery can be put in one unit to free up unitslots.



Quote[/b] ]And when we are at changing the system; do we still want a RPS related system? Would the sword / cav / spear triangle be historically relevant for RTW?

You could say it wasnt even that historical relevant in MTW http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif Either we will see a new bunch of fantasy sword units or a change in the simple swords beats spears idea of MTW. I would prefer the historical differences...but I have made several rants about that heh.

CBR

[Louis de la Ferte Ste Colombe]

I am not a military history expert (not even a noob http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif ), but even in MP, and even if it requires sacrifying some parts of gameplay, I would be very disappointed to see 'fantasy sword' units overkilling good old phalanx if not in due time. Somehow RPS will have to be affected by that.

20 units is going to be challenging to manoeuver (I can handle 2/3 units, with 16, I got brain overloaded http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif ), I wonder how/ if CA plan to make army more controllable. Or maybe it is just going to be more messy, and Tempiic will rule us all http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

Louis the Simurgh,

[CBR]

Yes but we also have to realise that balance in MP is very much up to us players.

The game can only be balanced for a certain florin eh denarii level. If people suddenly wants to play with 3-5 times as much and complain about balance..well they asked for it.

Swords in MTW are not so strong in 5k compared to 15k or more.

We will end up with same problems in RTW were the light troops are not worth to buy because you have money enough to buy loads of Legionaries or elephants..whatever.

The special formations that some units can use is very nice but still depends on how its implemented. So far I see spear units mentioned as very good versus cavalry when using their special formation. Yes they will be nice against cavalry but its hardly the reason why spear/sarissa armed units used these dense order formations.

I dont think you will notice having 20 units instead of 16 after a week or two anyway. Sometimes its chaotic enough with 16 but you just need to develop the Mighty Click skill http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

CBR

[Louis de la Ferte Ste Colombe]

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif Da Mighty Click Style http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif

Louis the Simurgh,

[Vanya]

GAH

Vanya wants what they said.

Vanya wants to be able to crucify unworthy bastids.

Vanya wants to see Cleopatra Himself http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

Vanya wants to see fighting aboard ships

Vanya wants to see a smooth running game.

Vanya wants a bug-free game so that he can keep His can of RAID for the bugs in the yard.

Vanya wants more heads.

Vanya wants... Vanya wants...

*choke* *cof* *BURRRRPPPP*

Vanya wants more sake and popcorn now. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/pat.gif

GAH

[Shahed]

Here is some for starters, copied from an earlier post:

Time of day for starting the battle
The host now has the option for selecting the starting (and ending if so desired) time of the battle. Possible selections could be: dawn, morning, afternoon, dusk, night, twilight. Naturally this means that the scenery and all special lighting effects must be implemented into the game to accurately reflect the conditions of battle during these hours.

Factions Available
The host has a box on the hosting menu which displays click able shields of each faction. Clicking on a shield disables that faction for this game. Clicking on it again re-introduces that faction as an option for players in this game. Disabled factions are matked with a red x or whatever way best suited.

Units Available
There are many ways to implement this feature. I really have a clear picture. I'll try not to be too specific as the CA guys know how to implement features, and their experience is certainly greater than mine.

For example, on the hosting menu, the host double or right clicks on the faction shield and a mini selection screen pops up. In this mini screen the host can left click any units he/she wishes to disable for this faction. A red x (or whatever, fades out etc.) appears on the units that are unavailable to this game. Once that's done right click anywhere on the screen to remove the mini unit selection screen, or click little exit button on the mini unit selection screen.

Game Information Parchment/Screen
RTW should adopt a totally new approach to the multiplayer lobby. Not only is the lobby friendlier, but also it is much more interactive. It's more like the strategy map of the game where almost the entire screen is click able. When a player wants to join a game, he has to know what units, factions are available and he/she has to know all the game conditions summarized. The player then has all the information necessary to decide whether to join the game or not. Again there are multiple ways to display this information. The essence is that there needs to be a small info parchment, which activates when a player clicks a game name. Once activated this parchment lists the game conditions in a similar manner to the way the small info box lists game conditions in the MTW lobby. Alternatively, there is a dedicated box or space on the lobby screen which displays concisely all the information about the game.