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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.

I "upgraded" to nVidia 43.45, and FPS is about 2.5, so going back to 41.09.

Good idea. CMBB loads much slower than CMBO, it takes maybe four times as long to load 3D graphics. I wonder how you did this? With Paint Shop Pro 7? What settings? Because loading the black small bmps when skipping the other player's turn takes just about one second.

CMBBDEMO fast&trust mode is now working in release 1.3.305.

It is easier to start a new game by giving the 2- prefix. But there is also a Trust/Secure button in Edit F2, that you can use to change the mode. It will give you more instructions.

1.3.304 (19.3.2003) New: Added CMBO and CMBBDEMO fast&trust mode.

CMBO fast&trust mode is ready, download 1.3.304 from below.

I noticed that if I change gamma before I start CMBB, then CMBB resets the gamma. But if I change the gamma while CMBB is running, using hot keys, then it works.

That's strange, I tried now the latest version but it still didn't have any effect. But I take your word that it works on you. I presume that altering the color settings in display properties works for you as well (on my computer it doesn't)? I have WinME with Detonator 30.82 drivers, and GeForce2 MX. Fortunately I found Rex Bellator's tip about Powerstrip in this Tech Forum thread, and it worked. This is great, as I'm trying to make a 3-battle operation that takes place from dusk to dawn in bad weather. Now I can continue work! </font>

Thanks. Unfortunately it couldn't do much for me - upping the gamma from nVidia settings I had already tried before, and I guess PBEM Helper can't do more than that (but it is handier to use, at least). Actually I didn't see much if any difference when in-game. On desktop, when changing the gamma, it works fine, but once I enter the game, it uses some other settings.</font>

Still had bugs! 1.3.303 (18.3.2003) Fixed: Hot keys stopped working after a game was run once. New: CMBB fast&trust mode enhancements: Automatically quits CMBB after 30 seconds if the skipping of other player's movie replay does not work, and restores the display colors. I am planning now to make this fast mode more secure: * Make the VBS code encrypted (plain code still visible for the curious) * Better password encryption * Does not start fast&trust mode if screen blanking does not work After these you can be pretty sure that the other player cannot see your units. Or at least it requires much harder hacking. I will make the CMBO version first, though.

A new version with Ctrl+Shift+0-9 is now available.

Hmm... I just wonder, how do I do this if I don't have a Windows keyboard? Can you make it customizable? </font>

I will do it now that CMBB is working properly. Just uploaded a fixed version, btw. 1.3.300 (17.3.2003) Fixed: Hot key F5 for sending the next numbered file name in CMBB didn't work.

I don't know why I missed this for so long... I guess that because it was impossible to set the display black with SetDeviceGammaRamp, all other colors would fail as well! 1.3.298 (17.3.2003) New: CMBB fast&trust mode changes the display grey when skipping the other player's movie replay, so that you don't see anything. New: Hot keys Win+0, Win+1, ... Win+9 to set display gamma, so that CMBB night scenarios are more playable. Win+0 is the default gamma, Win+9 is the brightest. You can disable this in Options / "Enable gamma hot keys".

I know what you're telling... my monitor is of a dark kind in the first place, so I have to use max. gamma correction to be able to see things in midday battles. In comparison, in CMBO night battles I could see things easily. </font>

Just uploaded the latest version of PBEM Helper. It has now support for Quick Battles where you purchase your units (it asks in turn 3 if you want to change to fast&trust mode, just answer No, and change in turn 5 instead). It also changes display colors to violet, so that red and blue unit bases are not visible anymore, when you skip the other player's movie replay. It uses SetDeviceGammaRamp function... it couldn't make the display black, but this solves the unit base problem completely. Also some penetration and other texts are not visible any more, but some still are, although the color difference is so small that they are hard to read. I have a feeling now that this feature is complete... please try it! 1.3.295 (16.3.2003) New: CMBB fast&trust mode changes the display violet when skipping the other player's movie replay, so that the red and blue unit bases are not visible anymore. Fixed: CMBB fast&trust mode supports Quick Battles, and other improvements. New: In Options / "Test screen blanking" you can test if changing the display colors to violet works on your machine. It will change the colors for one second.

PBEM Helper assumes that you do the following: A) Setup your units Setup his units A) Plot moves for your units Plot moves for his units A) Plot moves for your units, skip his movie, view your movie and plot moves for your units again This works if you start a predefined scenario. I have not tested this with Quick Battles. If you in quick battles first select your units, and then your opponent selects his units, then PBEM Helper should do two extra normal turns before starting the process multiple turns. If this is the case, then you can manually edit your Turn #3 in Notepad, and change it to Turn #1 before playing.

