My group of friends is actively searching for a good asynchronous multiplayer 4X game. If not Endless Space, then what?

I'm bearing some bad news regarding the ES asynchronous hopefuls: this is not a feature that is currently being investigated, the amount of work necessary outweighing hugely the potential benefits.



In short, it'd be nice, but it represents way too much work.

TLiciousX wrote:
My group of friends is actively searching for a good asynchronous multiplayer 4X game. If not Endless Space, then what?

Dominions 3/4

Space empires 4/5

The most fun I ever had with 4x games was with my brother, some beer and pizza in hour-long async hotseat matches of Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic and Mater of Orion 2. Since then, we both are looking for a 4x game that is as much fun. Pleeeeeeeaaase, make a hotseat mode for Endless Space 2!

@The-Cat-o-Nine-Tales



You are absolutely right.



I have to add, that it was necessary to create a Heroes III HD .exe (one click in starting screen of Heroes III HD) and to rename/replace with the original .exe from Heroes III (Complete). Then everything should work fine. I think it's best part of the Heroes series at all. Even it's "born" in 1999. More then one decade me and my friends did battle each other like crazy.lol



P.S. Don't know, if random maps are planned for Heroes VII, but I guess it's not. Will have to look for now

Ah, we had a misunderstanding, I believe. Judging by your mention of your uncertainty if Heroes Complete was required, you were referring tot he fan-made HD patch. I have not tried that one, but I have heard good things about it, so I can endorse it.



So, I think we can agree to this:

Step 1: Buy Heroes 3 Complete on GoG.com.

Step 2: Get free fan-made HD patch.

Step 3: Profit (of about 5 bucks you saved compared to the official HD remake, if the prices are comparable to the prices in my country).

The-Cat-o-Nine-Tales wrote:
How could you recommend the HD remaster when the complete edition is cheaper and offers more content?

I should have written that there is (was?) a legal and free HD Version of Heroes III. Just google it. This version was first, later the remaster version occured. Especially because of that fact and the not better quality of the pay-version from Heroes III HD it's a kind of bad joke.

I don't remember, if Heroes III Complete was necessary for that free Heroes III HD version, but could be (too lazy atm to look for).

Multiplayer was no problem. Use hot seat mode or play online by using game ranger. It worked fine.

Groo wrote:
Off topic:



@TLiciousX



Heroes of Might & Magic III (HD) or Eador - Masters of the Broken World i.e.



Edit: It's fantasy ! Don't know if it's what you are looking for...

How could you recommend the HD remaster when the complete edition is cheaper and offers more content? Admittedly, I hear the HD remaster uses Steamworks for easier multiplayer (though I have also heard rumors that it is anything but stable) whereas the Complete collection from GoG would require some sort of virtual LAN or other aid.

But personally, I feel that the original complete edition is the superior product.

Off topic:



@TLiciousX



Heroes of Might & Magic III (HD) or Eador - Masters of the Broken World i.e.



Edit: It's fantasy ! Don't know if it's what you are looking for...

Hi Amplitude guys, hi all



I´m new to these forums, but as a big 4X fan for many years now (I started with Civ 2), I would like to take the chance and place a wish for the upcoming Endless Space 2 game.

I played a lot of 4X game until know. Civilization, Master of Orion, GalCiv and of course Endless Legend, as well as other round based strategy games like Battle Isle, HoMaM and X-Com. And I enjoyed it all very much. Especially the multiplayer part, which I played with friends a lot, was great fun. But nowadays I´m missing the option for play-by-mail in many of the new games. I´m wondering, if multiplayer games with play-by-mail or an asynchronous play mode are so difficult to create, or if no one is interested in such multiplayer function anymore?

For my opinion, asynchronous multiplayer function in ES2 would be a huge bonus for multiplayer fans.



Image such great function:

You load you game, chooses the game where you have the next turn from, for example, a multiplayer lobby, and start to play your turn. You have a plenty of time to do it. No one is waiting for you to finish your turn quickly (because all other are sleeping, or something else). After all moves are done, you click “send turn”. Now, the next player can do his turn. He will see it in the multiplayer lobby or he gets an information via email, etc. that it´s his turn. After he finishes his actions he clicks “send turn” And so on, and so on.

I know that such a game could take very long. Weeks, month, maybe years – who cares, for my opinion. But I´m sure, it would make the multiplayer experience much better for games with a lot of players and huge maps/in a huge galaxy

For example, “Frozen Synapse” or “Battle Worlds:Kronos” has a great asynchronous multiplayer implementations. You are able to play different games at same time, you get notifications like “your turn” or if a game is won, and lot more.



So here my wish:

Please Amplitude, give us asynchronous multiplayer in Endless Space 2. I think it would be a great function and would make the game more special or a “must have” for people who would like match each other in epic space battles :-)



Thank you very much in advance

ccGraves



PS: Looking forward to play ES2

PSS: If you need beta tester for multiplayer tests - I would to it, of course

Asynchronous gameplay would be great for sure, espescially for big games with a lot of players which requires lot of brain processing between the turns. That being said, I am not sure that the game design of the Endless game has enough depht and complexity to need this kind of multiplayer mode.

While I'd love to see asynchronous turns, play-by-email, and hotseat play, I have to agree that it wouldn't be as easy as simply pulling the different turns apart. The game mechanics would need adjustment for that.

Diplomacy can resolve at the end of the turn without any kind of problem... Even in cases where it might require immediate action (EL close borders), it probably shouldn't anyways, it makes for timing issues in multiplayer. Combat can be auto-resolved. I don't see any reason why Amplitude's mechanics would stop working with asynchronous multiplayer.



But the game length is off. Asynchronous games tend to settle to one turn per day, and it's really easy for games to fall apart if they go on for too long. The only asynchronous MP game I played was Solium Infernum, which seemed to play out in about 50 turns. The biggest need would be some kind of ultra-fast mode that made things happen 4 or 6 times faster. And I think doing things that fast would have a large effect on mechanics-- like who needs vision when in one turn you can travel four times as far as anybody can see?

I would love a play by mail feature.

Maybe your are right. Diplomacy is a important part of the game. This part could lost on relevance if it became "unrealistic" due to indirect negotiations. In an async game mode the players won´t be able to talk to each other directly.

If a asynchronous multiplayer mod would bring us a deysnc free experience I would be glad with it.

But I think the devs have learned alot out of the Endless Legend Multiplayer.



So if they can make it work why not simultaneous turns. I dont know many other games (none actually) who uses it which makes ES and EL unique.



But to be honest a functional synchronous multiplayer is imho way more cooler and more competitive.

I love the concept of asynchronous multiplayer and have played in a lot of 4X style games in Eclipse (iOS) and Age of Wonders 3.



Async works great for 2 players and for simple games with quick turns (like Words with Friends). It doesn't work as well for complex games, games that require a lot of interaction and/or larger groups. Inevitably somebody forgets their turn, quits and the game ends. Often you forget what you were doing in the days (sometimes weeks) between turns. Playing with known dedicated folks can help this, but even then you often have a lot of abandoned games.



Also, ES/EL and likely ES2 is designed from the ground up to be played simultaneous. Things like battles being resolved immediately and diplomatic proposals requiring action within a single turn. If both players aren't available there may be problems or delays. There's definitely some changes that could improve this. For example battles resolving at the end of a turn (with players submitting their battle plans before the end of the turn) rather than during. Amplitude would need to make some changes to their system for this to work.



What would work better (IMO) is a dedicated server that functions a lot like Pitboss for Civ 4/5. Players can log in and take turns whenever (with a timer) and multiple players can be on and play just like a normal game. Emails go to player warning them if time is running out.