Fuerte

I have played N-Gage Pathway to Glory recently. It is turn based ww2 game with about 6-8 soldiers on each side in online game. It does not really compare with Combat Mission, but it has some interesting design decisions that could be implemented in a future Combat Mission game: 1) You control each soldier individually 2) Each soldier can take control of any free (unmanned) vehicle or gun, and also leave control (you need only one man to drive and fire a tank...) 3) Soldiers are valuable, vehicles or guns are not per se, so that when the tank is about to explode, it is better to move your soldier to safe place I can imagine that if the future Combat Mission game tracks each soldier individually, then the game will be much better.

I was able to switch to 1.01. This is how I did it: 1) Normally Play the game in 1.0 2) View your turn 3) In Plot phase, save the game with the same file name (2+ something), exit CMAK 4) Upgrade to 1.01, run it directly 5) Load the saved game (not in Multiplayer mode), select E-Mail mode, enter the password with Ctrl+Shift+P, plot your turn, GO, save the game with the next file name (Ctrl+Shift+F does it), exit CMAK 6) Again Play the game, now in 1.01 7) It will skip your opponent's View, and then you will do View+Plot [ February 05, 2004, 02:21 PM: Message edited by: Fuerte ]

I released PBEM Helper 1.3.337, it has support for both CMAK and CMAKdemo. CMAK.INI (the English version) was done by Strategist, and I added support for the CDV version. I tested that fast+trust mode works in CMAK.

The user interface feels much more responsive. Perhaps the 3D routines have been improved? I wonder what DirectX version it uses.

Save the CMAKdemo.ini into PBEM Helper installation folder. CMAKdemo.ini

It should work exactly the same as with CMBB. There is no need to do anything extra. F5 not working in Win98 is odd. Also I got one 2- file from a Win98 guy, skipping the other player's view turn didn't work for him, but it worked on my machine without problems. Great to hear that it works on your Win98.

True, black bmps are not necessary any more. They load faster than regular graphics, but I will remove them from the next version.

You still have to tell it to start the fast mode in turn 3 or 5 (if QB), even if you give it the 2- prefix when you start it. PBEM Helper asks it from you when you click Play, you don't have to convert it. Only when you convert an existing game from normal mode to fast+trust mode, only then you need to do it right after view+plot turn.

It is exactly as you said: You must have just done the View+Plot phase, and you must then convert the file before you send it. It's that simple. But it is even simpler to start a new game in fast+trust mode. Just give the game file name 2- prefix when you save it for the first time. That's it. You don't need to convert anything, just give that name. Of course, you must be absolute sure that you have entered a correct password in PBEM Helper game settings, because this password is then encrypted and sent with the game, so that your opponent can skip your view turn, and the fast mode actually works.

The F5 feature closing CM and sending back to PBEM Helper is rather nice, is it available for the normal games (not Fast + Trust mode) ? </font>

Here are some more instructions how to start a new game in fast+trust mode: How to start a fast+trust mode game (thanks Andrew!) </font> Start a PBEM game, save the game with 2- prefix (e.g. 2-PBEM or 2-PBEM001 if you use numbered system (the temporary 2+ files are always numbered and backed up, so you don't usually need this)). You can use PBEM Helper File / Generate Password F11 to create a random password, and then Ctrl+Shift+P to send the password (in clipboard) to CMBB when it asks it. Send the game to your opponent (in .PBM format).</font>Open (don't save) the PBM file from this email. This automatically opens PBEM Helper.</font>Make sure your password is in the game file by Game / Edit / Generate (if you have put it there once, it will always be there). Fast+trust mode does not work without the password.</font>Have the CM disk in the CD drive.</font>Select the game file and press the play button (or use F9 key, or double-click it if the status is Play).</font>In turn 3 or 5 (depending if this is a Quick Battle where both purchased units) you have to switch to fast mode by clicking Yes in the message box.</font>CM will automatically start, the game will automatically be selected and your password automatically entered.</font>Do your turn(s).....</font>If it ever goes out to the Save Game screen, don't enter the name yourself, just press the F5 key and it does it automatically.</font>Once it is the end of things, it will automatically close CM and send you back to PBEM helper.</font>If you have Options / Automatically Send Played Games enabled, PBEM Helper will then automatically zip and send the turn to your opponent. It is good to have Taunt Your Opponent checked if you use automatic sending, so that you can cancel it if needed.</font>

Ugh! Sorry about the delay, I should read this forum more often, but I'm so busy playing two-turns-per-e-mail with my regular opponent! Thanks to him (Tom Snäll), btw, he has found many bugs. I'll send you the address by e-mail... I never thought that I would actually gain something from this, except perhaps a good state of mind.

