Well all I have seen here were discussions about Multiplayer and problems and such, but no games?! Let me be the first to do so then!
So how about a 6 player game with 2 AI? We can discuss how you guys would like the map in here. Just ask if you are interested. You can also contact me via msn icq or such.

So which leader will it be!?

1st player: Me, Peter (Russia) el.cidd @ gmail.com
2nd player: Kolyana, Isabella (Spain) kolyana @ gmail.com
3rd player: fierceseaman, Saladin (Arabia) fierceseaman @ gmail.com
4th player: Rupe, Bismarck (Germany) r_rupe @ hotmail.com
5th player: Traxis, F. D. Roosevelt (America) xtraxisx @ gmail.com
6th player: Danheng, Montezuma (Aztecs) danheg @ msn.com

Heh, I was going to go with Catherine from Russia ... so let's do Isabella from Spain (never played them before, so it'll be interesting to see what's what).

I would like to join, but unfortunatly it does not come out in Britain till Nov.
4th! :cry:

Anyway, I would go India

Cmon, there are surely more people aching for some PBEM action ¬_¬

I'm interested. I'll be Saladin of Arabia.

Id like to play. I have never done an email game but Im willing and ready! Id like Bismark of Germany if you let me in

Sure! Anyone can join! 2 spots left! :0

I haven't done a PBEM before, but I'm definitely interested. I'd like FDR of the US. As far as map settings, anything is fine with me.

I'll give it a try. let me try the Aztecs

Ill join

Hemperor

Sorry Hemperor, but the spots are all full now. Since I still want 2 AI in the game but don't want it to be too cluttered. First off, which map size? Standard, Large or Huge? What Climate? I'd prefer sealevel low or normal. Just suggest something.

how about avg. everything? go standard map with normal everything

sounds good to me.

Yeah, just go with the 'default' settings until we get into the swing of things. Lordy, I've never played with other people before :scared:

Well all I need is a reply from Traxis then I can set it up. :)

Ok I set it all up, default everything n stuff, when I tried to send it however, it said it couldn't send it to Kolyana. I wonder if it would work if I just upload the save?

102150

Try it.

I tried setting up a PBEM game to test if I could send, but it didn't work either. Maybe we will just have to send it along manually?

I'll try it now ...

Okay, that worked okay, but I was under the impression that each nation was password protected or something, because theoretically everyone can now download the savegame posted above and view my starting location ...

If we can't get the ingame email working (I'm going to research that now), or password protect our nations, maybe we should be emailing them directly to whoever follows us rather than freely distributing our nations for everyone to freely look at?

EDIT: Are we sure that the smtp setting is PER user? The game only needs an email address to send to and a mail server to send through, so theoretically ONE mail server can be used to forward all turns to individual players. I'm inclined to think that the SMTP is a generic mail server that will accept mail from an anonymous source (Gmail does NOT), and then individual addresses per user (ofcourse).

EDIT 2: I just tried taking my turn and when propted to email the file added a username and password for my gmail account; I did not get the usual error, but I'm unsure if it worked or not. Perhaps seaman could confirm one way or the other>

All right, just done some extensive testing:
I happen to have a bellsouth.net email address as well as my gmail one, so I set up a 2 player pbem, setup both players with different emails and tried to send the files from one to the other; nothing worked.

I then setup another game with both players using my bellsouth account (suspecting that maybe gmail is problematic) and I doublechecked my settings regarding account, username, password, smtp and etc.

Using these same settings that I had just verified, the game *appeared* to send correctly on two occassions (no error was given) ... but no file was received. I then went back and retested (same settings) and I got errors, so it seems like the built in system not only doesn't work, but it doesn't work in a completely inconsistent way :p

I see no problem in us either mailing a saved file onto the next person in the line, or posting the saved files here. Either way, I really think that each nation should be given a password to access their turn. This will mean restarting, but I have no problem with you (the pit boss) assigning passwords to us.

Ya, I think we can handle sending it on to the next in line. And passwords are a good idea, too.

Aloha,
I just tested something out - created a game w/ 2 players -- used my email and STMP for both [players] -- I did get the email w/ pbem attachment after ending first turn.

