Quote:
Originally Posted by mapuc
I do however now something about MP or how to use it.
I do remember all those nights where I played SH2 and DC with other friends from Subsim. When a game was finish we closed down or the host of the game shot the MP down.
I thought it would be quite the same in a MP in Command.
A meet in a chat, chose of game, chose of Host, start of game. Game ends, everyone say thanks for a good game, host close MP and everyone goes back to what he or she did before or whatever.
(in other words MP is only active when two or more player chose to play a MP game.)
When it comes to this NATO-the warsaw pact clash, I know it will be a huge MP-game.
I do not understand this AI-stuff regarding MP. In a MP-game there are only human controlling the units. Or is there something that I have missed?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mapuc
Continuing MP-playing using AI?? That's new to me. ´cause in those MP-games I have played every almost every units is controlled by humans(except the Merch in SH2 Vs DC)
I'm not some expert on creating a MP game.
If we should create such a clash, every player should be prepared for many hours of gameplay(with breaks now and then)or until all his or her units has been destroyed.
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You have the general idea behind normal MP games. Most games have Real Time and the ability to pause. This is how MP is done in games like Dangerous Waters, Naval War Arctic Circle, Destroyer Command, Fleet Command and Harpoon. Since you are familiar with those games, you know that a clock is run continuously in real time. You can speed up with time compression and either side can pause the game. All units are under 100% control of the player at all times.
The pseudo-PBEM system used by MNO was first devised as a Harpoon work-around solution in 1996 (before there was a true MP capability for Harpoon.
http://www.harpoonpages.com/ftp/util/h2hhrule.txt
It never really took off because the entire idea was just silly. Players only used it if they were truly desperate. However, as you can see, there are plenty of games with proper MP capability so that you do not need to mess with such awkward ad hoc systems.
Here's how a turn generally runs in the jury-rigged MNO PBEM:
1) 00:00H Both sides [Blue & Red] enter orders for their sides at the start of a scenario. Turn cycles can be any length, but let's just use 30 mins for this example.
2) 00:00H - 00:30H One side [Blue] runs the game and is in 100% control of his Blue units. He can issue orders as he likes. The Red player has
no control whatsoever for his units. The orders he entered are carried out by the AI to the best of its ability. The AI is in total control of Red forces.
3) 00:30H The 30 min turn is complete for the Blue player and he sends the file to the Red player.
4) 00:30H - 01:00H Red runs the game and is in total control of his units and can issue orders. Blue has no control over his units and the AI carries out whatever vestigial orders were issued before the turn was sent to Red.
So, you can see how no player is ever in control of his forces more than 50% of the game. It is mathematically impossible. The usual winner is the guy who got lucky and had the forces/turn under his control when the shooting starts. The other guy, relying on the AI to handle his forces, just gets massacred.
The best and funniest depiction of this situation is the Bugs Bunny cartoon whereby he is sharing a bowl of soup with Christopher Columbus and it ends up in "The Captain's Mess" at the 3 minute 40 second mark.
http://www.ulozto.net/live/xE2USHX/b...we-go-1951-avi
Since you do not yet own the game, you should know that this is how it works before you invest your money. If you are looking for real MP capability, try Harpoon, FC, DC, or DWaters. You won't find any here.
If you play Harpoon, give me a shout. I would love to play a big multi-carrier battle with you!