How long will the average MP match last?

That would be depending on map size, players, number of AI's and how fast you do your turns. I guess anywhere between 1 hour (2 players, tiny map, no AI) and a couple of month (32 players, huge map).

I dont know about drop-in, sorry.

Multiplayer hasn't been seen since beta 2? So nobody really knows.

As a complete guess I would say on par with Civ 4.

it will depend on settings as usual

MP will not last at all as when those that do play MP find out how imbalanced it's going to be then nobody is going to want to play it.

i would expect MP To be shorter then Civ4 late game / mid game  damn all them citys... i should just raze them all.

I imagine LAN games should last a decently long time. I don't think we'll see a super-competitive online MP community for this game, at least not off-the-bat. Once balance settles down it'll get better.

For the first few months, LAN this game to hell, get your friends hooked on it. There's no DRM so you can copy it to your friends computers to LAN, then delete it afterwards (if you're a trustworthy kinda guy). I don't necessarily think Stardock allows multiple installations like that but... well, I need to convince my friends to buy it somehow, eh? 

Previous Stardock games actually *have* allowed you to install multiple copies for LAN play. I don't know if you can do it with say 14 people, but if you wanted to play with a friend over LAN? Their stance has been to go for it. It's a very customer-friendly approach.

Well. They allow you by not stopping you, directly. But I know think that their license doesn't allow it... 

So it's legal for me to keep one copy on my notebook, and one on my desktop and switch back and forth between each other. It's illegal for me to let my friend play on my notebook at I play on my desktop on a LAN with him. Similarly, it's illegal for me to copy it onto my roommate's computer so that we can LAN together. 

either a troll or never played FFH

Edit: Asymmetry in gameplay never stopped Multiplayer from forming ... while map imbalance will be an interesting problem, although basic skirmishes will have balanced maps last I checked.

As far as we know there will be multiple versions of the MP game to play. One version will be a full blown game while another will be a wizards duel while yet another will be an "x-com meets myth" hybrid. Length of the game will depend on what game type is being played and how skilled the players in question are.

Come back when you can discuss instead of childish name calling episodes like the above BOY!

You're not new around here Tasunke, you should know that psychoraven is the village idiot. He's the founding member of the "multiplayer killed my kittens" club.

Tridus is the village troll IGMO. You'll just have to learn they bounced him on his head when he was a baby and he giggled so they kept doing it

Hrmmm I'd have to agree (unfortunately) with Psychoravin. Tridus you didn't add anything to this discussion with your comment about Psychoravin and merely came in here only to troll and bait him. -1 karma

Now on topic I hope there are various levels of timed games so MP can be played in an hour or less or as long as players choose. Everything should be about choices and options.

Finger-pointing as to who's not being constructive just makes the thread even less so--knock it off, all of you. If someone isn't being constructive, either respond civilly or just ignore them.

I agree with you storm I was all the time in favor for Civ IV PBEM's .. 1-2 moves per day for a long lasting time, as I only have little spare time but it was always interesting and challenging

Last I heard, the default form of multiplayer will be using balanced maps. Seems pretty sound on the balance to me.

(if map imbalance was your primary concern, vs game-play asymmetry)

wtb battlechess mode.

if you get random maps that are balanced even more fun.