MP: Noobs and Vets II: Days of Infamy. MA, BI. Game Over. Supplicants Triumph!

[Willburn]

I am still interested in the archo !!

[Squirrelloid]

Willburn wins the first person to contact me prize! Sept, would you please give him access to the team forum?

[Willburn]

Thanks for letting me play guys I am really exited to play with all of you!

[ano]

Good luck, Willburn!

[Wrana]

Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarge!
At last!
And, Ano, you shouldn't forgot Uncle Chernomor for Pretenders' names.

[Septimius Severus]

Welcome, Willburn.

Your forum account is good to go. Team rosters updated.

Good luck and may the best team win.

[ano]

And, Ano, you shouldn't forgot Uncle Chernomor for Pretenders' names.

Remember, I suggested adding another nation to our team?

[Septimius Severus]

I wanted to take minute to provide some clarification regarding direct connect and our game for our players, since many have asked questions and/or are not that familiar with direct connect.

1. You can play in multiple games via direct connect on Gandalf's server at one time, the only thing you need to remember/jot down is the port number for each game.

2. Our game should be running on both the fixed (currently 32 hour) timer and quick/fast host (all turns are in). So the game can/will host whichever comes first. Remind me to confirm with Gandalf on that as the default auto behaviour.

3. Your comp is only connected to the server for a few seconds when you connect, select your nation and enter your password. During that time your comp is either downloading a .trn file (if you are playing your current turn for the first time and/or viewing or playing another nation's turns)or uploading your .2h (orders) file. The rest of the time your offline, just like a PBEM game and can play your turn via the "Play an existing game" menu option. End your turn and when your ready to send your .2h, that is when you should select connect from the network menu.

4. You can view your teammates turns (especially useful for Captains and Advisors) easily. The thing to remember when just viewing someone else's turn is, after connecting, entering the password, and selecting the nation, remember not to hit the 'End Turn' button, but rather select the options menu and hit 'Quit Without Saving'. This prevents the comp from generating a .2h file and your accidently uploading a .2h for someone else when you don't mean to or otherwise causing them to stale.

5. When you connect to the game, you'll see the game timer and you can also mouse over the different nations to see (who controls them human/AI) and whether or not that player (if human) has submitted their turn (2h.) file. This way you can check on the status of your teammates turn submissions.

6. All in all, I think you will find direct connect is quite cool. It runs smoothly, leads to faster turn submissions and hosting, and automates a lot of tasks that you'd have to do manually with PBEM (creating folders, moving .trn and .2h files, attaching files to e-mails, etc).

[ano]

It's a matter of personal taste, of course, but direct connect is pretty inconvenient, in my opinion. Although there're obviously some benefits for a team game (easier sharing turns, but):
1. Sharing turns can be easily implemented with setting up redirection at your email account. I do so whenever I play a team game and\or want to share turns. This is pretty easy and needs to be done only once.
2. No warning that the game will soon be hosted
3. No notification of the new turn available
4. No way to view staling data\logs and other useful features available at llamaserver
5. I haven't yet found the way to view score tables. Perhaps they are available from web at Gandalf's server (I don't know) but they're definitely not included in the basic direct-connect engine. Also, a very useful thing.
6. It's really easy to make a mistake when playing by DC. Submitting something wrong by hitting wrong button is pretty easy. Discussable but that's my personal opinion & experience.
7. Regarding "ease of sharing turns". Have you noticed already that once you choose another nation to play, the .trn file of the previously played nation is deleted from the game folder? Thanks god, they don't delete .2h! Yes, it's very easy to share turns, but to have more than one at once you need to
a) download a turn
b) create another folder (with different name)
c) copy the .trn there
d) repeat 4 times
I already created a .bat file for this purpose. Perhaps I may live with it. But is it convenient? Eh, I doubt it not to say the less
8. You need to password protect your pretender while you definitely don't need it with llamaserver. When you have two view turns of 4 nations each turn and reenter the password each time you restart dominions, it's irritating not to say the less

So, all in all, playing by DC is... decent at best. Llamaserver offers much more and there's little chance to make a mistake. I greatly respect all the work Gandalf does for this game and for the whole community, all this is no way aimed against him. I just think that Dominions direct connect engine just sucks in comparison with Llamserver and is no way "cool".

[chrispedersen]

Chris's saga continues:
I am in my new place, however the landscapers cut both phone and internet. AT&T says it will take 7-10 to trench and lay new lines, since they have to trench through pavers and driveway.

In the interim, I trust Squirrel implicitly.