Potentially new game type: Multiplayer campaign

[TheLastPaganKnight]

Essentially the way it would work in theory would be for players to play a campaign like they do in single player with other people by entering a server with others. Players would be able to log on a different times throughout the day and when not on their units will be controlled buy a similar A.I to the campaigns A.I which the player can customize and set objectives for while AFK. The way this would work and stay fair, hypothetically, would be by putting time limiters on the games where the server allows no more play either based on time of day or based on how many hours of play each player has done. There would be several different hour limiters that people could select to suit their level of commitment: 2 hour limiter, 4 hour limiter, 8 hour limiter, 24 hour server, limited between 6:30PM-9PM EST what ever, options to keep things from getting unbalanced so that people with varying commitment levels can compete. Then you could have clan servers or singles servers or whateves. What are some potential flaws that people see in this concept, and do you think there is a way to compensate for those flaws? Is this game mode even of interest to people?

 

[Mabons]

They (the devs) tried to implement this but for whatever reason they decided it wouldn't work or it wasn't feasible.

 

[BayBear]

The concept of MP campaign is as old as M&B itself. Ultimately I think every idea could be feasible with enough thought and effort.. but each idea will always have drawbacks and will never be able to replicate SP. It's important to set a scope and objective for the mode so the mode remains focused.

What's your goal for the mode?
For example: limited playtime/small player base; persistent world/large player base?

 

[Timmortal]

Cant see it being done in a way that would really be fun. At most it would just end up being custom battles for the friend playing with you and then a whole lot of waiting time.

 

[Diavolo]

CRPG had this faction war system with clans taking parts of the map and fighting massive multiplayer battles to take over areas.

Just wait for mods and private servers and we can have it all. For now all multiplayer modes needed are battle and duel.

 

[TheLastPaganKnight]

The concept of MP campaign is as old as M&B itself. Ultimately I think every idea could be feasible with enough thought and effort.. but each idea will always have drawbacks and will never be able to replicate SP. It's important to set a scope and objective for the mode so the mode remains focused.

What's your goal for the mode?
For example: limited playtime/small player base; persistent world/large player base?

Maybe a miniaturized version, no sense in playing a full campaign multiplayer unless your hardcore, maybe like 4 major cities, 12 castles+villages and 4 players? just a scaled down version that still incorporates the other eliments of the game: trade, grand scale tactics, diplomacy with NPC's

 

[BayBear]

Maybe a miniaturized version, no sense in playing a full campaign multiplayer unless your hardcore, maybe like 4 major cities, 12 castles+villages and 4 players? just a scaled down version that still incorporates the other eliments of the game: trade, grand scale tactics, diplomacy with NPC's

Would time always be moving or would a turn based system be implemented?

The pause mechanic in SP wouldn't work here.

 

[Mppqlmd]

The real problem would be the battle-time. You can't really pause the game everytime battles happen, and you can't let the same amount of time pass on the real world and on the battle map (else battles would take WEEKS).

 

[Caps]

Well you could slow it down, gotta make sacrifices

 

[TheLastPaganKnight]

Would time always be moving or would a turn based system be implemented?

The pause mechanic in SP wouldn't work here.

Time would always be moving as long as a player was logged in so yeah youd have to be on your toes in it more than single player, the trade off would be a shorter, more compact competition than you experience in SP so you dont have to be constantly focused on a huge map for hours, you would be focused on a moderately sized map for X amount of time

 

[TheLastPaganKnight]

The real problem would be the battle-time. You can't really pause the game everytime battles happen, and you can't let the same amount of time pass on the real world and on the battle map (else battles would take WEEKS).

That is certainly an issue, the idea would be the game time would be slowed down and rather than building an entire empire like in SP(wqhich requires days to pass quickly) the setting is more of an out post skirmish but there are a couple towns to raid and castles to take, caravan workshops trade would probably work differently as you wouldnt so much manage them as protect them as they already exist and will supply you, you just need to make sure they dont get hit, so stream line the non combat elements to make a quicker yet still map scale conflict