24-02-2005 04:17									#1
	My first multiplayer game and its experiences Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

Hello,

I am not sure if this is my first post or not -- it's been a while since I've been on Apolyton -- so, 'hello' if it is! I have recently begun my very first Civ 3 multiplayer game; a LAN game with three human and two CPU players. I would like to post a few of my experiences and see whether the folk that frequent this board have had similar experiences or not.

Good:
*It runs very well; minor lag that is easily forgotten about
*It is just as fun as expected.
*Nothing about it being multiplayer ruins or detracts from the game I get when I play single-player
*Haven't messed with VOIP yet, but if someone can tell me how to get it to work, this will be a good thing as well

Bad:
*Too many features/options have been removed from multiplayer, and this greatly bothers me and detracts from gameplay. Here are what I've noticed:
- No historian to tell you 'richest nation of the world' et al, every view turns
- No safeguard for research changing; when I accidentally click on a new tech, I lose all my research! I've lost 39 turns worth of research because of this! I can't restart, as the game is too far in!
- AI aggressiveness is not an option that can be changed. We want to play a 'Warlord' level game, but we don't want the AI's aggressiveness to 'Normal' because we want to be able to survive and hack at each other in the end. We are facing Mongols and China (random), so we might be screwed here.
- No way to handicap players. I am much more experienced with Civ3 than my friends are -- I just got them to get the game -- and I will destroy them unless I hold back some. It would be nice if I could play on Warlord, while they play on Chieftan.

Overall, the game has been quite enjoyable so far. As long as it is taking us to begin, we haven't gotten quite out of the first age yet, but I know it won't slow down much more, since we are getting past the curve required for multi-play (one of the guys has never played past a tutorial before!). If anyone is interested, we are playing continents, and I, as the Koreans am unfortunately alone continent on the continent with the Chinese and Mongol CPU. Both of them will have access to horses soon, while I have none. . .

And history moves along.

=$= Big J Money =$=

	24-02-2005 04:33									#2
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: I am not sure if this is my first post or not

Nope, it's your fourth.
Anyway, welcome bud.

quote: - No way to handicap players. I am much more experienced with Civ3 than my friends are -- I just got them to get the game -- and I will destroy them unless I hold back some. It would be nice if I could play on Warlord, while they play on Chieftan.

You could give them a head start, IE build your first later than they do.

You really should try a PBEM game, that's where the money lies.

	24-02-2005 04:34									#3
	Re: My first multiplayer game and its experiences Enter the AD-FREE zone

quote: Originally posted by BigJMoney Hello, I am not sure if this is my first post or not -- it's been a while since I've been on Apolyton -- so, 'hello' if it is!

Hello. (From your profile, it looks like you've had three prior posts, though I didn't look to see what they were.)

quote: Originally posted by BigJMoney - No safeguard for research changing; when I accidentally click on a new tech, I lose all my research! I've lost 39 turns worth of research because of this! I can't restart, as the game is too far in!

Same in SP too. One simply has to be careful.

quote: Originally posted by BigJMoney - No way to handicap players. I am much more experienced with Civ3 than my friends are -- I just got them to get the game -- and I will destroy them unless I hold back some. It would be nice if I could play on Warlord, while they play on Chieftan.

I think you might be able to do this by setting up a scenario with custom player data.

	24-02-2005 04:59									#4
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

There must be a bunch of ways to give a spot to your friends. Maybe you can be required to gift them one tech at contact. You could gift them a set amount of cash once,

You could do things that will hurt you vs the AI as well as them, such as no worker action for 5 turns or even disband the worker.

It is really endless, but I have no idea of the amount needed to make it fair.

	24-02-2005 05:03									#5
	Tired of ads?

Hmm, server must have eaten my other post. Anyway..

quote: Same in SP too. One simply has to be careful.

Are you sure about this one? I haven't tried it but I thought that you could switch back and forth during the same turn without loosing your beakers ( for the tech you were researching of course researching ).

	24-02-2005 08:24									#6
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

I didn't realize that happened in single player either. I don't remember ever losing multiple turns of research simply by clicking on something by accident. Maybe I've been doing it all along, though.

=$=

	24-02-2005 08:31									#7
	Increase the size of your Attachments

If you select another tech you will lose all beakers. If you right click a tech , then it is ok.

	24-02-2005 09:56									#8
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

The "Sep 2003" underneath your tag in the first post is a hint.

We-ellll, you have two choices:

1. Smack your buddies down, and see if, like Weebles, they get up, and play again another day.

2. Be nice.

I vote: smack'em.

	24-02-2005 15:03									#9
	Re: My first multiplayer game and its experiences Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

quote: Originally posted by BigJMoney [...] *Haven't messed with VOIP yet, but if someone can tell me how to get it to work, this will be a good thing as well [...] Bad: *Too many features/options have been removed from multiplayer, and this greatly bothers me and detracts from gameplay. Here are what I've noticed: - No historian to tell you 'richest nation of the world' et al, every view turns [...] - AI aggressiveness is not an option that can be changed. We want to play a 'Warlord' level game, but we don't want the AI's aggressiveness to 'Normal' because we want to be able to survive and hack at each other in the end. We are facing Mongols and China (random), so we might be screwed here. - No way to handicap players. I am much more experienced with Civ3 than my friends are -- I just got them to get the game -- and I will destroy them unless I hold back some. It would be nice if I could play on Warlord, while they play on Chieftan.

VOIP? Is that something to do with voice chat?

I'm not sure this would affect the historian, but did you make sure the "less pop up windows" (or whatever) option under preferences is unchecked?

One basic way to handicap yourself without playing with any settings is to give the new players agricultural tribes and make sure they know that putting a city next to fresh water will give them extra food automatically. A tough tribe to take for yourself would depend on map settings, but any non-ag one should give them an advantage.

You could also look into making a scenario- the editor allows you to choose difficulty for each player, but I have no idea what affect this actualy has in a game.

BTW- are you playing Turn-based?

	24-02-2005 15:07									#10
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

quote: VOIP? Is that something to do with voice chat?

Voice over IP. So yeah, it's basically making a phone call using the internet, better catch up bacause it's going to be next big thing.

	24-02-2005 15:40									#11
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

Been around for a few years hasn't it? I hope the quality is getting better. Is it to the point where you can get a number with cable broadband and not have a phone account at all?

The directions for setting up voice chat are in the PTW readme (they are not in the Conquests readme). If you have Windows (XP, not sure about older versions), there is a wizard to set up the mike with DirectVoice. It should kick in automatically when you start a game, but I haven't played any MP myself since I got a headset...

	24-02-2005 23:29									#12
	Get a bigger avatar today!

is there in game voice chat? I'm really not sure.

I often use the program Roger Wilco (with my microphone) to play games. Though I haven't tried it with Civ3.

	25-02-2005 05:02									#13
	Tired of ads?

The conquests manual states that there is in-game voice chat. It works off of the same format that the text chat does, so if you have it selected so that only certain people see your messages, it will apply to voice as well. In diplomatic screens, only the person you are negotiationg with will hear your voice chat. The manual says to view the readme file, but I never found it in there. I will check the PTW readme file now, though, since someone mentioned it.

=$=

	25-02-2005 21:34									#14
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

I had no idea that feature for voice chat was present. Thanks for the tip.

	07-03-2005 01:02									#15
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

I've also played my first multiplayer LAN game in Conquests the other day (but I've been playing Civ since the original). Anyone know how to reload a saved game??? The multiplayer screen doesn't have a load option.. only a launch option. Also, how do you turn off automatic tech research and city production?? I have the governor off but the comp always tries to build or research something I don't want.