PBEM game...

[centrifuge]

Oh, I suppose an Email address will be in order before long, so I'll be using this one: centrifuge74@yahoo.com

[mapfi]

sorry centrifuge but I just think WAW would be pretty boring the first 50-100 turns, an overkill on the quick-start issue and not suited for a PBEM game that'll take time

[J Bytheway]

The more I think about it the more I agree with you - PBEM is about role play and diplomacy (as in e-mails sent to one another, rather than 9or in addition to) in-game diplomacy), whereas WAW is just about war. I've also played WAW less than Cradle or MM (both of which I've finished at least half a game on).

[centrifuge]

Originally posted by mapfi
sorry centrifuge but I just think WAW would be pretty boring the first 50-100 turns, an overkill on the quick-start issue and not suited for a PBEM game that'll take time

No problemo... On second thought, I agree with you on this, because WAW, would be more suited to a quick kill, kill, kill game, which leaves a lot of the basic gameplay issues out...

What do you guys think of using modlite then in light of this? It may take away from some of the initial work/strategy involved... which could be good or bad...

Overall, though I still don't have an overwhelming preference... I just want to get the ball rolling

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by centrifuge
What do you guys think of using modlite then in light of this? It may take away from some of the initial work/strategy involved... which could be good or bad...

Youll be glad we used it when the game starts. Without it the first 10 turns would be getting the settlers in place. In my tests with Mod Lite you can usually have 6 productive cities by turn 6/7. Ive also thought about changing the game year a little to suit this, i know its just a cosmetic change but maybe start at 2000 or 1000BC instead.

More important issues at the moment though need to be refined within it. At the moment in tests of 4 human player PBEM game, only player 1 (blue) gets 3 settlers, and the bonus movement on the first turn doesnt work. If anyone else besides Locutus and Pedrunn wants to polish the code off (i assume its rather simple) then theyre more than welcome, i think those two are getting sick of me spamming their inbox anyhow

Originally posted by centrifuge
Overall, though I still don't have an overwhelming preference... I just want to get the ball rolling

At the moment the first game will be -

Apolyton Pack 2.0 + Mod Lite
Regular sized random map
2nd barb setting? (theyre pretty grusome on AP)
No AI's
20% Goods, lowers unbalancing effect of techs from goody huts.

Originally posted by J Blytheway
I'm happy to play with any mods or vanilla, and I like the idea of the world map. I'll take Africa .

We can still play World Map later but have you seen the size of it? Anyhow, Africa is taken

Originally posted by J Blytheway
The more I think about it the more I agree with you - PBEM is about role play and diplomacy (as in e-mails sent to one another, rather than 9or in addition to) in-game diplomacy), whereas WAW is just about war. I've also played WAW less than Cradle or MM (both of which I've finished at least half a game on).

It will still be about war of course, but frankly, how often does a PBEM game finish in a Diplomatic Victory

[Maquiladora]

Code btw.

// CtP2 PBEM Mod Lite v1.0 by Locutus and Pedrunn
// Based on CTP PBEM Mod Lite 1.0 by Keygen.

int_t LITE_PlayersNum;
int_t LITE_DisableStartUp;

HandleEvent(BeginTurn) 'LITE_NumofPlayers' pre {
int_t p;
	LITE_PlayersNum = -1; // Dont ask me why !!!
	LITE_DisableStartUp = 0;
	for(p = 1; p < 33; p = p + 1) {
		if(IsPlayerAlive(p)) {
			LITE_PlayersNum = LITE_PlayersNum + 1;
		}
	}
	DisableTrigger('LITE_NumofPlayers');
}


HandleEvent(BeginTurn) 'LITE_StartUp' post {
location_t startLocation;
unit_t	startUnit;
unit_t	tmpUnit;
int_t	i;

	// Disabling Count
	LITE_DisableStartUp = LITE_DisableStartUp + 1;
	// movement bonus for first turn
	GetUnitByIndex(player[0], 0, startUnit);
	AddMovement(startUnit, 900);	
	startLocation = startUnit.location;
		
	// free units

	for (i = 0; i < 3; i = i + 1) {
		CreateUnit(player[0], UnitDB(UNIT_SETTLER), startLocation, 0, tmpUnit);
		AddMovement(tmpUnit, 900);
	}
	// bonus Gold + PW
	SetPW(player[0], 5000);
	AddGold(player[0], 9900);

