PBW, First Impressions.. (Multiplayer discussion)

[Captain Kwok]

When I play PBW-Athon games, this is the setup I use:

I have the pbw site open to the game's page. To download the file, I just open the .zip file instead (no saving to HD) and unzip to the savegame directory. The handy launcher is open and the game name is highlighted. I hit play saved game, game loads and I do my turn. Once done, quick upload to the site. Periodically I hit refresh to see if the next turn is ready. If not, keep surfing at Shrapnel, or another SE related site.

[geoschmo]

The idea about only sending the information that has changed instead of the whole game file is interesting. Would speed things up some. However, it would have to offer both options because many people don't play every turn from the same machine. If the executable would create a complete game file and also a difference file then PBW could be setup to offer a choice of which file the player needed for their circumstances.

[Baron Grazic]

1) The game should not close at the end of each turn. (this way the player could overview his/her empire while waiting for the next PBW turn to be available.)

I would agree with this. Once you finish your turn, it should go back to the Main Menu, so you can select another option.

There is 2 changes I would like to see.

1. As stated prevoiusly, saving the game mid session needs to be added. Some turns get pretty long, especially when communicating with many allies/enemies.

2. Editing of any communication you send should be enabled. If I send a communication and want to add something later, why shouldn't I be able to do that, because the game turn hasn't finished yet and nothing should have taken effect yet.

[David E. Gervais]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
The idea about only sending the information that has changed instead of the whole game file is interesting. Would speed things up some.

I noticed that the .plr file we send is always around 7-8k and the save game download is 400-500k (so far). I find it strange that the 6 players send in approx 48k of data (6x8k) and each have to then dl a 400+k file. it seems to me that much of what is in the save game file could be saved localy, or if the game is running then perhaps much of it would not be needed. (Send 8k and recieve 48k (the combined info processed by the server.) and have each local game play out the others moves.)

just a thought, Cheers!

[Phoenix-D]

While that might save download time,you'd run into a couple of problems.

1- you'd have to process the turns. On big games this would possibily take longer than you would to download a complete turn.

2- Random Number Generators. In other words, you'd have to run the turn again. Including combat- which might turn out quite different than what actually happened because of differences in which shots hit.

[Fyron]

There is a lot more data that needs to be sent to the players each turn than they need to send to the host. All that they send back is a set of orders. The host sends out all of the information for the game. Breaking up the savegame into just what each player needs would be disastrous, as then players could not rely on sending each other the savegame file if they lost it, or it never reached them, etc. PBEM/PBW works perfectly as it is now. The only application for which your suggestions are good is TCP/IP.

[Atrocities]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Leave PBEM/PBW modes alone, as they are perfect, and fix the buggered TCP/IP mode. Make it send files to multiple Users at once, based on bandwidth available.

This would be my current suggestions as well.


We need mod testing tools though if any one interested in making them.

Currently we have the SEIV Modder utility, but we need more. I could never get the turn BATCH file thingy to work.

Also a utility that we can use to create and or modify AI files like rapid research creation tools.

A program that will take all of the tech Area data and plug in the racial traits for your AI and press CREATE RESEARCH FILE, and it compiles a new research file based upon the tech Area data and the tech from the racial traits.

The same thing for Design Creation, except that it automatically creates designs that use the new technology and the racial specfic technolongy like weapons, engines, components, etc.