Don't know if this helps or adds to the confusion

No ... it helps ... but if some of us are using smtp that won't work (gmail?) then we'll need an smtp for those people that will forward anonymous email. I still can't figure out why my bellsouth email is not receiving anything one minute or reporting an error the next.

Should I forward my save game on to the next person, or are we adding passwords? (To be honest, I'd prefer the latter, because now everyone knows my starting position).

Aloha!

My friend and I also set up a PBEM and it worked -- are you using the STMP address form your email account - for example M$ Outlook needs STMP info if you do use that mode.

When I set up that PBEM I didn't know my buddies STMP, so I created an email address via my web site and forwarded his email to his actual email address.

That's the key ... your email server.

I'l still trying to figure out WHY bellsouth and gmail don't work ... I'm using the regular settings from outlook or as given on their websites, but with no success.

That's the key ... your email server.

I'l still trying to figure out WHY bellsouth and gmail don't work ... I'm using the regular settings from outlook or as given on their websites, but with no success.

Aloha,
Did you check your spam folder? Maybe it's dropping in there, or do you have a filter for emails w/ attachments?

I set-up 2 PBEM games and confirmed that it works - one w/ myself (so I guess I'm playing w/ myself) and a buddy.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I'd be very interested if, even to continue the game if any of the six drop out.

I'd be very interested if, even to continue the game if any of the six drop out.

Aloha Ephor!
I'm trying to start one as well - if your interested -- here's the thread link (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=135458)

:)

Ok I will set up a new game then, I guess I will have to set up the passwords, just private message them to me, I promise I won't cheat ;)
And if we use one SMTP, which would that be?

New game with passwords for sure, and you can always give each of us the email of the next person after us so we can simply forward them on if the emailing in the game doesn't work.

Aloha,
Did you check your spam folder? Maybe it's dropping in there, or do you have a filter for emails w/ attachments?

I set-up 2 PBEM games and confirmed that it works - one w/ myself (so I guess I'm playing w/ myself) and a buddy.

Yes, but you tested using YOUR email server. I know from experience that certain email servers will forward email in a very open way and they don't care where the information in coming in from or where it's going to. Other servers tend to be somewhat more 'ridgid' in their approach and I suspect gmail is such an example.

I checked the spam folder of both gmail and bellsouth, but neither received anything.

Johnny, I'd be interested to see if you can get this working with GMAIL and NOT your email service; ie don't FORWARD from your email to another, but open a gmail account and see if you can send directly to it.

Otherwise, if only certain email services will work, I might have something we can all use ... I think I have access to an email forwarding service, so - Kevinicus - I can set up 6 email accounts on there to use in the game that simply forward to the correct emails, if you wish.

I'll pm you.

I'd be very interested if, even to continue the game if any of the six drop out.

There is a keyboard shortcut (alt-q or something) that is a "Quit and pass control to an AI" ... untested, but it's there.

I've done some additional testing (on work's time ;) ) and I'm pretty sure that gmail is a non-starter. I checked and double checked the settings for gmail (according to their website), and to use outgoing smtp there are several settings that CIVIV does not make available for adjustment:

http://gmail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=13278


Check the box next to 'My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication,' and select 'Use same settings as my incoming mail server.'

Check the box next to 'This server requires an encrypted connection (SSL) under 'Outgoing Server (SMTP),' and enter '465' in the box next to 'Outgoing server (SMTP):.'


I have to assume, therefore, that gmail and Civ IV are non-starters at this stage of the game.

Well SMTP servers are only for sending the file ingame I guess. Well I sent it to Kolyana. Let's just say, I couldn't have gotten a better start :)

I have tried to find out what my smtp server is and i just can't figure it out. I don't use outlook express but I setup my hotmail account on it and it says nothing about smtp but it says i use http. Could anyone explain how this would affect things?

Danheg, don't worry about it, there are limitations with the game's built in emailing capability, so we're going to do it manually for now ;)

Kevinicus, we're still playing, right?

Aye I sent the savegame.

Can you post a list of players (in turn order) and their email addresses or something? I know who to send to next, but I don't know who they should be sending to after me.

