Multiplayer for Turn-Based Strategy Games

The Vault Dweller

The Vault Dweller

always looking for water.
Now I know that RTS games tend to have larger player-bases than turn-based and also that turn-based players are much more likely to play only the campaign then uninstall whereas RTS players usually try playing online as well.

As such I'm skeptical about being able to find players in matchmaking for turn-based multiplayer. I'm wondering if anyone here has done it avidly. I'd like to know:

-Do most TBS have matchmaking services like Blizzard has with Battlenet for Starcraft?

-If you are forced to arrange matches individually where do you go to find other players? (fansites?)

-Is play-by-email (where you save and send the information about a turn) viable?

Also while the game I'm currently wanting to try when I'm done with the campaign is Heroes of Might and Magic V I'd much like to hear about other games past or present as I could buy and try them too if they sound good.

Sincerely,
The Vault Dweller

P.S.

Keep in mind I speak from experience as a semi-avid RTS multiplayer veteran.
 
Most TBS multiplayer games I've played were either hot-seat or over a local network with friends I already know; never tried matchmaking. Some older games (Civ IV) used Gamespy, which just doesn't work. Even older ones (Disciples II) allow direct IP play - you can arrange games on fan forums etc.

I guess the only way to see how TBS MP works today is to look at CivV. I don't own it, so can't quite tell.

Overall though, I'd imagine it to be difficult to get a good match going with a random person, since it's a huge time commitment for a TBS game. It's a safer bet to find someone you know to play with.

PS I wasn't really impressed by MP in HOMMV, other than the pvp battles (that happen rarely) it is veeery slow. Maybe I just have little love for HOMMV in general. HOMMIII on a random map has usually been the multiplayer choice for Heroes games for me.
 
Jaged Alliance 2 has multiplayer mode for online (Atleast with the 1.13 mod), but I've never played with it. Pretty sure there is no match making though.
 
Wow Ausdoerrt you know so much about obscure gaming topics! You continue to impress me.

Well that's a shame if most games don't have matchmaking as I doubt I could find a friend willing to play hotseat or lan however visiting fan forums to find people wanting to play doesn't seem out of the question although it would be annoying having to find someone with the right time available.

Also if they do have matchmaking, but I have to use gamespy I might be better off not doing it. :lol:

Sincerely,
The Vault Dweller
 
Wow Ausdoerrt you know so much about obscure gaming topics! You continue to impress me.
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Obscure? I grew up on this stuff. Friends at school telling me how awesome Fallout 2 was and me being jealous for not having a PC of my own. For that matter, the first 3 games on my shiny new PC I got in high school were Disciples 2, Diablo 2 LOD and TOEE. So turn-based games were destined to be my favourite. I was also lucky to have 4 friends in college who got into CivIV towards senior year ;)

Also if they do have matchmaking, but I have to use gamespy I might be better off not doing it.
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Once again, CivV uses steam so it might work properly. I have no idea what HOMMV uses, though VI is coming soon-ish, and will be on Steam as well. I only know about the older games - they usually use Gamespy, some obscure servers that are long dead, and/or have a Direct IP feature, which can be used with sth like Hamachi.

*shudders* You dare speaketh its name in polite(ish) company. You have serious manly bits.
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I do indeed. Wanna see 'em? :D
 
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