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Galactic Civilizations II: Would you purchase a multiplayer expansion?

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Galactic Civilizations II: Would you purchase a multiplayer expansion?

Poll results

from GalCiv2 Forums

The question we asked was, would you purchase a multiplayer only expansion pack that was $20.

Multiplayer expansion are nothing new.  Civilization III had one. Even the original Civilization had a multiplayer expansion. 

My own thoughts on a multiplayer expansion pack are ambiguous. Unlike an EA or Take 2 or any number of big publishers, Stardock's ability to get widespread retail space for an expansion pack for Galactic Civilizations II is a real challenge.

Hence, future expansion packs for Galactic Civilizations II are likely to be digital-only.  This way, the retail version of Galactic Civilizations II can hold on to its space as long as we can and people who want more can come here to get it.

Which brings us back to what exactly should be in an expansion pack.  We plan to make multiple expansion packs. One of the mistakes we made with the first GalCiv was that we only made one and users made it clear to us that they would have liked to have seen more.  So this time we will make sure we do that.

The first expansion pack would come out this Fall.  The second one next year. It would be that second expansion pack that we have to finalize what features for that could potentially be mostly about multiplayer.

When one thinks of an expansion pack, think of is like designing a ship in GalCiv II.  We have 5 slots. Multiplayer would eat up at least 3 of those slots, more likely 4 slots.

So the question really boils down to, are there OTHER features you would prefer to have instead of multiplayer.  This multiplayer poll won't be the last one on the subject.  But the results make it clear that there isn't a huge outcry for a multiplayer expansion.

I think most people are of the opinion that they'd happily by an expansion pack that included multiplayer if it had lots of other features. But that's not how these things work out. Multiplayer is a huge feature so other features would have to be taken out.

Once the first expansion pack comes out, we can then look at what might go into a second expansion pack (including multiplayer) and put the question up as to which features would people want the most.

262,548 views 249 replies
Reply #201 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'll bet there are a whole lot of people who bought the game and didn't get a chance to vote who wouldn't buy a multiplayer expansion, too. Me, for instance. I'll bet that out of all the people who could have voted but didn't, about 33% of them would have said 'yes' and 67% would have said 'no'.

This isn't a vote after all. It's a poll. You know you can't get everybody, but you try to get a representative sample.
Reply #202 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Hmmmmm what if the price of Multiplayer was raised to say $35? Would that make it worthwhile for stardock?
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Reply #203 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Personally im a big multiplayer fan. If Galciv ever gets tactical battles in the future maybe you could incorporate a skirmish mode (multiplayer skirmish). That would be great for showing of ships. Or maybe a 3d gallery for players to look at each others designs.
Reply #205 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The question we asked was, would you purchase a multiplayer only expansion pack that was $20.

No manual, No way. Their no explainations of any of the workings of the game. Why don't write a manual, or online manual first you moron!!!
Reply #206 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Why not make a mini expansion pack that is multi player. From what I have seen is that any turn base game like CIV 3, seem to do really well if it is multi player. My bet is that if Galciv added a multi player feature then more people would buy. One of my friends prefers CIV 3 to this game because he can play against other people. I would stick with Galciv if I could play against other people, and it would make more interesting. I mean after a wile the game does get boring when you can only play against the computer and no one else, so in that case how many people would stay with Galciv? Multi player will make the game funner and open new doors to the game that it did not have be for. And yes I would buy a multi player only expasion pack.
Reply #207 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'd personally love to see multiplayer in this game, the single-player is already jam-packed with complexity and features. Besides, I personally enjoy multiplayer gameplay over all other kinds and when I heard this game was single-player only I almost didn't buy it. Some other online gamers might have felt the same way and therefore didn't get to take part in this poll. I think that adding multiplayer would bring some new players to the game and there's obviously gonna be more 'no's in the poll results because the people taking the poll are gamers who have already accepted the single-player only gameplay.
Reply #208 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Let's get back to a basic fact:

SP and MP have conflicting game play experience goals:
SP- high priority: lots of random and scripted events; low priority: balance
MP- the opposite

IMHO this means designing a basic game sold two ways. One with the built-in SP mod and another with the built-in mod for MP.

