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Preplay, replay and postplay.
We all know that if you replay a turn, there is a "reload" message embedded in the game for the rest of that playing cycle, to alert other players that one has replayed the turn.
Not quite true. After a single player in a PBEM has played, saved, zipped and sent the turn, such a message is irrelevant if the turn is then replayed with different troop movements, testing for possible intruders by sending aircraft to their fuel limits, exploring in a different direction, etc.
Individual integrity is relied upon in PBEM's as there is no way of policing this.
Again, someone with access to 2 PCs can play out the turn innumerable times on one, then load and play the real turn on the other, with no reload message. Again, individual honesty is relied upon.
Now with multiplayers in each faction, the opportunity exists for the turn to be played simultaneously by all but the leader, with the scouting, etc., results being posted for the others. concensus is reached, then the team leader plays the official turn.
My query is:
As there is no way of policing this (other than the obvious givaway of a noodle moving 12 squares to hit the probe foil hiding in the fungus) should we:
1) rely on all players honesty and integrity?
2) say "what the heck" and let it be done in the name of "battlefield exercises"
3) restrict the opening and playing of any turn to just one designated player in each faction (with screenshots being supplied for commentary and input - somewhat unwieldy when number of bases reaches 40 or 50)
4) rely on your indefatigable CMN to plow thgrough every post on every thread to ensure that - to the extent possible - no multiple plays are happening (can always be circumvented by e-mails that leave me out of the loop, of course)
Comments?
Googlie
We all know that if you replay a turn, there is a "reload" message embedded in the game for the rest of that playing cycle, to alert other players that one has replayed the turn.
Not quite true. After a single player in a PBEM has played, saved, zipped and sent the turn, such a message is irrelevant if the turn is then replayed with different troop movements, testing for possible intruders by sending aircraft to their fuel limits, exploring in a different direction, etc.
Individual integrity is relied upon in PBEM's as there is no way of policing this.
Again, someone with access to 2 PCs can play out the turn innumerable times on one, then load and play the real turn on the other, with no reload message. Again, individual honesty is relied upon.
Now with multiplayers in each faction, the opportunity exists for the turn to be played simultaneously by all but the leader, with the scouting, etc., results being posted for the others. concensus is reached, then the team leader plays the official turn.
My query is:
As there is no way of policing this (other than the obvious givaway of a noodle moving 12 squares to hit the probe foil hiding in the fungus) should we:
1) rely on all players honesty and integrity?
2) say "what the heck" and let it be done in the name of "battlefield exercises"
3) restrict the opening and playing of any turn to just one designated player in each faction (with screenshots being supplied for commentary and input - somewhat unwieldy when number of bases reaches 40 or 50)
4) rely on your indefatigable CMN to plow thgrough every post on every thread to ensure that - to the extent possible - no multiple plays are happening (can always be circumvented by e-mails that leave me out of the loop, of course)
Comments?
Googlie
(unless your aim is to win at all costs).
)
You're from Northampton? 
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