PBEM problem

[Goliath]

Hi all,

Since the workshop will be starting soon, I thought I should try out how PBEM works (I've never tried it before). Said and done, I loaded Road to Rimini in PBEM mode, ended my turn, saved the pbl-file, and got a message box saying: "Your turn is complete. Please select one of the options below and send the PBEM file you just saved to your opponent". However, there are no options to choose, and exiting the message box quits TOAW. I thought this might be the proper behaviour after all, but resuming the game as the other player gives messages such as "You are using the wrong eqp file", or "You or your opponent might be playing with a pirated copy", and in one instance TOAW crashed after a while :surprise::eek:. Has anyone else seen something similar, or did my patching mis-fire?

[Veers]

Hi all,

Since the workshop will be starting soon, I thought I should try out how PBEM works (I've never tried it before). Said and done, I loaded Road to Rimini in PBEM mode, ended my turn, saved the pbl-file, and got a message box saying: "Your turn is complete. Please select one of the options below and send the PBEM file you just saved to your opponent". However, there are no options to choose, and exiting the message box quits TOAW.
Thsi is left over form CoW, when there were options. Now there are no options and it may be a good idea for Ralph to change that particular dialog.


I thought this might be the proper behaviour after all, but resuming the game as the other player gives messages such as "You are using the wrong eqp file"
Not quite sure why you would get the wrong eqp message...


or "You or your opponent might be playing with a pirated copy", and in one instance TOAW crashed after a while :surprise::eek:.
The thing with this is since you are playingthe PBEm file against yourself, the same serial code is playing against itself, it then warns you that your opponent is using the same serial as you and that one of you, therefore, is using a pirated copy. Since you are, in fact, playign yourself. it is no big deal.

[Goliath]

Not quite sure why you would get the wrong eqp message...


The thing with this is since you are playingthe PBEm file against yourself, the same serial code is playing against itself, it then warns you that your opponent is using the same serial as you and that one of you, therefore, is using a pirated copy. Since you are, in fact, playign yourself. it is no big deal.

Thanks for the reassurance, I got a bit worried there!

BTW I tried different scenarios, and the eqp issue only occurred once (with "Anonymous Heroics PBEM"), so it was probably a minor thing in the general mess I created!

[Veers]

Thanks for the reassurance, I got a bit worried there!

BTW I tried different scenarios, and the eqp issue only occurred once (with "Anonymous Heroics PBEM"), so it was probably a minor thing in the general mess I created!

*shrug* Perhaps someone more familiar with that scenario will pipe in. But, overall, I'm glad everythign is on track for you now.

[jlbetin]

For PBEM you have to define a password for your side on 1st turn, play it until the end of turn. Your game is saved in a file, the game close, it saves 2 kind of bmp file and a end of game sav file
the pbm file is sent by your Email client software to your opponent who creates his own password and play the same ..... ad libitum

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[Rickie]

I'm another that has never played TOAW via PBEM. Hopefully the manuual has good intructions.

Rick

[B-snafu]

I'm another that has never played TOAW via PBEM. Hopefully the manuual has good intructions.

Rick

Just started playing pbem about a month ago myself---same as what the others have said but just put in our "newbie" terms.

EX:road to Rimni---
1. If first player--from directory-just click on scenario then click on play by email.
2. Type in password for your side ex:"rtm1" & hit enter key,
3. When turn competed just click on the ckeck mark box & screen pops up to save the file---try to number the file your saving to make it easier for both players. EX: road to rimni-1, & later turns road to rimni-2, etc. after clicking ok & saving file-game ends.

4. What I do personally then is make a new folder for all my different pbem games in "my documents" & name them to the coresponding game. I also place a "opponent" folder within their respective named folders.

5. I then go into the TOAWIII "saves" folder---copy the turn file I just saved
& paste it into It's named folder in "my documents". Just make sure it is the file with "PBL" at the end of it & not the "SAL" one.

5. I send the email to my opponent & attach the "pbl" file from the "My documents" folder.

6. When I recieve my opponent's turn--I just save it from the email to the "opponents" folder within in it's named folder in "My documents" then copy & paste that file into the ToawIII "saves" folder".

7. start up Toaw--click on the pbem button from the title screen--type in your password & hit enter key.--playback window comes up-watch then do turn.