Two communities; two forum areas; two games growing further apart over time.

StarDock should be expected to maximize their profits.

n.b. (do multi-player only games like WoW have people begging for an SP version?!?!)
Reply #209 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
(do multi-player only games like WoW have people begging for an SP version?!?!)


[OT, maybe?]
Actually, there are alot of players who play WoW completely solo, without joining parties, groups, or guilds. They prefer to play alone and create their own way to play WoW "single-player".

Sadly, I wouldn't be able to make my own way to play GalCiv2 multi-player  

And while possibly more risky, I think a multiplayer expansion would be good for Stardock when it comes to money. The expansion would definitely draw in some new players and they'd have to buy the first game before getting the expansion. The poll has been misleading because I have heard alot of people respond that they'd buy the expansion if it didn't take away extra single-player features. That's the only reason why they voted no, if Stardock did make a multiplayer expansion I'm sure many players would go ahead and buy it. . .the poll was somewhat biased and should've said something like, "Would you buy an expansion that only focused on adding multiplayer to the game?" without the extra explanation.
Reply #210 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
"The only multiplayer I ever see working for this is a sort of continuous universe one where teams of players can log on and play a single game or sets of games to a conclusion.

With the old Plato academic timeshare system there was a star trek type game that had 4 races that could have 20 players logged on at a time. Games went on for weeks with players loging on two hours or so at a time.

In this case, a game could be live, with players logging on to act as the race emperor. Races not occupied by a real person could be run by the AI. If the human player failed to make all moves within a time linit, the AI could make the turns for him, with a liv e time limit chess clock counting down."


I totally agree with this. I was not aware that this had been implemented before in the old school days, but I sent a private mail to Stardock encouraging this exact same model!

The only additional suggestion I made was that the server component should be available to players, server admins, ETC to impliment their own customized galaxies for their own distinct communities.

My part of the idea was ripped directly from the FPS world where sales were in some form driven by community. Given the replayability of GalCiv II, allowing the game to be played in this manner would open new doors for for the game type.

There are issues from a game mechanics standpoint. First, how do you idle an empire while the player is logged out, minimize the chance that AI will destroy what the human player was working on? And second keep players who are new from being overwhelmed by players that were running civs for a long time?

Solutions:

1. AI Idle mode that focuses on defense.

2. Tech skill that limits the number of planets that can be controlled.

3. Huge universes.

Not perfect solutions to be sure, but it's a start.

Anyhow, GalCiv II is good enough as it stands to keep me interested. I like the single player first attitude since in reality, online play is something I rarely do. But as an old time Quake II/III admin I know the joy of controlling your own game arena, and would devote serious hardware to a GalCiv II server- if only to get a weekly game in with my many friends.

Those are my thoughts.
Reply #211 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
"Would you buy an expansion that only focused on adding multiplayer to the game?"


I'm confused. Isn't that exactly what the poll did say, just reworded and without mentioning the price?
Reply #212 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Please, please, please add multiplayer to the next expansion - or even better: add it with a free patch!   
Reply #213 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I have no interest in playing multiplayer with this game. I don't care for the feature with turn-based strategy games.


Reply #214 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
MULTIPLAYER can be a bonding experience. I am half of one of four married couples who often meet online or link direct IP games to play altogether.

If GC2 were multiplayer.. hmm lets see. That is 8 Multiplayer expansions on pre-order right there!



NutshellD13
Reply #215 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
To Quote -Pasturized-

ed " And while possibly more risky, I think a multiplayer expansion would be good for Stardock when it comes to money. The expansion would definitely draw in some new players and they'd have to buy the first game before getting the expansion. The poll has been misleading because I have heard alot of people respond that they'd buy the expansion if it didn't take away extra single-player features. That's the only reason why they voted no, if Stardock did make a multiplayer expansion I'm sure many players would go ahead and buy it. . .the poll was somewhat biased and should've said something like, "Would you buy an expansion that only focused on adding multiplayer to the game?" without the extra explanation. "

The results of such a poll of players logged in to a website like this are wildly inaccurate. Short of insomniacs like myself, the chances of a multiplayer advocate actually logging in here to do anything other than complain seem nearly nill.

