How to PBEM

[Whomp]

Let me start by saying that people should be free to post threads, open a pub, be a knucklehead but most important is to keep discussions wide open. There will eventually be some threads that will be "read only threads but that's more for organizational purposes.

I know Greebley asked for a discussion on how to pbem so here it is a tutorial and discussion thread on how to pbem.

There are a few things that are different with a pbem vs. SP. For instance, when a worker finishes a task like a chop it actually hits on the IT and applies towards the build the next turn. The worker is locked and can't move the next turn though.

Battle logs are taken because you can't see the actual battle unless you're initiating the action. IE if we attack with a 4/4 knight and take a 4/4 pike it would read something like:
4/4 knight to 2/4 taking out 4/4 pike

Here's what you need to know on playing saves which is slightly different from SP, as well.

Getting-Playing-Posting
1. The save comes in our gmail-box. It is from one of other teams and it is called "MTDG052_teamsaber.sav" or something like that. "052" is the number of the turn as it progresses, e.g. 053, 054, 055. Check gmail-box at www.gmail.com. [
Team(dot)BABE(at)gmail(dot)com
pw = combover

password for save is nuts

Click on the mail from Saber which usually has the subject line "Turn XX". Then d-load the file attached to your usual conquests saves folder, just like a SG. The .sav is yours and ready to play.
2. Copy Tubby's Todo into a workpad document .
IMPORTANT! When posting in BABE forum do not upload files on CFC server, just attach in post. Otherwise others may stumble over secret intel.

If you find something strange or plain stupid, then please (if possible) hold your play, ask for advice and go back finish. It could be about the process of getting, playing, posting or maybe in the actual gameplay.
First time it may be a good thing to keep an IM open just in case. Wait for someone who has done it before to be online for instant Q's and A's.

Doing Basic Diplo


Say Saber has:
Wheel
Math
Philo

We have:
Warrior Code
Cerm. Burial

First deal: We have agreed to swap WC+CB for Saber's Math. Our task is to send WC + CB this turn and then we will play MIA and send Math same turn.

1. When the save is opened go to diplo screen. Click WC and CB and then Accept. This means we are not sending a proposal, but accepting to just pass the techs over. Then you click Send. End turn.

2. Now when it's Saber's turn to play, the first thing that pops is the diplo screen saying "Team 2 offers WC and CB". Just click Accept and then Exit. Saber has now said "Thank you very much, we accept that you don't want to have anything for WC and CB". Leave diplo screen. Then open it again and repeat the drill: Now you want to gift Math back so you click Math and then Accept followed by Send, just like previous turn. End turn.

3. When playing as BABE again you get the pop up saying Math is coming your way. Click Accept and exit.

Finito, deal is done. Saber now has our WC + CB and we have their Math. This is prolly the deals we will mostly do.

Second deal: Saber will offer us some wines as soon as they're connected. They want us to swap one of our luxes for that.
1. Let Saber roads the wines. The turn it's finished go to diplo and offer Abe them wines. Click Wines and then Accept and Send, as in the first trade. End turn.
2. When we start our turn we see that Saber is passing the wines. Try clicking Ivory and Send instead of Accept and Send. What happens is that we don't get the wines (look at a city screen). We have basically said "We don't accept your gift of Wines. We propose a trade with Wines-Ivory". That means the deal is not closed. End turn.
3. Saber sees now that we want to trade Ivory for their Wines and that neither of us has accepted anything because this is a brand new proposal. Click Accept and Send saying "Oh, you didn't want the Wines right away but instead chip in some Ivory....OK". End turn.
4. Now we see that MIA has accepted out proposal to trade Ivory for Wines. Now we can accept their "....OK" by clicking Accept. Then we click Exit and the deal is in effect as you can see on city screen.

Note: If you misclick when adding things to offer, just click on them again (as usual).

If a team is offering something you don't want then just hit exit out to cancel their offer. This will happen when someone wants to offer peace and we do not want to accept.
Happy trading folks!

 

[ThERat]

thanks whomp for this help...useful for people like myself.

I did figure out our mailbox at gmail, so at least I passed that hurdle

 

[Tubby Rower]

Team(dot)BABE(at)gmail(dot)com
pw = combover

password for save is nuts



Whomp, did you copy the thread from KISS about how to PBEM?

It might be useful to at least provide a link

 

[Whomp]

I did so thanks for the link. Let's add stuff that we can come up with that's different between SP and PBEM.

 

[DaveShack]

Another thing for people who may not have played any PBEM at all... The one thing that tripped me up on playing the D'nut turns was that I thought that the right way to load the save was via the multiplayer menu. Once someone pointed out that you do it via the main menu load, it was smooth sailing.

 

[Greebley]

I was thinking about the turn player and had the following idea:

What if we had multiple turn players. There would be a "turn Thread" where a turn player would post something like:

"Turn 1 - I got it" , double check there is no crosspost (wait a min or two before starting) then go play.

