Multiplayer guide for beginners

[Louis de la Ferte Ste Colombe]

Oddly enough, many new players keeps coming to MTW/ VI foyer to discover the joy and pain of MP games.

With not even a year of experience, and still learning the basics, I decided to share how painfull the learning experience was with all of you guys

As it is, it needs still some polishing, so feedback is welcome, and eventually I hope it will get good enough to be posted in a few friendly website

Feedback can be either here or in FF forums.

Multiplayer guide


This work would not have been possible without the support and help of frogbeastegg.
I would also like to thank Bachus (the first part owe you everything), LadyAn, Kalle and BrutalDLX.

Elmo, any chance we can merge guides? As far as I can read, we cover rather disctinct aspec of MP...

Tomi, I do remember a very nice topic on faction and deployment zone choice which was much much better and understandable that what I wrote. Any chance I can use that too?

Hope it's an interesting and helpfull read. Please make it more helpfull and interesting by providing feedback.

Louis,

[ElmarkOFear]

Sure thing have Ichi do it for us. :) If you want, feel free to copy/paste the text in my post and place it in yours and have Ichi delete mine and sticky yours. I covered non-specific MP things, and not the Total War series. Yours would fit in quite nicely with mine.

[Nigel]

very impressive Louis,

gotta go and read it all as soon as I can.

But Yes, it is a good idea and much needed
Whish I had had it, when I started out

[Agravain of Orkney]

Great job

IMO Activision should hire you and Froggie to do a unit guide and a multi-player guide for RTW. They could put them on the game CD. Or you should hook up with one of the strategy guide publishers. Get paid for your knowledge and hard work....

Or do it here and get paid with praise

[ichi]

I copied the original post by Louis into Elmo's MP Guide thread that is sticky.

Great job Big Papa Smurf

ichi

[7Bear7Scar]

Louis - this looks great Well done, it must have taken you many hours to produce something which will not benefit yourself but the whole community *bows*

I cant add much to that, just cosmetics. Maybe something about not quitting when hosting, perhaps putting the 'tips' and parts relating to etiquette in a different colour or font? A tip not to rush to join the first clan you see, but to get to know different ones and improve your skills first?

But what a great guide Im sure it will be of benefit to all the new players who find our sites.

Much respect to Louis and all who contributed.

Scar

[Louis de la Ferte Ste Colombe]

Thanks for the positive feedback.

I've added and edited some parts of the guide, mainly;
- adding up Tomi order of color's tip
- adding Elmo's guide to survival
- a couple of other consideration, such as do not quit when hosting, and on replay and logfile. (BTW, if someone would be kind enough to give me a link to a few other logfile readers other than Annie, I'd appreciate).

I still have to add an introduction and a conclusion (that thanks so much for your help kind of thing ), and probably a 1 page quick fact sheet.

Anyone else got any other idea?

Louis,

[Nigel]

A quick fact sheet will definitely be a good idea.

Something that allows people to quickly jump into battle without doing hours of reading
(not that they shouldn't, but its easier that way).


Just give them the very basics at a glance :

* buy valor

* not everyone needs same valor
(knights and archers are ok with 0, swordmen with 2 or 3)

* swords beat spears, spears beat horses, horses beat swords

* keep your men close together and stay close to your allies



Those 4 key points should get them a fair way.

[Louis de la Ferte Ste Colombe]

Quote[/b] (Nigel @ June 03 2004,14:14)]
* swords beat spears, spears beat horses, horses beat swords

I'd recommand you read the entry for spears and pikes

Louis,

[Nigel]

Aye Louis, well,
you are right of course, if you say spears are hardly used in MP. When I posted this, I was trying to explain the Rock Paper Scissor system, which I have seen some very new players not knowing about. Sadly, RPS does not really work with MTW as it should so most advanced players will drop the spears eventually.

I have used spears for quite some time in my army before I dropped them and have won some battles still. But you are quite right when you say we should not let new players develop "bad habits" and teach them right from the start.

So I revoke my statement and may want to rectify that.

[Louis de la Ferte Ste Colombe]

I hear you Nigel...

I wanted to write about the game as it is played, not as it shall have been. Let's face it the Rock Paper Scissor is broken, and any beginner coming with spears is going to suffer a very hard time.

I'd rather give beginners a fair warning "bring swords, not spears" than explain the theory of the game as it ought to be.

Personnaly, I often use 2 spears per army, but that's just because I like it, it's really not the best way to spend my money...

Louis,

[CrackedAxe]

Yaeh, as a noob, it took me a while to figure that, depite all the units available, i was stucj with choosing the same old sword units each battle for the best success. This does'nt always apply, of course, but does most of the time.

[ah_dut]

I am the master n00b but can still win with swords and horses