PBEM Dropbox Questions

[sluggo337]

For you guys that use dropbox for PBEM, what is the best way to do it? Do you create a folder specific to the game and share it with your opponent? I assume they need a dropbox account too? When you share it with them you put the email address of their account? Then the folder shows up in both your and their dropbox folder and both of you can add files? Is that how it works?

[Migo441]

Yep, that's it. You'll both have access to a folder which appears to be on each of your computers (although it's also possible to use Dropbox via web interface).

For playing one vs. one, it's pretty straightforward. For co-op play, it's a little trickier because if one person drags a movie file from the Dropbox folder to their Battlefront PBEM folder* then it moves it (does not copy it) and the other co-op players won't have access to it. So co-op requires some extra attention (making an effort to copy the files and probably some sort of turn archive).

* I'm thinking in CMx1 terms. I haven't played a CM:BN PEBM yet.

[Johnny Canuck]

All I have done is copy my 'Outgoing Email' file to my Dropbox 'Public' folder.

I then right click and select 'Dropbox | Copy Public Link', and the email my opponent the link. In one case, my opponent chose not to install Dropbox, so he emails his file back to me.

[Bimmer]

What I've set up with a couple friends who also play is a single shared folder with subfolders for each player, almost like mailboxes. Just drop the outgoing file in your opponent's mailbox and it can be retrieved at leisure. Check your mailbox and you instantly see what's waiting for you.

[herkybird]

My buddy's and me have made a sharing system on sugarsync(cloud) program. That way we have as many a 4 games going at once.. You get an email notice when someone adds a file to the folders.. Its a free program..

[MeatEtr]

Yeah you want a shortcut link to your Outgoing and Incoming email folders. That way all you gotta do is click and drag your friends files. Makes the transfer of files much quicker and easier. This method actually moves the file, so no manually deleting.

Also you could add these shortcuts to your right-click Send-to menu. But this method just copies the files, so you'll have to manually delete them.

Dropbox is great, makes handling the large size files of CMx2 much easier, since most ISPs enforce file size limits. For those interested, here ya go: https://www.dropbox.com/

[WineCape]

Tips for DropBox sharing/syncing folders, even folders outside of the dropbox directory on your HDD: http://wiki.dropbox.com/TipsAndTricks/SyncOtherFolders.

I use the small program Dropbox Folder Sync (v2.5) which makes it even lazier for me. Linking/syncing the CMBN ingame folder "Outgoing Email" via Dropbox Folder Sync (a mere right click on the actual folder to do so after installing the program) and then inviting a friend to SHARE CMBN's Outgoing Email folder on the Dropbox online website, allows me to not even have to move PBEM files manually to my dropbox folder on my HDD to sync them online for my opponent to use.

[sluggo337]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Got my buddy set up with Dropbox and we started our first PBEM game yesterday. I may give the Dropbox Folder Sync a try.

[WineCape]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Got my buddy set up with Dropbox and we started our first PBEM game yesterday. I may give the Dropbox Folder Sync a try.

Here's the Dropbox Folder Sync program: http://wiki.dropbox.com/DropboxAddons/DropboxFolderSync (for PC's). Lets you sync any folder outside Dropbox with just a Right-click and Selecting "Sync With Dropbox" from the context menu. "So simple."

[speaknspell]

I'm prototyping a little app which should handle the dropbox shuffles for you, as well as handling co-op games with multiple players per side. It would run on PC and Mac. Would that be of any interest?

[dakuth]

yes I would be interested in that prototype