After some not overly overenthuastic tries to play Viccy over internet, I have found out that over LAN this game has some decent MP potential waiting to be uncovered.
After being contacted by my friends at 7 p.m. yesterday I packed my little Laptop and my Victoria CD and went to my friend V. His room looks a bit strange. He has 3 computers on his big desk. One on the left who is old, without any real use as he doesn´t work in any way. One in the middle, working sometimes and sometimes not. And one bright new on the right who is currently getting infested by the two others over network.
Those three happy CPUs were responsible for 2 years of Eu2MP action coupled with another laptop to give us the amount of 4 players. Anyway, 2 months before the LAN blew and so the merry days of Eu2 were over as the 3 CPUs decided that their LAN shouldn´t work after all. If V. touches a PC it stops to work properly imho but that´s the way it is.
So back to the topic. Imagine a room with 3 old PCs in the background of a desk totally overfilled with all sorts of stuff, ranging from empty beer bottles, university scripts, CD-cases and various swords of european or asian ascendance. Before those PCs 3 brandnew Laptops stood, happily beeming their way, connected over a Hub as V., L. and me try out to get some Viccy MP action going.
As we start up Victoria version 1.01 as I forgot to bring the 1.02 patch with me, we are still in bright mood. V. and me have got our time with network-crashing since the days of Command&Conquer I. but gladly we got L. with us who is a bit more optimistic than we are, having had not enough frustrating experience with computers. But apart from a little starting crash nothing worse happens. Mind you, only after we had V. covering his face and hiding from the CPU on startup. At least V. is quite superstitious but not without reason, those computers tend not to work when used by him. He has already decided to make a little altar for the Computer God and has incense burning in the little tool you see in catholic churches. Apart from that Blasphemy strange Heavy Metal sounds are heard from the stereo unit. Not my music, but after all we are guests.
So after telling you a bit about the quite unusual surroundings that we play MP in, let´s get back (finally) to the game.
The Start
Grand Campaign is choosen by me, we love to shape our countries in our own personal way. And the next click is on Austria for me and Prussia for V., simultaneously off course. Well so much for peaceful co-existance in that game it seemed as both V. and me glared at each other.
"Ehrm, well I see where that is going" , L. announces, " can´t you guys play nice with each other?"
"Well I got nothing against Prussia itself. " I says.
"As long as I can create Germany." V. says.
"We´ll see about that."
In an effort to mediate between us, L. chooses Russia.
Before I hit start, we promise to recreate the "Holy Alliance" as to help us against our own insurgents if needed. Very historical, I might add.
As the loading screen shows up I try to remember what is best to do with Austria. A lumber mill, yes and another factory who actually produces some income, Artillery sounds good. After having done that a cement factory in Silesia if I would have any machine parts left. Yeah, nicely done. So much for early railroads. Well, you can´t have all, no? The Clothes factory is closed in Lombardia and no thx I don´t import clipper convoys, my fleet isn´t my priority.
After being contacted by my friends at 7 p.m. yesterday I packed my little Laptop and my Victoria CD and went to my friend V. His room looks a bit strange. He has 3 computers on his big desk. One on the left who is old, without any real use as he doesn´t work in any way. One in the middle, working sometimes and sometimes not. And one bright new on the right who is currently getting infested by the two others over network.
Those three happy CPUs were responsible for 2 years of Eu2MP action coupled with another laptop to give us the amount of 4 players. Anyway, 2 months before the LAN blew and so the merry days of Eu2 were over as the 3 CPUs decided that their LAN shouldn´t work after all. If V. touches a PC it stops to work properly imho but that´s the way it is.
So back to the topic. Imagine a room with 3 old PCs in the background of a desk totally overfilled with all sorts of stuff, ranging from empty beer bottles, university scripts, CD-cases and various swords of european or asian ascendance. Before those PCs 3 brandnew Laptops stood, happily beeming their way, connected over a Hub as V., L. and me try out to get some Viccy MP action going.
As we start up Victoria version 1.01 as I forgot to bring the 1.02 patch with me, we are still in bright mood. V. and me have got our time with network-crashing since the days of Command&Conquer I. but gladly we got L. with us who is a bit more optimistic than we are, having had not enough frustrating experience with computers. But apart from a little starting crash nothing worse happens. Mind you, only after we had V. covering his face and hiding from the CPU on startup. At least V. is quite superstitious but not without reason, those computers tend not to work when used by him. He has already decided to make a little altar for the Computer God and has incense burning in the little tool you see in catholic churches. Apart from that Blasphemy strange Heavy Metal sounds are heard from the stereo unit. Not my music, but after all we are guests.
So after telling you a bit about the quite unusual surroundings that we play MP in, let´s get back (finally) to the game.
The Start
Grand Campaign is choosen by me, we love to shape our countries in our own personal way. And the next click is on Austria for me and Prussia for V., simultaneously off course. Well so much for peaceful co-existance in that game it seemed as both V. and me glared at each other.
"Ehrm, well I see where that is going" , L. announces, " can´t you guys play nice with each other?"
"Well I got nothing against Prussia itself. " I says.
"As long as I can create Germany." V. says.
"We´ll see about that."
In an effort to mediate between us, L. chooses Russia.
Before I hit start, we promise to recreate the "Holy Alliance" as to help us against our own insurgents if needed. Very historical, I might add.
As the loading screen shows up I try to remember what is best to do with Austria. A lumber mill, yes and another factory who actually produces some income, Artillery sounds good. After having done that a cement factory in Silesia if I would have any machine parts left. Yeah, nicely done. So much for early railroads. Well, you can´t have all, no? The Clothes factory is closed in Lombardia and no thx I don´t import clipper convoys, my fleet isn´t my priority.
