Succession Games

[KeldorKatarn]

I recently talked with deducter about experienced players tutoring some less experienced players somehow with videos and or reviews of their play style.
I mean most of us really love these games because they are challenging enough to give the player a driver to become better and better at playing, trying new strategies and improving game play and core unit composition.

What came to my mind as an alternative to the above is succession games. Something that is done a lot among civilization players.

The idea would be to get a few players in a group, probably something like 3-6 or so with a nice mixture of experienced players and newbies and then do a scenario or even an entire campaign.
The way succession games work is that every player playes a series of turns, then the next one takes over. Since Panzer corps usually has a lot less turns than civilization I guess one turn per player might be best.

I don't think PzC has any turn replay feature but we could simply record the turns with fraps for the next player and later cut the entire session together to an AAR video for people to watch on youtube

I think something like that could be enjoyable and since everybody gets to see how other people play it will also teach you something. Also the fact that everybody is only doing one turn keeps you very concentrated because you don't want to mess up that one turn

Let me know if anybody here is interested in such a thing.

[KeldorKatarn]

Well I guess the lack of response speaks for itself. Pitty I thought this would be a cool idea

[Byeohazard]

I thought it was a great idea also! Not too familiar with fraps and I am by no means an elitely skilled player but I'd get on the bandwagon if others do. I have been playing for about a year and would say I am at best moderately skilled. Love the game to death though! How would a sucsession game work with the PBEM+ feature? Perhaps I could talk a few of my opponent pals to see if they are interested.

[KeldorKatarn]

Well I guess since we're playing the German side in succession we'd just kick the savegame back and forth after every turn.

[Byeohazard]

Not being the sharpest tool in the shed at the moment....I must be misunderstanding how succsession works with an email based server system that Panzer Corps utilizes. I don't think that game files can be passed around can they? I figured the turns went to the server to be picked up by the second player that has a registered email for the system to utilize for that particular game. I appologize if I am just not seeing the light.

[KeldorKatarn]

From what I know that only works if you play against eachother?

[Byeohazard]

The way I understood it was that I would play a axis turn then the next person on the alied side would play a turn then a new guy on the axis side would play then another person on the alied would play......and it would go in that rotation untill the game was complete.

[KeldorKatarn]

I was suggesting a succession game where all players play the German side, in a campaign.

[Byeohazard]

Ok i think I understand now....everyone plays their own game as the germans..records it and then the games are compared. No online multiplayer involved. Got it...just took me a while

[KeldorKatarn]

Uh no. The idea is that everyone plays the same game. Player 1 plays turn 1 for the germans. the AI playes the opponent, then Player 2 plays turn 2, player 3 turn 3 then maybe player 1 again turn 4. depending on the number of players. This would be done by sending a savegame back and forth.

[deducter]

Usually in civ succession games people play 5 or 10 turns. For PzC, somewhere between 3-5 is probably appropriate.

[Byeohazard]

Ligjt bulb went off! Now i understand...campagn save file gets passed to next player in rotation

[KeldorKatarn]

right

[KeldorKatarn]

Seems nobody is really interested in this. A shame actually. I always enjoyed following those games on Civ.

[rezaf]

Unfortunately, the forums are pretty deserted these days, so it matters little if you're posting something interesting or bland, chances are you'll get no or almost no replies.
Maybe some people will return for a while after Afrika Korps is out, we'll see.

As for the idea, something similar had occured to me as well, but one turn is too little, because no player can actually perform planned operations this way, everyone can just stumble along aimlessly.
My idea was more to pass along saves between scenarios, but even that is of limited appeal.

A totally cool thing would be a custom campaign tailored to this idea, where for example each player controls forces on a different part of the front, and the results of the missions influence each other and players can support each other by delegating troops or making flank attacks.
That would be a multiplayer mode I'd be much more interested in than the VS multiplayer the game currently offers.

It could be done, but it'd be a ton of work, from the scenario design to writing a tool to sync up the savegames, but I think it's a cool idea on paper.
_____
rezaf

[soldier]

Let me know if anybody here is interested in such a thing.

I'd be very interested in playing some expanded or co op campaigns and battles but i wouldn't know how to set it up. I suspect its not even possible (which may go some way to explaining the supposed lack of interest). I think its a good idea but that's all it will be unless some new features are added to the current MP system. They have announced some new scenarios for the upcoming Africa Corps expansion but that's a long way short of an expanded MP format.

[KeldorKatarn]

Why wouldn't it be possible. Can't you just exchange the savegame after every turn?

[El_Condoro]

The current MP system doesn't lend itself to what you're trying to achieve.

PBEM++ (or MP games) are server-based - the saved game is not kept on the local PC. I haven't checked but I assume it is loaded locally from the server, played, and saved back to the server when the end-turn button is clicked. Of course, it can't be saved off and emailed to the next player.

Hotseat can be used but secrecy is not really possible and there is no replay of the turn. So, you can save the turn and send it to another player via email but they will see your dispositions or you will see theirs. If you save right at the end of your turn, before clicking end-turn, they will see your dispositions when they click end -turn. If you save immediately after clicking end-turn, you will see theirs. It's far from ideal.

That's what I believe soldier is saying about the current system needing to be changed for this succession style of play to work. Of course, if you just want to play against the AI and play a succession of turns with different players, it's fine to send the saved turn on.

[KeldorKatarn]

Of course, if you just want to play against the AI and play a succession of turns with different players, it's fine to send the saved turn on.

That's what I was talking about the entire time. That's how CIV succession games work. Several players playing on one side against the AI.

[El_Condoro]

So I can get it clear in my mind, as an example of say 4 guys:

1. Player 1 plays his turn against the AI and records it using whatever.
2. That turn and any written commentary, and the recording, is sent to all players (2-4). They all watch the replay and read/listen to player 1's commentary.
3. Player 2 does the same thing with turn 2 and sends his turn and commentary on.
3. Player 3 plays his turn and so on...

So, 4 players are watching replays of the others' turns and reading commentaries and learning various ways to play the game.