8. rinse & repeat

You probably know how to do this but for some of the guys who are starting who have never played by email anything before (like me)--just a little walk through.

[Rickie]

Just started playing pbem about a month ago myself---same as what the others have said but just put in our "newbie" terms.

EX:road to Rimni---
1. If first player--from directory-just click on scenario then click on play by email.
2. Type in password for your side ex:"rtm1" & hit enter key,
3. When turn competed just click on the ckeck mark box & screen pops up to save the file---try to number the file your saving to make it easier for both players. EX: road to rimni-1, & later turns road to rimni-2, etc. after clicking ok & saving file-game ends.

4. What I do personally then is make a new folder for all my different pbem games in "my documents" & name them to the coresponding game. I also place a "opponent" folder within their respective named folders.

5. I then go into the TOAWIII "saves" folder---copy the turn file I just saved
& paste it into It's named folder in "my documents". Just make sure it is the file with "PBL" at the end of it & not the "SAL" one.

5. I send the email to my opponent & attach the "pbl" file from the "My documents" folder.

6. When I recieve my opponent's turn--I just save it from the email to the "opponents" folder within in it's named folder in "My documents" then copy & paste that file into the ToawIII "saves" folder".

7. start up Toaw--click on the pbem button from the title screen--type in your password & hit enter key.--playback window comes up-watch then do turn.

8. rinse & repeat

You probably know how to do this but for some of the guys who are starting who have never played by email anything before (like me)--just a little walk through.


Hey - thanks, for the step by step - sounds straight forward

Thnks
Rick

[Dicke Bertha]

B-snafu, I've done something similar, but on your item 5) (the first one ;)) I'd suggest putting a shortcut to your save folder (the one in My Documents in your case) in the default "C:\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War III\Saves" folder, that way you can save it to the final destination already when receiving it by email, by just an extra click on the shortcut, saves you the extra work - unless you want to save the file in two different folders. And I'd recommend players to check whether their settings include saving logs and videos, I missed unchecking that and the videos take up a lot of hard disk space.

[Heldenkaiser]

One cute little thing that Ageod's "Birth of America" does is automatically create subfolders for each individual PBEM game and save all stuff for that game there. It even makes a sub-subfolder for a backup of each individual turn and clears the directory from all leftovers from previous turns. I wish TOAW (and most other PBEM games) had some routine like this. It sure helps to keep track and prevent clutter and confusion. :)

[Veers]

THat's pretty much how I do it, just I do it manually.

[Telumar]

One cute little thing that Ageod's "Birth of America" does is automatically create subfolders for each individual PBEM game and save all stuff for that game there. It even makes a sub-subfolder for a backup of each individual turn and clears the directory from all leftovers from previous turns. I wish TOAW (and most other PBEM games) had some routine like this. It sure helps to keep track and prevent clutter and confusion. :)

Have to second that. There are always issues with certain opponents who are not numbering their turns..not you, but Jonathan sure can tell.. :hush: ;)

I also found myself doing a Fire in the East turn twice... that hurts!:argh:

What are you waiting for, Held? On the wishlist with that!

[B-snafu]

B-snafu, I've done something similar, but on your item 5) (the first one ;)) I'd suggest putting a shortcut to your save folder (the one in My Documents in your case) in the default "C:\Matrix Games\The Operational Art of War III\Saves" folder, that way you can save it to the final destination already when receiving it by email, by just an extra click on the shortcut, saves you the extra work - unless you want to save the file in two different folders. And I'd recommend players to check whether their settings include saving logs and videos, I missed unchecking that and the videos take up a lot of hard disk space.

Thks for the shortcut idea--with the games I got going---copying & pasting alot between the two.

[littleike]

Hello everybody.

I am completely new to TOAW. Before to attempt a PBEM game i would like to acquire the essential elements of the game and play some game against the computer.

I have seen the manual that come with the game and probabily that is the main road to learn all what needed about the game itself, but before begin (i am new also for this site and this forum) i would like to ask if someone based on his own experience has a different roadmap to show on how to learn TOAW from the early beginning to the end.
(Obviously the manual is essential but starting from there and reading all from the beginning to the end is really the right step for a beginner?)

Thanks for your help. Every suggestion will be valuable for me.