Ah, so it looks like you actually got around to playing a multiplayer game with some other GoF members. Don't expect me to join in anytime soon, though. Not only have I not played Civ IV in years, but also I could never play through the hours you mentioned. (As much as I love gaming, I know where to set my limits.)
Anyway, care to share more about how that particular game went? Having never played multiplayer before, I'm actually quite curious about how such a game would turn out.
Yes, we got around to playing eventually
Before I start explaining how that particular game went, I'll just mention that it was really an exception that we played for so long. It was just that it was quite fun and I wasn't getting tired until like 7 or 8 am so we just... continued. Usually, we play no more than 4 hours and, considering that I now have to go to school again, it might be even less than that. We're playing on Thursdays (afternoon for people from the US, evening for people from Europe).
Anyway, that particular game was a 18-player match on the earth map and it was awfully crowded because all 18 civs were located in Eurasia. Vonboy quit after a while because he was pretty much cornered by me and the greeks and he wouldn't stand a chance anyway (due to his rather poor position). Rhombus and I were both conquering some of our neighbors but, unlike me, rhombus had a better economy (while I had more soldiers) and he somehow managed to make all of his enemies his vassals while my enemies didn't want to (and rhombus made everyone we conquered in a joint attack his vassal too)
So after a while he really got an advantage in research and I couldn't keep up with him in terms of colonising America either. I eventually suggested to call it a game, seeing that I'd lose one way or another
It was probably wise to do so as rhombus had a huge army (I was unaware of that but I thought he'd eventually make use of his advantage in research and his many vassals) while my forces were concentrated outside of my territory in order to conquer Spain.
We'd be happy if you joined our multiplayer games. Malte and bushwacked might join the next one too.
As for how Multiplayer works, it's actually not that different from normal games. If you want to join a game, you just need a password for it (whoever hosts the game will let you know what it is) and you just need to make up a password for your civ so only you can play as whatever civ you go with.
We do our turns simultaneously. That still means we always have to wait until every player has completed their turn. Another thing which is different (and a little annoying in my opinion) is the fact that, if you're attacked, you're not watching the fight like in single player but you have to decide what to research and what to produce in your cities first (that is, if there's anything to be researched / produced of course). Other than that, it's pretty similar
