Command line options?
 

When playing multi (I assume that's what PBEM is, but what does PBEM stand for?) is it possible to run the SEIV exe with a command line that will automagically run the host for a specific savegame?

Also, is it possible to load a specific savegame and empire using a command line?

This gets quite tedious as it is, run game, pick player, do stuff, end turn... run game, pick host, end turn...

It would be REALLY nice to have shortcuts like "SE4.exe -mygame -AUTOHOST"
(which would load up the savegame called "mygame" then select the host as player, then hit end turn. If there's a missing player file, it would pop up the messagebox as usual)

and "se4.exe -mygame -2 -MyPassword"
(which would load up the game called "mygame" then select player 2 and put in the password supplied)

If this isn't already a feature (maybe it is but I can't find anything about it in the manuals, but then I also can't find any tech tree info either, ARGH!) it shouldn't take more than 20 minutes to add the appropriate code to parse the command line and do whatever is specified. It would be nice to see this in the next patch.

Re: Command line options?
 

You only said multi. You did not say if it was turn based or Simultaneous but it appears to be simultaneous

from the help file under Simultaneous Games


Command Line
As the Host, you can execute the game by running it, and then loading the savegame, and then pressing End Turn. You can also automate the process by using command line options for the game. If you run the program se4.exe you can supply 2 command line parameters. The first is the exact path to the savegame file, the second is the password for the game. If the parameters are valid, the game will execute silently, and when finished will generate a new game file.

PBEM = Play by Email as opposed to the older form of game PBM=Play by Mail

Have you sent your request to Malfador?

[This message has been edited by Hydraa (edited 11 April 2001).]

Re: Command line options?
 

I read a while ago that the next patch will actually include support for command line startups.
Hopefully this will solve some of the tediousness involved in PBEM games.

Regards,
Admiral Grover

------------------
Admiral Grover
-------------------
"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarrely inexeplicable.
There is another theory which states that this has already happened."
- Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

Re: Command line options?
 

Command line options? (You guys still using a DOS prompt?)
hehe, I know what you want them for.
Itd be nice to have it do everything you want instead of all that clicking

Re: Command line options?
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Instar:
Command line options? (You guys still using a DOS prompt?)
hehe, I know what you want them for.
Itd be nice to have it do everything you want instead of all that clicking<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You don't need an actual DOS prompt; you can always use the "Run" command from the Windoze start menu. If you really wanted to get tricky, you could create a shortcut to the executable and play with the run command in the shortcut properties to put the appropriate parameters in.

Of course, those running the game using a Windoze emulator on Linux systems probably have their own tricks...

Re: Command line options?
 

Yep, and if you're playing by ICQ, FTP, or LAN so that the players' turn files just "appear" in your savegame folder, it would be relatively easy to make a little app that would know when the player files are all in the proper folder, run the host with the proper command line and wait for it to finish, then send the result files back to the remote players.

I'm hoping for these features so I could write such an app in VB. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Command line options?
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>it would be relatively easy to make a little app that would know when the player files are all in the proper folder, run the host with the proper command line<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Aready done. Is called PBEM Helper and is available free. There's a posting for it here somewhere...