Turn-based Online Dynamic Campaign?

[aergistal]

I was thinking of ways to implement an online dynamic campaign for SH series. The idea of a dynamic campaign is not new, there are a few threads around here.

Doing this in multiplayer with a dedicated server raises problems such as lack of TC, player synchronization etc.

One alternative solution I thought of is a reinterpretation of a Play-by-email system. I don't have the final solution, so consider this brainstorming and share your opinions.

The solution would follow a client-server architecture:

1. Server application acting as random/non-random mission generator (think ComSubPac for SH4 US)
- has a limited pool of ships and events distributed to each user.
- missions in a turn cover a specific time interval, same for all users (eg: 1943, April)
- can generate random missions or template-based semi-random missions.
- special event missions assigned randomly to a limited number of users.
- missions are provided to player in form of DLC.
- could be written in PHP and tied to your forum account.

2. Client monitoring application
- installs current mission DLC. Removes older missions.
- monitors the user progress with the assigned mission.
- ships sunk are removed from the ship pool. ships not sunk are returned to the pool.
- should be required for play (running in background) to prevent cheating and manual editing of logs
- at the end of the assigned patrol, the user submits a patrol report that syncs the server application and updates the ship database.
- if the user does not submit a report in a specified time interval he is considered lost at sea, or returned to the harbour, and the ships are reassigned.

3. Extra options
- site that features newspaper headlines, historical maps, statistics for the current turn etc.

So what do you think, could something like this work?

[rein1705]

would be neat to implement a text way of communication as well, such as, for example: typed out time delayed sub to sub radio transitions.
eg: From S-36, to S-29.
Convoy at (whatever) Request assistance break


these being player to player in game....

[aergistal]

Originally Posted by rein1705

these being player to player in game....

This is one flaw of my turn-based solution. Anything player to player is going to be weird since everyone plays in his own time and syncronization occurs at patrol end.

Unless the mission dispatcher could throw a multiplayer mission if two or more players are interested. But I'm not sure if there is a log for MP sessions.