How do you play over email?
 

I'm trying to play an email game, but we can't seem to get started. Here is what I've done so far:

1) sent my 2h file to the host
2) he has started a game and sent back my trn file and his own trn file
3) I placed both of our files into a folder
4) I tried to play an existing game
5) the computer crashes everytime I try to start

What are we doing wrong?
Does it matter if I'm on a mac and he's using a PC?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Re: How do you play over email?
 

In the directory where the game was created there is also another file, I think its called ftherlnd. Thats the host Version of what the map is or something. You need that also. You dont need his trn file. And I think you only need the fthrlnd file sent one time.

[ February 06, 2004, 16:00: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

Re: How do you play over email?
 

Check out section 2.4.2 of the manual (pages 6 & 7).

In summary, I believe you need the following
a) A subdirectory in the dominions2 folder
b) Place your .trn file in the directory
c) Open the game as normal. Name of the game is the name of the subdirectory in (a)

The host should NOT sent out the "ftherlnd" file to other players.

Re: How do you play over email?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Are you sure that non-hosts need that file? Is there official word on that? It´s important to settle that, because I don´t want players to be able to accidentally host -which might well happen if I send them the host-file?!? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

Re: How do you play over email?
 

BTW, I forgot to add that you MUST also have the map files used by the host when creating the game, installed in your computer. These map files are usually found in the MAP subdirectory of the dominions2 folder. Good luck!

Re: How do you play over email?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">The host should not be sending you his .trn file. You send him your .2h file, he sends you YOUR .trn file back. That's it. You don't need his .trn to play your turn.

I assume the game was created correctly? In other words, the host put your pretender file and his pretender file into /newlords, did Create New Game, and sent you the resulting .trn?

Also, BuayaDarat is correct, no one should ever send the ftherlnd file. It stays with the host.

Re: How do you play over email?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Are you sure that non-hosts need that file? Is there official word on that? It´s important to settle that, because I don´t want players to be able to accidentally host -which might well happen if I send them the host-file?!? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">This is incorrect - non-hosts never need the ftherland file. Ever. I'm currently running 4 PBEM games and the only thing I ever send is each player's .trn file.

Re: How do you play over email?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Are you sure that non-hosts need that file? Is there official word on that? It´s important to settle that, because I don´t want players to be able to accidentally host -which might well happen if I send them the host-file?!? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Clients only need the .trn file.

Re: How do you play over email?
 

Sorry. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif
Ive been more host than player. To me the game directory looks wrong without a fatherland in it.

Re: How do you play over email?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Have you ever sent a ftherlnd file to someone, though? I'm curious whether this would allow them to host.

Re: How do you play over email?
 

Not to be ignorant...

But why do people play PBEM when a network game is one thread-request away?

I'm always hosting new Dominions 2 Network games and so are a bunch of other people. I feel PBEM is a waste of time.

[ February 06, 2004, 17:22: Message edited by: Argitoth ]

Re: How do you play over email?
 

DOUBLE-POST BUG

[ February 06, 2004, 17:19: Message edited by: Argitoth ]

Re: How do you play over email?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Many people don't have the free time required to commit to a network game. Email allows you to sit down with the game for 20 minutes every couple of days. If you have a demanding career, being able to sit down and play Online for four hours straight is out of the question.

Re: How do you play over email?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">There's no reason you couldn't do that with a Network game. Right now I'm hosting a huge 17-player (now 12 players) game which turns run every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. That gives even you plenty of time to take a single turn. The server I am running is on 24/7, you can take your turn, end it... maybe an hour later you say, "WAIT LEMME CHANGE SOMETHING" and all you do is log back in and change a few orders.

There's just no disadvantage to a network game other than the obvious problems which can occur (server losing connection, player can't connect, etc. but even this rarely happenes, at least in my experience)

[ February 06, 2004, 17:46: Message edited by: Argitoth ]

Re: How do you play over email?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">That's great, but almost every network game I've played in has had server connection issues, downtime, and whatnot. Certain firewalls seem to really give Dom2 problems, where you have to reset the server every few days. If you find a stable game, great, but even so, unless you play with no fixed times and just Quick Host, it's easier to drop someone an email saying - "I had to fly out of town on short notice, I'll get to my turn when I get back" rather than have to try and contact the server host and have him stop the auto-host coming up tomorrow.

PBEM offers certain advantages for casual players. And with the Perl hosting script I wrote, sending emails out to even 17 players is just a double-click away.

Re: How do you play over email?
 

PBEM games free up the host from running the program all the time.
It allows players to hide behind firewalls and ways of hiding their IPs.
PBEM games can be hosted on machines which arent even capable of running the game in direct GUI mode.
A crappy machine can run 100 PBEM games at a time.
PBEM games dont care if a person is on a crappy connection to the net.
PBEM can reach a host where the ISP might be blocking ports.

