Teamplay anyone?

[macgregor]

Am I the only player talking about this? These big scenarios are the most beautiful I've seen, but I don't want to spend all day moving. Plus, and call me old school, I like having allies to discuss strategy with.

No scheduling or connection beyond discord required. You can receive and upload turns right on Discord. No zipping required. One side moves, and circulates the turn among allies, as necessary in .sal format until all the rounds are completed and then submits it to the other side, who do the same.

https://discord.gg/F8P7Kfcacq

[Cpl GAC]

I'd be for starting simple to make sure it works. I suggest this; https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 5&t=317827 (I'll play the Soviets - North or South Fronts).

The best - and would take a big commitment; https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 5&t=393061

[macgregor]

I just played Spanish civil war with someone. You can upload or download straight from discord. I'll PM you an invite to the server. I'm not against something like 2v2. But we can vote on a scenario. I already have 5 players interested. I'd like more to take on a really big scenario.

[macgregor]

I've started a 4-player game of 'Boonie Rats 1965-1972'. One player moves, then uploads the turn to a private channel as a .sal on discord(no zipping required). From there, one by one his allies can access the file to move their troops. Once the rounds are finished, the turn gets passed on to the opposition as a .pbl. If anyone else is interested in playing on a team, please let me know. I'd love to tackle some of these larger scenarios. If a player is unavailable, it's very easy for his ally to move for him.

[golden delicious]

I've done this a couple of times and it's a great way to play, however I'm unlikely to have time to participate at the moment.

You've probably already started playing but here's my advice from experience. When we've done this before we've had an overall commander for each force who is responsible for 1) distributing reinforcements and arbitrating general strategy and 2) resolving second and subsequent rounds. If you intend to pass the .sal file between players every single round then the game will take f.o.r.e.v.e.r. Instead when each player shares their move they should advise the overall commander of their general operational outline for the remaining rounds. Naturally you need someone responsible and reliable for this job.

The overall commander can also be responsible for other things:
1) communicating with the other force including sending the PBL file
2) taking control of any minor action which doesn't fit neatly into individual sectors
3) standing in for players who are AWOL, and finding their replacements

People will drop out. Either they flake because they don't like how things are going, lose interest in TOAW, or get taken out by a life event. Replacements are fine. Don't plan to play a 400 turn scenario as you will not finish it (has anyone ever finished one? Most I've played is under 200). Make sure everyone on the team has the PBM password.

[macgregor]

I've done this a couple of times and it's a great way to play, however I'm unlikely to have time to participate at the moment.

You've probably already started playing but here's my advice from experience. When we've done this before we've had an overall commander for each force who is responsible for 1) distributing reinforcements and arbitrating general strategy and 2) resolving second and subsequent rounds. If you intend to pass the .sal file between players every single round then the game will take f.o.r.e.v.e.r. Instead when each player shares their move they should advise the overall commander of their general operational outline for the remaining rounds. Naturally you need someone responsible and reliable for this job.

The overall commander can also be responsible for other things:
1) communicating with the other force including sending the PBL file
2) taking control of any minor action which doesn't fit neatly into individual sectors
3) standing in for players who are AWOL, and finding their replacements

People will drop out. Either they flake because they don't like how things are going, lose interest in TOAW, or get taken out by a life event. Replacements are fine. Don't plan to play a 400 turn scenario as you will not finish it (has anyone ever finished one? Most I've played is under 200). Make sure everyone on the team has the PBM password.

I like this idea. And some of perhaps the best scenarios I've seen really need a good-sized team. Lol. I only had 3 other players, and one ...flaked out.

My discord server plays mostly Darkest Hour:Hoi, and we have that problem there as well. There are people waiting to get TOAW4 though. I remember you. You've been on here for a long time.If you know some players and decide to start a game let me know. https://discord.gg/F8P7Kfcacq

It was cool finding out you could just up and download the gamefile right on discord. It doesn't even need to be zipped. It circulates around the side until the rounds are finished. We started Boonie rats. I just copied the map and drew a line making sectors.

[golden delicious]

I remember you. You've been on here for a long time.If you know some players and decide to start a game let me know. https://discord.gg/F8P7Kfcacq

Yeah, I was posting on the Talonsoft forum in 1999 before it got shut down. My login here dates from the original Matrix TOAW forum which also got shut down because we talked about too much other stuff, before Matrix even owned the game. Your name seems familiar too, we probably had a huge argument about something ten or fifteen years ago

Anyway, I'll let you know if my circumstances change as this is on the list of things I'd like to do when I have time for TOAW again, at the moment my gaming time is too sporadic for a proper commitment.

[macgregor]

I remember you. You've been on here for a long time.If you know some players and decide to start a game let me know. https://discord.gg/F8P7Kfcacq

Yeah, I was posting on the Talonsoft forum in 1999 before it got shut down. My login here dates from the original Matrix TOAW forum which also got shut down because we talked about too much other stuff, before Matrix even owned the game. Your name seems familiar too, we probably had a huge argument about something ten or fifteen years ago

Anyway, I'll let you know if my circumstances change as this is on the list of things I'd like to do when I have time for TOAW again, at the moment my gaming time is too sporadic for a proper commitment.

