Scourge of War Boards

Hmmm well for me, it's going to be X-fire. You will be able to find me anytime I am online. I could be playing any other game, and you are able to chat with me direct in the any game I play (as long as it's supported by Xfire). So if a friend wishes to have a game, and I'm playing something else he pops in with a chat request, and he lets me know about wishing to have a game.

No waiting on Teamspeak, or meeting at 7:00pm. With Xfire you are always linked in to what is going on.

Dial up really isn't all that of a issue now that I know I can host, and take part. Xfire lets me do what I want, play as I play, and anyone can find me at anytime if they are wishing to have a game.

This is how easy it was earlier. I was playing game of "Europa Universalis III", and someone I know popped in with a chat request which I answered, he asked me a couple of questions, and I went back playing my game.

Like I have said you no longer have to be there at 7, or 8, or even at 9pm for games, with xfire your always there. Everyone logins with xfire, and with xfire you have the ability to launch SOWgb.

I can understand that when people get use to a certain way that they just don't want to give something new a chance like X-Fire. I just know that NSD will suffer from lack of exposure, and Teamspeak is doing that.

Each to his own.

How is sitting on Xfire all day any different than the people that log onto Teamspeak and then go do other things?

This game is in a niche market, which means people have to come find it basically. Which means they probably found the website and forum in their search. Which means they've probably seen there is a multiplayer forum that they will probably check out when they decide they want to try out multiplayer. They will then either browse the existing posts and see there are several groups around the world dedicated to MP, or they'll ask about an MP game and people will direct them to times and places.

Well, I guess I'm becoming a member of 'that European bunch'; actually, they're players of Kriegsspiel - as am I, although solo - who discovered SOW a couple or three months ago. Many if not most are from the UK and some from other parts of Europe (maybe) and two or three from the U.S.

I have a blog set up for SOW:Gettysburg and a TS server for our battles. Martin and I are in the process of recruiting ... well, he's recruited and now I've got the bug and we'll be having games with our group all on one side vs. the AI for the time being. Our plan is to start off easy and small, building to larger battles etc as we can. When do we play? So far, whenever we (well, Martin usually) get together on a time and date. For instance, we're getting the lads into the game at their own pace so our next battle will be a number of us vs. the AI in a meeting engagement with most of the players leading a brigade. Our group is too new to have much of a set schedule or even a "Fridays, most weeks, about x pm GMT". When we get folks to agree on a time and date and a general scenario, e.g., corps level, Martin commands one division, Johnston commands the other, AI is both enemy forces and our Corps CO" (turned out, that should have been phrased "AI is our Corps CO and other enemy forces" ) and then we run the battle and I expect we'll have some AAR's posted here once there's an actual battle to write about as well as on the blog.

How to work these together with GCM or the Lobby or any other group(s) out there? Dunno. I have enough on my hands with what I'm doing, but I expect we're open to suggestions and I (and I'm sure several or even many of the K-S Gettysburg Group are also) about ready for a steady diet of MP battles and a campaign or two, once we figure out how to fight at least a division. Lots of new folks coming to the game seems like to me. Gotta figure out a way to get them interested and even excited about playing especially MP and then keep 'em happy and fighting battles. I'm trying.

How is sitting on Xfire all day any different than the people that log onto Teamspeak and then go do other things?

This game is in a niche market, which means people have to come find it basically. Which means they probably found the website and forum in their search. Which means they've probably seen there is a multiplayer forum that they will probably check out when they decide they want to try out multiplayer. They will then either browse the existing posts and see there are several groups around the world dedicated to MP, or they'll ask about an MP game and people will direct them to times and places.

As far as waiting online for a game, there is no difference, waiting is waiting no matter how, or what you use to do it, still the same thing.

The benfeits of X-fire is that it has actually opened up the game to a wider audience since X-Fire hosts so may gamers, eventually players will want to check out Scourge of War Gettysburg, which Teamspeak does not. Also there is a rating system for the SOWgb community (small thing but good to have) which basis itself on membership, and gamers do keep an eye since Communities do compete for the number one spot which again opens the game up to others who normally would not know that the game exists.

Teamspeak only (from what I remember) offers Voice, and text, X-fire offers Voice, Video, and Text all in-game if you wish it, and you can also broadcast your games live if it suits you including the ability to read the community news to see what it's members are up to, screenshots, video they may have recorded.
Also there is a Community Calendar for those who wish to setup for tournaments or massive online MP games you wish to have, and the ability to create the Communities own online forum area. X-fire has it all, everything a gamer would like to have.

Team speak is no more than accessory like an extra headset, or a new computer monitor, it's nothing more. With X-Fire it's a community of gamers made specifically for groups of people who can be anywhere at anytime, and you can have a MP game.

In all Teamspeak is a plugin, where X-fire is an extension. Totally two different things.

The only way I can describe what Teamspeak is, and X-Fire is, is this way: Teamspeak is the new headset you just bought, and X-Fire is the Computer, or gaming console.

All I can say is, download X-Fire, and give it a test drive, if you like it then go ahead and join the SOWgb community, if not then uninstall it, and toss it in the trash.


UpDate: I just want to say I'm not trying to trash Teamspeak. I'm just worried about people using the demo, or just bought, and letting them know there is a MP community for SOW. I personally have sat in the lobby for many hours, and I would see a couple of people popping in, then exiting out. If I may make a suggestion here, those who do play MP, and use Teamspeak, would you consider while being on the Teamspeak server that you also use BattleHQ, and login to MP Lobby as well so that new people will see that it's alive?

I mean if you folks go to the Mp lobby to start the game anyway...

Maybe you have a good point about publicity with Xfire, Mr. Slaunwhite.