	// random extra bonus advance
	i = Random(6);
	if (i == 0) {
		GrantAdvance(player[0], AdvanceDB(ADVANCE_MASONRY));
	} elseif (i == 1) {
		GrantAdvance(player[0], AdvanceDB(ADVANCE_IRON_WORKING));
	} elseif (i == 2) {
		GrantAdvance(player[0], AdvanceDB(ADVANCE_HULL_MAKING));
	} elseif (i == 3) {
		GrantAdvance(player[0], AdvanceDB(ADVANCE_TRADE));
	} elseif (i == 4) {
		GrantAdvance(player[0], AdvanceDB(ADVANCE_DRAMA));
	} elseif (i == 5) {
		GrantAdvance(player[0], AdvanceDB(ADVANCE_JURISPRUDENCE));
	}
	if(LITE_DisableStartUp >= LITE_PlayersNum) {
		DisableTrigger('LITE_StartUp');
	}
}

// bonuses for first 3 cities
HandleEvent(CreateCity) 'LITE_CityBonus' post {
city_t	tmpCity;
	tmpCity = city[0];

	if (player[0].cities <= 3) {

		// for all 3 cities
		CreateUnit(player[0], UnitDB(UNIT_HOPLITE), tmpCity.location, 0);
		CreateUnit(player[0], UnitDB(UNIT_HOPLITE), tmpCity.location, 0);
		CreateUnit(player[0], UnitDB(UNIT_WARRIOR), tmpCity.location, 0);
		CreateUnit(player[0], UnitDB(UNIT_SETTLER), tmpCity.location, 0);
		CreateUnit(player[0], UnitDB(UNIT_CARAVAN), tmpCity.location, 0);
		// extra for capital
		if (player[0].cities <= 1) {
			PlantGood(tmpCity.location);
			Event: CreateUnit(player[0], tmpCity.location, tmpCity, UnitDB(UNIT_CARAVAN), 0); // Has to be event
			Event: CreateUnit(player[0], tmpCity.location, tmpCity, UnitDB(UNIT_CARAVAN), 0); // Has to be event
			Event: CreateUnit(player[0], tmpCity.location, tmpCity, UnitDB(UNIT_CARAVAN), 0); // Has to be event
		}
	}
	if (g.year > 10) {
		DisableTrigger('LITE_StartUp');
	}
}

[centrifuge]

Originally posted by Maquiladora


Youll be glad we used it when the game starts. Without it the first 10 turns would be getting the settlers in place. In my tests with Mod Lite you can usually have 6 productive cities by turn 6/7.

Yeah, I didn't think of it from that standpoint, espescially in PBEM I imagine that several days to move a settler 1 place would be fairly cumbersome...

[intel686]

I was trying a PBEM game myself (yes, the opponent is myself). But, after several rounds of saving and loading, i found the game is still at turn 0, it never moves to turn 1! Anyone can help?

BTW, is there anyone interested in playing a 1v1 PBEM game with me? I prefer to play WAW on a small map and with 2 or more AIs.

my email address: intel686@tpg.com.au.

[Maquiladora]

Did you play more than 4 turns? It moves to turn '1' when all 4 players have played turn '0'.

Are you still playing in the other possible games intel?

Actually 1v1 are very good conditions for CtP2 pbem because theres no human-human diplomacy (yet) and it wouldnt matter seeing as its 1v1 anyway.

[intel686]

Originally posted by Maquiladora
Did you play more than 4 turns? It moves to turn '1' when all 4 players have played turn '0'.

'All 4 players'?! I have only two players here: I and me. do you mean the minimum of players for PBEM is 4?

The situation is this: I create a PBEM game with 3 civs, and then enter A, B, and C as the player name. after A played his turn, the game is saved on the desktop. Then I double clicked on the savegame and played as B, then save, then clicked on the new savegame and played as C. After that, the game was saved. So far so good. But when i double-clicked on the last savegame and tried to play as A again, I found that it was still in turn 0! that means the game remains as it was when the first turn finished and you can't do anything! I repeated this several times and it still remains at turn 0!

Originally posted by Maquiladora
Are you still playing in the other possible games intel?

Yeah. But i suspect it will take long to start...

[mapfi]

Maq - try replacing player[0] in the code with g.player - just a thought...

[J Bytheway]

The following code works. It's a stupid way to do it, and possibly open to abuse, but so long as everyone plays relatively sensibly it should be OK, and I couldn't get it to work any other way:

(Actually, it doesn't supply the extra settler movement - I don't know why...)

I think that you should also change all the 'EXTRA_SETTLER_CHANCE' options in DiffDB.txt to 1, but I'mnot sure if it matters.

// CtP2 PBEM Mod Lite v1.1 by J Bytheway's
// a modified version of
// CtP2 PBEM Mod Lite v1.0 by Locutus and Pedrunn
// Based on CTP PBEM Mod Lite 1.0 by Keygen.