Ok I did so, but so that no bots can pick it up or shizz. First page.

I've never set up a PBEM game but I wonder if gmail would work since it is secured and runs on a different port than a standard unsecured smtp server. Does the game setup allow you to set the smtp server to use TLS?

cass, you can set the smtp, username and password, but nothing else. No one I've encountered has had any luck with any free email services as yet.

Okay fellow fledgling empires, I've just made my first turn and have sent it on to Saladin!

ummm ok, i'm about to go ahead and send on my game but there is a little problem i think. it says that there is another civilization in the game that is called "fierceseaman" a russian, and that i am "Seaman" the arabian. i dunno what happened but did someone accidentally put me in the game twice? if so we kind of need to restart the game. let me know what is up.

I sent my turn on to Rupe, but I'd really like the whole fierceseaman/Seaman thing explained. I think we are going to have to start again.

Uh...I dunno I think I put in everything correctly. I will take a look at it asap.

When I was playing it had KOLYANA listed twice ... I think - when you set up the game Kevinicus - the first slot is set as "DEFAULT PROFILE" or something, which - on your computer - would show you. So happily you've added everyone else and sent the file to me.

Catch is, on my computer the DEFAULT is KOLYANA, and this is what showed up. Without a doubt, it's a bug, but perhaps we could get around it by specifically naming the first player slot? (I'm assuming that's the issue).

Well as long as it doesn't influence gameplay it shouldn't be that critical.

wow, really weird. interesting catch though.

just so you know email servers that dont require you to verfiy identity before sending out emails on your behalf are referred to as a open relay and are looked down upon greatly in the IT field. just think of it as a way to hide who you are when sending out spam emails thats why you have had such a hard time find email servers that work.

here's to hoping they tweak the pbem system since adding email account info functions should be a snap.

everything ok out there? I still haven't received my turn yet. I will be gone till late tonight after this message. It seems the starter motor on my scooter needs to be fixed ( luckily i can still kickstart but my bad knee makes that a painful proposition).

It is either hanging by Rupe or Traxis. :/

what is the big hold up

I kinda wondered this myself.

Well, if anyone is interested in joining a PBEM, here is the place. Just take the place of Rupe and change your details.

I repeat: Looking for a new player to replace a spot (or even two spots... >:/ )

Once again, we are in need of a new player!!

I can try to take someones place -

dakhor@bredband.net

/DaK/

I would love to try, if it is still available.

(I hope I don't get someone, who is already behind...)

gorazd.podbevsek@gmail.com

We haven't even had one turn ^^
Seaman, resend to Dakhor and Dakhor you send to podbevna!
Thanks! :)

Um ... is this one still running?

BTW, maybe we could setup a forum over at http://jscarpenter.net/v-web/bulletin/bb/index.php?sid=523ab1de843f10e8820bb67af702a13a? The organizer over there has been pulling together Civ IV resources, PBEM players and the likes and he has setup forums for other PBEM games.

Um ... is this one still running?
I have the same question

There should be an option to allow AI to take over for a certain period of time. Ppl go on vacations etc etc.

/DaK/

Actually, that's a pretty good idea. I wonder if you can hand it over to AI and then take it back again? Probably not.

Who had it last?! Send it to the new peeps damn you! :P

It seems Seaman isnt here anymore so we prob should assume hes out of the game - why dont the one before him send me the save game and I can play Seaman or the one after - delete one of those - or hand over to a new player or AI?

What happens if I just delete the settler and warror of Seaman - what happens to the game then - do we need to send a save game to him anyway? ( ie play him )

/DaK/

Kolyana could just resend the first save @_@

Wait ... if fierceseaman, Saladin (Arabia) fierceseaman @ gmail.com isn't playing anymore, we need to do something with his fledgling empire, right? Isn't there an admin option or a player option to hand over to the AI? (I know I've seen it a thousand times before, so I'm pretty sure it can be done).

Kevinicus, I will resend my turn to YOU (as administrator), so you can log in as fierceseaman, Saladin (Arabia) fierceseaman @ gmail.com and do whatever you need to do with his presence in the game.

Okay, sent.

hmm is this game still going? or shall i assume it is dead