AI & multiplayer campaign

**Hambut_bulge** · 01-22-2006, 11:54

I've never touched multiplayer battles in either MTW or RTW, and I'm never likely too. Even less likely to want to play a full multiplayer campaign. Where to find the time for starters?! Plus there's the fact that I (like many people here as became evident in the furore over the load/save *cough* 'feature') play for a few turns at a time. Twenty people, each taking about half an hour to finish a turn? A full campaign would go on forever! So I agree that full multiplayer would be unpractical in any Total War game.

So spend the time on tuning the AI please CA

**Ludens** · 01-22-2006, 12:12

I am an SP player, so naturally A.I. is very important for me. I also think that an MP campaign would be impractical due to the amount of time each turn would take. Also, since it would be hard to fill up all factions in a MP game (everyone wants to play the English, no one the Aztecs), the an A.I. is necessary to make up for that.

If it was possible to make the strategic part simultenously turn-based (e.g. the players order their moves, press end turn and then these moves take place, like it was in S:TW and M:TW) then it might be workable. Such a game might entice me to go MP as well.

**Zawath** · 01-22-2006, 12:15

Smaller 2-4 faction campaigns would work very well.

**Mithrandir** · 01-22-2006, 13:13

Originally Posted by Zawath

Smaller 2-4 faction campaigns would work very well.

Yes..or even more dramatic... real time empire managing strategy!

Why does it have to be turnbased ? All players have a "buill&train-turn" and a "battle-turn", build turn taking ,f.e. 5 minutes, and battle turns taking f.e. 15 minutes (depending on the nr. of armies used).

Just brainstorming here :).

**_Aetius_** · 01-22-2006, 14:19

I think we'd all like a MP campaign, but I think impossible or atleast not worth attempting whilst SP is still such a mess. Sort the basic game out first, AI, gameplay etc then perhaps if a good plan was decided upon attempt somekind of MP campaign.

I just don't think its possible as of yet. I'd be much happier to see SP sorted out and made playable for once than they attempt anything more ambitious.

**Mithrandir** · 01-22-2006, 14:23

Originally Posted by _Aetius_

I think we'd all like a MP campaign, but I think impossible or atleast not worth attempting whilst SP is still such a mess.

The game isn't even released yet, how can it already be a mess?

-Mithrandir

**_Aetius_** · 01-22-2006, 18:31

Originally Posted by Mithrandir

The game isn't even released yet, how can it already be a mess?

-Mithrandir

Hmmm I seem to have typed an answer for a slightly different question referring to RTW instead of MTW2.

**hellenes** · 01-22-2006, 14:28

Originally Posted by Mithrandir

Yes..or even more dramatic... real time empire managing strategy!

Why does it have to be turnbased ? All players have a "buill&train-turn" and a "battle-turn", build turn taking ,f.e. 5 minutes, and battle turns taking f.e. 15 minutes (depending on the nr. of armies used).

Just brainstorming here :).

Mithrandir
Its pointless to argue with the perfect "AI" pipedreamers...
It sad for me to see people with online access writing off Multiplayer,

and knowing deep inside that there wont be ANY challenge in ANY TW game without it.

Hellenes

**TinCow** · 01-22-2006, 16:19

I have never played TW MP, but I would definitely play MP campaigns all the time. That said, I would far, far prefer a good AI to a MP campaign. I just wish they would open source the AI... THAT would solve a lot of the problems.

**ajaxfetish** · 01-22-2006, 18:16

Much as I would love to see a multiplayer campaign, it seems far too impractical to me, at least at the moment, and I would prefer to see improved AI first as well.

Ajax

**Ciaran** · 01-24-2006, 14:19

Originally Posted by Mithrandir

Yes..or even more dramatic... real time empire managing strategy!

I do agree, though "real-time" would hardly be possible - we´re talking about a four hundred-thensome period

"Continuous time" would be a more appropriate term. And I think it could work, playing Knights of Honor I´ve seen it work, and work pretty well at that. It might conflict, however, with battle depth, especially if battles don´t pause the strategic game - which they should not in an MP campaign, because if they did the old dilemma, all waiting for a battle resolving, would be back and none the wiser.

**sapi** · 01-23-2006, 04:42

Originally Posted by Hambut_bulge

I've never touched multiplayer battles in either MTW or RTW, and I'm never likely too. Even less likely to want to play a full multiplayer campaign. Where to find the time for starters?! Plus there's the fact that I (like many people here as became evident in the furore over the load/save *cough* 'feature') play for a few turns at a time. Twenty people, each taking about half an hour to finish a turn? A full campaign would go on forever! So I agree that full multiplayer would be unpractical in any Total War game.

So spend the time on tuning the AI please CA

You would all do your turns at once; but i agree, a multiplayer campaign is just impratical, and i'd much rather see a decent sp ai

**cromwell** · 01-23-2006, 17:11

I'm all for multi campaign, however the first thing CA have to do is balance the troops. The game will be unplayable if certain troops are over powered. Those of you who havn't played online probably havn't experienced the frustration of troop spamming and overall lack of fun when people exploit the game just to win. The rock,paper,scissor, formula must be as close to perfect as possible, before any multiplayer game will work.

Cromwell