Semi-MultiPlayer

[Kanitatlan]

This is going to sound like a bit of a strange suggestion but I would a feature allowing for countries to be partially managed by a player. The idea is that rather than explicitly controlling a country the player is limited to directing the AI of the country. It would be nice if this could be done directly as in normal multi-player and also by file based interaction.

I can see the feature being used for ...

1) As a substitute for military control when playing a minor country. The major countries in the alliance could be given direction rather than normal complete military control.

2) A general way of managing allies

3) As a way of creating a supervised multi-player game where one player takes the special role of managing the non-player countries to make a more interesting game. This could operate something like umpired role playing games

4) If management could be done intermittently via saved games as a way of allowing the audience to take part in AARs (this is what I really want). This could also be used in multi-player games. Between sessions the non-player country AI policies could be updated by an independent umpire.

I see this as an interesting way forward for expanding the playing options in the game and a way of addressing the inability of the AI to cope with major deviations from history (pretty much guaranteed in multi-player play).

I would also expect this to lead to some very popular AARs

 

[unmerged(70654)]

One thing that is lacking in HOI2 is the ability to set objectives or to "conference" with allies.

You should be able to coordinate the AI to help you with particular fronts instead of having to directly control them.

 

[Myth]

If Paradox implements this, I agree that it would be quite cool.

 

[AdmiralNelson]

Would the player be limited to 'directing' only allies, or every AI country?

Certainly some players would direct their enemy AI to do stupid stuff, but personally I could use the 'direction' feature to make sure that AI Germany is prepared for Barbarossa, or whatever.

I like your idea in general.

 

[{LD}Firestorm]

Should work onl for allies in an alliance, tell them where the next attack will be so they can prepare or something.

 

[unmerged(70654)]

Would the player be limited to 'directing' only allies, or every AI country?

Certainly some players would direct their enemy AI to do stupid stuff, but personally I could use the 'direction' feature to make sure that AI Germany is prepared for Barbarossa, or whatever.

I like your idea in general.

Obviously you couldn't direct the enemy AI LOL - otherwise it would be god mode.

 

[Peacenik]

Even for a strictly single player person who doesn’t like military control (me), this would solve the occasional problem of missed A.I. switches, like when Italy leaves almost all of its troops in Africa or its capital.

Even without a human component, a ‘supreme commander of allied forces’ level in the A.I. structure should coordinate major operations like Normandy. As Germany it’s painful to push the U.S. back into the sea while the British across the channel do nothing.

 

[unmerged(44926)]

Obviously you couldn't direct the enemy AI LOL - otherwise it would be god mode.

Why not give the option? I don't see much use for it, but that's kinda like banning cheat codes.

Might even come in handy the odd time, like when your enemy simply won't attempt something like a sealion or an overlord.

Overall I very much like Kanitatlan's idea. It has rather limited uses, but they are all excellent. It might even encourage me to pick up a multiplayer game or two.

 

[AdmiralNelson]

Obviously you couldn't direct the enemy AI LOL - otherwise it would be god mode.

I use F12+fullcontrol at times to help the Germans along when I'm playing the Allies. I want them to beat the Soviets, or at least succeed for a while.

 

[Cpack]

Oh yes, I'm playing MP only 1vs1.

Our dream would be controlling more than 1 country, which i begged for HOI2 already.
Axis vs Allies would be good.

Maybe at least every human player can command 2 countries completely, done by a "switch-button" with the flag on the top, not only units, also production and research a.s.o.

 

[unmerged(105989)]

Why not give the option? I don't see much use for it, but that's kinda like banning cheat codes.

Might even come in handy the odd time, like when your enemy simply won't attempt something like a sealion or an overlord.

Overall I very much like Kanitatlan's idea. It has rather limited uses, but they are all excellent. It might even encourage me to pick up a multiplayer game or two.

A "god mode" might not be a half bad way of setting up certain conditions for gameplay. Of course, you kind of already have this, with the ability to save and reload as any nation. But ingame feature would be fun too.

 

[Von Paulous]

I proposed something similar

I believe that saving a replay of your actions and then forcing your computer to act upon them during multiplayer play is crusial to make multiplayer games more interesting... fun.... and of sorter duration per session.

The computer should act upon replays commands 100% of the time during peacetime.

A player might manualy overide the replays commands... but that should put the replay out of use for the rest of the game/session.

That way peace time can run rather fast allowing grand campains to reach wartime in less hours of the game.

I loved Hoi 2 because attention to detail pays off huge advantages in game.

It is hard to pay attention to all the details in multiplayer while seeking bargains at the trade screen as well/ contact diplomacy/espionase and god knows what other random elements HoI 3 will have.

I believe that every non random action should be saved in a replay and that replay should be able to run during multiplayer.

You may program minors actions as well thus allowing multiplayer games with decent major powers with few real persons involved.

 

[unmerged(74599)]

This is a good idea. Even just being able to instruct allies on build priorities and research priorities (via a conference, was Typspawns idea) would be super helpful, though, I think millitary control should more or less stay as it is. Making it sem-autonomous would probably be more trouble than it is worth.

I have suggested this before, for HOI II, but I think adding a feature or creating scenarios where a player can military control non-allied nations would make Multiplayer much more rewarding, particularly in the run up to the main show. Having the US player have military control China (while the ai sets up the production and tech build) would be a great way to pass the time until the US actually gets into the war.

Germany and SU players could do the Spanish civil war. Germany could militarily control Finland during the winter war.