Feature Request: More dynamic multiplayer

Think this will work?

The way I envisioned it was like this. Player A hosts a game with 5 open slots, and let's say he immediately invites players B and C into the game and makes the other two slots AI controlled. During the course of the game, player C has to leave early (work, sleep, house on fire, etc.) so he exits and now it's just players A & B duking it out, with player C's faction taken over by the AI. Now players A & B wants to invite a buddy, so they call up player D, he joins in and sees three open factions and joins one (There is an option for the host to either allow the joining players to choose or host chooses for them). Could be player C's faction, or any of the other two that were AI controlled from the start. So player A, B, and D are duking it out, player E comes in and joins, but only stays for a little while and then leaves. And then comes 4 AM in the morning, all the players get tired and log off, with the game automatically saving the state of the universe for each player. Note, however that player C has a "young" version of the universe, so if he hosts that game, and players A and B join his game, they will be, in essence, going back to the time where C left. Now if A, B, or D hosts the game, and C joins, C will have have the updated universe (along with the old version perhaps), and be able to join any of the open factions.

This is how I envisioned having multiplayer work. This would allow for a more dynamic universe, and allow for greater story telling. I hope all this made sense. Let me know what you think!
9,662 views 10 replies
Reply #1 Top
That'd be really great, but hard to actually implement all that to the game. I don't see this happening in the patches at lesást (if ever).
Reply #2 Top
It actually wouldn't take that much at all. All it takes is for each player to save the state of the universe when they exit or hit the save button, which I think it does already.

Then it's just a matter of who ever is hosting the game, giving that saved universe to all the players joining so they have the copy that the host wants to use.

I can't see how that would be that difficult...
Reply #3 Top

It actually wouldn't take that much at all. All it takes is for each player to save the state of the universe when they exit or hit the save button, which I think it does already.

Then it's just a matter of who ever is hosting the game, giving that saved universe to all the players joining so they have the copy that the host wants to use.

I can't see how that would be that difficult...


Well to fully implement this they would have develop somekind of savegame sharing system (unless you're playing with friends (e-mail)), also having AI take over the game is not that easy. It's not working at the moment. Not to mention players joining in the middle of a game which can be tricky. I use the word "can" because I have no idea how IC has actually handled the multiplayer code.

But we'll see what IC has in store for us.
Reply #6 Top
Hmmm...I dunno if the devs will work this into the current game, but it is possible because Sword of the Stars and its expansion already does just what you describe. Go ahead and check it out. It's a turn-based and RTS hybrid like the Total War series if you are familiar with those, but set in space.
Reply #7 Top
I don't see it happening... but we can hope.
Reply #8 Top
How hard would it be to implement a file sharing system in game? A lot of RTS games do this (examples: Starcraft, Warcraft 3, Command and Conquers (generals, afaik), and at least a load of other non-rts games).

Why should SOASE be an exception?
Reply #9 Top
I have no clue why it didn't ship with this capability.
Reply #10 Top

I have no clue why it didn't ship with this capability.


Time? Money? Take your pick...