CIV PBEM Info

[Rommel2D]

I'l be maintaining the first few posts here periodically. Please post if you have any information to add/correct...

Game Configuration

First off CIV PBEM isn't very playable out of the box. The first player's name is reset every time a save is loaded, and that player is unable to make trades in the game. Also, v100 games with passwords cannot be upgraded to newer versions- password encryption has changed. Please be sure you are patched to v109 before participating in a game.

CIV has a feature where the game will automatically mail the save to the next player for you. However, this is not fully functional as of v109. Most email services (e.g. yahoo, gmail) require SMTP authentication (called SSL) that won't work with CIV automail until support is added in a future patch. A privilaged few have it working correctly already, but it won't for most others. It's also easy to miss the message on screen telling you that the automailing failed, so this might bring some games to a brief halt if someone trying it isn't careful.

Also, if someone's email doesn't require SSL, but does use a port different than 25 to connect to SMTP, they can use the auto-mailer now, but need to add the appropriate port at the end of the server name with a colon in front- server.name:SMTPport#

Players should be careful to end their turn by clicking the flashing red circle near their civ's flag. If saved from the menu option, the save can cause problems. I'm not sure if this was fixed in v109, but I'd expect it will be eventually.

[Rommel2D]

Passwords and player information

When setting up the game, the admin should be sure to make a unique name for it- the program will create a dedicated folder in my documents/my games and automatically save to it. The admin can also make an admin password by pressing shift-alt-D. Canuck Soldier reports this can be done during their first turn as a player.

There are a few options for setting player passwords. They can be emailed to the admin and entered at the set up screen. Quicker would be for the admin to assign simple starter passwords and send these out to the players. They can then use Alt-d on their turn to change the password to one that suits them better. Alt-d can be used on any turn to change player passwords and/or change other information.

New for 1.52
PBEMs with admin passwords will not upgrade to version 1.52. The admin password must be edited out first- Sabrewolf seems to have the inside track on this process...

[Rommel2D]

PiTBoSs

There is to be a feature using a Persistant Turn-Based Server added to the game. The Pitboss beta was made public last week- we're trying to determine right now if it is ready for long-term PBEM type play.

The features aren't too well advertised, but basically it should make PBEM type games go a heckuva lot faster. If you can get all the players online at the same time, you can play dozens of turns in an hour. Any other time you just need to log into the server and play, no fuss with an email save. And there is an automatic timer that can be set to any # of hours, with the Pitboss 'nexting' the turn for the slackers who can't be bothered once a day to check in...

I expect games to move from the old < 25% finish rate to over 75%, and be measured in length by months instead of years.

All that's needed is everyone on 1.52 and a Windows machine that is on the net 24/7. The program is able to run on lesser machines than a full game needs because the server does not deal with graphics. PTBS allows you to play group sessions or whenever-you-log-in, either way as much as you want, whenever you want. It can also be saved to restart the session at a later date and/or on a different machine.

It will also fulfill the function of a turn-tracking thread- it can send out automatic notification when your turn becomes available (and perhaps a warning if your turn timer is about to expire?). However this looks completely broken in the current beta, so I don't know the specifics.

Play sessions are just one of the features- the turn timer and ability to play without loading a save are enough that the only reason I can see people playing true PBEM anymore would be if someone has to play on a machine that doesn't have a direct internet connection.

Another feature is the ability to play persitant games in simultaneous turn mode. If the haphazard approach to combat mechanics doesn't bother you, any player is allowed to log in at any point during the turn and make moves in any order. With normal (SP style ;-) sequential turns, you can still log in at any time, examine the map and your cities, issue build and move orders, and plan a research path, but units only move and production only happens once the player before you has ended their turn.

One other thing- its not clear yet if an elapsed timer would just skip the player's turn or have the AI play it. Hopefully the final version will allow you to choose...

The beta of Pitboss is available at CFC here. Having the executable is only necessary for the player setting up the game. Everyone else just joins like a normal MP game.

[sabrewolf]

good stuff, thanks rommel

have you got any info on how to set the admin-password, how to replace a player with an AI and vice-versa?

[Rommel2D]

My admin info is in the second post. I lifted it from one of CanuckSoldier's threads- haven't verified it myself yet. He said alt-D (ie shift-alt-d) from the first player's first turn. I'll try to remember to check next time I'm on my PC. If this is how it works, hopefully they will change it to the set-up screen instead, otherwise this will hinder setup by a third party. Then again, maybe that will be taken care of by Pitboss...

[sabrewolf]

darn... that window is over but i'll make sure in the next games. i hope that any upcoming patch will allow such stuff to be done also in later turns.

the player passwords don't need to be entered in the beginning. with civ4's feature of centering and zooming the minimap anybody who cheats and checks the next person's location won't know where exactly the other guy is. only that he's got 2 rice, 4 cows, 1 beaver, 2 stone, 2 gold and 1 marble... just in the fat cross area

and what is up regarding the player replacements?

[Rommel2D]

Originally posted by sabrewolf
darn... that window is over but i'll make sure in the next games. i hope that any upcoming patch will allow such stuff to be done also in later turns.

If they do that, they might as well automatically make the first player's password the admin password.

and what is up regarding the player replacements?

Haven't heard anything- sounds like a possible Pitboss feature...

[Rommel2D]

For anyone who wants to shorten the game's load time (nice for PBEM turns), try this.

[ricketyclik]

So, when do the PBEMers get a group?

[Rommel2D]

Need another icon ric?

First post updated with 1.52 admin password info. Anything else I should add there Sabre?

[Rommel2D]

Third post updated with new PiTBoSs content.

What are you waiting for? We need this thing perfected!

[sabrewolf]

regarding the admin password upgrade to v1.52 (i doubt there are any more games alive with this problem):
thamer (of firaxis) described how to edit it out in the "1.52 patch" thread. some posts later i added another step that was necessary.

thanks for the link to the PitBoss thingy. unfortunatly it is really badly documented!
is apolyton going to offer a pitboss service for their players?

[Rommel2D]

I believe the Apolyton servers are all Linux based, so unless someone manages to get it to run in WINE, no.

(I could be wrong about this- I'm piecing together a puzzle without a picture on the box)

[sabrewolf]

it does not have to be one of the web-/DB-servers. in fact it shouldn't be it.
i was more thinking of a seperate windown machine that might be housed in the same place... or just some kind soul who has a 24/7 running machine

[Rommel2D]

CanuckSoldier has offered some space for a test game we're running right now, but I've been reading something about how only one DirectIP game can be up per machine/IP address. I'm not sure about this, I guess it has to do accessing the ports?