PBW, First Impressions.. (Multiplayer discussion)

[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.

[Asmala]

Originally posted by tesco samoa:
Well there really needs to be a game admin area...Where the game admin can go in and see what is going on in the game... View the scores and see the game itself.

And to make sure that the game admin does not use it when playing . Put a note each players log that the game admin has logged into the game to view it...

Admin area would be nice but that note suggestion won't work. If admin uses the view possibility but didn't upload anything, nobody would know.

[Sivran]

Originally posted by Asmala:
Admin area would be nice but that note suggestion won't work. If admin uses the view possibility but didn't upload anything, nobody would know.

The viewing of it should put a note in the turn file that is uploaded to the server, thereby forcing the notification to be uploaded on completion of the admin's next turn. To prevent the admin from simply closing and relaunching the game, the game should make a note when the viewer is used. When the game is relaunched, the note is read and written to the turn file when it's generated.

[Cipher7071]

I like the save-in-mid-turn option.

[Fyron]

Originally posted by Sivran:
The viewing of it should put a note in the turn file that is uploaded to the server, thereby forcing the notification to be uploaded on completion of the admin's next turn. To prevent the admin from simply closing and relaunching the game, the game should make a note when the viewer is used. When the game is relaunched, the note is read and written to the turn file when it's generated.

But with PBW, the game host almost never uploads the turn anyways. He just plays like a regular player, and the PBW server processes the turns. So, the turn file is generated on a different computer than the host would be using to cheat...

[David E. Gervais]

I just tried a TCP/IP game with rollo, and although it had a bug where the player turns were not being sent (forcing the host to process a turn and have the AI play for the second player)

It did seem to be a very good method of play. I now agree with you all,.. 'Don't touch the PBEM or PBW' just fix the TCP/IP mode of play.

I can see 10 turns/hour being easily pumped out in this tcp/mode.

Cheers!