Any player could post "Hold game for discussion" if there is some issue of import that some player felt needed to work out. If something major had changed the turn player that got it might also hold the game (declaration of war from another team for example).

This has several advantages:

Fast turn around. If we have a single player assigned to play it might be a while until he can get to the game. For example, I happen to know that ThERat is in the time zone aproximately opposite mine and could grab it if everyone in the US is asleep. Add Europe and we have all times multiply covered.

The ability to "hold" the game solves the major disadvantage which is someone playing too quickly (in fact if there is a single place to post it will work better than an assigned player who might miss a post for discussion.

If a specific player wanted strongly to play then that could be posted as well.

Additionally, we could have a second thread where the turnplayer posts what happened in his turn. So the first post would be turn 1, the next would be turn 2, etc. This puts the turn details in a single thread.

I would suggest we have a collection of turnplayers who can grab the save. Others could do so by special request. Furthermore if noone has grabbed the save after say 12 hours, then anyone can grab it.

 

[Tubby Rower]

Greebley, that's almost exactly the way that KISS played. It worked well. Occassionally people who normally don't play would step in for a turn. So it worked out well

 

[Whomp]

As Tubby said that worked well for us last game. The biggest problem last game was when we lost one of our turnplayers (Grahamiam) at a crucial time and lost some continuity. Remember when BCLG (the enemy at the time) whacked a stack with buchets that were then used against us.

The good thing is many of our solid players are in different geographic zones.
ThERat and Robi are Asian zone, BCLG, Wotan and Ynnek are Euro zone and Greebley and the rest of us are North American zone.

PS there's nothing wrong with recruiting more players you'd like to join us. I've pm'd Wackenopenair and Klarius without a response. Feel free to invite them if you think they should join us. Saber and Gong have been pretty active on the recruiting front.

 

[BCLG100]

cough cough me=europe

 

[Butterball]

... PS there's nothing wrong with recruiting more players you'd like to join us. I've pm'd Wackenopenair and Klarius without a response. Feel free to invite them if you think they should join us. Saber and Gong have been pretty active on the recruiting front.

Whomp, what about scout? Is he available?
BB

 

[Whomp]

I fixed it "Mr. Boy who is Catapulting Little Guys like me 100's of times from our pitboss game".

@Pops Butterball...Scoutsout has been MIA lately with job and other RL issues. I'm sure he'll join us if he has time with Gram Harriet on the team!

 

[gmaharriet]

@Pops Butterball...Scoutsout has been MIA lately with job and other RL issues. I'm sure he'll join us if he has time with Gram Harriet on the team!

Oh, I DO hope so! I'm very fond of him and some of the other idiots on this team.

 

[ThERat]

I am still a little uncertain how trading deals work out but I guess once I have gone through that, I would know (obviously).

So, do we have players that negotiate with other teams? Is that done via email or pm's?

 

[Whomp]

I am still a little uncertain how trading deals work out but I guess once I have gone through that, I would know (obviously).

So, do we have players that negotiate with other teams? Is that done via email or pm's?

Negotiating with other teams is done by email, pm and IM (MSN or AIM). This is what complicates, in a good way, how trades are done. Humans are a little more difficult to work with.

The good news is we have some experienced diplomats (manipulators) from the last game.

 

[gmaharriet]

The good news is we have some experienced diplomats (manipulators) from the last game.

Whomp is too modest to mention that he was the master manipu...um, negotiator...for team KISS last time. He was soooo smooth and had the other teams eating out of his hand. Seems like I also heard something about Bede opening his kimono in one diplo session, but I never quite figured out what that was about.

Seriously ThERat, if you get a chance, do make it a point to at least sit in on one more more diplo chats. We found it worked best for only 1 or 2 designated members to do the talking and prevent confustion, but more of us could be there quietly to listen. I found it fascinating, and I also had the opportunity to meet members of other teams that I'd never have gotten to know otherwise. It can be loads of fun.

 

[Whomp]

Robi D was quite masterful in diplo, as well. The silver tongued Fe3333au is the one we need to be wary of.

 

[Robi D]

I had a chance to get a bit of experience in the area. Must say i found it fun meeting people from other teams and trying to pull the wool over their eyes. I would agree that if anyone gets a chance to even sit in on a diplo session to do so.

 

[Tubby Rower]

Whomp, I sent all lowercase nuts to Rik as the password. one less thing to press with my fingers. could you update the first post?

 

[ThERat]

so your sessions with more members are then done via msn...will try and attend one of these (remember I live in a different time zone, so that might be a little difficult)

 

[gmaharriet]

so your sessions with more members are then done via msn...will try and attend one of these (remember I live in a different time zone, so that might be a little difficult)

Members of several teams are in Australia and we've always been able to work out the time differences for diplo...I'm thinking of Robi D and fe3333au specifically. Do Azzaman or Classical Hero do diplo? We'd work out the scheduling to allow for it. What is your GMT?