Trial in Multiplayer

[dplynx]

Hello all!  Just recently discovered this gem of a game and had a quick question about it:
What happens if a person running a trial version of the game tries to connect to a game hosted by someone with a key?

[keith.lamothe]

Welcome to the forums

In that case the trial restrictions are in effect.  Time-limit, etc.  I don't actually remember what happens if the game has elements (complex ship types, hard ai types) not normally available in trial mode.

But the trial restrictions go away once no trial players are in the game, it's not a permanent thing.

[@B0FH]

If the settings are changed BEFORE the trial person connects, they play with a timelimit, but all ships and AI types seem available, if the trial person connects and any settings are changed, the limits of AI types and ship types kicks in.

(Probably a bug that needs looking at there )

[x4000]

If the settings are changed BEFORE the trial person connects, they play with a timelimit, but all ships and AI types seem available, if the trial person connects and any settings are changed, the limits of AI types and ship types kicks in.

(Probably a bug that needs looking at there )

That's actually more or less ok.  A trial player can enter a game that has already been started if they are added late, too, for instance.  If one player owns the game already, I'm not too concerned about what sort of content a trial player who plays with them can get at.  Then it's a matter of the time limits, which are the operative limiting factor there.

[dplynx]

Thanks for the quick responses! 

Have you ever given any consideration to allowing trial players to play a full length game when hosted by a person with a key for LAN only?  I can understand not wanting to allow them to connect to an internet game with full access, but in a LAN setting I don't think it would be as likely to be abused.  I only ask because I enjoy getting friends together occasionally for LAN parties, and would love this game to have a place in them.  I'm sure my friends would enjoy this game multiplayer, but I don't think many of them would play on their own (or even online), making a purchase unlikely.  I know that there have been several successful games in the past that have supplied a free multiplayer client (no hosting), so there is some precedent for this sort of thing.  The three hour point seems to be right around when the game starts to really get interesting (which is great for generating a desire to purchase btw), but a game limited to that point really has no place at my LAN parties, it would just aggravate everyone!  I really think this option could work to your benefit as I'm sure I can't be the only person in this situation, and it could very well expose people to the game who otherwise might never have been.

Ultimately I know that this is your decision to make, and I'm not one of those whiny people who will argue with a game developer who disagrees with me.  I guess if it comes down to it I'll just have to buy a few extra keys to use when my friends come over.

[x4000]

Sure thing!

In terms of allowing extra players on a single license key in a LAN environment, I know that some games like Starcraft did that in the past.  However, given that for a lot of folks AI War is a multiplayer experience, if we were to do something like that it could really cut into our overall sales.  We could have compensated for that by making the game itself more pricey, but then we're just gouging the people who play solo.  In the end, what I thought was the most fair to everyone was to just give AI War its way-lower-than-standard-for-the-genre price, which makes it great for solo players and much easier for people to swallow in multiplayer.  It's always a tricky question, but that was what we thought would serve everyone best.

Hope that makes sense!

[dplynx]

I can definitely understand where you're coming from, and the low price point is the reason I'm willing to swallow purchasing a few extra keys if my friends won't, so it's all good!  Not sure if I'll be buying extra expansion keys though...

[x4000]

Thanks for your support!