Yeah. We both had ideas we were pushing back then. I remember I was pushing better naval unit representation. Which, much to my surprise, they actually DID do something with, which I am very grateful for. I'm extremely happy with the current product. Some of the best scenarios, i.e. the most researched, I've seen are the monster ones. The 2 coming to mind immediately are ...the global WW2 included with toaw4, and this 2022 scenario. Ofc with less people, so far the case, I'll play smaller ones.

[golden delicious]

Some of the best scenarios, i.e. the most researched, I've seen are the monster ones.

I think testing is more important for a good scenario than research. An untested scenario is going to play badly once you get out of the first few turns, and a scenario with 3,000 units and 200 turns simply can't be well tested. No-one has that kind of time. It's taken us decades to get Fall Grau to where it is and that is half that unit count and half that many turns.

[macgregor]

Some of the best scenarios, i.e. the most researched, I've seen are the monster ones.

I think testing is more important for a good scenario than research. An untested scenario is going to play badly once you get out of the first few turns, and a scenario with 3,000 units and 200 turns simply can't be well tested. No-one has that kind of time. It's taken us decades to get Fall Grau to where it is and that is half that unit count and half that many turns.

I agree. It's hard enough organizing 1v1. In my imagination, it could happen. We used to play World in Flames with 4-6 people on table tops in the 90s when we had to drive to play. But it always seemed well worth it.

Logically it made sense to me that not having to make that drive, along with the fact that we can play with people anywhere in world would make assembling such groups a natural occurrence. I'd certainly like to playtest the idea of a large mp group. But unless organizing larger mp groups becomes the focus of the developers, it probably will never happen.

AI is now technology's darling. The focus is on SP and playing in isolation. I've reached a Jeff Goldblum moment, thinking to myself 'Just because we can do something, doesn't always mean that we should'. I guess I just miss the group atmosphere. I just miss ...people.

[golden delicious]

Logically it made sense to me that not having to make that drive, along with the fact that we can play with people anywhere in world would make assembling such groups a natural occurrence. I'd certainly like to playtest the idea of a large mp group. But unless organizing larger mp groups becomes the focus of the developers, it probably will never happen.

Don't say never. Having played this way a couple of times, and knowing a few grognards who might be brought out from the woodwork I think it could be done.

[macgregor]

Logically it made sense to me that not having to make that drive, along with the fact that we can play with people anywhere in world would make assembling such groups a natural occurrence. I'd certainly like to playtest the idea of a large mp group. But unless organizing larger mp groups becomes the focus of the developers, it probably will never happen.

Don't say never. Having played this way a couple of times, and knowing a few grognards who might be brought out from the woodwork I think it could be done.

Well please count me in if you do.

[macgregor]

When you look at some of the incredibly well-detailed, yet really monster scenarios that toaw4 introduced, it's hard to imagine it would be done 1v1. In fact, The Global 1939-1945(which is a masterpiece) would easily workout 4v4 players. Maybe more.

How to do it is easy, if you follow a few rules. Each side needs an overall commander. He will end the movement phases. And when necessary, submit the turn. If the turn isn't finished, he sends it back to a selected 'player A' where it makes the round of players on your side. Overall commander must be the first to move, and he can also assign reinforcements.

Through him the players must beg or barter for reinforcements, theater options, etc. The default would be that he gets 'elected' by the members. But some scenarios may start as 1v1, thus making that player the overall commander, as he tries to recruit more players. Though he may pass the title if he thinks a player would handle it better.

And the game is really not that wonky scrolling around the map once you learn to use 'b' plus location to get around the monster maps.

[golden delicious]

When you look at some of the incredibly well-detailed, yet really monster scenarios that toaw4 introduced, it's hard to imagine it would be done 1v1. In fact, The Global 1939-1945(which is a masterpiece) would easily workout 4v4 players. Maybe more.

It might make play more intelligent as players are only responsible for a manageable number of pieces, but I would suggest these very large scenarios would take longer to play with more people, as you're reduced to the speed of the slowest players.

[macgregor]

When you look at some of the incredibly well-detailed, yet really monster scenarios that toaw4 introduced, it's hard to imagine it would be done 1v1. In fact, The Global 1939-1945(which is a masterpiece) would easily workout 4v4 players. Maybe more.

It might make play more intelligent as players are only responsible for a manageable number of pieces, but I would suggest these very large scenarios would take longer to play with more people, as you're reduced to the speed of the slowest players.

We started an ETO 1939 with the intention of recruiting more players if you're interested. Of course these larger mp games will take awhile. I can wait for a file to be uploaded. It's a lot easier than trying to organize a session of realtime mp. It should be clarified how long a turn is expected to take. A couple of days at least.