TI Multiplayer/Time and Decisions

This page is part of the TI Multiplayer mod.

In a TI Multiplayer Sandbox campaign all players share one game clock. This page explains who controls it, when it stops, and how decisions that belong to one player are handled.

The game clock

• The host controls the speed. Only the host can start the clock or change the speed. The other players see the host's speed. A client who tries gets Only the host can start the clock.
• Anyone can pause. When any player pauses, the game pauses for everyone. Only the host can unpause.
• Pauses that the game makes by itself on a client (opening a screen, a popup) only pause that client's view, not the session.
• When paused, all players show the same date within a few seconds.

Why is the clock stopped?

The tooltip of the speed controls has a section Multiplayer: that lists every reason the clock is held:

• The host has paused the game.
• <faction>: <decision> - a decision another player still has to make
• Waiting for: <players> - players who are still loading
• The host is reviewing a battle result.
• The game itself has locked the clock (scene change).
• how far your view is behind the host, if the connection is slow.

If your connection falls 5 seconds or more behind the host, a message says Connection is falling behind the host (about n s). Battles and prompts will arrive late until it catches up.

Loading

After the start, a load or a hot-join, the host cannot start the clock until every player has finished loading (Waiting for <name> to finish loading…). After 3 attempts or 20 seconds the host gets the window Players Still Loading with Keep waiting and Start anyway. Only use Start anyway if a player seems stuck.

Decisions of other players

Many things in Terra Invicta need an answer from one faction: events with options, policy choices, calls to war from allies, trajectory changes, armies ordered to depart, target choices for some missions. In multiplayer such a decision goes to the faction's player, and the clock stops for everyone until it is answered (Paused - waiting for <faction> - <decision>).

• After 4 minutes 30 seconds the player is warned: A decision of your faction is still open - answer it within 30 s, or the game skips it and continues.
• After 5 minutes the decision is skipped. A skipped decision counts as declined (a trajectory change becomes Cancel). Everyone sees <name> did not answer - resuming.

Research choices

When a research slot of another player needs a new choice, the clock waits as well. Picking a technology for the wrong slot shows Still open: …. After 5 minutes the host gets the window Clock Blocked:

• Keep waiting - wait another 5 minutes
• Clear these and continue - open research slots get the game's default choice. Anything else open is dropped (counts as declined).

Councilor mission phase

The councilor mission phase works like in single player, with one difference: every human faction has to confirm.

• The host's game opens and closes the phase for everyone.
• Confirming sends your assignments and locks your grid (Missions sent - waiting for the host to resolve the phase…).
• If a councilor has no mission, the vanilla warning asks first and a message names the councilors. Confirming the warning ends your mission phase anyway, as in single player.
• A Confirm that arrives after the phase has already ended is not sent: This mission phase is already over. Your assignments were not sent. Plan them again in the next phase.
• If a player has not confirmed after 5 minutes, the host gets Mission Phase Stuck with Keep waiting or Resolve the phase now. Resolving gives every outstanding faction the missions its councilors currently carry.
• A save made during an open mission phase re-opens the phase for everyone when it is loaded.
• In co-op, both online members of a faction confirm.

Month end

At the end of each month the session is saved automatically (see Saves and Sessions) and the turn counter shown in the session list goes up. Nobody has to wait for anyone at the month end.

Other times the clock stops

• during a trade negotiation between players (The clock is paused during a trade negotiation.)
• while a player joins a running game
• during tactical battles with players, and after a battle until the host closes the battle summary (at most 2 minutes)
• while a decision of another player is open (see above).

See also

• TI Multiplayer/Combat - the battle clock
• Councilors and Missions - the vanilla council phase