I'm currently thinking of asking FFG if they would want to sponsor a project to convert Twilight Imperium onto a PC platform, with internet community and network play.

What is your opinion.. would you buy it if it cost… say.. 10-15€?

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Just wanted to update those who were following the project on here that we recently released our website/forums and are looking for feedback on our concepts, as well as any design tweaks that people want to see for the final release.

This started as a fan-made labor of love, and we want to keep it that way! While the game is not an exact like TI3, it contains almost all of the mechanics, as well as some flavors of house rules and unique elements that would only be possible in a video game format.

That being said, here's the site:

ArkisVir.com

Check out some of the content we've put up, and leave any feedback you have in the forums. See you there!

Regards

Thomas

Probably not. It wouldn't fare well in comparison to games designed for the platform.

Can you decsribe a little about how this effort would be fundamentally different than Vassal or other virtual game engines for playing boardgames online?

Well… I actually have never heard of Vassal, so I downloaded it and tried to run the Twilight Imperium mod. First of all… what I was thinking about is a real game, with music… maybe soundeffects for fun… VOIP maybe, but atleast… a game that is ready to play and intuitive enough for everyone to understand and start!

First of, you either log onto a games server to find or create a game, or you can do it offline on a LAN or Hotseat (sharing one computer and take turns).

It should start with how many players should there be, and then options for what expansions should be played. From Distant Suns, Space Mines to Shards of The Throne. You pick a race at random… like the real game and you get the tiles at random as well and you choose where the tiles go.. like the real game.

With computers, you could offer statistics… a ranking system with medals or points… a hardcore mode, where carriers content is hidden as well as players tokens, technologies and such.

I think it could be really cool. Have you guys seen the latest adaptations from Ticket To Ride… it should be very good and has been praised a lot.. so it should be possible to create it.

I'd be very interested to play online TI. although it would kill the spirit of the game a bit (playing online), it would be very useful in the absence of players or money for the game and expansion's

There are already plenty of established space strategy/empire building/4X games out there, so a Twilight Imperium game won't be bringing much new to the table.

A better route to consider would be a TI mod for an existing game, such as Galactic Civ 2. Something like that I would support in a heartbeat.

Try Master's of Orion 2…the third one wasn't that great.

When telling people about this game I always say it is MOO2 but a board game.

Jiltedtoo said:

+1

Wellp, I tried MOO2 over the weekend and I was pretty impressed. Now just trying to convince my mates to play.

I would pay 50 to 60 US dollars for a PC or Apple OS rendition of TI3. I would love it. I have thought about doing it myself many times. Why oh why is there nothing like this?

As a long time PC gamer fan of the 4X space games out there, I can say that none of them are quite the same. I want TI3 with good AI foes so I can play by myself and I want robust multiplayer options. NOW!

Just another frenzied fan…

At our last group event we talked about a PC version of TI3. My thoughts were FF already has agreement with Sid Meier's to produce Civ 5 the board game. Why not reverse the relationship? Send Sid Meier's and Co. the rights to make TI3 for the PC. I can't think of a better developer than Sid Meiers to handle such a project.

I like the idea of a PC game but I think it should be 100% like the board game. Do you guys remember the first Magic The Gathering - Battlegrounds video game? I expected it to be just like the card game but it was some strange thing were you controlled a magician and summoned only a handfull of creatures you had to choose before the round (like 5 or so and you couldn't use anything else).

However, the second Magic game was great because it was just the card game, you had your deck, you played the card game against the AI, which was great if nobody had time and you wanted to play, there even was a multiplayer mode.

So if someone made a TI video game it should be just like the rule book says and before you start the game you should be able to choose all the optional rules you like, you should be able to choose the used strategy cards as well. I think it should look like the boardgame as well, with the hexes and the cards, the decks at the side, maybe some visual effects like the ships being animated (just a bit). And also the option to choose the race you want to play (we play it like that because we have certain favorites and like to play them, why should we play for hours with a race we dislike?).

I think if you stick to the rulebook, with the option to choose everyhing as you like (I mean optional rules, etc.) and maybe some possibilities to alter the rules (like the option to pick the race you like), it is going to be a great game.

I would love/buy a PC rendition of TI3. I'd pay too much money for that.

One of the problems that I do see happening might be Action Cards. I'd rather not have to wait 30 seconds to give players the chance to use an appropriate action card for any given situation. I definitely don't think they should be taken out, because they obviously give the game an unexpected edge, but maybe re-working them in someway that would translate to a PC format more easily.

AsthmaticTurtle said:

I think that problem could be eliminated by using the same system the Magic The Gathering game used (the second one with the actual card game). It gave you a short opportunity (like 5 seconds or a little less) to play cards which you were able to play at that point of the game, so you could do the same in the game and if someone takes too long it's his own fault. If you highlight the cards which you can play at that time it would make it easier to realize it at that point, so you don't have to go through all your cards over and over again.

