Hi!

I want to build a game with a structure similar to old X-COM games: global strategy in real-time with an ability to speed up or slow down time flow, and local turn-based tactics, but with a lot of management, like in simulator games. I want multiple human and AI players in my game, each managing his own base/squad/infrastructure. Players and AIs can cooperate or confront with each other.

I'm in the very early stages of planning and design, and my main struggle now is that time scale in global strategy and turn-based tactics vary a lot. If all players are in strategy mode at the same time, it's probably ok - time speeds up only if all players are agreed with that. But when one of the players starts a turn-based mission, time flow needs to slow down drastically (practically stop). So either other players need to wait until this player ends his mission. Or, by the time this player passed a couple of turns in his local mission, strategy mode can advance to hours or days, but it makes no sense.

I don't want to force all the players to participate in each turn-based mission, but I don't want to stop them from playing and wait either. I want my turn-based missions to be around 15-40 minutes of playtime, so this would be a really long wait.

First things with what I come up is:

• Turn timers to speed up the turn-based player
• Allow other players to “schedule” their next steps while the turn-based player is playing his mission.
• Allow other players to do some small activities, which is insignificant on a big scale (for example, walk their own base, talk to researchers, chat with other players via “official messages”, make small improvements to his squad, etc.

But I have a feeling that these measures will not be enough to keep players attracted. So, I want to know, are there some games (maybe even cardboard), which successfully fought against that issue? I understand that my question lacks a lot of specifics, but I don't want to write a poem here. So I will be glad to answer any additional questions that could have clear the understanding of my issue.

About your x-com multiplayer project:

Have you managed to complete a single player turn-based game with the structure you envision?

If you did and you nailed what makes the single player experience fun, here are the common tricks used on the few games that allow turn based coop:

• Smaller and flatter maps with limited gimmicks: can't let players and enemies wasting turns with tar pits, gigantic detours or random teleporters. Maps must have clear routes and choke points
• Player phase timer: 30 seconds if you manage one character at a time, 10 seconds x team size if you control the whole squad in your turn.
• Turn limit: Make some simulations to get the average number of turns to end the fight. Add a percentage on top of it (20~50%) so the game don't end in ties for lack of turns.
• Clear and quick victory/defeat objectives: Don't drag a fight endlessly by demanding the player to "kill all enemies" and having half of them healers and the other half tanks blocking the path to the healers. Add a key targets or control points with clear and fast paths to conquer or defend.
• Offense focus, high damage values, high risk/reward: complementing the item above. Neither the player nor the enemy should be able to turtle their way to victory or stall defeat for many turns.