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[Xonara]

Is it even feasible? The idea is just so awesome to me. Just imagine this. You're scrolling through a quake-style server list and you join your favorite DF online server. You join in "spectator" mode and ask the admin to let you join. The admin let's you join and assigns you to control UristMcMason. He's the only dwarf you can control, the admin controls all dwarves by default. Everyone is controlling their own dwarf and working together on the fortress, speaking through a chat screen similar to the announcements screen.

I don't doubt multiplayer has been discussed a lot, but I like the idea of everyone controlling only 1 dwarf. That would essentially be your character and the teamwork multiplayer would allow would be fantastic. You could play many different ways too. Maybe you could all just build your own mini fortresses and compete for the grandest one, assuming UristMcJackass doesn't steal all your mugs. But the idea of a team fortress is great, IMO.

[snelg]

Sounds fun, and I'd definately play it (a lot) but I don't think it'll happen...

[Tormy]

Sounds fun, and I'd definately play it (a lot) but I don't think it'll happen...

Yes, this won't happen, at least not in the upcoming X years for sure. [MAYBE after v1.0 is completed Toady will play around with the mp idea, but I am not even sure about that..]

[Swiftfreddy]

I suspect it is possible but major change would have to be made to DF in order to make it possible.
With the amount of improvements already underway, it would be a long time before it is implemented - seeing as every improvement would likely provide a bug that needs to be fixed etc.
Pausing mid game would need to be removed which wouldn't be too bad. Just slow down time a little bit and have no pausing so you would have to think quickly if there was a siege etc.

I want this but I know it wont happen too soon atleast.

[Draco18s]

I don't doubt multiplayer has been discussed a lot

The hell it hasn't.  Multiplayer is the second most common suggestion (and the least likely to ever occur).

I mean, did you even search for it?

[sonerohi]

I don't doubt multiplayer has been discussed a lot

The hell it hasn't.  Multiplayer is the second most common suggestion (and the least likely to ever occur).

I mean, did you even search for it?

Read harder dude. Do not doubt. Don't doubt. Doubt he does not young padawan. It has been discussed, he beleives.

[Swiftfreddy]

I don't doubt multiplayer has been discussed a lot

The hell it hasn't.  Multiplayer is the second most common suggestion (and the least likely to ever occur).

I mean, did you even search for it?

He said he doesn't doubt it.

I want multiplayer. But it isn't gonna happen anytime soon.
Its always gonna be suggested because people want it badly and if it isn't on the front page of suggestions all the time then they think it has been dismissed.
Each new thread has adapted the idea slightly in hope of finding something other old threads haven't.

[Mike Mayday]

Xonara, that is a horrible idea and it would be extremely boring. Just try plaing WURM online and you'll see for yourself.

[MagicJuggler]

A non-MMO version could be feasible...e.g. a game set for either LAN or internet-play allowing for say...a Diablo 2-styled adventure multiplayer or a competitive fortress mode where all the players have different bases and each one has to be the last surviving.

[Iden]

Lag would make things fun! In the same way Losing is Fun!!

Let's say someone pulls the lever as you're crossing the bridge, that way it'll close on time and noone can follow. You do the twist, twist! LAAaaaaag. Bouche. Now you've drowned because you lagged on the bridge, didn't make it across, fell in some water, and drowned before you regained control.

I forsee some really terrible potential lag issues with multiple people in on a game of Dwarf Fort Mode. Alternative "minigame" modes based on the core of the game may actually work, however.

Only way I could see this being possible is having dedicated-servers specifically for hosting small games of DF. But yeah. No doubt this won't happen unless the game is entirely finished.

<**Edit**>

How about different game modes that could be more multiplayable?*

• Dwarf Arena: Survival Coop Arena - waves of monsters attacking. See who can last longer, and how far you can go. New random events and monsters every "battle"
• Dwarf Island: Dwarves all start on a small island, with next to nothing, after surviving a shipwreck. Fight to survive! Survive until help arrives! Or be the last dwarf standing! (dwarves at sea? yea, unlikely scenario. Either way, it'd still be fun!)
• Dwarfquake: Spinoff of the "Dwarf Island" idea -- only a bit more plausible. A sudden earthquake hits your forts area, caving in the surrounding tunnels. A rock hits you and you black out. Suddenly you awaken somewhere else, having (by the looks of it) fallen down a small chasm, into a natural cave. With no digging tools, and a few bruises, search the caves, defend yourself, and try to survive until help arrives. Find other dwarves struggling to survive & team up. Or hunt them down for their goods in order to preserve your own survival! "Dwarf meat is better than no meat!" "Hey, he had the only barrel of ale and wouldn't share!"
• Dwarf War: Large field, 1z-level (to decrease lag), many troops. Choose your side, and fight for glory! Help your side win.
  
• Dwarf Siege: Siege a human castle! Pre-generated, random castle! z-1, z0, z+1 and maybe z+2. Using pre-embark options to buy certain units and items for the siege. Maybe even using MagicJuggler's idea we can set up PvP siege events.
  
• Dwarf Dungeon: Using MagicJuggler's other idea, we can have large expansive caves and dungeons, pre-generated randomly, for small dwarfenly fun. Traps, monsters. The Point? Kill the evil boss -- be it Demon, Dragon, Cyclops, or even an Dwarf Dungeon Master gone Crazy!
  

*All would be styled like adventure mode. Single-dwarf mode. Maybe a small squad?
** Different modes could have different settings available. Such as:
         Coop or FFA; Timed Events; Last Dwarf Standing.
*** Randomly generated maps created when each game starts. All of the minimodes sport small areas which are easy to generate and very easy for a server/host to handle and sync up. All that would be needed is a small script to random generate said parameters, which should be relatively easy when compared to the pain it must take to make scripts for entire complex worlds. These would be very simple and very small local maps.

[MagicJuggler]

Another option could be Point Battle: Build your army/fortifications from a point-build system, and place terrain/siege items/etc on your half of the map with hidden deployment. When both sides are ready, the game begins. Certain actions (dig this area...build wall here...etc) would cost timepoints which the defender would only have limited time to perform...

[G-Flex]

Dwarf Fortress as a mediocre RTS? Sign me the hell up!


Seriously, though, multiplayer has been done to death as a topic. I really doubt there's anything more to be said about it at this point.

[Iden]

Dwarf Fortress as a mediocre RTS? Sign me the hell up!


Seriously, though, multiplayer has been done to death as a topic. I really doubt there's anything more to be said about it at this point.

Dk. Haven't really bothered looking at many MP threads.
Has the "alternative modes for multiplayability" been suggested yet?

[(name here)]

Multiplayer adventure mode would be easiest. no lag issues, because it's TB.

[Lazer Bomb]

Multiplayer adventure mode would be easiest. no lag issues, because it's TB.

What happens when one person always takes 15 seconds to take their turn, and you have to walk from one side of town to the other? Do you boot the slow player or suffer? In singleplayer adventure mode, you take about 1 second per turn, and 10 for each difficult decision (do I stand up or attack from the ground?). But when you have to wait 10 seconds while your buddy is thinking while you are just walking...not fun.

I'd say that sounds a bit like lag.