Let's organize our first online game! :3

I understand the thrill and exhilaration of being the one to say ''First!'', but personally i would probably be more inclined to start off in small maps with 1v1 or  something.  Or some 1v1v1 bloodbath.  Playing a 4x online ought to be something I would like to be as expedient as possible. Seeing how a single player game takes week to complete on the largest maps, doing it with 8 humans is just asking to have multiple updates of the alpha coming in and screwing up everything before the game is even 25% finished. Not to mention the statistical improbability of all the players being available at a given time.   

So In summary I wont yet put my of approval to on this plan.

This ^^^

Fate,:beer:

You guys = No fun. Fine, sissies, it's changed. I suppose you just can't handle the awesomeness of the larger maps!

Just kidding! (Not really) :3

I'm in!

But no easy settings as you suggest. I want hard slow growth.

I won't even have the internet when the alpha drops, so my point is moot

Fate,:beer:

Medium maps aren't really that big.

I think they said it is max 4 player games in the first alpha build.

Ack, dirty.

Where did you hear this?

Can't remember where, but I'm rather certain. I'd also prefer 1vs1vs1vs1. Teams are for cowards. Abundant ressources and anamolies sounds boring and unchallenging. I vote normal or scarce.

NB! I think medium map will be OK for 4 player, and start up game. But all should have 6-8 hours at least, so we can have some fun. Perhaps 2x6h sessions Friday and Saturday after the 27th, at a set hour?

Baby steps now, my presumably Norwegian brother. 

This is kind of a concern for a 4x multiplayer game, how the hell can the matches work when most normal people have jobs, school or.girlfriends? A.I takeover or maybe ur faction becomes untouchable untill you come back? Maybe like a persistant game, I don't know has stardock hinted yet how they are going to do it?

You can save the game and join up again later. It's the only solution that doesn't completely suck.

Some older games I used to play (like 'Space Chess') have you make your turn, email it to someone, and have them email you their move. This could go on for weeks. Galactic Civilizations will have players making simultaneous turns however, so "pick-up, put down" is the only route.

StarDock has given us very little in how it is going to work, but somewhere in this mess someone said they are using the Steam support for multiplayer. Maybe some of the hints are in how Steam supports it.

I hope there is still a way to do a PBE style of multiplayer, though I would imagine it sucks for things like Diplomatic interactions or combat initiation. 

I have time to allow for real time play though. I live in NA eastern time zone btw (UTC-05), will be available on most evenings.

Edit: That is if the Accutane treatment I am about to start at the same as the Alpha gets released does not kill me.

The way to go is:

1) Shorter games like 2-4 player, smaller maps: Groups like the Civ5 NO QUITTERS (AT Steam). For People that have the NeXT 6-10 hours to play, and do not quit).

2) Longer games like 8-16 players, large/huge maps: The Europa Universalis IV way of organizing games. People organize a game in advance on the forum with a set time the game will be played every week, for instance between 18:00 and 21:00 every monday evening. Those who find these hours fitting sign up. The game is then played 3 hours every monday each week, and continues until there is a winner.

People have been playing these games in multiplayer for years. It works pretty well. Age of Wonders was doing by play by email over a decade ago, and it wasn't the first game to do that. For simultaneous play, that's fairly easy to arrange with people who have schedules that overlap somewhat.

It's very much a solved problem, depending on what game modes are available.

Just dont forgot that a lot of testers are from various parts of the world, so we might want to set a timezone first and how many players we're looking at willing to participate. 

If it's for example a 3/4 players map that you wish to play for a few hours 1-2 times a week i can perhaps join but Due to work i'm restricted to GMT+1 20:00-24:00 hours.

Wind out :) 

Wont be able to play with you then. Due to work Im pretty much in the same shoes, about 20:00-24:00 ( maybe up to 1 am at most ). But Im UTC-5.

Maybe OP should include member timezones in the first post.

Ack, fine.

Added :3

It should also be fun, for me and my team, to beat you into the muck and bomb you into the stone age. Hopefully after your planets are incandescent and your people are turned into chum I'll/we'll be capable of leaving an educated first impression.

I laughed for a full minute just thinking of how much fun that would be, I am tempted.

I don't usually play online, but I am eager to try this. (I think I am pretty good at strategy games, but will more likely get owned)

Are there many players from the UK?

I think every one should port their timezones. But maybe another thread should be started for this.

I am GMT -7 but work at night so can play like GMT +1