Multiplayer, but not as you think.

[FyrnSkulblaka]

I know, I know, Multiplayer Rimworld is and unlikely concept, but hear me out here:

Multiplayer death matches/capture the flag between four players each with a 6 colonist squad of troops. Fighting in a pre-constructed arena. No respwans. Fight for the objective or to death.

The armour/ skills of your colonists you can choose at the start of the game with a system like EDB prepare carefully. Games are picked on a points basis, so if you want a low-tech tribal like brawl to the death a lower points game would be best. However, if you want high-tech, trained efficiency fighting you would go for a higher points map.

Game modes could include
Deathmatch (4 Teams spawn in the map, given 30 seconds to look at the other team's equipment and the map, and duke it out)
Team Deathmatch (Same as above but 2vs2)
Capture the objective (Have to take and defend an objective against all other competitors, 4 Teams)
Object Retrieval (All four teams aim to collect 5 objects scattered across the map, not sure if it'd be something like an Ai core or a prisoner or something)

I won't lie, If this was introduced as Dlc I'd pay for it.

[jzero]

This actually sounds pretty great!

[ironstar]

yeah, this does sound pretty great! I don't know if I'd buy it if it was a DLC, but I might. Rimworld combat is a ton of fun.

there's another mode we might enjoy: fortress survival. one team starts with resources in a strategic location, while the other team(s) start with more weapons and more pawns. can the builder team make a clever enough defense to survive the onslaught? that's a mode I'd personally love to play.

the biggest problem with developing this is that client service is hard. coding a multiplayer mode is difficult in itself, but it may require large parts of the base game to be rewritten to let things work. I don't see Tynan being able to juggle adding multiplayer and adding new content at the same time. maybe if it was some sort of community project...

[FyrnSkulblaka]

Exactly why I'm not getting my hopes up. It would be a huge hassle. However, maybe making game modes of this kinda against Ai's would be easier? Maybe not as great, but hey

[Toggle]

If it was against AI, it wouldn't be multiplayer. And multiplayer just doesn't work. Multiplayer combat would be horrible. First thing, biggest issue, you can't pause. This isn't an FPS, it isn't a shooter where you do fast paced moves. You have all the time in the world, paused usually, to do what you want. Combat between two players, not being able to pause, would just really be horrible. You'd only be able to control a single colonist at a time, and even if it was just one colonist there's little you can control but shoot, run, shoot, run, shoot, run, for multiplayer. Multiplayer combat is just not in the gameplay, never will happen.

[Grogfeld]

If it was against AI, it wouldn't be multiplayer. And multiplayer just doesn't work. Multiplayer combat would be horrible. First thing, biggest issue, you can't pause. This isn't an FPS, it isn't a shooter where you do fast paced moves. You have all the time in the world, paused usually, to do what you want. Combat between two players, not being able to pause, would just really be horrible. You'd only be able to control a single colonist at a time, and even if it was just one colonist there's little you can control but shoot, run, shoot, run, shoot, run, for multiplayer. Multiplayer combat is just not in the gameplay, never will happen.

Have a solution for you. How about semi-turn based mode. Every player gives order in pause mode and then hit RED button. If both do that, timer goes up and 10 sec start countdown. Real time of battle, and another pause mode. You give your orders, opponent gives his orders and hit RED GLOWING BUTTON. Another 10 sec. Of course both players can give orders in the real-time faze to adjust.

[killer117]

Why not just use the system from the total war series. All players have to agree to change time settings. And zombie2, multiplayer could be done, ive already seen a post where one modder was trying, and if u have a provblem with controling more than one colinist without being able to pause all the time then just dont play the multiplayer. Simple

[Toggle]

No, because multiplayer would be a pain in the ass for Tynan to code, and he can't spend time doing it if half the users don't play it because it's bad. For the semi-turn based mode? Tedious. And all players agreeing to change time settings? Still doesn't work out well. Rimworld is not made for people to control and have real time combat. There's not even an ability to use multiple troops and right click on an enemy to have them all attack, you have to click on each one individually and make them attack a target. It just doesn't work for multiplayer.

[Grogfeld]

For the semi-turn based mode? Tedious. And all players agreeing to change time settings? Still doesn't work out well. Rimworld is not made for people to control and have real time combat.

Wrong approach. I'm telling you about a synchronized pause option that will trigger after 10 sec of combat. It unpause  only if two sides will hit red button. So no one is agreeing to change time settings. System controls it for you AND of course 10 sec is only a suggestion. I'm talking about coded system to control this situation not a gentleman agreement to not move/shoot because I'm going to give orders. It's not RTS system like in most of games from that genre.

There's not even an ability to use multiple troops and right click on an enemy to have them all attack, you have to click on each one individually and make them attack a target.

