Applescript PBEM support

[PashaDawg]

Here is a template using Mac OSX Automator to streamline PBEM hosting a bit. After the turn is hosted, I run this workflow. It will back up the current turn and create the emails with proper attachments for the various players.

Obviously, a specific workflow must be first tailored to the needs of each game but that is easily done.

[Psientist]

I've been playing around with that, and your script like a great start. I wanted to add an automated turncounter, so I came up with this kludge that built upon your ideas.

Start with a file selection Automator action which specifies a text file which records the turn number, and feed that into the following applescript, you can read the turn number into a variable in Automator and increment it:

property theAttachmentPath : (path to "desk") as string

on run {input, parameters}
set mailrecipient to "player@email.com"
set gameattachmentpath to "/Users/youraccount/dominions/savedgames/gamename/early_vanheim.trn"
set mailsubject to "Dominions 3 Game: Turn #" -- turn number will be appended automatically here
set mailcontent to "Here is your most recent game turn. Please save this to your dominions3>test2 directory." & return & return

set theAttachmentPath of me to (item 1 of input as string)
set p to POSIX path of theAttachmentPath
set theFile to POSIX file p
set turnnumber to do shell script "cat " & p
set turnnumber to (turnnumber + 1)
do shell script "echo '" & turnnumber & "' > " & p
set fileAttachThis to POSIX path of gameattachmentpath
set mailsubject to mailsubject & " " & turnnumber


tell application "Mail"
activate
set this_message to make new outgoing message at end of outgoing messages with properties {visible:false}
tell this_message
make new to recipient at end of to recipients with properties {address:mailrecipient}
set the subject to mailsubject
set the content to mailcontent
make new attachment with properties {file nameeattachmentpath} at after the last word of the last paragraph
end tell
send this_message
end tell
HideMe()
end run


on HideMe()
tell application "System Events"
set visible of process "Mail" to false
end tell
end HideMe

As far as I know, Automator will not allow multiple inputs into an action (I'm an Automator noob, I could be wrong), so unfortunately the filename for the turn incrementer file and other variables have to be set inside the applescript as opposed to feeding nicely into a Send Mail action.

[PashaDawg]

Nice. I don't know much about Applescript. But, you can build apple scripts into Automator.

I have not spent a lot of time working on this, but the one thing that is still laborious is putting the turn number at the end of each email's subject line. That turn number is important for keeping track of various turn emails (which go into a smart mailbox in Mail for each particular game).

Do you know of a way to insert a text "variable" into a line of text, etc.?

In any case, it still reduces that hosting time significantly. I don't have to create or address the emails, and the attachments are made automatically.

Maybe Ygorl has some ideas, too. I know he created some Applescript stuff.

Pasha

[Psientist]

Lucky you asked! The most recent version I posted has that capability built in (keeping track of turn numbers, posting them to the subject line!).

What I'm trying to research is a way to applescript Mail rules so that when a player sends a turn, the script automatically moves the attachment turnfile to a specified folder, and notifies a webpage that keeps track of who has sent, and received which turns in a game. I have found in past PBEM games (civilization, warlords) that player confusion over this is the source of most delays.

I know how to script the website part, but my initial forays into the mail rule applescript is going unexpectedly haltingly.

[Gandalf Parker]

On linux there are programs which "sort" incoming mail to "folders" for spam handling and such. You might look for applescript examples to do that. You should be able to modify one to handle a specific type of subject line and sort it out.

For the notify web-page part I went the lazy route by having the webpage display the actual files. Or in this case, possibly something that lists the emails that are in that incoming game folder that the first routine sent them off to.

[PashaDawg]

Yes. I am stuck sending "status" emails to the players in between turns as a reminder and as a safeguard in case any players think they sent their turn (or if I never received the turn). A website might be nice, or a script that would automatically figure out which players have played and send an email. I think a reminder email is helpful to players. It would be to me. Dreams, dreams, dreams.

[Gandalf Parker]

PashaDawg:
Is that a mac need? linux? windows?