I feel cursed already, because when I finally found a Win32 API that should do the trick, SetDeviceGammaRamp, it turns out that I can only make the display darker with it, not completely black: "SetDeviceGammaRamp doesn't allow all gamma ramps. It checks the gamma ramp; if it is too complex, such as the red flash when the player is shot in Quake, it rejects it." So a black gamma ramp is too complex for it. All hope is not lost, however, the corresponding device driver function DDIGammaRamp should work. DDIGammaRamp Sets the ramp on direct color display boards. The export ordinal for this function is 32. </font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;"> BOOL DDIGammaRamp( LPDEVICE lpDev, BOOL fGetSet, LPARAM lpGammaRamp ); </pre>

It may be a bug, I'll check later today. But it is also possible, that you did something wrong... In turn 3, you should do Plot,(skip view),View+Plot only. In turn 4 and onwards you do the full View,Plot,(skip view),View+Plot. It sounds like your opponent does not do it correctly... as if he only does View,Plot. He may have a problem on his side. But then you should not be able to do the second View+Plot... I don't know, it sounds confusing. One possibility is that your game is in incorrect phase: You or your opponent skips your Plot phase, not View phase. Your description sounds like you do "Plot,View,(skip view or plot),Plot", instead of "View,Plot,(skip view),View+Plot". Where is your View+Plot? How did you start your game? Renaming an existing game so that it has 2- in the beginning is usually not enough, the latest version has a Trust/Secure button in Edit F2, that guides you through the mode change. If you started the game in fast&trust mode (the first saved setup phase game already contained 2-), then everything should work without problems.

Right. I am currently studying DirectX API, trying to find a way to change the global gamma settings... does not seem to be possible. I have a Gainward EXPERTool utility, that changes the global gamma/brightness/contrast settings and with this tool you can set the display black, but I guess that it only works with nVidia graphics cards. It also has a utility to change the monitor power saving mode to Stand by, Suspend and Off, all will blank the display. I have not found a Windows API function that does this reliably yet. I think that I have to study device drivers next, monitor and graphics drivers.

Puuh... release 292 had a bug, fast&trust mode didn't work, sorry for that. A new version 1.3.293 is available.

There is no problem if both players remember to set the view away from the battlefield before hitting Go in the last View+Plot phase (normally you load three ordinary turns: View, Plot, skip other player's View, and View+Plot). We saw each other's movement a couple of times, it was very fast, it didn't spoil the game. It would be better without this problem, of course. I have not quitted trying to solve it, just taking a break! Another problem is the morale display, the text should be hidden. While I didn't notice it, my opponent did. It could probably be solved by replacing the font bmps (0.bmp, 1.bmp and 2.bmp), but I believe that the whole program should be restarted before viewing the opponent's movie, and after that, because the fonts are loaded only once. It would make the process slower.

We just finished our first fast&trust mode game, in two weeks, having 63 standard&secure turns, about 20 game turns, and 13 e-mails in my mailbox. Almost unbelievable! This is three times faster than normal PBEM. We had two minor glitches, both fixed in the latest PBEM Helper release, I hope. 1.3.292 (6.3.2003) Fixed: The fast&trust mode asked to send empty turn in the end. Fixed: Hopefully fixed a random case of corrupted fast&trust mode file.

It happened twice in the same scenario, I don't know the name at the moment. In both cases my unit, having 9-10 men, panicked in the forest edge, and started running to the general direction of friendly lines, not directly, but still. In both cases only one or two men were down when they panicked. They could have retreated back to the forest and survived. In the second case, I had ordered them to move to the forest edge, and then hopefully throw Molotov cocktails at enemy halftracks. It didn't work out, halftracks spotted my men, and started firing at them. Only one got killed, but still my veteran men panicked. They could have retreated back to woods, back to their HQ unit. Instead they ran out of the woods, so that the three halftracks killed all nine of them in one second. I think that it is very unrealistic that all nine men decide to run out of the woods to the open, when they are fired at. Of course CMBB can't simulate individual men, but still. It would have been better if they just retreated back to where they came from, or to the direction of their HQ. Which was the same in this case. My suggestion is: Add more AI to panicking units. The current behaviour is not realistic. I wouldn't call it a bug, though. Another idea: Panicking units should split, it would represent the panicking better. And add more AI.