Risasi Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 Hello all, I've been searching for many months now. Some of my friends and I get together to play games via LAN play. (Most of us are married now, so only get let off the leash for one night every once in awhile) While we do have a 4Mb internet connection at the location, we generally only play LAN with each other. Here is the deal, we've tried playing more strategic games, but we have reached a critical mass where this does not work so well. Last time we played there were 11 of us. This pretty much limited us to playing FPS, or...FPS. Most of us are also RTS guys, but very rarely will you find a title that supports more than 8 players. On top of that most strategy or tactical games don't play well on a LAN. Here is what I am looking for: 1. Squad-based Tactical or Abstract Strategic control of multiple men/vehicles. 2. Support for more than 8 players. (We never seem to have less than 10 people any more.) 3. Ability to join a game already in progress. (Waiting for a 2 hour RTS to end while at a LAN party sucks, let's not even discuss TBS...) 4. Not so much emphasis on resource building. We prefer a game more like chess, not "who can click faster then the other guy". Certainly resources should play a role though. So every review I have read online indicates this is more like some poor attempt at Battlefield 1942/2142/etc. I gather it's not, but I can't quite figure out how to stereotype this game. Can you guys help me out and sort of set my expectations? ---------- Here is a short list of what I have tried and found lacking: 1. Rise of Nations/Starcraft/AOE's/Homeworld: A little heavy on base building (this could be nerfed by controlling resources obviously), maps are too small, no respawn, no ability to play more than 8. 2. clan-sy's Spring Project: Nice support for up to 24 players, shared armies but...no respawn, still buggy. 3. Ground Control I and II: The good; drop-in game join, squad based tactics, runs on anything. The bad; only supports 8 players. So I'm at an impasse guys. Several of us are Civ fans. I'm a big Close Combat series nut. But the problem is all these games have little in the way of support for a weekend 6-12 hour LAN party binge with a bunch of friends. So, what do you think. Is Dropteam the kind of game I'm looking for, or is it too close to the run of the mill UT Onslaught, or Battlefield Capture the Flag FPS's that are so prevalent today? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePhantom Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Risasi - I like this game. I could go into great detail of all of the reasons... But I don't have too. Download the demo. It's easy and you'll get a taste of the game. I do have to tell you - The more people playing the more enjoyable the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilibird Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 It's a FPS/RTS. You don't need to develop resources, but there is heavy focus on strategy/flanking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junglist Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 My two cents: DropTeam has a heavy emphasis on teamwork and in game communication. A team that works together will always defeat a group of individuals. The vehicle selection and game structure allow for a huge array of options: one can play an up-front combat role or one of the support/command roles. Due to this, games with two or more people on each team seldom play-out the same way. DropTeam does have it's issues - the latest update is a little buggy for one, but the developers have been, for the most part, very hands on in addressing bugs and communicating with the gaming community in regards to improving the game. Personally, I love the game. It is a little hard to slot in any one category, which is one of the reasons it has thus far not caught on in a big way. But, according to what you are say you are looking for, Risasi, DropTeam might be the just the right fit. Now, how it plays over a Lan connection, I have no idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperial Grunt Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 I think DT is one of the best, realistic tactical game out there. It does lack in "eye candy" but in my opinion, it more than makes up for it in emphasizing tactics over gaming. I love the game too and I am quite addicted to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poesel Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 No base building, big maps (rather too big), respawn, no player limit that I know of (except server power), a bit buggy (just), drop-in game, small scale tactics, runs on anything (that is Mac,Linux,Win and on old hardware), little eye candy, highly moddable, thoroughly simulated, cheap, addictive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risasi Posted January 24, 2007 Author Share Posted January 24, 2007 Thanks for the info so far, I have downloaded and installed the demo, just haven't run it yet. I guess that brings a couple of other questions to mind; 1. If it plays more like a FPS/RTT how do multiple players on the same team control the different infantry and vehicles. Are you constantly jumping in a out of some sort of FPS mode to take control of that vehicle. Or is it more of a platoon or squad commander role that occurs? I'm wondering how this translates to say a 6v6 LAN match? Also I guess that makes me wonder how good the AI is. 2. It appears that vehicles and new maps/scenarios can be created. One thing that is sort of a turn off is no aircraft, however I do understand why they have made this "universe" air unfriendly. Even with the huge map size it's still small in light of fast aircraft. What is it 1000km squared? That's about 24x24mi if I haven't forgotten my math. Even a slow WWII prop plane could traverse this distance in a few minutes. You'd have aircraft blipping in and out so fast it would ruin the whole balance of land based tactical warfare. Anyway I said all that because if the AI is decent I was still thinking it would be fun to create some vehicles. Starting with air. But not really directly controlled. I was thinking similar to the squad infantry units that have been added. I'm thinking kind of a hive mentality. Some sort of pod attached to other vehicles that would contain a "swarm" of small, expendable air drones. They get a target designated to them, they then try to go kamikaze the target. We sort of see this happening already. With the drone UAV's the US military is using. Air warfare has come to the point where air travel has rendered a human pilot inferior. Anyway, I'm kind of thinking about making an air unit, if it's possible to add units in this game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aittam Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 1) well you do bots wrangling but a single commander can be elected by