Drop in battles

[Alcibiade]

I'm wondering why the option is not always activated. Sometimes it just doesn't appear on the screen.

Also, I'm never asked if I want to play drop in battles as AI... Is it normal ?

[easytarget]

I think the game defaults initially to having drop-in checked, but in any case it's something you can set either way you like.

The problem you are going to encounter is that there is no one out there sitting in a wait status to drop into a game taking the place as the AI in your battle.

As for you being asked to be in one, that's not actually how it works, you have to go over to MP section of the game and select that you want to be made available to drop in, and then you just sit there waiting, hence the reason why it doesn't get done much, no one even when the game was new, was willing to be patient enough. I used to do it occasionally myself and enjoyed it, but the problem I ran into is everyone who allowed you to drop in either did it by mistake, in which case they immediately dropped out of the battle, or, they only let you in because they controlled an entire stack, and they stuck you with one unit of ash defending a citadel.

Net it out: great idea, but CA needed to commit more resources to working out making it more intrinsically engaging for both sides to do it.

Instead, in Rome 2 they gutted MP and left a mere shell of a game after promising they were going to do something special with it. CA has much to learn about under promising and over delivering, instead of the reverse, which is what they did in the case of Rome 2. Mgmt at CA would do well to think long and hard before they allow whoever handles their social media and marketing to ever touch it again. /end short R2 rant provided at no cost

[Alcibiade]

Then I think I'll try to get my friend to accept starting a head to head multi FOTS campaign. After all, the context of the game is perfect for it since there are two distinct sides fighting for supremacy !

[easytarget]

Yep, that'd be a good one, and I had a really good time playing a co-op campaign. We agreed to work together until realm divide at which point it was every man for himself. Things got ugly and therefore quite interesting really fast.

[Alcibiade]

Can you declare war on the other human in a co-op campaign ? Or play as AI against him ?

[easytarget]

Basically you're allied, can't declare war on each other. So you're up against the AI, which to be honest I really liked.

A bit like having an ally who throughout the campaign isn't an idiot and will stay by you through thick and thin, and of course since you're communicating with them it's much easier to plan your strategy and tactics. It's really a blast, but of course it does take some time and coordination to make happen, so they can be very hard to complete. And there were de-sync issues.

[Slaists]

I think the game defaults initially to having drop-in checked, but in any case it's something you can set either way you like.

The problem you are going to encounter is that there is no one out there sitting in a wait status to drop into a game taking the place as the AI in your battle.

As for you being asked to be in one, that's not actually how it works, you have to go over to MP section of the game and select that you want to be made available to drop in, and then you just sit there waiting, hence the reason why it doesn't get done much, no one even when the game was new, was willing to be patient enough. I used to do it occasionally myself and enjoyed it, but the problem I ran into is everyone who allowed you to drop in either did it by mistake, in which case they immediately dropped out of the battle, or, they only let you in because they controlled an entire stack, and they stuck you with one unit of ash defending a citadel.

Net it out: great idea, but CA needed to commit more resources to working out making it more intrinsically engaging for both sides to do it.

Instead, in Rome 2 they gutted MP and left a mere shell of a game after promising they were going to do something special with it. CA has much to learn about under promising and over delivering, instead of the reverse, which is what they did in the case of Rome 2. Mgmt at CA would do well to think long and hard before they allow whoever handles their social media and marketing to ever touch it again. /end short R2 rant provided at no cost

Not accurate, that bold part above. I remember checking off an option that I am willing to be a drop-in partner and then getting requests to join people's battles while I was playing my campaign. I did not have to sit in the multiplayer lobby. Joining drop-in battles from the lobby is another option though.

The problem is that with the option to "be open to drop-in invites" the campaign slows down considerably. I guess, the engine is constantly looking for drop-in possibilities.

As to desync issues: I do not remember encountering any in S2. I might have been lucky though. Got a few MP campaigns all the way to 100+ turns.

[easytarget]

If you wanted to play in battles as a drop in you joined them from MP. You just checked that you wanted them to drop in your game. I saw no slow down.

There were countless desync issues, didn't affect everyone to the same degree.

[Slaists]

If you wanted to play in battles as a drop in you joined them from MP. You just checked that you wanted them to drop in your game. I saw no slow down.

There were countless desync issues, didn't affect everyone to the same degree.

There is also an option for continuous search for drop-ins while you play your campaign. I have often been interrupted in the middle of a campaign move to join someone else's drop-in battle.

That's the option that slowed down the campaign map.

[easytarget]

There is also an option for continuous search for drop-ins while you play your campaign. I have often been interrupted in the middle of a campaign move to join someone else's drop-in battle.

That's the option that slowed down the campaign map.

The early on feedback at the time was it lagged the game so I never considered turning it on. Aside from the lag though, why on earth would I ever want to be dragged away from my campaign with zero notice?! Hum, no thanks. But I was willing to join via the Avatar Conquest menu since that meant I was picking the time I was making myself available. I had a pretty good time, almost always against hopeless odds.

[Slaists]

The early on feedback at the time was it lagged the game so I never considered turning it on. Aside from the lag though, why on earth would I ever want to be dragged away from my campaign with zero notice?! Hum, no thanks. But I was willing to join via the Avatar Conquest menu since that meant I was picking the time I was making myself available. I had a pretty good time, almost always against hopeless odds.

I just saw it as a pleasant distraction. The invites would come during the campaign map part of the turns and I had the option of accepting or declining. And, yes, usually against almost hopeless odds. You never new what you'd be pitted against.

[easytarget]

To each his own, I play SP for a reason, because most people, and most especially the sort frequenting MP of any game I play, annoy me.

While annoying humans are something I'm forced to tolerate at work, at home, not so much.

As for the odds, sure you knew what they were going to be, and if I was in the mood for it, I could role play it just fine.

But having that on all the time during my own campaign just makes me laugh out loud at the idea, it really does.

[Slaists]

As for the odds, sure you knew what they were going to be, and if I was in the mood for it, I could role play it just fine.

But having that on all the time during my own campaign just makes me laugh out loud at the idea, it really does.

Not really, I have had many drop-in battles where the opponent had invited with even odds. In Napoleon, there was a system imposed restriction: no drop-ins unless the odds were close to even. Don't think this is active in S2 though.

[easytarget]

Not really, I have had many drop-in battles where the opponent had invited with even odds. In Napoleon, there was a system imposed restriction: no drop-ins unless the odds were close to even. Don't think this is active in S2 though.

I played a number of them, 90% were extremely uneven odds, our experiences were different it would appear.

[Slaists]

I've had my share of drop-in battles where someone invites me to be the AI attacker (with foot soldiers) while they run around the map with cavalry until the timer runs out... But those were more like exceptions. Guess, some kids trying to have fun.

[easytarget]

And mine were all what I would imagine are both chicken adults and kids who drop you into a siege and give you one unit of ash against an entire army.

On the rare occasions I was given even odds it was fun.