However, I still think we need a better way than sitting in the lobby all day to recruit new players.

First of all, I can see two major problems:
1. Is there the ability to have several rooms in Xfire. This is necessary for not only GCM, but it would be good for the other SOW Multiplayer communities to have one as well.
2. Since the majority of the online SOW gamers play GCM, any new recruits will be sucked into GCM, without having the benefit of choosing their community for themselves; I am suggesting a note in the lobby saying that these are the communities, contact them for game information.

If you could organize Xfire so you include all of the SOW Multiplayer Communities in seperate rooms (that means doing extensive research...sitting in the lobby for days on end), creating seperate rooms within the GCM section, and getting all on board with Xfire, then do it. It would likely help out the community.

Finally, I must say that although I do not play as often as I would like in GCM, I do know that we have frequent discussions about new members. We are not exclusive, in fact, we want everyone we can get, but as usual, a large influx of new members, although good for Norb, would not only make it more difficult for Garnier (just the few of us make quite a row), but more difficult to get games off the ground (with 20 people it is difficult enough). Not to mention the few rowdy elements that might cause a ruckus every once in a while.

I may be too conservative, but I do not believe that SOW becoming a "popular" game would be good for the multiplayer community. I am probably speaking beyond my power, but the group that comes here now, and the group of new people who join this community, seem to be reasonable people, dedicated to the art of 19th century warfare. I would suggest that with a larger group, the multiplayer community may divide (which is never a good thing), and the potential of squabbles between groups. I say, let them come, but lets not invite the world. The people who have been joining recently, and the people who are still to join, have likely found this game through their love of the Civil War, and I suggest that we let that remain.

I'm probably making a fool of myself, as well as not making all that much sense, but I hope that you get my point. For new folks, we want you to join us in multiplayer, I'm merely ranting about advertising the game to the masses.

I wouldn't worry about the sunny day war gamers winnie, seal will column charge them out the door within a week :laugh:

(of course im just b'sing)

Maybe you have a good point about publicity with Xfire, Mr. Slaunwhite.

However, I still think we need a better way than sitting in the lobby all day to recruit new players.

First of all, I can see two major problems:
1. Is there the ability to have several rooms in Xfire. This is necessary for not only GCM, but it would be good for the other SOW Multiplayer communities to have one as well.

Ecellent Question, and I have no idea.

2. Since the majority of the online SOW gamers play GCM, any new recruits will be sucked into GCM, without having the benefit of choosing their community for themselves; I am suggesting a note in the lobby saying that these are the communities, contact them for game information.

Great Idea!

If you could organize Xfire so you include all of the SOW Multiplayer Communities in seperate rooms (that means doing extensive research...sitting in the lobby for days on end), creating seperate rooms within the GCM section, and getting all on board with Xfire, then do it. It would likely help out the community.

Once I can figure out if separate rooms can be made for voice, I'll let you know. I do know though that you can call up the chat panel which lists everyone you can chat too(default: scroll-lock + C", and chat that way, I can see doing that, but like I said I have to poke around some more.

Finally, I must say that although I do not play as often as I would like in GCM, I do know that we have frequent discussions about new members. We are not exclusive, in fact, we want everyone we can get, but as usual, a large influx of new members, although good for Norb, would not only make it more difficult for Garnier (just the few of us make quite a row), but more difficult to get games off the ground (with 20 people it is difficult enough). Not to mention the few rowdy elements that might cause a ruckus every once in a while.

I'm in full agreement. It's about advertising the MP community better than it now is. Like yourself I would like to see in the next patch some form of info that would point people in the right direction. The current MP lobby is alright, but there is no information to help guide new people to where the action is. I would like to propose a solution to this which would involve NSD to code new addtyions to their MP lobby GUI. The new addtions would be having the Tesmapeak status like on GCM's webpage showing who is online, or something along those lines, and with one click of the mouse would either one, immediately load up teamspeak within the SOW MP gui(if they have it installed), and have them login immediately, and if they don't it would let people know that teamspeak would need to be downloaded, and send the new person to the teamspeak download page, or have a direct download link.

I may be too conservative, but I do not believe that SOW becoming a "popular" game would be good for the multiplayer community, and I am probably speaking beyond my power, but the group that comes here now, and the group of new people who join this community, seem to be reasonable people, dedicated to the art of 19th century warfare. I would suggest that with a larger group, the multiplayer community may divide (which is never a good thing), and the potential of squabbles between groups. I say, let them come, but lets not invite the world. The people who have been joining recently, and the people who are still to join, have likely found this game through their love of the Civil War, and I suggest that we let that remain.

Very well said Sir.

I'm probably making a fool of myself, as well as not making all that much sense, but I hope that you get my point. For new folks, we want you to join us in multiplayer, I'm merely ranting about advertising the game to the masses.

So far I followed everything you have said, and it all makes perfect sense.

Okay, YES you can setup voice cat rooms with several options...I will be uplaoding the pics. It also allows you to use their free voice server, or another server that suits you, or you can host the voice from your own computer.

Like I said I will be uploading pictures shortly me doing this.

I have started to create three main chat areas, Main, Union, Confederates, and you can have as many as you wish.

I'll be back when I go get a coffee, and have a bathroom break.

I have a blog set up for SOW:Gettysburg and a TS server for our battles.

Could you point me / us to your blog?

Okay here are the pictures.

I will be deleting these rooms as soon as I finish here because it would be best that the person who creates these rooms should be one who MP's allot. Start a game, and you can call up the chat inside the game.

Well I am tired of beating this horse, poor bugger is about to kick me in the man berries so this is going to be the last of me talking about this.

I have also updated my website with the new information about GCM, and a couple of other things. I only hope that it will help the new people know what is going on.