HandleEvent(BeginTurn) 'LITE_StartUp' pre {
location_t startLocation;
unit_t	startUnit;
unit_t	tmpUnit;
int_t	i;

  if (player[0].cities==0 && player[0].units<=2)
  {
    // movement bonus for first turn
    GetUnitByIndex(g.player, 0, startUnit);
    AddMovement(startUnit, 900);	
    startLocation = startUnit.location;
	    
    // free units

    for (i = 0; i < 3; i = i + 1) {
      CreateUnit(g.player, UnitDB(UNIT_SETTLER), startLocation, 0, tmpUnit);
      AddMovement(tmpUnit, 900);
    }
    // bonus Gold + PW
    SetPW(g.player, 5000);
    AddGold(g.player, 9900);

    // random extra bonus advance
    i = Random(6); //<- I think this should be a 5 (J Bytheway)
    if (i == 0) {
      GrantAdvance(g.player, AdvanceDB(ADVANCE_MASONRY));
    } elseif (i == 1) {
      GrantAdvance(g.player, AdvanceDB(ADVANCE_IRON_WORKING));
    } elseif (i == 2) {
      GrantAdvance(g.player, AdvanceDB(ADVANCE_HULL_MAKING));
    } elseif (i == 3) {
      GrantAdvance(g.player, AdvanceDB(ADVANCE_TRADE));
    } elseif (i == 4) {
      GrantAdvance(g.player, AdvanceDB(ADVANCE_DRAMA));
    } elseif (i == 5) {
      GrantAdvance(g.player, AdvanceDB(ADVANCE_JURISPRUDENCE));
    }
  }
  else
  {
    DisableTrigger('LITE_StartUp');
  }
}

// bonuses for first 3 cities
HandleEvent(CreateCity) 'LITE_CityBonus' post {
city_t	tmpCity;
  tmpCity = city[0];

  if (player[0].cities <= 3) {
    // for all 3 cities
    CreateUnit(player[0], UnitDB(UNIT_HOPLITE), tmpCity.location, 0);
    CreateUnit(player[0], UnitDB(UNIT_HOPLITE), tmpCity.location, 0);
    CreateUnit(player[0], UnitDB(UNIT_WARRIOR), tmpCity.location, 0);
    CreateUnit(player[0], UnitDB(UNIT_SETTLER), tmpCity.location, 0);
    CreateUnit(player[0], UnitDB(UNIT_CARAVAN), tmpCity.location, 0);
    
    // extra for capital
    if (player[0].cities <= 1) {
      PlantGood(tmpCity.location);
      Event: CreateUnit(player[0], tmpCity.location, tmpCity, UnitDB(UNIT_CARAVAN), 0); // Has to be event
      Event: CreateUnit(player[0], tmpCity.location, tmpCity, UnitDB(UNIT_CARAVAN), 0); // Has to be event
      Event: CreateUnit(player[0], tmpCity.location, tmpCity, UnitDB(UNIT_CARAVAN), 0); // Has to be event
    }
  }
  if (g.year > 10) {
    DisableTrigger('LITE_StartUp');
  }
}

[Maquiladora]

Yeah me and Pedrunn couldnt get it to give the extra movement either. But ive fathomed a rather uglier way to give the bonus through extra unit entries in units.txt. I created 2 extra settlers. One which gives 10 movement and builds at size 2 and another which is exactly the same as the original settler in the game. And i changed the original (UNIT_SETTLER) to 10 movement too which settles a city at 3. Changed DiffDB.txt to give no bonuses.

Obviously, you can have unlimited movement of 10 for every turn for those 3 settlers you get at the start, but i wont be exploring very long with them, thats for sure. And who knows how much longer it would take to get that working. Everything else works now though.

Heres the zip, this is for Apolyton Pack 2 only btw.

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by intel686
The situation is this: I create a PBEM game with 3 civs, and then enter A, B, and C as the player name. after A played his turn, the game is saved on the desktop. Then I double clicked on the savegame and played as B, then save, then clicked on the new savegame and played as C. After that, the game was saved. So far so good. But when i double-clicked on the last savegame and tried to play as A again, I found that it was still in turn 0! that means the game remains as it was when the first turn finished and you can't do anything! I repeated this several times and it still remains at turn 0!

Indeed i got the same results. If we do a proper test, email the game to someone else and see what happens. If this does indeed happen i wonder why no one decided to mention it before We wont be able to play if this continues.

[J Bytheway]

Originally posted by Maquiladora
Yeah me and Pedrunn couldnt get it to give the extra movement either. But ive fathomed a rather uglier way to give the bonus through extra unit entries in units.txt. I created 2 extra settlers. One which gives 10 movement and builds at size 2 and another which is exactly the same as the original settler in the game. And i changed the original (UNIT_SETTLER) to 10 movement too which settles a city at 3. Changed DiffDB.txt to give no bonuses.

Obviously, you can have unlimited movement of 10 for every turn for those 3 settlers you get at the start, but i wont be exploring very long with them, thats for sure. And who knows how much longer it would take to get that working. Everything else works now though.

Heres the zip, this is for Apolyton Pack 2 only btw.

You could create *another* type without the extra moves and replace at the end of the first turn.