Of course anything CAN be done. Its a computer. There are workarounds for most if not all of these. But then it would boil down to "the pbem mode works so why bother banging my head on it"

Re: How do you play over email?
 

So basically the problems of a network come from three things.

1. Protective people of their IP
2. Having a crappy computer/connection
3. Needing to run more than 2 or 3 games simultaneously and/or at all times.

My max I will run is 3 servers 24/7. I just wish windows supported text mode.


That means PBEM is an alternative and the Network is the real deal.

My point is, why bother with PBEM when you can get into a network game? I understand if you have a problem with revealing IPs or having a bad connection or something, but if you have the ability to use or run a network, WHY NOT?

Edit: Only the host needs a good connection. Dial-up will do fine if you are a client.

[ February 06, 2004, 18:09: Message edited by: Argitoth ]

Re: How do you play over email?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Oh I get it, so someone who has a fixed time might not get the e-mail ontime..... but I'm confused still. Why would you defend your arguement of PBEM with a server feature? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

I'm going to stop talking about Network games, but lemme just straighten out some confusions.

[ February 06, 2004, 18:25: Message edited by: Argitoth ]

Re: How do you play over email?
 

Thanks for all your help, but I still can't get this to work. Is it possible that PC games and Macs are incompatible? My friend emailed me his pretender god, I put it in my newlord subdirectory, and now every time I try to create a game the program "unexpectedly quits". However, when I took his guy out, it worked fine. Any clue what could possibly be going on?

Also, should I have a resources folder for maps? On the web it says if I want to download new maps to place them in my resource/map folder. Can't seem to find it in the dominions2 directory.

Thanks again for all your help with this newbie.

Re: How do you play over email?
 

The maps folder is in the Dominions 2 main folder.

If you are unable to generate a turn with a certain player:

1. missing a mod
2. missing a patch
3. the game is unable to generate a turn because a battle involving this player involves too many units (this is a bug and will be fixed hopefully soon)

[ February 06, 2004, 19:22: Message edited by: Argitoth ]

Re: How do you play over email?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">So it appears that the problem is his .2h file that he's sending you. Is he sending it as an attachment, or zipped as an attachment? Do you have some anti-virus software running that scans your e-mail and might mess with it? I could be totally off-base here, but I would think that a PC and a Mac save files in a totally different format (which is why, for example, games and programs have to be re-written for specific OS's).

Dunno...just guessing in an effort to help out.

Re: How do you play over email?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">The game files are compatible - you can play with clients/hosts using different operating systems.

Edit: Are you using the same Version of the game (patched or unpatched)?

[ February 06, 2004, 19:59: Message edited by: ceremony ]

Re: How do you play over email?
 

That's where I think the problem is. I've tried to install the patch, but I'm pretty sure I've been unsuccessful. Maybe my computer doesn't do what it should automatically, but for some reason, the dominions2 patch (I think that is what it is) is just sitting on my desktop waiting for me to tell it where to go. Problem is I don't know! Any clue where to put it on OS X?

Re: How do you play over email?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Why should you want to host a 2-player-game between me and a friend where 1 turn every 2 days or so is played? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

Re: How do you play over email?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">That's definitely the problem. See this thread for a full explanation.

http://www.shrapnelgames.com/cgi-bin...=001098#000000

Re: How do you play over email?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Don't know if this is relevant in any way, but. At work I've transferred files from mac to windows or linux (email attachments and usb storages, same thing in both), and they seem to appear 'double'. The catch is, only one of the files is real, the second is some definition file or such used by mac system and does nothing, just has identical name but different size. Obviously, the wrong file doesn't work.

From other OSs to mac, no problem noticed.

This is just general remark, haven't tried with dom files...

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I think you are supposed to be able to change host this way, should the host quit (his nation gets wiped out or something). At least in dom1 this worked.

Re: How do you play over email?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Why should you want to host a 2-player-game between me and a friend where 1 turn every 2 days or so is played? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I dunno, that would be pretty stupid. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif I usually host for around 6 players. Right now I am running a 12-player game. my 6-player game just ended.

Re: How do you play over email?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Why should you want to host a 2-player-game between me and a friend where 1 turn every 2 days or so is played? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I dunno, that would be pretty stupid. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">That´s my point. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: How do you play over email?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">If none of the players in a PBEM can reasonably have a server running all the time, tcp/ip may not be an option without third-party hosting. And if the pace is slow enough, PBEM isn't such a hassle - if everybody password-protects his own game, the host can just zip the whole lot of .trn files and send them to the whole list of players.

That way, you don't even depend on the goodwill of someone not in the game. As long as you can trust the host, it's a perfectly viable option.

Re: How do you play over email?
 

blah, pointess reply

[ February 06, 2004, 22:28: Message edited by: Argitoth ]

Re: How do you play over email?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">It also opens the door for something smoother. If a webpage form can be made to make it easy to upload a 2h file (apparently PHP can do that) then it would be easy to dump all the trn into a web-directory so people can just click-download them like they do anything on the net.