The Issue With Multiplayer
mcjarvis
Member Posts: 4
In looking at the "Enhancements" listed for the game, improved multiplayer platform support is mentioned. However, the big problem I had with multiplayer in the original BG was how it did not flow very well in the following ways:
1) The nature of the game is it is mostly reading, and often one player would be waiting for his companions to finish reading.
2) In some circumstances, teammates would inadvertently skip dialogue their team had not yet read, thus ruining the game experience.
3) The nature of the game is that conversation is a major part of the game: decisions made in conversation to a large extent ARE the game. How will these decisions be made? BG originally just had whoever started the conversation make the decision, but this made the multiplayer experience feel more like "be dragged along with your teammates".
Has any work been taken to improve the overall quality of multiplayer as it was implemented, or are the improvements simply issues like matchmaking and platform support?
1) The nature of the game is it is mostly reading, and often one player would be waiting for his companions to finish reading.
2) In some circumstances, teammates would inadvertently skip dialogue their team had not yet read, thus ruining the game experience.
3) The nature of the game is that conversation is a major part of the game: decisions made in conversation to a large extent ARE the game. How will these decisions be made? BG originally just had whoever started the conversation make the decision, but this made the multiplayer experience feel more like "be dragged along with your teammates".
Has any work been taken to improve the overall quality of multiplayer as it was implemented, or are the improvements simply issues like matchmaking and platform support?
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Comments
Though it's always better if you can communicate and work as a team. I suggest working out a course of action for conversations and decision making beforehand to save on possible arguments on how to proceed later on.
-I suggested that in dialogue all players click their desired dialogue option (the option then highlights or give some indicator to show who has selected it) and then the host has the final decision. This is to ensure that all players participate in dialogue to avoid requiring vocally or type confirming that you've read it and are ready to move on (even with voice chat it gets tedious, a simple click from each player would be easier).
-that you can right-click view items in other players inventories (so all players can read notes/item descriptions at the same time instead of having to pass them around)
-that all players can use shops simultaneously
-that in combat you can select other characters (not the ones you control) and select spells/abilities, it then appears in the dialogue bar as 'Bob requests you cast fireball on Bandit' etc
For us, it'll be a bit easier because we can play together in the same room and discuss our actions and tactics, but it must be impossibly hard for players not in the same room. @HeroicSpur your suggestions sound like exactly the right ideas. Though, the dialog choices will always be the hardest part of any party-based game where all the party are real players not NPCs.
I hope some of these cries were heard and that "improvements to multiplayer" doesn't just mean better connectivity, et al.
I also agree multiplayer doesn't seem that popular, but at times it can be incredible, and with the right enhancements, it will really become something special. I will pretty much only be playing BG:EE multiplayer (pc, laptop and ipad) so I'm really hoping this area has been improved.
That exists in the base game, so I can't imagine Overhaul would remove it.
We do, however, have plans to improve it and that will be one of the very first things we address once we get the game out the door.
I should mention, also, a lot of the ideas for improvement such as a voting system and possibly player inspection or something are definitely things we'll be looking at for how to improve things.
This was not lag either - it happens if you play multiplayer on your own on one computer in multiplayer. I use to copy my multiplayer save to single player just to stop the delay when playing on my own with multiple made charnames.
Also, should we expect more info on multilayer features to come soon, or will it take a little bit more time?
In Original Campaign, you pick a party leader (This can be changed anytime in game), and this character will do all the conversations in scripted cutscenes, while others watch (and see his options.) Otherwise conversations can be initiated by anyone, and the perosn who initiates them goes through them. Perfect for a coop between 2 - 4 people, if all are friends and party's "face" has been decided.
In Storm of Zehir, once you get into a conversation, anyone in the party can talk. This results in chaos, unless you play with -friends- and talk about things. First, choose the party's regular face again, with conversation skills and what not. And if another character has high lore, and gets the option; You pause the game and tell it in chat. Then use the Lore skill instead of the "face" speaking again. (Of course SoZ missed the NWN 2 OC Cutscenes completely, some I even liked, they weren't all that bad!)
I need no SW:TOR conversations with random rolling and what not, either of these options said before work perfect. At least with my friends, that is.
EDIT: I hope I can give every player in my party the option to pause, and if paused - always ask wether people are ready before taking pause off again. Could maybe even play with the "One round, then automatic pause" option on.
EDIT 2: Inspecting another player's gear is not necessary for me, not at all. Just let us exchange items and that's all we need with my friends.
I believe they are predicting that multi will be much more in demand now, as they worked on cross-platform multiplayer and easy match-making. It's a consequence of their 500K goal : massive audience = multiplayer demand nowadays.