Faking true multiplayer (PBEM)

[John DiFool the 2nd]

As of the most recent release in the series, we could play true multiplayer (i.e. more than 2 people-NOT the "dualplayer" that we have now-each person in the game controls one major) only if everybody trusted each other implicitly and swapped regular save files without "cheating" (if the enemy) or screwing around with someone else's units (if an "ally"). If you actually used the PBEM option in the game, it would only save it at the very end of the turn, only playable by the other faction once he loaded it and typed in his password-the regular save function would be disabled.

All I am suggesting then is that you can save a PBEM at any moment, and reload it later to complete your turn (type in password), so that the files could be swapped between allies before the last player hits end turn and he gets the save file to send to the other team. Unless there are severe issues with this that I am not seeing, we could get a reasonably functional multiplayer game going. You would still have to police your allies so that they don't screw up your units (unless further functionality is introduced this will be a potential issue). The "reload" timer can still be present (# of loads = # of allies: get any more and someone cheated).

[Snowstorm]

Interesting propostion, JDF.

Not sure how it can be worked out with the developers, but it seems possible.

Hopefully the development team might offer some thoughts on this?

[xwormwood]

Could be getting tricky to divide the income (if you play a minor you don't have no income on your own).

[John DiFool the 2nd]

Well that's where diplomacy comes into play, which is the real appeal here for me...

[SeaMonkey]

There may be a way to do this now. Start a hotseat game and you can save it at any interval of turn completion and send it to your next ally. At the point when your side is done, all allies have completed their moves, save the game right before ending the turn and send the file to your opponent.

Now here's where it gets tricky and the trust thing comes into play because your opponent would have to end the turn as his first action and not look at any of your sides positions. You would also have to be OK with them seeing all the research developments, and perhaps decision events and trust them to solicit you for a decision, it kind of ruins the FoW environment.

There is hope though. The one equaling factor is that you now get to return the favor to them, all that trust they showed your side can be reciprocated when they come to the completion of their turn. Of course it would be a lot easier if Hubert would just code a savable PBEM selection and players could deal with the trust factor as they see fit.

[Hubert Cater]

This is a great idea and a tough call at the same time as we originally introduced PBEM saving at the end of the turn to limit PBEM game abuse where players were usually replaying their turns, or portions of their turns, until they achieved the desirable result.

Playing Hotseat would be a way to resolve this as you can save at any time... but granted there is no turn replay with Hotseat so this has a downside as well.

Hubert