Just like the good old days!

[gibsonm]

Why not indeed since that is what I was describing.

To be pedantic though a “drop box” only lets you deposit files and not remove them so file sharing helps with the post game “clean up”.

The only “advantage” of Hamachi is that it bypasses a lot of router issues so it makes it easier for people who don’t know how their router is configured or how their firewall is setup to in fact use a “drop box“ (however its configured, on their local machine, server space from a 3rd party, etc.).

[~Viajero]

Why not indeed since that is what I was describing.

To be pedantic though a “drop box” only lets you deposit files and not remove them so file sharing helps with the post game “clean up”.

The only “advantage” of Hamachi is that it bypasses a lot of router issues so it makes it easier for people who don’t know how their router is configured or how their firewall is setup to in fact use a “drop box“ (however its configured, on their local machine, server space from a 3rd party, etc.).

Hi Gibsonm, any recommendation for an efficient/fast "file sharing" system? Does Hamachi itself allow the creation of some kind of virtual shared drive? Or you thinking about one of the players creating a shared drive on his pc somehow linked to the hamachi network or somehting?

Silly as this may sound, it could be a good idea to have some kind of sticky for a "how to" on some kind of recommended method or system for this. I am aware that there may be several ways of doing it, but one or two proposed how to´s maybe good to help out those TCP/IP WeGoers who want replay ability out there for now. The solution proposed would be pbem but it may be as close as it can get to a true replay WeGo TCP/IP experience?

[gibsonm]

Hamachi merely provides a simple way of generating TCP/IP addresses, it doesn't have a facility for File sharing once that network is created.

So basically you use Hamachi to create your own LAN (or really a VLAN, but we wont go there) and then use as you mentioned the local file sharing option.

The steps vary depending on whether you have XP, Vista (soory if that's you) or Windows 7 but generically speaking.

1. You create a network on Hamachi. You start it, get an IP address allocated (say 1.2.3.4 - but it wont be that) and "create" a network (say CMBN).

2. You then 'phone, email, whatever your opponent and tell them to start Hamachi and join the network "CMBN".

3. They will then get their IP address (say 1.2.3.5 - it will be on the same sub net as you since they are both on the CMBN "network" and therefore the first three blocks of numbers will be the same).

4. You share wherever you want to save the files to (maybe C:\Program Files\Battlefront\CMBN\Game Files\Network) as say "CMBN Files" and tell you opponent.

5. They map say Z drive to 1.2.3.4\CMBN Files

6. You do your turn and save to "C:\Program Files\Battlefront\CMBN\Game Files\Network".

7. You tell your opponent.

8. They open the file from z:\.

9. and the cycle goes from there.

Once you have done this once things like where Z:\ maps to and them connecting to it can remain in place.

Does that help?

[~Viajero]

Hamachi merely provides a simple way of generating TCP/IP addresses, it doesn't have a facility for File sharing once that network is created.

So basically you use Hamachi to create your own LAN (or really a VLAN, but we wont go there) and then use as you mentioned the local file sharing option.

The steps vary depending on whether you have XP, Vista (soory if that's you) or Windows 7 but generically speaking.

1. You create a network on Hamachi. You start it, get an IP address allocated (say 1.2.3.4 - but it wont be that) and "create" a network (say CMBN).

2. You then 'phone, email, whatever your opponent and tell them to start Hamachi and join the network "CMBN".

3. They will then get their IP address (say 1.2.3.5 - it will be on the same sub net as you since they are both on the CMBN "network" and therefore the first three blocks of numbers will be the same).

4. You share wherever you want to save the files to (maybe C:\Program Files\Battlefront\CMBN\Game Files\Network) as say "CMBN Files" and tell you opponent.

5. They map say Z drive to 1.2.3.4\CMBN Files

6. You do your turn and save to "C:\Program Files\Battlefront\CMBN\Game Files\Network".

7. You tell your opponent.

8. They open the file from z:\.

9. and the cycle goes from there.

Once you have done this once things like where Z:\ maps to and them connecting to it can remain in place.

Does that help?

Indeed, thanks, we should call this method "Fast PBEM"! XD. Will have to try etc it once the game is out. If BF does not want for now to produce a full replay option for TCP/IP then maybe they could consider a simpler method using the game TCP/IP link created to actually share the file back and forth so each player can then load it? It would be a sort of pbem-TCP/IP hybrid so to speak... or not, and maybe this is just as cumbersome and time consuming to code as the real thing. Admittedly I know nothing about all this...

