Multiplayer - A newbie speaks

JosefGiven · March 6, 2001, 04:43

Hi folks,

Me and a few mates have all got copies of Civ Multi Gold, and we're about to embark on our first internet multiplayer game. Last night, I managed to start a 'test' game with one mate, and all seemed well. One thing I didn't like is the fact that I seemed unable to customise my civ/titles. Anyone know how to do this? BTW, I know how to do this perfectly in single-player.

The version we all have is un-patched. Should we all get ourselves patched right on up? Any words of wisdom for a multiplayer newbie would be much appreciated, ta

finbar · March 6, 2001, 07:36

Customising seems to be a problem sometimes. I never have a problem, others report difficulties. No one seems to know why.

You're better off getting patched. Fewer bugs and glitches. Make sure you're all patched, though. Anyone who's not will have big problems playing with the others.

As for tips, try the "Great Library" thread in the Civ 2 Strategy Forum. There are more tips than you could ever imagine.

Good luck, happy multiplaying.

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Mono Rules!
#33984591

Ming · March 6, 2001, 09:20

Yes... make sure everybody in the game is using the latest patch...

The custom titles problem is "strange". Sometimes it takes, sometimes it doesn't. Also, even after it is excepted, it sometimes resets to the default when the came is reloaded for technical reasons, or just being continued.

Have fun playing Civ MP... humans are sure more fun to play than the stupid AI.

Keep on Civin'

markusf · March 6, 2001, 14:47

Doesn't take if you have a long player or civ name

March 6, 2001, 16:11

I am using the latest patch and have problems with leader customization though.

March 6, 2001, 18:35

"Speak!" Woof!

"Speak!" Woof!

"Good dog!"

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Chaos, panic and disorder - My work here is done.

finbar · March 6, 2001, 20:21

<center><table width=80%><tr><td><font color=000080 face="Verdana" size=2><font size="1">quote:
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1>
</font><font size=1>Originally posted by Ming on 03-06-2001 08:20 AM</font>

The custom titles problem is "strange". Sometimes it takes, sometimes it doesn't. Also, even after it is excepted, it sometimes resets to the default when the came is reloaded for technical reasons, or just being continued.
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1></font></td></tr></table></center>

Reloading from an auto save seems to reset the names to the defaults.

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Founder, ACS Pedantry Institute
Founder, ACS Gourmet Recipe Exchange
Troll & Hydey Wrangler
Mono Rules!
#33984591

March 6, 2001, 20:36

Eureka! This may explain why I have been unable to customise all my titles to "Comrade".

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Chaos, panic and disorder - My work here is done.

finbar · March 6, 2001, 20:42

Comrade, I've never had problems customising titles, leader or tribe names. To the extent that, if, in the early stages, a game is cancelled for whatever reason and restarted, I select the same civ and the software has retained the customised names.

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Founder, ACS Pedantry Institute
Founder, ACS Gourmet Recipe Exchange
Troll & Hydey Wrangler
Mono Rules!
#33984591

kengel · March 7, 2001, 08:47

Welcome & have a look at this quick-tips for newbies

http://apolyton.net/forums/Forum2/HTML/001768.html

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greets from the Warrior of sky

JosefGiven · March 7, 2001, 15:59

Wow, I had not expected so much help. Thanks folks!

BTW, I have since tried another multiplayer game, and have been able to customise both the leader and civilisation names successfully. I think things went wrong because I was using titles that were far too long. Grand, but too long.

finber, those're wise words regarding the auto-save glitch. Nice one

kengel, that link'll come in handy. I will pass it on to all my Civ playing comrades, who are non-Apolytonite foreigners, the dogs.

<center><table width=80%><tr><td><font color=000080 face="Verdana" size=2><font size="1">quote:
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1>
</font>"Speak!" Woof!

"Speak!" Woof!

"Good dog!"
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1></font></td></tr></table></center>Alexander's Horse, you are a chimp

One other query for the lads: My ISP is BT (British Telecom). With the package I, and one of my civ pals currently have, We are automatically cut off after two hours. This is not a 'fault', this is how our contracts work, presumably to stop us from wasting the free time we get after 6 o'clock GMT.

Getting to the point, I know we can all load back up if one of us is disconnected, but can anyone forsee(sp?) problems rising up due to this issue? Thanks again

finbar · March 7, 2001, 19:37

The only problem's going to be the pain in the arse having to reload. If you know roughly when you're going to be booted, make sure you save the game prior to the booting. The alternative - the booted player "hot joining" back into the game - isn't always successful. Of course, if the host player is about to be booted, saving is imperative, because as soon as the host is booted, the software will try to transfer the hosting to one of the other players' computers. Which usually brings about chaos.

Most games suffer from players being booted for either server or software glitch reasons. It's something you learn to live with.

PS. Don't worry about Alexander's Horse. He's halfway to being an idiot savant.
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Founder, ACS Pedantry Institute
Founder, ACS Gourmet Recipe Exchange
Troll & Hydey Wrangler
Mono Rules!
#33984591

<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by finbar (edited March 07, 2001).]</font>

Hydey · March 8, 2001, 06:12

<center><table width=80%><tr><td><font color=000080 face="Verdana" size=2><font size="1">quote:
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1>
</font><font size=1>Originally posted by finbar on 03-07-2001 06:37 PM</font>
Don't worry about Alexander's Horse. He's halfway to being an idiot savant.
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1></font></td></tr></table></center>

Halfway?????????

