Solving multiplayer problem issues

[the_iron_duke]

Here are some multiplayer problem issues with solutions:

1) Have a 'Replay enemy turn? Yes/No' splash when the turn loads.

I don't like the way the opponent's move is automatically and instantly played when the turn loads. Today when the turn loaded, the Panzer Corps program was unresponsive for 10/15 seconds so the opponent's turn played but I didn't get to see any of it. The opponent's turn can only be replayed once so the only way I would be able to view it would be to force the program to shut down, forcing the turn to be re-sent. Having a 'Replay enemy turn? Yes/No' splash when the turn loads, would allow the computer processes a few seconds to settle down and prevent that sort of issue happening.

2) Have a 'Replay enemy turn? Yes/No' splash every time the turn loads.

Often I complete turns in chunks, particularly for larger battles - I do some moves, send the turn back to the server and then come back to it later. It would be good if one was given the option to be able to replay and review the opponent's turn multiple times, every time the turn was loaded back from the server.

Slitherine's Field of Glory multiplayer has both of the above features. With Field of Glory, if one partially completes a move and returns to it later and chooses to replay the opponent's turn, it replays both the opponent's turn and one's own completed moves that turn, which is really cool.

It would also be another way of resolving instances where an opponent's turn wasn't able to be viewed for some reason, as described earlier.

3) Prevent unsuccessful turn sends from being lost and having to be replayed. I'm just going to repeat verbatim what I wrote in another thread:

I've played thousands of multiplayer turns of Field of Glory using the Slitherine server and have never had a turn getting lost during the transmission of the turn to the server, with the result that it needed to be replayed. I have even had my laptop overheat and put itself into standby mode mid-turn, so the internet connection was lost for 20 mins or so, yet when Windows opened again I was able to finish the turn and send it successfully without having to log in to the server again.

Panzer Corps multiplayer does have issues, though. There are three possible outcomes for attempting to send a multiplayer turn:

1. The turn gets sent successfully.
2. The turn wasn't successfully sent because connection couldn't be made to the server - but would you like to try again?
3. The turn wasn't successfully sent because connection couldn't be made to the server - your completed turn is lost and needs to be replayed.

With Field of Glory multiplayer only outcomes 1 and 2 are possible. With Panzer Corps multiplayer all three outcomes are possible. So I hope Slitherine can identify where the problem lies and fix it. Saying Field of Glory turns are smaller in file size is, I believe, a red herring - most of the time the PC MP turns are successfuly sent. At the very worst, there should be Outcome No. 2 (failed send with option of re-sending). I don't see any reason why Outcome No. 3 can't be eliminated altogether from Panzer Corps multiplayer.

[the_iron_duke]

More interest in selling product than fixing product.

[pipfromslitherine]

Are you saying that PzC does not give you the option to retry if a turn fails to send?

Cheers

Pip

[Rudankort]

He is saying that all three outcomes are possible - retry option exists, but apparently it does not work all the time. What would be interesting to see is game's log after this happens.

[the_iron_duke]

Are you saying that PzC does not give you the option to retry if a turn fails to send?

Yes, see Outcome 3.

Field of Glory multiplayer is rock-solid in terms of turn transmission. With Panzer Corps multiplayer I press the End Turn button with apprehension and trepidation.

I think most if not all occasions when a turn has been lost the existing games have disappeared from the screen in the multiplayer lobby, including all the dozens of challenges waiting to be taken. They don't refresh and re-appear when switching between the multiplayer lobby tabs and one has to exit and re-sign in to the server for them to re-appear. As I said, with Field of Glory I have lost connection mid-turn and the computer gone into stand-by/sleep/hibernation with internet connection cut for a while and I was still able to complete the move. So there may be something to do with getting booted from the server when internet connection is disrupted with Panzer Corps that doesn't occur with Field of Glory. But I'm guessing as I'm not an IT expert.

Oh and by the way, I did force the game to shut down when I couldn't view my opponents move so the turn could be re-sent. Some units weren't there any more and I wanted to now how they had met their demise...