RecapA few weeks ago alex_brunius announced plans to SM a multiplayer multi-faction role-playing mystery game when 6.4 comes out. This generated a lot of interest, even more discussion, and the suggestion that maybe someone should run a second game. The big questions are Who and What.
WhoPanopticon, sublight, sematary, and Ektoras have all expressed some interest in being SM for a new game.
WhatTake a look at the top voting options.
Sandbox - A classic open-ended Aurora game featuring multiple player faction. Probably in a small universe.
Alien Invasion - An asymmetrical scenario setup that gives one or more players the responsibility of defending the Solar system from alien invaders controlled either by the SM or an opposing group of players.
Solar Evacuation. - Maybe the sun is cooling by X degrees each year. Maybe the sun is preparing to go super nova. Or maybe you share a homeworld with twitchy NPR supper power(s) and need to leave before nuclear winter. Either way, the objective is to get as much of your population off planet as fast as possible.
...Anything! - A buffer option to separate the game type poll from the control type poll. Feel free to vote here if you don't care too much about either the game type or control method.
Team Faction Control - Chief scientist. Military Admiral. Civilian Governor General. Possibly further subdivision or a Chief Historian. Each faction would get it's own private subforum (or be based out of a different web forum), and each player would have a distinct responsibility of control. In theory this fits more people into a game, reduces player workload, and generates additional diplomacy/communication.
1-Player per Faction - Congratulations. You are expected to do everything. Set industry, set research, design ships, write standard operating procedures, and dispatch task groups on missions. Depending on interest this option might only be possible with multiple SMs running multiple games.
...Something Else? - I'm assuming anyone selecting this will be posting their idea, and volunteering if necessary to be the SM for said idea.
WhenAfter 6.4 comes out, and after alex_brunius gets the RP heavy community game going. We'll be starting one game at a time to make sure we don't fragment the player base into little shards to small to run anything. If you have time you are welcome to sign up for multiple games.
WhereHome base will be on this forum. The SM might pass around the save by email or dropbox, or might keep everything to him/her self and pass out information on a need-to-know basis.
WhyBecause multiplayer is fun. And the AI/diplomacy system as of 6.3 was a little sad. Rumor has it this might be improving in 6.4.
How?One person volunteers to be System Master. That person then sets up and runs the clock in a multi-faction game, only instead of controlling all sides personally they have each factions follow the orders and directives of other people, the players. In some games each faction is given a password lock and the players upload orders directly. In others they issue general guidance. Since Alex's game appears to be leaning toward general guidance game #2 will probably lean toward direct player control.
I found this
LetsPlay/Tutorial hybrid on google. It isn't as good as TheDeadlyShoe's Basic Walkthrough, but it might answer some questions on multi-faction setup.
Poll
