PBEM Issues
 

Don and/or Andy:

Attached is a turn file from a PBEM I just finished, I experienced the following issues:

1.- The file can be played in diferent machines (I believe it´s not supposed to)
2.- The game marks a lot of "fails" but I didn´t cheat in any way.
3.- No blast radius shown during arty replays, I can see the replays but not the BR, I can versus the AI but not in pbems.

The password is "constanti" and I have the complete game files in case you need another one for debugging purposes.

Regards
Robert

Re: PBEM Issues
 

What kind of security did you set it up for ?

We really have no way to test why it would fail repeatedly at your end but you do mention it working in other machines. Perhaps that's why ?

Don

Re: PBEM Issues
 

Don:

The game was a full secure (v3.0 CD) PBEM.
I didn´t cheat in any way during the actual game but it kept marking fails on my part; once finished I made some tests in other machine of mine, the files worked all right.

Something I´ve been wanting to ask regarding this topic: how does the game tends to prevent multiple-machine loading, I mean, how does the game knows if a file has been prevously loaded in a diferent system? If one (cheater) recieves the files into his email and copy them in some machine, how does the game prevents the loading of the same email files into a diferent system? is that even possible to prevent?

Regards
Robert

Re: PBEM Issues
 

What i think is your game files were corrupted somehow in the early stages. This isn't common or we'd have dozens of reports per week about this. When you load it what are the stats for Load / Save / Fails that you see for P1 and P2 ?

I'm not prepared to discuss the hows and whys of how the game knows what system it's loaded into.

Don

Re: PBEM Issues
 

Don:

I´m attaching a screenshot showing the requested info from the turn attached to my first post. If you need further info and/or files please let me now.Regarding the multiple loading issue, did the files worked on your system?

I completly understand you can´t discuss that kind of info.

Regards
Robert

Re: PBEM Issues
 

What turn does the game say it's playing ?

Something has been seriously corrupted. According to that screen shot you've opened the game 23 times and exited 22 which would put you at the start of the 23rd turn but player 2 has only played 9 turns which is "impossible"

The bottom line is this is not normal at all and I've never seen anything quite like it.

Don

Re: PBEM Issues
 

Don:

It was turn 14th.

I agree, something is wrong, though we played the entire game withouth any other problem. Keep in mind that´s a file recieved from my opponent, I can´t tell if it´s my system or his. Any ideas what might be wrong?

Regards
Robert

Re: PBEM Issues
 

No. None. Other than you've had a corrupted .Dat file somehow.

However, we have run some tests that duplicate in many ways what has happened and although I think we have a good idea what's gone on we are still investigating.

Don

Re: PBEM Issues
 

Thanks Don!

Re: PBEM Issues
 

Don: attached is a zip with two files (turns 6 and 10) from the same PBEM, in turn 6 you can see my akatsya´s cluster munitions firing but you don´t see shells landing, it happens with CM only. You can observe the same issues reported in the first post being a different game.

At the end of turn 10 there´s an air attack from my oponent, note that during the attack (particulary with the AC130 I believe) the FOW flips so you can see the position of enemy forces and you see yours through enemy sight. I have the complete set of files in case you require more http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Regards
Robert

Re: PBEM Issues
 

1] Somebody had "fast arty" ON

2] It happens sometimes but it's rare.

Don

Re: PBEM Issues
 

Thanks for the fast reply Don! 1)I´m sure it wasn´t me with the fast arty on, I was able to see all the replays but the cm landing. 2) Never happened before.

Regards
Robert

Re: PBEM Issues
 

PBEM question: Even though I've played several PBEM games by now and also done the setup a couple of times without trouble, I am now having some problems: I'm trying to set up a new game - Russia vs Chechen Rebels, 12/1994, for which I created a Grozny-like map - is there any way to influence from which side of the map Player 1 and 2 will start? Previously this was not so important to me and I found that sometimes Player 1 starts left, sometimes right, but in this case I've done the setup several times and whe I checked (and re-placed the V-hexes), I always end up starting from right, which is the wrong side for me...

Re: PBEM Issues
 

The short answer is no. You cannot swap sides unless it's a sceanrio. The sides each nation starts from is, for most of the nation pairings, pre set in the code but with all the possible pairings there will alway be some that someone might consider to be the "wrong" side. In this case, the Russians get the right side of the map

Don

Re: PBEM Issues
 

Thanks for the answer, Don. Seems I'll have to re-draw my Grozy map - not a big problem.

Re: PBEM Issues
 

Don:

Attached are turns 0 and 1 of an ongoing PBEM,in turn 1 the game didn´t gave me the chance to deploy my units, it started with a bombardment from my opponent and all my units are at the starting position, this is the second time it has happened in about 5 games. I´ve asked my opponent to start again from the same turn 0 files. I cant pm you my password, seems you are not allowing those.

Robert