How are the Hotseats working out?

**_Tristan_** · 12-26-2007, 19:25

Yep, the turn can be quite slow (mostly on my part...) but with players invlved and a GM to keep things rolling you can get quite a bit done quickly... A turn per week is what you should depend on ( mostly with the Kingdoms campaigns...)

Such timing is fine by me except that I keep waiting impatiently for my next turn and see what mischief the others players have dealt unto me...

**Zim** · 12-26-2007, 19:59

I think a lot of us have that problem, Tristan.

I think a game where I'm at war with someone the very best I can hope for is that nothing happened before my turn. Players have a way of attaining victories, sometimes unlikely ones (*cough* Purgatory *cough*) during their own turns. Probably because, unlike the AI, they don't attack if they have no chance of winning.

**doorknobdeity** · 12-26-2007, 23:05

Having all defensive battles autoresolved can be frustrating, but otherwise I agree that it can be far more fun.

**Zim** · 12-26-2007, 23:34

In hotseats organized here on the ORG even the offensive battles are autoresolved, since a player could slaughter other player's armies if the defender was controlled by the AI. Still worth, I think.

**Privateerkev** · 12-27-2007, 07:00

Hotseats in M2TW and Kingdoms are essentially different games from single-player (or SP as I call it). If your expecting a SP game, but with humans, you'll be disappointed.

But, if your open to "role-playing", and get in a good group, it is a very rich experience.

Having real people behind the factions makes for a better game even though the battles are taken out of it. In fact, I just see the battles as a tool for roleplaying. There is no nuance or subtlety to the battles themselves. Just build an "auto-resolve stack" like AtPG has laid out, get two or more to gang up on someone elses stack, and you will win the battle.

The subtlety and nuance are in other aspects of the game. Such as the alliances you make with other players. The diplomacy possibilities are endless. A lot gets set up even before the game starts.

**rossahh** · 12-27-2007, 07:27

As a 1st-time MP player, I can say without a doubt that when they say "Hotseat games are about the diplomacy" that they ain't kidding. So far we've done one turn each, and already I've sent over 30 pm's, trying to figure out my alliances and future enemies. It's actually a lot of fun, and makes the game and the diplomacy much more realistic. You feel like you really are the ruler of your kingdom, dealing with 17 other such rulers who all want a piece of the world.

Don't discount the benefits of not having to interact with the AI. I know I can trust my allies - they won't blockade a random port of mine for a turn and toss aside a 100-year alliance like the AI does. And I don't really think that having to autoresolve all of my battles is that bad - my stack of DFK's and a catapult beating a stack of longbowmen and cannon towers hands down isn't too bad, is it?

**Zim** · 12-27-2007, 08:46

Originally Posted by rossahh

Don't discount the benefits of not having to interact with the AI. I know I can trust my allies - they won't blockade a random port of mine for a turn and toss aside a 100-year alliance like the AI does. And I don't really think that having to autoresolve all of my battles is that bad - my stack of DFK's and a catapult beating a stack of longbowmen and cannon towers hands down isn't too bad, is it?

One special challenge of MP games is that the converse is also true. If a human ally betrays you, it won't be with a random blockade, followed by rolling over to your superior forces and refusing a ceasefire when you've got them down to one province and half a stack of peasants. They'll do it when they have you at a disadvantage or otherwise expect to gain from it. Some players take alliances very seriously while others will ditch them if they get difficult. Even in the case of the former arguments over mistakes or differences over conducting a war can break an alliance apart (as has happened in one hotseat game). Even the best AI in the world will suffer from being far more predictable than Human players.

Basically, playing MP introduces all of the benefits and challenges of dealing with real Human players.