The large missing feature!

from Sins Forums
This game really need victory conditions that declare a winner soon as possible after the game is decided. After the game is decided it can take twice as long, or more, to actually finish the game. A set of good victory conditions would cut down average playtime by a large factor. This would increase the multiplayer experience, let everyone play more games and try more strategies, and, with well designed victory conditions, add strategic depth.
What fun is it to have to spend hours and hours to mop up a game that you already feel is 90% decided, and requires no further strategic consideration on your part?

Of course, for those who want to, there should always be the option to play to the bitter end.
3,766 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
I guess it really is very different playing multi as opposed to single player. Because I know that I had games against the computer that seemed hopeless for me, but I stuck with them and ended up turning the tide and winning the game.

Is this not possible in multiplayer because of the human factor? Just curious.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

Yes. For online mulitplayer, once it starts to go downhill, it really goes downhill unless the other human players bugger out and become AI or fall asleep, etc.
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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
I think they are saying that sometimes it just needs to end.

lets say you lose a weak ally near the end of a long battle with say 5 or more star systems (as in they turn on you). You just crush their armies and they have nothing left but undefended planets all over the place (1 here, 1 way over there etc.) in a situation like this you will have to sit and wait for you armies to get there and take the planet, no real combat or action. i see this a lot.

now if you could make a match where you needed to meet requirements, maybe even one of a pool of requirements, or all.

example:

own 75% of the galaxy
culture spread thru 75% of the galaxy
Cap all home planets
whatever...

also suggest adjustable values.

you could make the game harder by making people focus on things they usually dont, and make the game more intense by giving players new things to watch, such as enemy culture rate etc.

i would also suggest a new tab in the menu for progress, possible spy tech to find info on the enemies would make it less blunt.

these are just ideas off the top of my head, i'd have to look into the engine more before i could mod anything like this (if even possible) but im looking to make a gameplay mod in the near future based on what i think the engine should be doing. havent named it yet but look for my posts and feel free to add ideas. Any solid version will be uploaded for sure.

-Sin
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
sinropa, I agree.

And the point is not if there is still a chance to turn the match around or not. The point is that it is more fun to have a game that declares a winner when the game is 90% decided, and then let the players have time to play another game. Winning through other victory conditions than "the bitter end" is equally valid as a victory, as long as everyone understands the victory conditions.
In most of my Sins games I find the first half very interesting but the latter half more like a long administration phase towards an already largely decided ending.

Again, those who don't care about playtime, and who think "to the bitter end" is the only valid victory condition, should of course be able to play like that. I think most people would go for shorter more action packed games.
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
I agree with most points here, its actually a fairly old complaint from when the game was more or less complete. and its not like this is tbs/ 4x exclusive, just take a look at rise of nations (which was after all a critically acclaimed title for many) where you have winning conditions on a % of territory and wonders or the classic elimination.

I won't go off and drop suggestions, I have done so before and I think the point is already made, I'm quite sure that if the devs do want to implement something like that they will find a clever way to do it. just ... yeah, keep it a bit variable as to what conditions apply to every match and how pronounced they are.