PBEM guide

[Montecuccoli]

So comrades, the Pbem works and works fine even without waiting for a patch

Player A: create the pbem, deploy units and give orders; send file to Player B
Player B: Select Dispatch Orders, deploy units and give orders; send file to Player A
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(now keep attention)
Player A: 1- Select WATCH, it will show after a while EXIT; no problem at all it is the Engine that build up the movie; so just SEND the file DO NOT OPEN DISPATCH; send file to Player B
Player B: 1- Select WATCH, 15 minutes of battle like load a replay are shown up, at the end turn off from watch with CTRL+Q
                   2- Now Select Dispatch Orders and give (if you want) some new order and press P
                   3- Send file to Player A
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and so on... sometimes it is Player A to see EXIT sometimes it is Player B to see it for the Engine is building up the orders in a movie to be shown on Watch.

The GOLDEN RULE is: When selecting WATCH you see EXIT after a while do not open Dispatch but JUST SEND THE FILE TO THE OPPONENT

Sorry for this delay in "understanding" pbem, enjoy!

[aresbece]

Hello, I just want to thank all involved in the making of this wonderful game..

I'm having great difficulty getting pbem to work..here's the problem I'm having..

I give orders..send the file off to my opponent..he gives orders and sends it back..
now I'm unsure of what to do..I hit play by email, on the the main screen ..it goes to another screen I hit resume pbem..it then goes to the screen displaying the sequence order..and doesn't allow anything but to save it again..I do, then send it off..when my opponent gets the file and loads it..it just says error..it's not your turn..

my question is..after we both give orders for the first time..do we watch a movie, then reissue orders..if so, how do I get to the movie..
If I am allowed to give orders, how do I get to the screen to do so, from the sequence screen..

So many questions..I hope my description of my problem is clear..as i'd love to get pbem working.

[HarryInk]

I don't mean to tell you how to suck eggs but...

One good habit is to go the C:\HistWarGames\HistWar\Save\PBEM and make a shortcut for your desktop.  When your opponent's emails turn up, you drag and drop the file into the shortcut.  When you 'resume PBEM' you should find the file in the list.  Note that the file should overwrites each time you save into the PBEM folder.  In other games I play (Combat Mission) you number the files sequentially so it took me a little settling down to get used to the overwrite and the single file.  But it works.  As a diagnostic step, are you achieving the overwrite okay? 

..it then goes to the screen displaying the sequence order..and doesn't allow anything but to save it again..I do, then send it off..when my opponent gets the file and loads it..it just says error..it's not your turn..

my question is..after we both give orders for the first time..do we watch a movie, then reissue orders..if so, how do I get to the movie..
If I am allowed to give orders, how do I get to the screen to do so, from the sequence screen..

As you mention 'sequence step', I wonder if you're numbering the files, which you should not do.  The game will think you have a fresh start each time, you see.

[aresbece]

when a file comes back..I download it into the saves/pbem folder..it overwrites it, as it should..I'm not giving it a new title or anything.

When i go to "resume pbem" it still just goes to the screen with the player turn instructions..with no option to do anything other than save, and send off again..so I do..when my opponent gets the file, all it says is it's not your turn..so there seems to be a step I'm missing

[HarryInk]

Hmm... curious indeed.  Something is amiss at your end in that the turn isn't processed.  So I'm sure it'll be an easy thing to solve. 

Check that you're both got the same version installed. 

In the meantime, because I'm a bear of little brain and have to do something to understand it,  I've sent you a test PBEM file.  Feel welcome to reply with your own test, too.

[Ifail]

Hmm Im a little bit confuddled Is it im player A I give orders after recievng player b email or i can give order from the start before sending player b the first round of email. How long does this round take player a holds the game file for 10 or 15 mins? then player b will have it for same thing ??? Then this goes for 3 or 4 hours  and each time within the 10 15 minute of gamelplay for each player they can see the battle progress whilst the other player cannot give counterorder straight away cos player b has the game file

[HarryInk]

Fine question.

I set up a battle (eg. Grand Champ).  That is, I choose Play by email, select a scenario, or map and/or army lists and hit Create PBEM Game, deploy my troops, give them orders.  I hit the 'P' for 'continuation' and the end of turn splash screen comes up with the diagram of the process.  You click on the 'End of Turn' hyperlink and the process In-game is done.  Next you go to the SAVE/PBEM folder and the file will be there listed by name and date/time of creation.  You can rename it if you like.

So you send the file to Opponent B.  They choose move the file  into their PBEM folder (note the tip in my first post above) then open Les Grogs and select  Play by email then Resume a PBEM Game.  They choose the game from the contents of the folder.  Game opens up.  They do the deploying and orders and eventually hit P.  SEnd the file back. 

Initially, Player A does not get a view.  The computer is generating the movie and all player A does this time is hit the 'end of turn' hyperlink and sends the file back to B.  Player B does get a movie of the first 15 minutes of the battle.  They hit A which rejigs the game from view into plotting mode.  B gives any or no orders they choose, hits P and the 'end of turn' link and sends the file back to A, who follows suit, and so on and so on.

EAch player gets to see the same sequence of 15 minutes each time they process the next file, turn by turn.  It's not the same flow as a 'live' battle, but you get to process the turns whenever you have the time amidst whatever real world events are happening. 

To get through a turn quicker, either set the timer to run at 6 seconds = a game minute OR use 'T' to move forward in 1 minute jumps (and 'R' to jump backwards minute by minute).  This is the best way to rip through a boring marching turn quickly, or to quickly find the point where you want to sweep down in F3 to view a charge or wotnot

Hope that makes sense..

[Lendt]

Hi,  I am interested in learning if the fix suggested for aresbece by HarryInk solved his issue with his pbem game.  I am operating with patch 03C (RC3) and experiencing exactly the same problem which aresbece had with the "it's not your turn" message received by player 2 when continuing the pbem game following the two player's set up phases and the player 1 mandatory "save" of the game on the red screen.  Thanks, Lendt