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I am the real Troll
A.H. is a nice guy
Sooky Sooky La La

Ming · March 8, 2001, 09:19

Being booted by your ISP is only one of the technical problems...
While the autosave feature is nice, if I'm the host, I always save right after my turn... that way, if a problem happens, at most, all you lose is a turn. Because finbar is right... if the host is dropped, and the game changes hosts, total chaos can happen. Saving at the point doesn't work

JosefGiven · March 8, 2001, 15:04

Cheers, Ming, finbar

I should really cane the Great Library rather than taking your good selves' time up, but I like getting advice direct from you old pros too much (flattery will get me everywhere... )

OK, you've all done me proud so far...I'm doing nicely in our first game, with my Machiavellian schemes going off left right and centre.

Another glitch I've spotted: Whenever I try to barter for techs with the host, All the techs in the entire game, discovered or otherwise, are listed as available for trade when I go into that part of the diplomacy screen. We, as players, have not yet taken the opportunity to explore the phenomenon any further, and I wondered if anyone here has experienced this.

I dare say it's something that's addressed in the patch(es?), which brings me to my next concern: If we all patch ourselves up in mid-game, will that cause problems, and force us to restart?

finbar · March 8, 2001, 18:57

Josef, you will only ever see the complete list of techs until you establish an embassy with another civ. At that point, the tech lists will be reduced to what you've got and they haven't, and vice versa.

If you want to select more than one tech in the list, hit Shift when you click on each tech. At least that's how you do it on a Mac. I wouldn't know about those other things.

It doesn't matter when you all patch up. As long as you all patch up together. Anyone unpatched will soon be revealed.

------------------
Founder, ACS Pedantry Institute
Founder, ACS Gourmet Recipe Exchange
Troll & Hydey Wrangler
Mono Rules!
#33984591
<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by finbar (edited March 08, 2001).]</font>

finbar · March 8, 2001, 19:02

<center><table width=80%><tr><td><font color=000080 face="Verdana" size=2><font size="1">quote:
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1>
</font><font size=1>Originally posted by Ming on 03-08-2001 08:19 AM</font>
if I'm the host, I always save right after my turn... that way, if a problem happens, at most, all you lose is a turn.
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1></font></td></tr></table></center>

Very good point. Not enough hosts do this. You can either overwrite each time you save, or have multiple saves at the end of the session, which you can clean out later.

------------------
Founder, ACS Pedantry Institute
Founder, ACS Gourmet Recipe Exchange
Troll & Hydey Wrangler
Mono Rules!
#33984591

Rasputin · March 9, 2001, 05:22

got to save every turn as well if you ever paly an "unknown" online, the first few time syoui play new people beware of cheating.. check Mings famous cheat threads....

Ming · March 9, 2001, 10:06

If I'm playing with people I'm not familar with, I will do my normal save, but save by year... never overwriting, but having a year by year track of the game.

If I'm playing with people I know and trust, I usually just overwrite the file... making sure I have a current save, and one that is a few turns old.
I like keeping the second file, because sometimes, you aren't notified that a person has dropped, and you don't notice it until you get an ICQ message, or use chat with kings and see a player is missing. If the AI controls a civ for even one turn, it can do serious damage to a players overall strategy. I have no problem replaying a turn or two so that the person isn't screwed

DaveV · March 9, 2001, 10:17

Another reason to keep save files: post-game analysis. You can learn a lot by looking at the save files after a game is over. By studying what your opponent did, you can pick up some of his tricks (and be more prepared for him next time).

JosefGiven · March 9, 2001, 15:30

Right, turn-by-turn saves it is, then.

We've got a few games on the go simultaneously, now. This is because sometimes not all of us are on-line, and the rest of us want a game. I am hosting one of these sub-games, so is it best to save during my turn, or during someone elses? (IE: The player after me, or the player before me.)

Also, where do multiplayer vets stand on double move/production? I can see it's a useful method to get the game moving quickly at the start, but after a while it get's a bit ridiculous. It's 950 BC, and I've already got cities generating pollution, such is their rate of shield output.

Is it established practice to switch off double move/prod when things start to pick up a bit? I am dreading the point where we enter the nuclear age on double move...on a medium map we'll have missiles that can hit just about anywhere in the world!!!

Ming · March 9, 2001, 17:06

There is a mulitude of feelings when it comes to the settings.
There is a hard core bunch who swear by 1x1x because it is the way the game is meant to be played.
Many of duelers like 2x2x because it makes for an a fast game.
Another bunch like the 2x production to speed the game up, but hate the 2x movement because of it's effects on combat... (catapults moving and attacking on the same turn, or mobile units that come out of nowhere)

Whenever the issue is raised on best/favorite settings, it usually gets very emotional

, with everybody claiming the settings they use are the best.

Needless to say, try them, and play what you enjoy the most.

Discussions about other settings (Deity vs King)(raging hordes vs no barbs)(large world vs small)(huts vs no huts) usually get equally as heated

Just have fun and keep on civin'

March 10, 2001, 04:39

Jeez some you are kind to strangers

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Chaos, panic and disorder - My work here is done.

TacticalNuke · March 15, 2001, 12:07

Yes, and some are just kind of strange.

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A sigh is just a sigh...

March 15, 2001, 16:14

Hey, I am new to this is as well and I am looking for possible games...

Take it as a game proposal.