Finally Multiplayer Gets A Lead Role

[Tera]

The Total War games have always been focused on single-player and in that aspect they have been very successful both critically and commercially. However, let's face a simple fact: single-player, PC-only games are not the mainstream product right now. Total War is very popular, but still a thousand leagues behind PC gaming behemoths like World of Warcraft and Call of Duty. Not to mention the huge world of console gaming. Total War has a hit a realistic 'cap' - anyone interested in its current formula knows about it, probably played it and at worst chose not to play it. Its traditional market is saturated - it is very hard to expand and break new ground. Growth is limited, and over time, decline is guaranteed.

Given these facts, it's only logical CA wants to do something different with Shogun2: Total War. So, the question beckons, how is Total War going to expand and continue to prosper? Analyzing's today's market, there are two routes available:
(1) Go Console --- an option that as far as I know has been shot down. With good reason since the compromises that have to be made to port the TW formula to consoles will not go down well with the existing core market. The actual product would also suffer.
(2) Go Multi-Player --- an option that CA has flirted with over the years but not quite given importance so far. If CA gives the multiplayer dimension its necessary funds, time, resources et al, they could attract a new, huge crowd which they have not been able to attract so far.

Let's wait and see.

Regarding Code of Honour, multi-player foyer, the changing behaviour of online gamers: When Shogun: Total War was released, the game was followed by a modest but hardcore crowd. The Internet was still young. The average age playing Shogun was quite high. But it is important not to underestimate the theme of the game: everything was about loyalty and honour. This theme, which was profoundly present and alive in the community, had a ripple effect on how people behaved in the foyer and on the forums. As such, I am confident that although today - in 2010 - the Internet AND the Total War community have changed a lot - Shogun 2: Total War will bring back the "mood" of honourable behaviour. That's in our hands, particularly the leaders of the clans and the administrators of the main forums.

Tera

[Tomisama]

(2) Go Multi-Player --- an option that CA has flirted with over the years but not quite given importance so far. If CA gives the multiplayer dimension its necessary funds, time, resources et al, they could attract a new, huge crowd which they have not been able to attract so far.

As such, I am confident that although today - in 2010 - the Internet AND the Total War community have changed a lot - Shogun 2: Total War will bring back the "mood" of honourable behaviour. That's in our hands, particularly the leaders of the clans and the administrators of the main forums.

Tera

Thanks for the validation and inspiration

Salute

Our number one rule for seven years.

1. Behavior and Responsibility

Clans will be held responsible for the behavior of all of their members, with any disrespectful behavior anywhere in our community costing that Clan the privilege to participate in this competition.

http://clanwars3540.yuku.com/directory

[InsaneApache]

Just my tuppenth worth.

The foyar in STW/MI was self policing. If a player made rude or inappropriate remarks they tended to be shunned. If they were a member of a clan, the Daimyo was informed of the members behaviour and in most cases it was left to them to sort it out.

If someone garnered a reputation for gloating over a rivals defeat or similar things, word got around and the belligerant was given a wide berth by the community. This left the numpty involved being only able to play n00bs and so they couldn't advance on the ladder or gain valuble experience.

The gradual decline started with MTW as it has been noted.

STW obviously had a cachet for a certain type of personality, RTW less so.

Apart from moderating the foyar (not a chance!) then I would suggest that self policing became the norm. A forlorn hope? Possibly. We must remember that STW was around in the very early days of the t'internet and things have moved on considerably since those days.

I blame the kids.

and regulars to the backroom know my views on juveniles.

[Tomisama]

then I would suggest that self policing became the norm.

In the center top of this old web page is the short version of the Seven Principles
of the Bushito Code ("Way of the Warrior").

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushido


The Seven Virtues

Gi – Honesty and Justice

Rei – Polite Courtesy

Yu – Heroic Courage

Meyo – Honour

Jin – Compassion

Makato - Complete Sincerity

Chugo – Duty and Loyalty


Hopfully this will be revived in the game

[Swoosh So]

BORING!

I cant wait for the clan intrigue the backstabbing in the mp clan campaign the great danes and their briefcases disputing every decision! Bring it!

Ofc wolves were always honorable and would never participate in any of the above :)

[Reenk Roink]

I can't remember 5 years back, but did the R:TW Gamespy lobby have an ignore feature? If so I was regrettably unaware of it, because it was DEFINITELY needed.

Honestly an ignore feature is in most cases all a player needs to ensure a good, honorable, fun experience for him/herself.

[Galvanized Iron]

Well S2TW will have to work hard if they are to beat RTW, the jewel in the crown of TW MP. The main improvement I would like to see in MP is better stability, it is very annoying when game rooms "goes dead" in RTW, this means they need to dump both Steam and GS and set up their own service; like Battle Net for Diablo for example.

[Swoosh So]

Rome the jewel in the crown of multiplayer?

You have to be joking maybe the jewel in the crown of a pretender to the throne.

Shogun was the greatest mp experience of the totalwar franchise and had a thriving community where everyone knew everyone else on the battlefield.

Shogun:
Multiplayer Chat Foyer better than any that followed it.
Clan Campaings 50+ players.
Ability to create tournament rooms in game.
Great clan rivalries.
Amazing 4v4 battles that could be played on almost any map and still be balanced.
Player Ranking Ladders
Most balanced game to date
Units had the ability to walk or run without their ice skates
Maps were best designed of the series
Atmosphere was best of the series
Music was best of the series

Rome:
None of the above.

To many players Rome was the game of the series where creative assembly just gave up on multiplayer, it really was a shambles if you could watch the compeditive games of shogun or even mtw1 and compare them with rome there really is no comparison.

Anyway looking forward lets hope they do implement their own matchmaking service again like they had in shogun. It was perfect for the community simple yet functional. A chat foyer is a must tho, i couldent believe it when i found out etw and napoleon dident have one. sometimes ca can make very strange decisions which degrade the quality of their games for no apparent reason.

[t1master]

i didn't read and comprehend the entire thread, but you should know tomi, don't count yer chickens... etc.

anyhoo i hope it's good, but i don't hold a vigil or anything.

[Swoosh So]

so so ugly t1! :)

[Tomisama]

i didn't read and comprehend the entire thread, but you should know tomi, don't count yer chickens... etc.

anyhoo i hope it's good, but i don't hold a vigil or anything.

I am not smart enough to see anything but the best in everything

[Swoosh So]

With lack of new information on the game the mind wanders :D and gets into trouble :p

A question, has a mp game ever gained a huge audience recently without open betas?

Imagine if this video was from creative assembly, just imagine for a second what problems could have been avoided in the release of each of the totalwar games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuO2...eature=related

Kinda dawned on me that CA miss alot of comunity input about their games and this is the reason they normally ship with terrible bugs to ai and missing game features the community want ie chat foyers.