PBEM-fans unite!

[Sgt Joch]

Originally posted by Battlefront.com:

I doubt we'll have a Trusted Mode in CM:SF's first release, but I'm sure at some point we will put it in.

that is good news.

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />(I see the playback for turn 16, save)+(I do the move for turn 16, save)

How can you see the resolution for Turn 16 if you haven't done the orders for Turn 16 yet? </font>

[Battlefront.com]

Ah... OK, I think I get it. Yes, if we go to an asyncrhonous system, it is possible to watch two turns and plot two turns. I wasn't thinking that way because it could make for one heck of a fat PBEM file.

Unfortunately, it does require trust and therefore won't be going into the game immediately. But we will keep it in mind.

Steve

[Sgt Joch]

that's okay, we know you have more important things on your mind, such as getting CMSF out BEFORE CHRISTMAS! :mad:

Now, about those two minute turns...

[Dschugaschwili]

Steve: You're right, the system can be made safe, but not totally secure.

A few general thoughts about gameplay systems like PBEM for a game with simultaneous resolution like CM:

First, there are a couple of constraints that must be fulfilled for such a system to be able to work:

a. To calculate the events for turn X, we need the calculated result for turn X-1.

b. To calculate the events for turn X, we need all players' orders for turn X.

c. To watch the events of turn X, we need to have calculated these.

d. Each player wants to issue orders for turn X+1 only after having watched the events for turn X.

This means that we need at least one file swap per turn: to get both players' orders to one of their computers so that the results can be calculated.

A system that does this could be:

1. Player 1 issues orders for turn X, sends file to player 2

2. Player 2 issues orders for turn X, calculates turn X

3. Player 2 watches turn X, issues orders for turn X+1, sends file to player 1

4. Player 1 watches turn X, issues orders for turn X+1, calculates turn X+1

5. Player1 watches turn X+1 and starts over with step 1 with X := X+2

This system needs two file swaps for two turns and satisfied the conditions a-d.

But it doesn't satisfy the security condition:

e. The player that calculates turn X must be the last one to see the results.

This means that we need an additional file swap per turn, between steps 2 and 3 and between steps 4 and 5.

Then we get

1. Player 1 issues orders for turn X, sends file to player 2

2. Player 2 issues orders for turn X, calculates turn X, sends file to player 1

3. Player 1 watches turn X, issues orders for turn X+1, sends file to player 2

4. Player 2 watches turn X, start over at 2. with X := X+1

In a game system like CM's, we can't get better than 2 file swaps per turn in a secure system, or 1 file swap per turn in an insecure system.

Dschugaschwili