help with pbem

[Nevres]

this may sound stupid, but its a first and i cant find an answer, i started a pbem game but the files do not go as attachments but as text, so were found in the necesity to copy the text to a notepad and then saving the file to the pbem folder, a longer process than the normal save the attachment to the pbem folder, could anyone shed some light on the subject?

[Mace]

G'day Nevres,

The PBEM files are saved as text in the PBEM folder, but you don't need open them with a text reader or anything (unless, AHEM, you're trying to break the code).

Just attach them to your email message and send them to the other player. Conversely, just save an incoming PBEM file from the other player straight to the Combat Mission PBEM folder.

Hope this helps.

Mace

[Nevres]

thanks for the quick response mace, but i have played before and did the respective procedure with no trouble, this is the first time, the files instead of coming in file format, come in text format, so i have to mark all the text and then copy it to notepad to create a text file and then copy the file to the folder, a longer process indeed. By the way, no code manipulation here. So what type of trouble do you think it is, some incompatibility with the mail formats?

[Guest Germanboy]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Nevres:

thanks for the quick response mace, but i have played before and did the respective procedure with no trouble, this is the first time, the files instead of coming in file format, come in text format, so i have to mark all the text and then copy it to notepad to create a text file and then copy the file to the folder, a longer process indeed. By the way, no code manipulation here. So what type of trouble do you think it is, some incompatibility with the mail formats?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hi Nevres, I think I see the problem you are having. Two ways around it:

1. Save the whole email by going to 'save as' in the edit menu of your emailer. CM can distinguish the beginning and end of the data, it does not matter whether there are sigs and other stuff as long as the code is clear. Save it into the PBEM folder and open it. That works for me.

2. If that does not work, you will have to ask your opponent to zip/stuff the files before sending, and you will then have to unzip/unstuff them. That should take care of all problems.

This is an encoding problem that appears randomly, it seems. I have had games where it never happened, and started another game against the same opponent and suddenly they come up in the body of the mail. No idea why. Hope this helps.

enjoy the game.

Another one for the FAQ, methinks.

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Andreas

[Nevres]

Germanboy, thanks alot for your help saving the whole email did the trick, again thanks alot

[Henri]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Nevres:

this may sound stupid, but its a first and i cant find an answer, i started a pbem game but the files do not go as attachments but as text, so were found in the necesity to copy the text to a notepad and then saving the file to the pbem folder, a longer process than the normal save the attachment to the pbem folder, could anyone shed some light on the subject?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Before I discovered the following, the same happened to me as well as a number of other embarassments such as sending the wrong file etc.

The problem you describe is that your mail program or your opponent's(probably Eudora) has an option to transmit text files included in the text instead of as attached text files.

It is actually faster to zip your files with the free Winzip program (and the files are shorter):. Here is how you can make file exchange much faster (I had to find it by myself).

1) Agree with your opponent on a filename, then use this filename for the whole game changing only the number at the end (filename1, filename2, filename3, etc), independently of the move number or the kind of move.also agree to send zipped files.

2) Make a link to your pbem folder on your desktop by right-dragging it with the mouse so that you can open it with a single double click from the desktop. Put a link to Winzip on the desktop too if it is not already there. Now you can zip or unzip a file just by dragging it from the desktop pbem folder to the Winzip icon.

TO RECEIVE A MOVE:

3)When you get a file, click on the zipped attachment symbol at the end of the file, which will open Winzip; point it to the pbem folder. After the first time, it will point there by itself so you don't have to type anything. Tell it to unzip the file which will now be in the correct place in your pbem folder.

PLAY YOUR MOVE:

4)Open CM and play your move; when the save screen appears, just change the number of the file name suggested (for example change filename 11 to filename12), and press save. Now go to the desktop, open the pbem folder there and drag the new file to the Winzip icon; you will be prompted to save the zipped file, give it the same name as the unzipped file. Remember it (especially the number) since you will need it in a moment.

TO SEND YOUR MOVE

5)Now go to your mail program (say Eudora), open the message that contained your opponent's last move and press reply on the menu. Write a comment and press the attached file button; click to the pbem folder and choose the file that you just zipped.

6. Send the message with the zipped file.

Although this may look complicated, it is not, and it is MUCH faster than working with unzipped files, and you will never have the problem of having files joined with the message text. It takes less than a minute for each direction (before and after you make your move).

I also find it convenient to create a mailbox for each player, and to immediately move the mail messages there after each move, leaving my in and out boxes uncluttered.

Try it, you'll like it.

Henri

[Pfc Driscole James E]

Oh Nervus, Nervus, Nervus if _only_ you had done a search you would have found my post of just a few hours ago.

(Note to humour impaired this is intended more as a jibe at those who complain on non searching posters than at Nervus.)

For me this problem is caused by an ISP configured to include plain text attachment into the message body.

I solved it by changing 3 (1 would do) of the - characters to a hex FF in the "PBEM data follows this line" string in the game program file. This forces the PBEM file to be encoded as quoteable-printable instead of being plain text. You will need a binary editor to do this.

In AW this could get you banned for life.

This is the only mod I've made to the program file for those who might worry about it.

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Hiya Fellas!

[Guest Germanboy]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Pfc Driscole James E:

(Note to humour impaired this is intended more as a jibe at those who complain on non searching posters than at Nervus.)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

One of whom has answered the post to the full satisfaction of the poster before you, but never mind.

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Andreas