Automated PBW Game Turn?

[tbontob]

As previously mentioned, RTC is very easy to use for PBW games. However, where the game requires a mod, things get a bit more complicated.

The instructions say "to use PBW for a mod game, you will need to manually modify the path.txt file in your Space Empires IV directory before joining the game in RTC."

As chance would have it, I have just started a new PBW game which requires a mod. Geoschmo was kind enough to e-mail me these instructions which simplifies everything.

The easiest way to use the RTC for mods I have found
is instead of hand changing the path.txt file, use the
mod picker. Click on the mod on the left side and hit
the "Play SEIV" button below that. This will modify
the path.txt and open SEIV. You can close SEIV but DO
NOT close the mod picker and the path.txt file will
remain with the mod path. As soon as you close the
modpicker it changes the mod path back to none.

Now with the mod picker still running you can open RTC
and play your turn and it should allow you to play it
with no errors. Afterwards close modpicker to get your
mod path back to none and you are golden.

It worked like a charm.

Kim, I have not forgotten about you. I will get you the information I promised with a "regular" PBW game.

[Grandpa Kim]

tbontob, thanks for your efforts. I would be interested in the numbers while running a game even though 5.2 MB is still pretty high for my machine. (Sorry, gotta get a new vehicle before a new computer!)

I wonder, does it run even when you are offline?

And thanks again for your efforts

Kim

[tbontob]

Hi Kim

The size of the JAWAH.exe module in memory is as I have said 5.2 MB.

The total non-shared memory actually used is 3.25 MB when I am running it with a game.

In the Mac we can change the amount of memory a program uses through "Get Info". I don't know if this is possible with these non-Mac machines :-)

As to your question, I haven't checked it, but I am pretty sure that you will regain your memory when you go-offline. If you want me to check this...let me know.

If memory serves me right, in the older machines, if you load your programs into memory in the correct manner, you can make optimum use of it.

For example, loading a word processing program and then SE4, then quitting the word processor uses more memory than if you quit the word processor first and then loaded SE4. It has to do with where the program is positioned in memory.

When you are using your computer for another purpose, and then you want to get the most out of memory, you may want to consider trying a warm boot of your system and then load the programs you want.

Going back to your question, I am pretty sure (in the older machines at least), that memory is used sequentially. In other words, JAWAh loads first and then SE4. Then when you quit JAWAH, you probably regain the memory, but I am not sure it would be usuable memory.

For example, the memory in your older computer may be
JAWAH
SE4
Balance of memory

Then when you quit JAWAH, you have
Memory vacated by JAWAH
SE4
Balance of memory

The available memory then becomes fragmented.

But as I said, I am no expert (a novice in fact) on these machines and I could be totally out to lunch. There are others who are far more knowledgeable on this than I am.

[Ruatha]

When I try to run the RTC I get "Error: Main Class not Found"
What to do?

[geoschmo]

Ruatha, when you loaded the java JRE did you let it install itself to the default deirectory it wanted too?

Geoschmo