I don’t think you quite understand what I’m saying. I design network applications for a living, both synchronous and asynchronous.
It’s not about bugs, crashes, or unintended effects of adding new features - those types of things are inherent to all software. It’s about the fact that real-time applications require exponentially more resources than non-real time applications. For example, in an asynchronous client/server environment, the entire network could go down for several minutes and no-one would notice. In a synchronous environment, a few lost packets could cause data to be received out of sequence, requiring a resource-intensive resend and reassemble process. You go from being able to run the whole thing cheap, commodity internet connections to needing QoS and other mechanisms to ensure performance. And that’s just one example in the network. The same types of issues would apply to the hardware and software/database platforms as well.
To make it simple, let’s imagine it costs $10,000 a month to operate/improve GoW as it is now. Adding real-time PVP could double, or even triple that cost, just for one small game mode addition and that’s being conservative. Depending on how it’s designed, the difference between asynchronous PvAI and synchronous realtime PvP could be 500%, 600%, or even more.
That’s a horrible allocation of resources considering what could be done to the game overall by doubling the budget.
One should also keep in mind that this game has a large Android and iOS user base. While realtime PVP would work well for PC and console, if they invest in the proper infrastructure resources, it’s likely that realtime PVP would never work on mobile devices due to inherent limitations in the industry (like unavoidable geographic latency).
Quite simply, real time PVP would be a horrible business decision for a small company like InfinityPlus2.
Live pvp would be nice as an additional pvp option like the casual pvp.
There need a lobby where you can enter then challenge from 3 free players who are also in the lobby.
For afk moves the ai has to take over. (After 30-60 sec) Of course there will be a timer for that.
No chat in live pvp.
But first the game need a really good server, to serve perfectly not just the pvp system but the game itself.
id like a combination of 1. and 2. and i think it would not be a wasted time for devs (althought i agree other game features are more needed and should have priority over this)
actually id like to be given live pvp in a ‘beta test’ version to players where they can pvp each other all they want with simply no rewards to it - providing the testing statistics for devs and some challlenge/new activity type for players who want to test each other
then with that data collected after x time some small &limited rewards could be allowed for live pvp up to maybe make it simingly on par with the single player pvp
Absolutely hate it.
There will not be a single implementation that I would enjoy. And if the rewards for it are better to where you are forced into it I most assuredly would move on to a new game. If the rewards are the same then by all means add it.
But then you get down to the nitty gritty and realize how frustrating it would be to go against meta teams all the time. And balancing would become a huge issue. I like that troops are allowed to be on the powerful side! But that won’t really be plausible if a real PVP is added. Every troop would need severe rebalancing or it simply would not be fun to go against. Imagine going against the same meta teams over and over and Over and not being able to spend gems to reroll to pick another team? It would be frustrating. Unless there’s some kind of “ban” system… seems too complicated and not worth the investment.
And then you get the problem where the starting board could set up really favorably for the first turn player. Will there be a limit on 4 of a kinds? Then that could set up really nice stuff for your opponent.
Really it would just be about who gets their skills up first and can get rolling faster. And so then it would be very similar to our current version of PVP except now you have annoying waiting times between turns. I don’t see the appeal.
If everyone wants it, the rewards aren’t better, and the balancing stays the same (well by all means tune up other troops, but I’m just saying the powerful cards should stay unless they are actually overpowered) then sure real time PVP is a great addition for those that like that sort of thing. I just don’t want it to ruin anything for the single players. Since this game is really a single player game at its core.
For people who are worried about players kept waiting , just implement a time limit of say 20 seconds then the other player gets to go again if they don’t make a move. Bad internet, play normal PVP then
They’d have to go out of their way to make absolutely certain that real-time and normal PVP are worth EXACTLY the same rewards then. Otherwise, you’d be penalizing people for something that is likely beyond their control.
Sounds like this could easily deteriorate into a match of “the one with the least patience has to take the single remaining bad move”. Besides, I’m not sure I’d enjoy waiting even 20 seconds for each move.
What might actually work is Turn Based PvP instead of Real Time PvP. Sort of like PBEM games ages ago, you make your move, your opponent receives the result by ingame mail and has a day to respond or lose. Sure, it might take weeks for a match to get completed, but I’d find that quite okay if I had several of them running in parallel. Probably not everybody’s cup of tea though.
There are some interesting points brought up about increased infrastructure cost. But I think you are overestimating the need for millisecond communication and therefore the cost. After all we are not talking a about a 60 fps FPS running on servers with a 30-60 data points per second tracking a dozen or two unique players simultaneously. Still there will be some additional cost.
I personally think the best direction is what Sirrian posted would be arriving in the next console update. CUSTOMIZABLE AI. If this is robust enough and deep enough real time PvP may not be as pressing.
If customisable AI is actually well implemented then most will just do 1 or 2 trophy matches and avoid it. Who wants to play the suped up meta defence?
