Multiplayer Pregame Settings UI

[jon]

Which settings should be configurable by the host while waiting for players,
besides the usual faction, leader, controller, team, colour, gold stuff?

- experience modifier?
- per player village gold or just a village gold common to every player?
- music selection support?
- random music selection?
- some of the default settings in game_config.cpp?

Also note the client will see the same screen as the host but won't be able to change settings.

Please post any other suggestions and share your opinion about the ones already listed here.

Jon

[iBrow]

There definately shouldn't be the ability to set per village gold for individual players... otherwise, the game creator could give himself/his team higher income.

[AkitoScorpio]

There definately shouldn't be the ability to set per village gold for individual players... otherwise, the game creator could give himself/his team higher income.

I agree if your trying to make if fair for reasons like uneaven teams or something then you can adjust the starting gold insteed. That you can do by player.

[Gafgarion]

There definately shouldn't be the ability to set per village gold for individual players... otherwise, the game creator could give himself/his team higher income.

I agree if your trying to make if fair for reasons like uneaven teams or something then you can adjust the starting gold insteed. That you can do by player.

Gold per village is a universal setting and cannot be changed for individual players. Starting gold, however, can be changed individually.

[Elvish_Pillager]

Gold per village is a universal setting and cannot be changed for individual players. Starting gold, however, can be changed individually.

Incorrect. Gold per village is defined on a per-side basis.

[AkitoScorpio]

Gold per village is a universal setting and cannot be changed for individual players. Starting gold, however, can be changed individually.

Incorrect. Gold per village is defined on a per-side basis.

It's still a very bad idea to make it so it could be set on a per-side basis.... I mean if side A got 1 gold a villege and side B got 2 gold a villege.... no big deal...... but lets say that both sides had 50 villages...

Side A makes 50 gold a turn....
Side b makes 100 gold a turn....

Not lets asume that goes on for about 20 tirns or so.....

Side A made 1000 gold in that time....
Side B made 2000 gold in the same span of time...

Balance can be shot to hell pretty quickly that way.

[Gafgarion]

Gold per village is a universal setting and cannot be changed for individual players. Starting gold, however, can be changed individually.

Incorrect. Gold per village is defined on a per-side basis.

Not in 0.8.8. In 0.8.8 gold per village is a universal setting in MP that is defined before players join the game.

What I'm saying is that gold per village doesn't really need to be changes, and the host can already manipulate the game by changing starting gold.

[Elvish_Pillager]

Not in 0.8.8. In 0.8.8 gold per village is a universal setting in MP that is defined before players join the game.

In the context of your post, it would make no sense to say that, so I assumed you were talking about what was possible to be.

[Gafgarion]

Not in 0.8.8. In 0.8.8 gold per village is a universal setting in MP that is defined before players join the game.

In the context of your post, it would make no sense to say that, so I assumed you were talking about what was possible to be.

It makes perfect sense since the main objection here is that the ability for hosts to set gold per village by the player would allow the host to give him/herself an unfair advantage. I'm noting the fact that this is already possible.

Remember, the UI is what's being talked about, not the code.

[jon]

Right now the value of the village gold slider at the create game dialog is passed to the host pregame dialog. There it is used to set the village gold of each side to that value.
If there would be only one village gold display/slider for all the players the host might change village gold with modified source without the client user noticing it on the screen.
If a slider/display for each player will be used the host is unable to change village gold before the game has started without the client noticing it.

You could also link all the sliders to have the same value on the host screen and at client let them display the side village gold without forcing them to be equal.

Jon

[sharkdiver]

i think all the stuff should be on the main waiting screen like in WC3,
cause its rather annoying when you join a game and forgot to set a race or wahteva, players should beable to change that also there colpurs maybe there teams, not sure bout that though could cause arguements..
and the rest like the Type of game, village per gold, gold for each player, map, Recall (maybe in future ) should be on the hosts screen but since ppl might not agree with the settings each user has to click an agree button.

[Rhuvaen]

- per player village gold or just a village gold common to every player?

I agree with Jon that this would be a good parameter. Not all games need to have symmetrical settings. In a siege or invasion type scenario, you might want to give one side more starting gold and the other much higher village gold. Then you have a natural time limit and incentive for the higher starting gold player to press the attack!

[jon]

i think all the stuff should be on the main waiting screen like in WC3,
cause its rather annoying when you join a game and forgot to set a race or wahteva, players should beable to change that also there colpurs maybe there teams...

Yes I think that is the plan you only have to filter out all the stuff the client shouldn't be able to change by just arbitrarily sending WML stuff which does not originate from UI events and send him a level diff to undo it, otherwise you might get out of sync.
You usually don't trust the client that's why he is currently not allowed to change stuff after joining the game.

Another problem are PDA or other low resolution device users. They must be able to use the Multiplayer Lobby witout any visual glitches too.

Jon