Would anyone like me to organize a second PBEM game?

[Monkey]

2nd PBEM game update....

Ok people I have sent out e-mails to people to confirm their e-mails and raise any thing else that they might have about this game.

I've also got some bad news... I might have to drop myself from this game I just realized that I probably will have to go home for the holidays and unless I find a job and stay in uni or my brother lets me loads CTP on his computer I will not be able to play for the period December(start) to February(end). So unless anyone does not object to my civ being an AI for that period of time I have no choice but to drop out.

Who will be host?

I've decided that one of the players already in this game should be host. I've already got the players together, all you have to do is start the game. If you need more players I could get you in contact with some more players. E-mail me or post on this thread if you want to host this game. If needed I am able to help you further organize the game, I just wont be able to play in it.

Apologies to all, I feel like a scoundrel now

Monkey( mywon1@student.monash.edu.au)
[This message has been edited by Monkey (edited September 02, 1999).]

[DON]

Hey Monkey

What's happening with this game?

[DON]

Are we going to wait for the Apolyton pack.
How long will that take?

[Monkey]

Ok everybody,

I was just on the creation forum and it seems to me that the Apolyton pack is close to launching. It is up to version 0.55 now so I figured it wont be too long before it is posted... it is better if we use the Apolyton pack for this PBEM because it unzips it into the same scenario folders for everyone...and it contains all the graphics for CD's mod and Harlan's city graphics. Harlan's city graphics alone is worth the wait.... plus TP's powerslics and...and.... IS THAT ZAZ'S WORLD MAP???!!!! Damnabbit, I'm drooling like a monkey now

[Monkey]

Just counted the numbers and we only have seven players...

1)Me, Monkey
2)Zaphod
3)TP
4)Paul
5)Confuzer
6)Steve Bunn
7)DON

I know I have officially closed the game but I received an e-mail from one more person asking to join and I just realized that we only have seven players... since I have banned Ed from any of my PBEM games until further notice.

It is up to you guys whether you still want an eighth player, since we are waiting for the Apolyton Pack so we wont be starting till the weekend?

I will be sending out a test email to you guys tomorrow so when you get it reply back at the time which you think you most likely be checking your e-mail. This will help be make up the final ordering of players.... Thanking alll
[This message has been edited by Monkey (edited September 03, 1999).]

[Monkey]

PBEM update...

Bad news guys... one of the players have dropped out...and Paul sent me this e-mail:

The tga, wav and gl files don't work if they are in the scenario
directories. There is an even worse problem with the scenario structure; if
you save the game and quit CTP for the second time it will no longer
recognize that it was a scenario game and you will get error messages.

I tried this and a test PBEM game and there it is even worse; it will not
recognize the scenario structure when the second player starts the game.
With single player there is a workaround which involves starting a new
scenario game before loading your saved game; however, this does not work
with PBEM because you can only load PBEM games by double-clicking on them.

There are three things we can do now:

1. We wait until Activision fixes this. Considering the time it takes
Activision to bring out new patches I think that would probably take too
long.

2. We install the CD's mod and graphics or the Apolyton Pack in the main
directory structure. This has the disadvantage of no longer allowing to play
the original game. That would cause serious problems for people who are also
involved in other PBEM games that use the original files.

3. We play with Activision's original files. Considering the disadvantages
of the other two options I would suggest that we do this unless someone
comes up with a way to load PBEM games with scenario support.

So unless the PBEM support the mods 100% I move that we play with the default files... a vote from players is needed

[Monkey]

Ok since noone spoke up I am using my hosting power (dictatorship? ) to instate Armitage into this game. This makes the number of players to seven. The eighth spot is reserved for Ed since he came up with a valid excuse for not responding to my e-mails.

unless no one objects to me by the next two or three days, I might start the game with the default Activision files, format the same as my first PBEM game. (Read my rules version 1 for the format)

players for this game are (in no particular order):

1)Steve Bunn
2)Confuzer
3)Zaphod
4)Paul
5)Armitage
6)DON
7) Last but not least me, Monkey!

I will try to get this game up and running in 2 days...

[Paul]

Some good news: there is a way to play PBEM with scenario packs. This also works with single player games. Here are some instructions on how to do that:

When you receive the saved game put it in ...\scenarios\apolyton\scen0000 and rename it to savegame.csg, start CTP, click e-mail game, click select scenario, select Apolyton Pack, select Apolyton Naked.

If you want to be able to start regular random map games you should make a new directory for your PBEM games. it should be ...\scenarios\apolyton\scen0004, put a scenario.txt in it and change the last line in ...\scenarios\apolyton\packlist.txt from 4 to 5.

[Monkey]

Ok players,

I've decided to start up a trial game using the defaults files... The game will start tomorrow.

The reason for this is because of the poor way Activision has implemented the scenario and PBEM issue. Plus I havent the time to incorporate one zip file with CD's mod and Cd's graphics which unzip into the appropriate directories because I'm very inexperienced with this whole scenario structure thing and to make matters worse I believe the graphics and gl files have to be somewhere else other than the scenario directories??!!!!!

I'd appreciate it if someone gives me a hand at creating a zip file with CD's mod version 4.2 and CD's graphics which unzips into the appropriate directories and creates the appropriate scenario directories with the err... appropriate text files(packlist.txt?). Paul, you seem to know what you are doing... do you think you could do this? We would probably have to beta test it as well just to make sure it works.....so unless the Apolyton pack comes out soon...

I only want to start the game now with the default files because I think if we had to wait for a standard mod to come out we would have to wait a few more days at the very least and I know players are getting impatient.... so if no one have severe objections the trial game will start tomorrow... I will send e-mails to all players with the relevant order of the turns later today...

[Monkey]

Paul,

I appreciate your work on finding out this scenario situation and it's great you found out a way to PBEM games with the scenario pack but.....

do players really want to go through all that trouble just to load one turn? I certainly wouldn't want to...it already takes far too long to load up CTP!!! if everyone else wants to do that then I have no choice but to accept the groups decision... all players are encouraged to voice up your opinions now...

On a further note Zaphod has offered to be a host...although he'd would prefer it if someone else does it. Zaphod, all that a PBEM host has to do is to do all the organization work before the game starts and respond to all problems and request from the players during the game. It's OK Zaph I'll be the host for now until the game launches(which means I get stuck with all the dirty work ) and then once I have to leave, I'll let you be in charge. Of course if anyone else is interested in being the host then tell me...

Currently I'm waiting for all my test emails to return back to me before the final order of players is announced....

Settings of game same as my first game? See the thread Monkey's PBEM rules version 1 for the settings of that game...

[Paul]

The thread "Apolyton Pack providers" in the CTP Creation forum has a link to version 0.90 of the Apolyton Pack. This version is fully functional; or at least as functional is it can be with Activision's scenario implementation.