Online Campaign Question

[Bludhall]

It has always been my opinion that the one thing missing from this game that would make it truly great is an online campaign.

I know, i know its been done to death discussing if its possibe , but it is my opinion that the only thing truly holding back a community developed online campaign is the necessary function of getting data in and out of the game.

So the question I have for you modding experts is this.
Is it possible to effect the numbers that create the armies for battle in the game? Would it be possible to have a set of data outside the game and feed that to the game somehow to effect the army makeup in game. This would also be necessary going from the game out to an external server.

If this simple data transfer problem can be solved i truly beleive that an online campaign game could be a possibility. Not an online campaign quite like the in game one, but probably better as it would be more focused on multiplayer. Campaigns could hold quite a few players as long as the transfer of data from an online application and database to the game and vice versa, is possible.


i would not have thought it possible, but looking at some of the stuff you guys have done makes me wonder.
Anyone here messed with the part of the game that creates the armies before battle?

Any info appreciated

[Demon of Light]

I'd just like to say that I echo the sentiment expressed here even if I have no idea what Bludhall is talking about.

[Bludhall]

noone got any input on this?

[Whitey]

aah...the online campaign...before Shogun was released...we were promised it, then for MI, and then for MTW...

Maggy released an online campaign tool - and I remember there was an online campaign run for shogun.

The problem is commitment...it would need one very committed GM and a lot of players, couldn't run it with units continuing from battle to battle because of the way the game works, making it even more difficult...

it is possible to have a fun online campaign - there are half a dozen people who wouldn't mind running it and quite a few who wouldn't mind playing...putting them together and producing fun shouldn't really be too impossible,

so how about it...if I can find 5 interested players I'll GM an online campaign just a short one to see if the players/interest holds out...but if it works then why not go further?

[barocca]

there are play by mail campaigns running, check the PBM forum,
these utilise a "cheat" utility, similar to -ian switch, that allows you to change factions,
:-)
a GM for a pbm campaign would probably be welcome
:-)

[Whitey]

I was thinking more along the lines of the clans campaign, but with single player factions.

The tactical battles given set koku amounts and attacker/defender too

I was thinking on a 100 years war scenario with France, England, Spain, Burgundy, and the HRE all players acting according to psuedo-real considerations, and fighting different battles with different koku handicaps depending on the situation

[Bludhall]

arrgh Play by mail sucks.

i was thinking more along the lines of the same as a multiplayer game only instead of just one battle people sign on to play an extended match with battle after battle until one guy rules it all or until set victory conditions are met.

you could easily have a campaign with 2-20 folks involved.
would have diplomacy, spies, etc no resource management only battling for territories.

it would have to be automatic, run online with an application that works of a database.

no GM's needed, only a few folks to do it with.

[Whitey]

that kind of think is all very well - very quickfire though, and needs people to be online for a long time...and needs something that the community will probably not get - an online tool for multiplayer campaigns

but I agree - no resource management, just a set of battles - but it adds a new depth if you use different koku sizes for each army, set attacker/defender, and have 2v2 (or more) games...

the clans campaign for shogun is a very good model for this kind of thing

[dessa14]

well i remember originaly CA were gonna make STW have a online and LAN multiplayer campaign, (i've got a PC Gamer with a preview in it) it was fairly well thought out but gameplay would probably be terrible like Heroes of Might & Magic, turnbased and takes 6 weeks to finish a game. due to the complexity of the total war games it would also require a fast DS so you would have the same problem as the more complex half-life mods. also most people can't finish a normal game of MTW in one sitting so against real people it would go ten times as long and you would have the HOM&M problem of time. it would be good on LAN, but not online.
Thanks dessa

[Whitey]

well, these things take weeks or months, with one game every day or every few days...its a major commitment - but things like that are always good fun for those who can stick to them