Pbem/Multiplayer Mod

[Fuzzball]

This is an idea a few of us have been toying with for a while. We'd really love to see a mod which could easily allow players to move the game from email to a multiplayer environment easily. It's quite apparent though that I need some serious assistance in bringing such a project to full fruition. My limited skills in modmaking just don't cut it here.
Here's the idea: A mod which will allow for interchangeable format between email and mutiplayer environments, and back again to email.
Now I'm not sure if adding a versatile feature like this to the game would require a game modification, or a new hack patch.
I'd love to detail recent experiments in regards to this if interest is shown in such an idea.
The reasoning behind the concept is that adding a new feature like this to the game would better games for all pbem'ers and mp'ers. By combining the two and allowing interchangeable formats, game speed and enjoyment could be greatly improved. It would allow complete versatility in regards to timefactors.

[blackice]

GJ Fuzz

Ok I too can add my experiences to the list.
Fuzz maybe we should start a two player PBEM and experiment more with switching between the two?

[Fuzzball]

I guess what we really need here, is some assistance altering the patch a little I guess. A small alteration or two that would give you an option of continuing the game like a normal multiplayer game, or wrapping the game up and posting the next civ their turn instead. Any ideas?
I've experimented with altering file formats and extensions a bit. By renaming the *.csg files through dos to a file without a file extension at all - like the multiplayer and singleplayer save game files. Problem there is that even in muliplayer, if the game is started as an email game, the tags in the program to post the game on for every individual civ are still there. To switch things around, and create a multiplayer game. Then change the file format to an email game by adding the *.csg extension, ofcourse reverses the problem. No tags at all, so when the turn is ended it will just continue to your next turn. Anyone know a way to tag the civ's with an option of continuing or posting? All it would need is a yes or no option really before the command line to zip and label the game, I'm guessing. Just how to implement such an action within the game has run my coffee jar empty tonight, and makin' my eyeballs hang outta my head.
Any assistance here would be greatly appreciated.

[Paul]

I assume that there is some data in the save file that tells CTP whether it is an MP or PBEM save, so I suppose that you could somehow hexedit the save file to change it from MP to PBEM and back. But I'm not an expert in hex-editing, so someone else will have to look into that.

[slamp]

It's interesting... Is someone find any way to do it ?

[blackice]

Not yet Slamp

We could use a hand doing it?

You have to admit it would sure keep tribe or even 1x1 online games going, even on holidays lol.