Finding multiplayers

[Duke]

In the IRC logs I read of several users looking for partners for a multiplayer game, but can't find one.

Problem #1: (according to geever) users are too impatient. They come to the lobby, no one there, wait a few mins, still no one there, and leave. Ten minutes later, the next user comes to the lobby...

Problem #2: the lobby is open 24/7, so quite a lot of users with the described behaviour will fit in a week without ever seeing each other.

My idea is to concentrate the traffic in the lobby to a small time window, like in "multiplayers meet every sunday between 20.00h and 21.00h UTC". Or even "the next multiplayer-day will be on Dec 1st,...".

Of course we can set up a little poll to figure out which day and time would be the best.

[geever]

My idea is to concentrate the traffic in the lobby to a small time window, like in "multiplayers meet every sunday between 20.00h and 21.00h UTC". Or even "the next multiplayer-day will be on Dec 1st,...".

Why should we limit their time?
We can announce some MP Events to get more players but don't limit lobby to that event only.

A forum poll "When would you like to play UFO:AI in multiplayer?
- around 00:00 GMT
- around 01:00 GMT
..."

could be usefull. Players checking the poll could see how many players they can expect..

-geever

[Duke]

Of course I didn't mean to technically close the lobby. I meant players are encouraged to stay in the lobby until the end of the specified period and wait for latecomers. So after the end of that period, the chances for latecomers will decrease dramatically.

The poll you suggested is also a good idea, but I fear it will only document how more or less evenly distributed those times are. But it's a good starting point

[criusmac]

Timezones are fun, but I can never figure them out.

For the poll to be accurate, you'd need to take into account their timezones (as stated previously), but some people, like me, can't calculate GMT or any time zone other than their own.

It would be really nice if somehow, magically, it calculated this for me, and got it right.

[Duke]

What is your timezone ?

[Destructavator]

If you know your timezone you can easily update your forum profile to always show your local time for everything (people's posts, etc.) for reference, also other great tools are government and international websites, try www.time.gov for starters - Many of the websites also have their own web calculators that are very easy to use.  Bottom line, if you can find where you are on a map of the globe, and you have a watch or clock handy, you can punch in the info in one of those websites and find the local time anywhere else on the globe, and yes, it will "magically calculate" it for you.

...And if you're running Windows, you can just double-click on the clock on the taskbar in the corner of the screen, and you'll have a tab there for time zones that will help you out right there.

Sorry, I'm not trying to insult your intelligence, but this issue is very, very easy to get around thanks to modern technology.

Edit:  Attached is an example of what I get when I double-click the clock on the taskbar (Windows).  Your results may of course vary.

Note the text next to "GMT" and the number.

[Duke]

Now it seems to me that finding MP partners is NOT a problem of distribution over time;
it looks more like there are not enough people interested in MP.
At least they don't seem to visit this forum ...

[Destructavator]

Now it seems to me that finding MP partners is NOT a problem of distribution over time;
it looks more like there are not enough people interested in MP.
At least they don't seem to visit this forum ...

Well, if there was a link on the main project page next to some words that said "multiplayer" in it, a link right to a forum topic, that might help.  I've seen newcomers that reach that project page for the first time and don't know where to go to even download the right version of the game, much less know to look for a forum or find the IRC channel.

[criusmac]

Well, I'm not interested in multiplayer at all myself.

Though, I guess it's kinda pointless to post here since this topic is sorta not the place to say this...

What might be better is if there was a way to see how many people sit in the multiplayer lobby or something. I have no idea how something like that works, but an actual history would be better than guessing... I think..

While I don't believe a poll would be all that useful, some people might.. but the poll would need to be worded well.