New "Ancient Empires" PBEM created

[Zedd]

I am having trouble opening the sav file, I saved it to a floppy and took it home. When trying to open the file I get a "read at "x000000(etc)" error. The other files on the disk are working fine.

Anyway the one I have on the floppy was emailed by ST so I am DL ing the posted save and will try that, the only thing I can think of is the Firewall settigs at work may have Jinxed the Email.

Sorry about the increased delays...I will post ASAP.

[Zedd]

Nothing of consequence to report.

[SlowThinker]

warning

If you want to open a game in a SP mode and you decide not to open it when you are in the choose-a-civ window and you press Esc then the game still opens - but with a map of a leader that saved the map.

I was surprised when there was an Assyrian Chariot II (not sure about the unit type?) in the fort of Kurigalzu in the centre of my sight. Usually the fort is empty on my map. Fortunately I noticed nothing else since I turned my head out and closed the game with Alt-F4.
I think this is not a big problem ... I supposed there would be some Chariot II inside the fort...

[Zedd]

Didn't know about that one, thanks for the heads-up.

I don't see a problem with it either....Play on friend.

[SlowThinker]

Play on friend, but I take the game seriously. I would be really pissed if I spotted something that you prepared as a surprise for me.
I like suprises.

[Kull]

Bear with me....just got back from a trip and need to review emails and other communications. Will play shortly!

[Kull]

"All quiet on the Eastern Front"

[SlowThinker]

It is interesting: 8 downloads of the Assyrian save. I believe all 6 civs are interested, but 2 downloads remain.
One of them might be Didanu in his retirement ... germanos, is it you?

[SlowThinker]

Kull reports an equal problem like I had here:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?postid=3592070#post3592070

I was afraid this problem might repeat and therefore I suggested to allow to 'prolong' validity of the unfreezing barter by its hexediting...

[Kull]

(Original Post deleted)

Now I understand! This is the first time I've EVER received a unit using CivDip, and was totally unaware of the need to run the "unfreeze" barter file before my turn. Now the barter file has expired, and if I do the "dual-barter" solution with Babylon (I give to him, he gives it back), that will impose an additional one turn delay.

I don't propose to replay my turn (that's a bit much to ask in the middle of a war), but would like a thumb up/down on the following proposition:

"Can Slowthinker hex-edit the date on my unfreeze barter file so that it will work next turn?"

(Since we are at war with Assyria, Zedd's thumb takes precedence)

[Peaster]

I do not object to letting ST do his magic. But suppose a player secretly gets a unit from Assyria instead, and forgets to unfreeze? My point is that if ST is our only hex-magician, he and his allies have an advantage with this system. But if it doesn't happen very often, I probably won't veto.

Zedd probably cannot answer until Monday, and I REALLY want to get the game moving. So, I will try to play today or tomorrow, hoping we can work this out.

[SlowThinker]

Peaster, you are right with the example with secret unit giving ... but ...

I may be a magician in hex-editing of the .net file, but hexediting of the .dat file is very easy- you just change one concrete byte (byte 88 decimaly = 58 hexadecimaly). This byte represents the game turn and it must be upped by +1 (this way a validity of the .dat file shifts by +1 turn).

You can use any hexeditor, I use a hexeditor that is built-in in Volkov Commander (an old DOS filemanager, freeware). It is very easy. I can post Volkov Commander here.

But if Kull won't replay then Peaster can play his turn without waiting. The hexedited unfreeze barter would be applied next turn.

[Kull]

Originally posted by Peaster
...My point is that if ST is our only hex-magician, he and his allies have an advantage with this system.

Extremely good point. If we're going to allow this, it has to be simple enough that ANYONE can do it themselves.

And since ST has assured us that it IS very easy, here's a look at the file, as it appears in "Hex". If ST can circle the number that has to be changed, any of us can make the change using a freeware Hex Editor (I use Cygnus).

[SlowThinker]

It is at address hex 58 ... so look at the row 50, it is divided in two halfs by a dash. Right after the dash there is 45 - this is the number that must be upped by +1 to 46.

(A note: Don't forget that 9+1=A with the hex system. )

You can hardly mix it up, since next turns it will be numbers 45, 46, 47 etc.

[Peaster]

Hmmm... hex-editing doesn't sound too bad.

In 2820BC, Persian spearmen entrenched in a swamp near Lake Urmia fought off an attack by a band of Assyrian skirmishers. The Royal Barracks was completed, and our Generals continue to prepare for war.