The point I am making here is that, while single players are likely to Alt+Tab to thier desktop and check in on the websites of games they play, those who play thier games linked up direct IP or online in game rooms are much too busy using wonderfull games such as this (when multiplayer applies) as a medium to achieve quality time. I'll bet the number of "Comp Stompers" who play with friend ands and loved ones would Dwarf the number of victory hungry PvP'rs.
"So dont be scurred.... if you havent any GC2 skills, don't fret. you could always stomp comp with someone you care about.

-NutshellD13_
Reply #216 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
No way.
Listen to captain common sense here. Galciv games are like 6 to 7 hours long.
who wants to play that long over the internet. Now, carriers, very good idea and I would definitly buy an expansion with carriers.
Reply #217 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
actually id like to know if a mp expansion is planned... i didnt vote on the poll mostly because i havent started stardock in ages... (and neither did i start galCiv2)i kind of liked that game, but we here prefer sword of the stars... not because its better, but because we can run our hour long multiplayer rounds. now, if no multiplayer mod is coming out, fine, no problem, just gives me some free disc space back for games that i can enjoy in company...
Reply #218 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'd never play this game with a stranger over the internet.

BUT see I happen to have friends. Friends that game. Friends that game with the same kind of games I do.

I turned 2 other friends onto this game, and we'd love to play multiplayer. And we'd have no problem hooking up and loading up a saved multiplayer game from last time, or even starting a new game altogether.

Other favorites of ours:

Heroes of Might and Magic III (one game of this can take FOREVER, but it's still fun)
Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic (fabulous strategy game)
Star Trek: Birth of the Federation (It's like what would happen if GalCiv and Master of Orion had a baby and then put that baby in the Star Trek universe)

All these strategy games take hours and hours to finish a game on. We might not finish EVERY game we start, but we still have loads of fun.
Reply #220 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yes! Yes! Yes!
End of quote

Only 22 months too late. This must be a thread necromancy record.

How did you ever even find the thread to be able to respond to it.
Reply #221 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Well, interesting, so this is a very old thread.

How about a new poll ? i'm sure the yes/no ratio will change drastically today.
Reply #222 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Well, interesting, so this is a very old thread.How about a new poll ? i'm sure the yes/no ratio will change drastically today.
End of quote


It would, but not in the way you'd want. Yes probably wouldn't get more than 10%. The people still playing are the ones happy with the single player game.
Reply #223 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Well, interesting, so this is a very old thread.How about a new poll ? i'm sure the yes/no ratio will change drastically today.It would, but not in the way you'd want. Yes probably wouldn't get more than 10%. The people still playing are the ones happy with the single player game.
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Well i don't really need multiplayer, but wouldn't mind it.
But it would be interesting to see the current interest of the players regarding the multiplayer feature.
I actually believe the 33% Yes mark would increase. Dropping to 10% just doesn't sound right for the year of 2008. I also don't believe that so many players wouldn't want such a feature, reading through the board i actually found alot of people who wouldn't mind multiplayer. Of course there are still alot of "no" or "i don't care" sayers as well.

I just think such a new poll wouldn't hurt anyone, if it really drops below 30% then i guess you really can forget about it.
Reply #224 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Well i don't really need multiplayer, but wouldn't mind it.
But it would be interesting to see the current interest of the players regarding the multiplayer feature.
I actually believe the 33% Yes mark would increase. Dropping to 10% just doesn't sound right for the year of 2008. I also don't believe that so many players wouldn't want such a feature, reading through the board i actually found alot of people who wouldn't mind multiplayer. Of course there are still alot of "no" or "i don't care" sayers as well.

I just think such a new poll wouldn't hurt anyone, if it really drops below 30% then i guess you really can forget about it.
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i think it's already forgotten. SD has mostly stopped development on this game. sure they have 2.0 coming out, but don't expect to see an expansion's worth of content.

the real isn't isn't "would you buy multiplayer if you could?" the real issue is "would you prefer SD devote its resources to multiplayer in lieu of other features?" and the answer to that question was an overwhelming, "no, focus on other features."
Reply #225 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
IMHO, ToA already added enough new features for SP.