Cannot use DLC civ in multiplayer!?!

[[GPA] Nemesis]

I was a bit shocked as I fired up a multiplayer match today to find out I could not use my Incan civ, because not all the players had it. I rarely play single player and bought the DLC strictly for multiplayer use. This seems a poor choice, or not well thought out. I feel I was cheated out of my money.

Now before you defend it, I want to point out that many games will allow you to 'unlock' units, armies and such. The Dawn of War series was/is famous for it. For example, you need the Chaos Rising expansion to play as Chaos Marines. However, a player who only has the basic Dawn of War 2 can play against one with Chaos Rising, and the Chaos Rising player can play as Chaos Marines. The other player simply does not have an option to choose that army himself.

Buyer beware, you can only use DLC (including Babylon) civs in multiplayer if ALL players have it. Otherwise, if that's why you were going to buy it, all you're doing is flushing your cash down the toilet.
-Nem

[cake_ape]

Agreed, this needs to be addressed in a future (hopefully the very next) patch.

[Okim]

Bought Polynesia DLC just to be able to use its powerful abilities in multi-player against my friends. Was shocked discovering that ALL of them must have the Polynesia DLC pack installed!

Never going to buy any other DLC if this problem will still be present.

At least i`m enjoying this DLC in single player...

[saksingj]

If you would just think then you would realize that its technically impossible for players without inca civ to play in a game with them. Think what their game should do when you move an inca unic unit near them, for example - their game simply doesnt have such unit to display.

[cake_ape]

As has been explained before, the solution is very simple and has been common practice for many other games: the DLC will be included in everyone's game (so simply keeping everyone's game on their HD the same, same version number etc), the only difference is that you buy the codes to unlock the DLC if you want to play with them. So everyone would have all the necessary data to display them etc, you just wouldn't be able to play with those civs if you didn't pay for the DLC.

[CanuckSoldier]

As has been explained before, the solution is very simple and has been common practice for many other games: the DLC will be included in everyone's game (so simply keeping everyone's game on their HD the same, same version number etc), the only difference is that you buy the codes to unlock the DLC if you want to play with them. So everyone would have all the necessary data to display them etc, you just wouldn't be able to play with those civs if you didn't pay for the DLC.

That is the what ALL Steam games are suppose to operate, but I beleive Firaxis is not using this system because the games code can not yet handle that added data processing of dealing with players with unencrypted DLC and encrypted DLC, it's not a systemic Steam issue, but a Civ5 code limitation. And until they hire some super MP engineer, I doubt we will see any decent improvements to MP.

CS