Come on, REALLY this is your biggest issue? It's in vanilla game and you still playing it, right?

Now. Have you ever played combat mission titles? There is similar system from which I've taken this inspiration. But because of scale length of battle is divided into 1 minute intervals.

You say that multiplayer is to hard to do, to much to ask, and just not feasible, but let me give you another example where everyone said that it won't work: Kerbal Space Program. KSP is a much much complicated game for multiplayer system implantation. There are physics calculation that are really hard to synchronize but there are ppl that created multiplayer mod, and it's working quite good.

I'm not saying that there should be a multiplayer mod that gives you possibility to run several colonies and give opportunity to destroy your opponent. I'm just expand FyrnSkulblaka idea of GAME MODE where two separate teams can fight each other.
My concept is feasible it need a right creator if no one will do it, not a problem, there is endless space with millions stars and planets to crash, in single player mode

And whats most important I'm not talking that Tynan should do it. I like single player games especially like this, and the way he create more and more content gives me hope that it could be one of the greatest games in history.

[Spectre]

This reminds me heavily of the multiplayer in Fallout Tactics. You have a squad and a certain amount of points to equip your squad with, some people would just have one godly character or a team of more general guys.

The biggest problem I have with this idea is how combat currently works in Rimworld, there's no real control over when your pawns do other than individually selecting them and telling them to fire. If this multiplayer idea was implemented you'd basically just move four guys into range of the other other squad and whoever shoots first would win, minus the one sniper at the back.

But I do agree that it's certainly an interesting idea. I mean Prison Architect implemented Escape mode at the end of development which is completely different from the prison building main game, so I see no reason why Tynan can't focus on the multiplayer after he's happy with the single player. I mean he even said that the state Rimworld is in he's happy with it as an overall product.

My only fear is that unless multiplayer has some of the base building it will be dead pretty quickly. People purchase Rimworld expecting a Dwarf Fortress like base building game, not a turn based squad shooter. They'd try it once and just stick to the colony simulation.

[Toggle]

For the semi-turn based mode? Tedious. And all players agreeing to change time settings? Still doesn't work out well. Rimworld is not made for people to control and have real time combat.

Wrong approach. I'm telling you about a synchronized pause option that will trigger after 10 sec of combat. It unpause  only if two sides will hit red button. So no one is agreeing to change time settings. System controls it for you AND of course 10 sec is only a suggestion. I'm talking about coded system to control this situation not a gentleman agreement to not move/shoot because I'm going to give orders. It's not RTS system like in most of games from that genre.

There's not even an ability to use multiple troops and right click on an enemy to have them all attack, you have to click on each one individually and make them attack a target.

Come on, REALLY this is your biggest issue? It's in vanilla game and you still playing it, right?

KSP is mentioned too much as an example. It's an entirely different game, saying that people doubted that could be multiplayer and it did doesn't make it a prime example for multiplayer arguments. They're two games nowhere close to each other.

So for your turn based suggestion? My statement was tedious, that's all. What I said after was aimed at the other commentor, who suggested one that is controlled by all players. To have the game freeze every 10 seconds and wait for both players to make it start again is tedious, you may take a quick amount of time but the other person may make you wait minutes to start again. And combat just doesn't fit that. All you can do is tell them to move to a location, or fire at a certain enemy at the end of said turn. Then you have to wait for it to unpause and do it again. It's a horrible way to have combat, it's not suited for multiplayer.

Yeah, it's not in vanilla, because YOU control time yourself in vanilla. Having to get every colonist to target each thing individually when you're in combat would suck. And having it pause just doesn't work for combat.

[Grogfeld]

I get your point. There is not to many things that you can do in combat now. I had few suggestions to create more tactical approach to combat with stance system where you could sneak behind chunks and even furniture so maybe that would give a variety choices but still it would need change in AI. Maybe someday I will sit and make it happen.

As for your comment on KSP I  think that a good example should always be shown, and I don't think that it's a bad one. 
I said about it because it shows determination of moders where word "impossible" doesn't exist and didn't compare at all those games. But lets leave it.

I think that some kind of multiplayer mode should be created, a framework that could open new possibilities or close discussion about it if it would be crappy. I don't see any point to discourage those who maybe thinking about it, and not to be too pessimistic. There need to be taken steps to make it either fun and probably with less micromanagement more autonomous pawn decision and that leads to other topics.

[Toggle]

It's literally illegal for someone to create a multiplayer mod and distribute it. So yes, discourage it.

And the system just will never be built for action like that.

[killer117]

How the hell is it illegal. How

[Toggle]

To make a mod, you'd have to change the core game unity files and redistribute them, which is illegal to do so. The redistributing part, because it's the core game itself. It's been stated in previous multiplayer threads.