For TI 5 or even 10 seconds would be much too short in my opinion to be fair.

Anyway. I'm not sure a real PC-game would make sense. The market has a lot to offer. Maybe a modern remake of MoO2 would be appealing.

For TI3 we set up a simple system with one person as a game master actually managing the board, and sending the set up map to all players, as well as ship movements etc.

Yes TI3 would be fun as a PC-game, but it would still be longlasting, and as is the problem with extremely longlasting turn-based games, you'd need a server-side system to handle savegames of groups to be fair, as well as a system to help people to find new dates to continue their sessions for convenience etc

I was mainly thinking of playing against a good AI, since I didn't think of the possibility to play online against other players, I mean it would take so long that most of the people would leave in the middle of the game or you have to play with friends, but then there is no difference to playing the actual board game.

I'd like to see it done, just for when I need the space indoors for other things if no other reason. But it would certainly be fun, especially if you could have a hotseat mode.

I would be interested as well.

I have been playing at TI3wiki.org the whole time they've been open. I don't care if the software doesn't provide an AI. I'd like to be able to play against friends, even if it's for a long period of time (weeks and months). I used the vassal before the wiki. I used the wiki. I have been GM and player. THOUGH, wouldn't it be cool to have a program doing the GM part? Giving the cards and stuff like this? He would manage objectives, action cards and such through secret page on a server. Or even better? You install the ti3 server on your own web page and you're on your own.

Make's me dreams.

Good old time…

Hey, btw, there are several board games that are now made to play online (A ticket to ride, by example and the new Alien frontiers). You could have this game on ipad as well.

Just throwing ideas.

The appeal of TI is heavily reliant on diplomacy and all it's facets.

It's pretty hard to provide interactable AIs suitable for the high level of it, that TI and it's players need. I think it hardly possible, and at the moment hardly worth the effort. If cool nonetheless.

A hot-seat version would only save space, but wouldn't help the overview of the game to all players very much. Though that is a general problem with hot-seat-games.

Also, if at all, don't just think of your own special-brand-device. Don't be selfish, and think of all tablets and similar devices if you have to, Grummore

In any case: Personally, I'd plan for a PC-version of TI only when going 4th edition. After revising and clarifying rules and balance. And probably throwing in one more big expansion before.

I think that TI3 on a PC is a great idea!

I've been dreaming about this. Because it will be possible to play with the peoples from other cities and countries. It will be good experience and interesting play.

I'd be all over a TI3 videogame.

However, it would be an enormous project and i don't think the returns for the investment would be worth it for FFG. There's no way an AI could even start to measure up to a human. And if it's only to play online… well even less people are going to be interested in the project (AND there's already Vassal).

The nightmare of programming AI behaviour for every political and action card… not to mention objectives…
As a human player, moving your units and forming a strategy to obtain your secret objective is already a highly complex affair. Imagine trying to put that into AI. Sid Meier's civilization is an easy project in comparison.

TI3 is about the worst FFG game that could be translated to computer.

Runebound is straigthforward and more easilly done. Descent too. Blue Moon, Dust Tactics (i think there's already a videogame version of this being worked on), Dust Warfare, Dust, Blood Bowl Team Manager, All their LCG, Star Wars miniatures, Arkham Horror… Almost all their other big hitters are more easilly translated to videogame form.

As much as i'd want a TI3 videogame, i'd rather have Dust Tactics or Android: NetRunner.

woot, bit of thread necromancy

I've heard it said Endless space comes reasonably close to a computer version of TI.

check it out: http://store.steampowered.com/app/208140/

I've posted on this thread before. It's hard for me not to start fleshing out my own ideas with a proof-of-concept. I love this game and would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see FFG take on this effort. You did a great job with Elder Sign, now time to do it up right with your flagship game.

Spread around this recent article from the LA Times:

www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-fi-ct-board-games-20121113-71,0,2368312.story

The article mentions how iphone/iPad/PC games can actually boost sales for board games. FFG, are you listening!??

Let the record show that I am willing to offer up anything FFG needs to help out with this effort.

I have decades of software engineering experience (including design, project management, documentation, and coding) and dozens of TI3 games under my belt. I would volunteer to help make an electronic version of TI3 possible, have ideas how to get past some of the tricky bits (and still maintain the awesome insanity that comes with political and action cards), and would still pay any price to have the opportunity to play TI3 in an electronic format.

Drooling whenever I think about this. C'mon fans, keep this thread alive.

I would really love this.

Used to have a group of friends I played with at least once a month, but now half of them has moved so we can rarely get together for a game.

Not too worried about having AI to be honest, but some kind of virtual tabletop with everything would be awesome.