I probably should not post this, because this whole copy protection issue is very delicate, but when 1.02 patch came, I had to re-read my original and bought CDV version disc again with a better copy protection program, so that my virtual drive worked. I didn't have to change the virtual drive software. Now I have changed the virtual drive software for other reasons, and I didn't have to do anything with 1.03 patch, it still works.

Also if you ever want to view those old movie replays, then you need to keep old versions in hard disk as well. Just make a copy of that exe.

I had to switch from Ti4200 to Radeon 9700, and the movie replay hot key response got much worse. Then I changed Direct3D (and OpenGL) options to wait for vertical sync Always On, and now the hot keys work very fast again. Apparently the display card is very busy drawing 3D images all the time, so that other processes don't get much processor time. It does not affect the 3D quality at all, it is as smooth as before. And it does not make much sense to draw the display while it is being painted to the screen, you can get unnecessary graphics artifacts in process (smearing).

Fortunately there are virtual cd drives like DaemonTools (free, up to 4 drives). I have not used CBMO/CMBB disc for months now. The virtual cd is faster, silent, and always there. And fortunately we can buy the next release again directly from BattleFront. Waiting for the patch...

The latest version complains if it can't initialize the hot keys, please try it.

You have to choose the file so that you can view your opponent's movie as well, if you have the password. Also sometimes you don't have all the moves from the beginning, for example, so it can be handy to be able to choose the file where to start. I have XP, and it works. Just be sure to have the right password in clipboard, and you don't have to add those 2 turns, except when the game is a Quick Battle AND when you both purchased units. If you didn't buy units, then just click Yes, and select turn 004 or 005.

The latest PBEM Helper has support for viewing the full battle movie replay in Program / View Movie. The file names must be in numbered format (three digits in the end, before .txt). The password must be in clipboard (use Ctrl+C to copy it from some game). Use hot keys: F5: First turn F6: Previous turn F7: Next turn F8: Last turn F9: Quit Normally turns 004 and 005 are the first movie turns for both players. If this game is a quick battle where both players have bought units, then add 2 extra setup turns.

Try AGP 4x and if you have overclocked your P4, make sure that AGP/PCI is not overclocked.

There has been two new versions since my last post: 1.3.312 (5.5.2003) Fixed: Problem with ZIP operation. New: File / "Encrypt password that is in clipboard" function. New: Help / About / Mail me. 1.3.310 (22.4.2003) Fixed: Hopefully fixed a random CMBB fast&trust mode problem (Helper opened a file too quickly). New: Added File / Show Log Ctrl+L. It does not show anything useful now, it is just used for debugging. moneymaxx: You don't need to change that file into trust&secure mode, it already is in that mode if the name begins with 2- characters. That error is because you don't have new enough VBScript engine. Download it from Microsoft Windows Script

Try PBEM Helper, it will take care of all these problems.

I should have mentioned that both players need the latest version so that the password encryption/decryption works.

In fact it triplicates the speed...

1.3.309 (8.4.2003) New: Encrypted password in CMBB fast&trust mode is more secure. New: Checks that VBS code has not been modified (CMBB.VBS.MD5). New: Does not allow CMBB fast&trust mode unless the screen blanking works. Test this with new hot keys. New: Gamma hot keys work now as follows: Ctrl+Shift+ 0: Restore default (how it was before PBEM Helper was loaded). 1 - 8: Gamma = from 1.0 to 2.75 in steps of 0.25. 1.0 is usually the same as default, 2.75 is the brightest. 9: Blank screen to grey, use this to test if it works in CMBB fast&trust mode. New: File / "Oppnent PBEM Helper version" shows your opponent's version, if you have received a .PBM file.