Online Multiplayer?

[BLAHBLAH1000]

Hey guys. This is my first forum post and I need to be clear about something. Will Overgrowth have online multiplayer? The wolfire guys said a while ago that Overgrowth was going to be a single-player game only, however this makes no sense because of the recent alpha changes.

They added a local split-screen multiplayer in a165 and a verses mode in a171. They also stated in the a200 post that they have been experimenting with 4-player local multiplayer. They have also been improving the combat for many weapons to make matches last longer and require more skill.

This raises a lot of questions. If they said that the game was single-player only why add local multiplayer, and if local multiplayer is included in the final release why don't they add online? Wolfire has made online games before so I think they may be going against their word. I just really hope they don't scrap the idea of multiplayer in Overgrowth, and I don't think they will.

I want to hear your guys opinions. Do you think online multiplayer should be added?

[EPR89]

If they said that Overgrowth will be single player only, it must have been a loooong time ago.
I think that whether it will have proper multiplayer in the end will most likely be a question of how well they progress. If the development goes well there might be resources left that can be put into creating multiplayer functionality.
I think we can be optimistic about it.

[AmorphousGamer]

I think they'll do it, though I don't have much evidence to back that up. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Endoperez]

Actually, for the longest time their FAQ has stated that they'd like to make Overgrowth multiplayer, but can't promise it. Co-op mode was mentioned as something more impotant than VS, I believe.

When David made all those little games (Desperate Gods, that light-themed game) he practiced making networking and other stuff like that. They've not really talked about their experiences there, or if they're able to (or planning to) implement online multiplayer.

[DeadTomGC]

Please make a campaign first. Lag is not friendly to this sort of game.

[DI0BL0]

I really hope they do because then my friends will buy it. Multiplayer is so importaint in video games now.

[GreenFlame]

Some games are really true art and don't have a need in multiplayer, though I'd surely like to have MP in Overgrowth.

Also you can already play local MP with your friends

[Endoperez]

There are many games that aren't multiplayer, wouldn't work in multiplayer, or are better in single-player. I understand it's a big deal for many, but I don't like it when people think lack of multiplayer makes a game any worse, or that only art games can sell without multiplayer.


I mean, look at the X-Com remake from last year. It's an amazing single-player experience. It's such an amazing experience to play, to experience. I think it might actually have multiplayer, now that I think about it. It doesn't matter whether it has it or not, though., The parts that make it amazing - improving your soldiers, risking their death in every fight, the desperate struggle against a superior enemy who is still beatable because you're more clever - they don't translate into multiplayer. At all.

The battle in that game is well made too. It'd be fun in multiplayer, I guess. It's a huge part in making the game amazing. The battle system alone wouldn't make it amazing.

[AmorphousGamer]

I mean, look at the X-Com remake from last year. It's an amazing single-player experience. It's such an amazing experience to play, to experience.

Try the original X-COM: UFO Defence. That game was even better. (completely off topic but fuck you the original X-COM was amazing. :P)

[RagdollZombie]

Before they even think about online multiplayer, they should focus on making the singleplayer game the best it can be. Currently the ai can be pretty fun to fight with (in my opinion) Although the ai still needs a lot of work. But the singleplayer part of the game should be done before any online modes are considered. It is still definitely possible that there could be online multiplayer, but don't expect much news about it at the moment.

[6673764]

Before they even think about online multiplayer, they should focus on making the singleplayer game the best it can be. Currently the ai can be pretty fun to fight with (in my opinion) Although the ai still needs a lot of work. But the singleplayer part of the game should be done before any online modes are considered. It is still definitely possible that there could be online multiplayer, but don't expect much news about it at the moment.

My thoughts exactly.

[Endoperez]

Try the original X-COM: UFO Defence. That game was even better. (completely off topic but fuck you the original X-COM was amazing. )

I've played it more than the new one, but the original pales in comparison. It's a good game for its time. The new X-Com took all the good feels and nostalgia and made it better. It felt like what I dreamed the original game was.

[AmorphousGamer]

I've played it more than the new one, but the original pales in comparison. It's a good game for its time. The new X-Com took all the good feels and nostalgia and made it better. It felt like what I dreamed the original game was.

Hmm. I don't know, I just don't like the feel of the new game. There are differences. Such as your units being better. You have 3-6 extremely useful units and you get attached to them. If one of them dies it's a big deal. In the original X-COM, you basically toss 25 units at the enemy (base/ship/area) until everything is dead. You're going to lose guys, and it's an entirely different feeling.

[Endoperez]

Hmm. I don't know, I just don't like the feel of the new game. There are differences. Such as your units being better. You have 3-6 extremely useful units and you get attached to them. If one of them dies it's a big deal. In the original X-COM, you basically toss 25 units at the enemy (base/ship/area) until everything is dead. You're going to lose guys, and it's an entirely different feeling.

Yes, that's one of the things the new game does better. In the old game, your experienced soldiers matter a lot early on, and not having rookies matters even late, but having the best possible equipment becomes more important than having the best possible people.

The high-ranked soldiers are still awesome, especially for the hidden morale bonuses.

[jubuttib]

Try the original X-COM: UFO Defence. That game was even better. (completely off topic but fuck you the original X-COM was amazing. )

I've played it more than the new one, but the original pales in comparison. It's a good game for its time. The new X-Com took all the good feels and nostalgia and made it better. It felt like what I dreamed the original game was.

The new one suffers mainly from three things.

Lack of variety in maps: The procedurally generated maps of the original offered both more variety, more tactical possibilities, surprises (Starting, and ending, combat by realizing you've accidentally landed right in the middle of the most infested area of the map, and getting a grenade lobbed right inside the transporter? Priceless!), and really fed emergent game play in a way that the new game just doesn't. OK, hunting for the last hiding alien was annoying as hell at times... I still prefer it to being forced to run along a predetermined tube (not all maps were like that obviously). Also, while it's not a huge point, I really loved the fact you could freely destroy just about everything, and had the tools to do it with (Blaster Launcher <3).

Simplified strategic portion: Call me crazy but I think cutting the number of bases to one and limiting how you can build them more harshly was a bad decision. Also not a fan of losing random (or as I like to call them, dynamic) missions, which made every playthrough unique. Too much script following in the new one.

Simplified tactical portion: Maps that are essentially just tubes? Enemies that only activate once you get near them? Constantly hiding behind covers? What is this, Gears of War? No agility, no strength? Only two action points? I mean it's quick and fluent, but it also lacks about 80% of the tactical depth of the original.

The new one isn't a bad game, but while it does serve up better graphics, on almost every aspect that really matters for memorable game play and replay value it's behind the original. Just like Master of Orion is still the best 4X game, almost the only one where just about every aspect worked (most commonly either AI or diplomacy being utter crap in games since MoO), the original Enemy Unknown is the best alien strategy game. And while I'm at it, they still haven't managed to do any better than Jagged Alliance 2 did for mercenaries, Silent Storm did for commando style group based strategy, and Combat Mission did for tanks...

And oh yeah, if you played the original by just throwing troops into the fray until you won, you weren't doing it right. The importance of veterans could have been done better, but there was a good incentive to keep your guys alive.