I posted the same on reddit. Re-posting here considering not everyone who might have a clue, is active on reddit.
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I do not have access to userpatch 1.5 closed beta testing so I do not know exactly what the changes are but it has been mentioned many times by people who are part of the testing/dev team that integration of HD expansions would be lot easier in UP 1.5 compared to current 1.4 .
My question is more towards, how people who own different DLCs will be playing together.
Currently we have 3 different game/civ subsets which people can have depending on what they paid for
AoC + AOFE -> 18 + 5 = 23 civs
AoC + AOFE + AOAK -> 18 + 5 + 4 = 27 civs
AoC + AOFE + AOAK + AoRR -> 18 + 5 + 4 + 4 = 31 civs (the current full civ set)
With the release of 4th DLC which is very probable we will have a 4th game/civ subset.
The problem is how people who own different civ subsets play together. This can be solved in 2 ways,
(A) Everyone who does not own the full civ set gets access to a "severely" limited pool (6 civs). This is how the current HD implementation is. You do get access to 1-2 new civs which you did not pay for but you lose access to the majority of the civs for which you actually full paid for. My biggest gripe with this solution is that your fully paid game becomes outdated and severely limited in use the moment a new DLC comes out which is absolutely wrong.
(B) Everyone gets access to civs according to Civ sets they own and don't get access to civs which belong to DLCs which they have not purchased. IMO, this is the most fair solution because everyone gets to use what they paid for. I am aware that Team Random algorithm will become complicated with this option but it is solvable and not impossible.
So simple question is, how will it be with UP 1.5, Option A or B?
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PS: To everyone who responds with just buy the new DLC every time, the question is why? And its not just a matter of money. No one should get access to what they have not paid for but their fully paid product shouldn't become obsolete in multiplayer play.
PS2 : Userpatch guys, you are the best thing which has happened to AOC. You guys have been doing great service to this game.
_______________________________________________________________________________
I do not have access to userpatch 1.5 closed beta testing so I do not know exactly what the changes are but it has been mentioned many times by people who are part of the testing/dev team that integration of HD expansions would be lot easier in UP 1.5 compared to current 1.4 .
My question is more towards, how people who own different DLCs will be playing together.
Currently we have 3 different game/civ subsets which people can have depending on what they paid for
AoC + AOFE -> 18 + 5 = 23 civs
AoC + AOFE + AOAK -> 18 + 5 + 4 = 27 civs
AoC + AOFE + AOAK + AoRR -> 18 + 5 + 4 + 4 = 31 civs (the current full civ set)
With the release of 4th DLC which is very probable we will have a 4th game/civ subset.
The problem is how people who own different civ subsets play together. This can be solved in 2 ways,
(A) Everyone who does not own the full civ set gets access to a "severely" limited pool (6 civs). This is how the current HD implementation is. You do get access to 1-2 new civs which you did not pay for but you lose access to the majority of the civs for which you actually full paid for. My biggest gripe with this solution is that your fully paid game becomes outdated and severely limited in use the moment a new DLC comes out which is absolutely wrong.
(B) Everyone gets access to civs according to Civ sets they own and don't get access to civs which belong to DLCs which they have not purchased. IMO, this is the most fair solution because everyone gets to use what they paid for. I am aware that Team Random algorithm will become complicated with this option but it is solvable and not impossible.
So simple question is, how will it be with UP 1.5, Option A or B?
_______________________________________________________________________________
PS: To everyone who responds with just buy the new DLC every time, the question is why? And its not just a matter of money. No one should get access to what they have not paid for but their fully paid product shouldn't become obsolete in multiplayer play.
PS2 : Userpatch guys, you are the best thing which has happened to AOC. You guys have been doing great service to this game.