votation, still you are allowed to switch between units, 8 units per side, in a 6x6 will leave just an AAA vehicle and a jammer to be wrangled around, easy enough 2) due to the AAA range sometimes flying around it's impossible, nevertheless air units are actively researched by the modders, see subforum, as wella s new vehicles/weapons systems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Type98 Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Look up the reviews in regards to gameplay (there were one or two listed in the forums). There is also a manual that goes over the gameplay somewhat (if it has not been updated, it is probably out of date by now). Note: I don't own the game. The following is based on the earlier demos, YMMV. Basically, the player plays FPS via individual vehicles or squads, i.e. the player has direct control over his/her vehicle/infantry squad. There is no resource gathering or building. Both sides start out with combat assets determined by the scenario/map. If your preference is in the 4X, dropteam does not have the explore, expand, and exploit phase. Respawn is limited to the assets you start with. No more respawn once the assets are depleted. The AI will fill out the roster if there are insufficient players. Any player can issue orders to the AI units on their side. One player on each side can take a commander role. This will restrict re-supply and orbital strikes. LAN play still require Internet Access based on the authentication system deployed. AI is not the sharpest knife in the drawer and does not appear to employ any strategy (drop, charge, shoot/die/get stuck/ignore commands) so coop against AI gets boring fast. The gametypes were described in the manual (objective or CTF). The gameplay has changed since its release last year so use the latest demo. IMHO Dropteam is closer to the Myth series (with respawn) from bungie then other FPS/RTS series like Savage/Battlezone I and II. [ January 24, 2007, 08:20 AM: Message edited by: Type98 ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risasi Posted January 24, 2007 Author Share Posted January 24, 2007 "LAN play still require Internet Access based on the authentication system deployed." Oh, not cool. Sometimes when we get together an internet connection is not available. Sometimes it is. But I don't want to have to depend upon an "umbilical cord". Scratch this then... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
__Yossarian0815[jby] Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Originally posted by Risasi: "LAN play still require Internet Access based on the authentication system deployed." Oh, not cool. Sometimes when we get together an internet connection is not available. Sometimes it is. But I don't want to have to depend upon an "umbilical cord". Scratch this then... the umbical cord is only for the authentification. so all you would need is a 56k telephone modem hooked up to a router. (admittedly i haven´t tried this, but then I can´t think of anybody who plays LAN games but doesn´t have an internet connection. sort of retro don´t you think? ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risasi Posted January 24, 2007 Author Share Posted January 24, 2007 Yeah, but what happens when it's 20 guys on a network all trying to authenticate? IMO That's a bad anti-piracy scheme. Any attempt to stop it, even this one will fail. First thing I'd do is pop a packet sniffer on one of our routers and start picking out the traffic. But this is silly, this doesn't make me want to pirate the game, makes me want to look elsewhere... It's retro perhaps, but you must understand I am a burned out online gaming junkie. My first computer was a VIC-20, my second a C64. I used to have about 2500 games on my C64 when a kid. Anyway long story short I used to play the BBS game, jump on Netrek, then in the early 90's the online gaming craze started. After the hacking got going full swing I walked. I don't care for the online gaming communities, my friends and I are all mid 20's to late 30's now, and we get together in various locations. We just don't have the time to play enough to be competitive online. Sorry, we've gone ghost when it comes to the online gaming world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
__Yossarian0815[jby] Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Originally posted by Risasi: Yeah, but what happens when it's 20 guys on a network all trying to authenticate? IMO That's a bad anti-piracy scheme. Any attempt to stop it, even this one will fail. First thing I'd do is pop a packet sniffer on one of our routers and start picking out the traffic. But this is silly, this doesn't make me want to pirate the game, makes me want to look elsewhere... It's retro perhaps, but you must understand I am a burned out online gaming junkie. My first computer was a VIC-20, my second a C64. I used to have about 2500 games on my C64 when a kid. Anyway long story short I used to play the BBS game, jump on Netrek, then in the early 90's the online gaming craze started. After the hacking got going full swing I walked. I don't care for the online gaming communities, my friends and I are all mid 20's to late 30's now, and we get together in various locations. We just don't have the time to play enough to be competitive online. Sorry, we've gone ghost when it comes to the online gaming world. Ummmm, you´ve just described the typical DT player And I had/have a Philips G7000 (1978) videopac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risasi Posted January 24, 2007 Author Share Posted January 24, 2007 Funny... G7000 eh? Haven't seen one. I wonder if the carts could be ported. I took all my old atari stuff and dumped it to floppy disks once I got my Commodore, just ran it via an emulator. That was the beginning of the end for me. I started messing with the C64's, then Apple II, then parked my butt at IBM clones and didn't look at consoles again until the PS2 came out. Anyway, this game sounds interesting. At this point I'm going to have to run the demo and just check it out. I like in-depth, simulation stuff like this. But it still has to be fun, AND run well. I'll check it out and be back to post my take. Thanks for the help so far guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankibanki Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Helpful as the developpers have been so far, I wouldn't be surprised if they enabled you to play it in a LAN without internet connection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaytoniousRex Posted January 28, 2007 Share Posted January 28, 2007 Risasi, if the requirement to have an internet connection for network login is standing in the way of a bunch of honest players' attempts to play, then let us know. As tanki says, we can rig something up for you so that you can play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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