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As with the majority of 4X strategy games,Age of Wonders 4comes armed with a fully functional multiplayer gameplay mode. Features such as Hot Seating allow for slower, longer matches, although you may still make standard premade games either with friends or in public lobbies.
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This guide will explain how to go about creating your own Age of Wonder 4 multiplayer lobby, how to join somebody else’s, and some handy tips and tricks to consider if you intend to branch out from a singleplayer setting.
How To Create A Multiplayer Lobby
The lobby creation process is fairly straightforward, although there is also a multitude of options available that can allow you to fine-tune your gameplay experience. To start, go toOnline Multiplayerin the game’s Main Menu and then click onHost Sessionat the bottom of the window.
This will give you aRealm Selectionscreen, whereby you can alter key settings such asMap TypeandRealm Tier. After you choose a realm, click onSelectat the bottom, and you will be taken to the set-up menu. Here you can fiddle around with all the game’s settings
TheRealm Selectiontab allows you to create and save customised Realms for use in future matches. Simplyswitch from the Official setting to Custom.
After you have customised your intended settings, you will be able to either launch the lobby as aPublicorPrivatematch. Once this is done, you will see aJoin Codebar at the top of the screen, that can be shared with your intended players to allow them into your private game.
If you decide to close your lobby, simply click on theAbort Sessionbutton in the bottom left-hand corner.
How To Join A Multiplayer Lobby
If you are not going to be the game’s host, you can still hop into a pre-made lobby. Once again choosingOnline Multiplayer, this time you can select eitherActive SessionsandAvailable Sessions. Public matches in Available Sessions will show you theHost’s Name,Realm Choice,Player Distanceand thenumber of current players. If it is an open lobby you can simply click onJoin, however,if it is a private game you will need the Join Code to enter.
If you and the host areParadox friends, they may invite you via theInvite Friendsbutton in the lobby. This will bypass the need for the Friend Codeand may be useful if the lobby is not appearing in the public search list.
On platforms such asSteam, the Host can also manually invite players into their lobby by interacting with theSteam OverlayandFriends List.
Multiplayer Tips And Tricks
Joining a multiplayer game is all very well, but how are you going to go about winning it? The multiplayer experience is very different from a single-player match, as the AI plays and thinks very differently from human opponents.
Initiate Diplomacy
While certain AI will not conduct trade deals due to various factors such as contradictingAffinity, players can be reasoned with, and you are more likely to be able to strike up friendly relations with a human opponent.Playing as an isolated faction will reduce your chances of making key alliances, so try and work on making some friends, especially if they are located close to your starting location.
Be Careful About Your Victory Condition
AI opponents will tend to push allVictory Typesat once. Human players can and will specialise in one given area, therefore boosting their chances of being successful. If you notice another player pushing for a certain Victory Objective, you can choose tocounter their effortsorturn to another source of Victory.
Often it can be better to switch your focus to a new goal if they are doing particularly well in another area, as you do not want to waste time chasing a goal that somebody else is going to beat you to.
Likewise, if you are going for a morepassivevictory such asScore, be aware that players are going to respond to your efforts. It may be difficult to hide your progress, and you should be prepared for any last-ditch efforts to take you out.
Protect Your Valuable Units
During combat, players are much more likely tofocus down specific key targets, rather than spreading their damage as the AI does. This means you may fall victim to over-extending, as a savvy player will know which unit is your biggest asset, and try to quickly take it out.
Units such asHeroesat particularly vulnerable, as taking out another player’s Hero will give you a big advantage, something the AI does not tend to focus on doing.