[gibsonm]

Well the "network" remains in place once you have set it up.

So as soon as you start Hamachi you would be automatically logged in to that pre existing network (so you don't have to create it again).

You also get your pre-exisiting IP address as soon as you start it (so links to the "share" you setup will be persistant connections - as long as you use the same place on your computer).

So its pretty much already there once you do it the first time.

[Lethaface]

'dropbox' is also a piece of software very handy for filesharing (free up to 2GB):

http://www.dropbox.com/

[gibsonm]

Indeed, thanks, we should call this method "Fast PBEM"! XD. Will have to try etc it once the game is out.

Well you don't need to wait from CM:BN as the same process applies to CM:SF too.

[~Viajero]

Well you don't need to wait from CM:BN as the same process applies to CM:SF too.

Fair enough! Just do not expect me to buy CM:SF so to try Fast PBEM now!

[gibsonm]

Fair enough! Just do not expect me to buy CM:SF so to try Fast PBEM now!

No sorry I thought you may have already owned it but thought this was some special feature being introduced in CM:BN.

[scottie]

Frankly, I'm in the even-smaller-minority that wants moveable waypoints way before I'd want a feature that is really only 1/2 a feature. It is important to note that I am not complaining, I'm only feeling Love for BF these days.

I think there are more than a minority that would like to see moveable waypoint again (me for two) especially when i get the time to manage the nitty gritty of squad level tactics in a largeish engagement i.e it becomes apparent how important this features. Just happy to see CM:BN hit the deck for now however. What we need is the ability to setup a poll on these forums

[noxnoctum]

Ya but it's probably a tiny minority of their customers that are on these forums.

[Battlefront.com]

Yup, polls aren't much use. They're difficult enough to have meaning when they are set up by professional, unbiased pollsters and asked of a general/random sampling.

Steve

[LJFHutch]

Yup, polls aren't much use. They're difficult enough to have meaning when they are set up by professional, unbiased pollsters and asked of a general/random sampling.

Steve

And you can skew people's answers, not as much as asking a series of questions followed by the one you actually write down, but still enough to be pretty biased.

[GreenAsJade]

Hey I just like it when devs keep their promises...

Guess I should lower my expectations, they're hardly the first dev team not to.

Man, you are one obnoxious poster!

I think we all heard you, already, on this one. How about you give it a rest now?

GaJ

[GreenAsJade]

'dropbox' is also a piece of software very handy for filesharing (free up to 2GB):

http://www.dropbox.com/

Dropbox is nice, but has some drawbacks. As someone mentioned, "deleting" files can be something of an issue (I've read, not experienced), and also not everyone can install a new app like this one.

An alternative is sendthis.com.

Over at WeBandOfBrothers.de (where we are almost exclusively PBEM players) we are thinking that sendthisfile.com will be the best answer, unless something else emerges.

GaJ

[Berlichtingen]

Man, you are one obnoxious poster!

No, no, Seanachai is an obnoxious poster... in a village idiot sort of way. For truly, "ya just wanna bludgeon 'im" obnoxious, you need to look to the many incarnations of Gaylord.

[Michael Emrys]

Ah yes, Gaylord, may he rest in pieces.

Michael

[Berlichtingen]

Michael, a name of special significance for you... Cabron66

[Steiner14]

Why not use RAR to partition the file into smaller pieces?

I don't know if CM makes a CRC or hash-check of the pbem-file, but if not, it's much better to archive the pbem-file anyway.

[PaulMG]

With Dropbox you open the folder and delete files just like any other windows files. Dropbox backs them up for 30 days so that if someone accidently deletes something you can restore it.

Right click the systray icon and select open dropbox folder.

[GreenAsJade]

Why not use RAR to partition the file into smaller pieces?

I don't know if CM makes a CRC or hash-check of the pbem-file, but if not, it's much better to archive the pbem-file anyway.

I think that the web-based file transfer utilities (either dropbox-like or sendthefile-like) are actuallly genuinely preferrable to attaching rars or stuff to an email. For example, when receiving a sendthisfile link your download accelerators can come into action, which is not the case for an email...

GaJ

[Michael Emrys]

Michael, a name of special significance for you... Cabron66

Ah yes, the unstable isotope that fissions spontaneously. I almost miss him and his antics. Almost...but not quite.

Michael