PBEM virgin seeks advice

[tuhhodge]

Hi guys,

I've played a lot against the AI and feel it's time to try a PBEM game. I notice the manual gives details, but I wondered whether someone could give me some more details.

I was wondering if it really is as simple as just ensuring you have an internet connection, the game properly installed and compatible versions?

Also, how long does it take to download a PBEM turn? And is one turn a day too slow?

At the moment I don't have an internet connection, so don't even have any patches, but I plan to get up and running asap.

I'd appreciate any advice!

[Soddball]

Originally posted by tuhhodge:

Hi guys,

I've played a lot against the AI and feel it's time to try a PBEM game. I notice the manual gives details, but I wondered whether someone could give me some more details.

I was wondering if it really is as simple as just ensuring you have an internet connection, the game properly installed and compatible versions?

Also, how long does it take to download a PBEM turn? And is one turn a day too slow?

At the moment I don't have an internet connection, so don't even have any patches, but I plan to get up and running asap.

I'd appreciate any advice!

A PBEM turn is just a text file, which is encrypted. Let's say you challenge me to a game. The way it works is:

You set up the game - if it's a Quick Battle you pick parameters, weather, units etc, and click 'email' on the 'how do you want to play' screen.

When you've finished buying your units, it will ask you to select the name of your saved file - default is PBEM, but lots of people like to name theirs - (TuhHodgevsSoddball) and some like to number them (TuhHodgevsSoddball001) to keep track of turns.

I receive the file, load it into my game, pick units, place units and then send the turn back to you via email.

It works thusly for turns:

You give your units orders and email the turn to me.

I give my units orders, the turn is processed on my machine, and I email the turn to you.

You watch the turn unfolding, and return it to me.

I watch the turn, and then plot the next turn's moves.

Pretty simple, and fun.

It doesn't matter how many turns you send a day, but your opponent can get frustrated if you only send one a fortnight (MASTERGOODALE ARE YOU LISTENING????).

Hope that helps.

If you are looking for some PBEM opponents, head over to the Cheery Waffle thread and challenge someone to a game. One of the sad losers will play you.

[Robohn]

I have found play be e-mail pretty much as simple as e-mailing the file to my friend. You save the file to your PBEM file in the CMBB folder and start the game up. Press join multi-player and load the latest e-mail file.

One turn a day is reasonable for people who have lives. It is nice to let your opponent know if you are going to drop below that for some reason (like a 3 day business trip or something).

Anyway, my PBEM experience is from playing with people I know. I haven't stepped out into the wideworld of playing PBEMs with people I have not personally met yet....

Robohn

[Soddball]

Oh, and the size of the text file varies according to map size, number of units, number of targetting thingummies, number of units moving, and some other stuff.

You may find, if you're on a modem as opposed to broadband or cable, that zipping files is preferable because you can be twiddling your thumbs waiting for downloads.

Some online email systems, such as Hotmail, bugger about with the file if you're not careful, so zipping is also a useful way to avoid this.

Typical files in a 2,000 pt Quick Battle don't get much larger than 500kb (for the action emails) and 75kb (for the move plotting emails)

[Jim Boggs]

tuhhodge:

I have only recently begun playing PBEM and I can tell you it opens up a whole new experience. I have probably the worst possible internet set-up (AOL 56k dial-up) and even it works, albeit it requires winzip to work properly.

The sequence, as I have experienced it, seems to run in three parts:

1. Give Orders (send turn)

2. View Turn, Give Orders (send turn)

3. View Turn (send turn)

This cycle repeats for the entire game. One turn a day seems to be the norm, but it is certainly possible to do more. I have been playing 1,000 point Quick Battles and the files take less than a minute to download, so it's not bad.

You also have to ability to "rag" your opponent during the exchange of e-mails, which is really nice.

Hope this helps, Welcome to the addiction.

[Lou2000]

The advice above says it all ... its not

that bad and you'll probably be happy after the first couple of moves....

You may want to check out the Proving Grounds ... It is a site mainly focusing on finding opponents.

You can check out other players details and their experience level .... there are plenty of PBEM newcomers already registered.

If you have any PBEM specific questions, either before or during you first game, feel free to email me and I'll try to answer them for you.

Even if you just want to try sending a test setup to ensure you're happy with what you are expecting to see.

[THumpre]

How does PBEM work? Simple, Pick a scenario or start a QB game setup and then send me the file(listed in info) and you are off

[tuhhodge]

Right, sounds simple enough.

Presumably you start a game and choose PBEM, then you go through setting parametres, choose forces, set-up and then press 'go' as per normal. The computer then asks you where to save to and what name. You then email turn as an attachment.

Opponent receives email with attachment. If attachement is a zipped file, he unzips immediately. He then starts CMBB and chooses join multiplayer game and selects unzipped file, computer sorts things out and the above process starts?

Correct?

I hope so!

[Dave H]

Originally posted by tuhhodge:

Right, sounds simple enough.

Presumably you start a game and choose PBEM, then you go through setting parametres, choose forces, set-up and then press 'go' as per normal. The computer then asks you where to save to and what name. You then email turn as an attachment.

Actually, the computer will save the files in the PBEM folder of CMBB automatically. It will just ask you for the name of your new file. That's why a lot of us use three digits at the end of the file name, because you just keep raising the number by 1.

Opponent receives email with attachment. If attachement is a zipped file, he unzips immediately. He then starts CMBB and chooses join multiplayer game and selects unzipped file, computer sorts things out and the above process starts?

Correct?

I hope so!

When you receive the attached file from your opponent, it helps to detach it into the PBEM folder, so the game (and you) will locate it easily.

Like Soddball said, try the Cheery Waffle thread for some PBEM players. Don't be shy about trying PBEM. Most of the players I've met this way have been really great. Except for MasterGoodale. And Axe2121. And Paddington. And mike the wino. And Becket. And Soddball.

Did I mention Goodale? He's a no-account slacker, whose home in a cave in New England is overgrown with some kind of sickness-inducing mold. He loves to start games, but when he runs out of TNT to chuck, he sends turns at the speed of a glacier. Axe is a Canadian, if you can imagine. He loves ice storms, and has been trapped in one for weeks. Paddington is from Finland, which means he is capable of ripping through the armor plate of a tank with his bare hands. Mike the wino is from California, and spends most of his time living up to his name. Becket has just dropped completely out of sight. Soddball creates scenarios where you can't ever see anything, but you lose anyway. Avoid all of these people at all costs.

[ April 09, 2003, 03:54 PM: Message edited by: Dave H ]

[Fuerte]

Originally posted by Dave H:

Then you receive the attached file from your opponent, it helps to detach it into the PBEM folder, so the game (and you) will locate it easily.

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